1987 V6 Regal to Buick 350 Swap anyone know how to do a swap in a 1987 Buick regal with a 3.8 (non turbo, engine has cracked pistons) to a buick 350 with TH350 trans. out of 1971 Buick Skylark and does anyone know if the swap is Difficult?
Its pretty much a bolt in deal. You just need to move your crossmember forward a few inches I believe and thats pretty much it. The 3.8 is a Buick 350 with two less cyl so all the accesories bolt directly to the 350. The th350 is the same length as the 200r4 your car has now. The motor mounts are the same from the 350 to the v6 so thats a non issue. The only problem with the swap is that there are no headers that fit. Easy solution there too, look in the parts for sale section for a set of headers for sale by "flynbuick" I think his name is dan. He modded them to fit a regal with Buick 350.
Dude the swap is real easy. You really don't need to move the cross member forward. If you do you'll also have to move you'r motor mounts forward. Tha V-6 motor mounts and the 350 mounts are the same. It will be a little tight towards the A/C unit if you don't move everything forward. Left all my mounts in the stock locations when I put the 350 in my 85 regal, and it worked out fine. Best of luck to you in you'r venture.
You will have to move your transmission crossmember if you had a 200r4. Do you have overdrive? The mounting position for the TH350, 250 200 are the same but the 200r4 and TH400 are different. Also, when you move your accessories from the v6 to the v8, you'll have to change your bolts to ASE because almost all of the v6 bolts are metric. I didn't have any trouble installing hooker headers when I had my 350 regal but Dan did (FloydsBuick). MARK
I talk to Poston Buick And one of the guys...I think tony is the one I talk to and said that they have a template for headers and they are waiting to get the headers back so they can Try em (1981-1987 Regal Chassis with Buick 350).
My original plan was to use T-5 Trans. but finding a Bellhousing that will bolt up to a buick motor is not easy. So I will go threw TH350 Trans and use that.
Yeah but the 200R4 would need to be gone through..Plus the TH350 is a perfect match to the motor and I wouldn't have to worry about the power rippen up the Trans. I know where your coming from though I thought about that, but this is a Situation where money is kind of limited to spent.... sounds stupid I know cause I had people go "will Why didn't you buy 10:1 Compression pistons for the V6?" I would have if I found out sooner before I bought the motor and Trans.(the guy also threw in the driveshaft don't know if I need it yet. My goal was to Have the car done for Prom (Yes this my last year of school) In April of 08, Cause I really don't want to drive My 1998 Ford Contour it ok it's been wreck not bad I just fixed it before school started again (1st car.I have had it for 3 yrs. now...and I am not rich like the underclassmen that have their parent(s) buy them a new car). I am not building the car to be a Show car.....I am building the car to be a nice good looking Car thats not perfect. Rate now the car is sitting in our barn (yes I live on a 160 acre farm). I bought the stock running (so he says) motor (No access. Or Carb.) And Trans. with Free Driveshaft with around 69,000 miles for $500 they where in a 1971 Buick skylark which I look back now and it's like yea I think I over paid for the stuff....but it's not easy to find a motor and trans. around here.
Yeah but the 200R4 would need to be gone through. okay, well then hold on to the 200 and in a couple of years you can have somebody do a performance rebuild on it.
i suggest a 2200 stall convertor and poly left side grand nation mount as the stock mount is soft for the v6 and you will need to use v6 mounts on the 350 engine
From what I heard from a Guy I know he said I will need to buy V8 Front springs otherwise the front of the car will sit low because the spring are for a V6
You should put better springs up front but I never did. If you can find a junk yard with some g-body cars with the olds v8 then grab those springs, the fan shroud and radiator.
mine still sat fine with a 350 in it with the v6 springs, but when i went to the 455, v8 springs had to come. and i could be wrong but you will have to hit the junkyards and grab one of the 200 crossmembers to use the 350 trans. i tried to move the overdrive crossmember and couldnt even get close. all though at least the drive shaft should work.
you can use the overdrive crossmember on a 350 trans but you will only have one bolt on the one side,had to run a 350 trans in my t-type when i blew the overdrive at the track the holes in the crossmember are very large making adjustments fairly easy
i've done a few of those changeovers also.always pulled the p/side exh. manifold first. minimal mods needed. radiator , cheap muffler shop.ft.springs etc. stock 2.41/2.72 rear end ate tires.....lol do yourself a favor, get under the car look closely at the frame,body mounts etc.after my last 3.8/350 job the core support mounts were bad. ate the front bumper fillers too.those fillers dont like torque! dont get in a hurry to just drop it and go.
If you really want a stick, the chevy truck 4 speed overdrive from the early eighties is a stick shift with about the same ratio's as a 700r4. It's the same length, spline and mounting as a saginaw 4 speed and bolts up to standard GM bop bellhousing. It's a new process tranny. It was used by chrysler in the 70's as the 833. Damn tough tranny. When it was converted for use by GM, they changed it so it would match GM tranny's
