hi all i am new to the site. this is my first message. i have a 86 regal with a 307 olds in it. i would like to put a 455 in it. do i need a olds 455 or a buick? and what elas would i need. i would be gratful for any help:TU:
To answer you in one word -YES. You could swap either engine in you car. They both will fit in you engine compartment. The olds motor would be easier to do for you, only because you have a olds motor already. The mounts and some brackets will swap directly over from the 307. But the buick swap wouldn't be much harder. You would need the engine mount pads from the donor car. Also you will need a beefier transmission behind the 455. You stock trans will bolt right up to ethier 455 but wouldn't last two days. Do a sreach here many others have done this before and some have done a good job documenting how its done. Good luck! Ps: The easiest swap would be another small block olds (ie 330, 350, 403) they are a direct swap and accecpt all the 307 accessories. I once swapped a olds 403 into a 85 Cutlass, even left it computer controlled. I think it ran about 14.5 or so in the quarter with a cam swap. Jake
i am going to try and do most the work my self. i am new at this. i have a lot of friends that are in to cars thow. do i need a now transmission or can i get it rebuit with what it needs? it has the stok transmission in it. if i got the 403 would i need anything for my transmission or would it be ok? thank for the help.
If you're new at doing this, I highly suggest you stick with an Olds motor. (Hopefully it's not treason to suggest this on a Buick board :eek2: ) It'll make life easier by not requiring you to get a whole new set of brackets, possibly replace some accessories, etc. That's exactly the reason why I'm going with a Buick 455 in my Olds instead of an Olds 455--because I currently have a Buick 3.8 in it.
Marco, Your existing transmission will work with either engine choice, but it will quickly fail. Trust me! What transmission is in you car now? If it is a 200-r4 (overdrive) it can be built to take the extra power from a larger engine. If it is the 3 speed you will need to swap it out for at least a TH350 trans(direct replacement, however). Do some investigating, set a budget, set a performance goal and collect all your parts. Depending on you budget and what engine you find becarefull select componants that will compliment each other. As an example, overcamming an engine is common newbie mistake. If you are new to hot rodding it would be a much easier swap to another olds small block. If you want to email me with any questions I will do my best to help you. The key to a successfull swap will be making sure you have all the parts you need before you start so you won't get dishartend if you can't find things or run out of money before you finish. When I did my cutlass engine swap it was in the late eighties and I needed the car to pass NJ state inspection. So I was forced to leave it computer controlled and with all emissions equipment intact. Some qick things to note. The intake and exhaust manifolds from the 307 will bolt up to the replacement olds small block but the port sizes are much smaller and would kill any performance gain, so use aftermarket parts or the manifolds from the larger engine. Jake
how can i find out what transmission that i have in it? can i get a manual transmission or will it be to much troble it the long run? what would you say?
Marcos, Does your shift indacator show overdrive and drive. If so you are in luck and its a 200-r4 and you can have it built to take some extra abuse. if not you need to get a new trans. Clutch petal set ups for these cars a very rare. This type of conversion is not for the novice hot rodder. Good luck Jake
Houston, we have a problem.... Looks like you'll need a tranny...what you got won't live behind a big block. I'm guessing, but a TH200C is probably what's in there. It was origionally designed to handle the torque of a Vega, if you remember those.
Should be fine. Remember, it's OK to have too much torque capacity. I had a friend that once put a TH400 behind a stock V6 in a 77 Olds Cutlass...bit of an overkill but nothing bad happened to the tranny.
