Hi, Looking for some thoughts or options on converting my 1966 Buick Lesabre Custom convertible into a Wildcat. I've owned by car for 7 years now and have liked the look of the wildcat. I recently purchased a 66 lesabre wildcat for a parts car ( body is really really rough) but has all the wildcat parts are in good condition. Where I'm lost at is weather to pull the 340 outta my car and place in the 455 out of the parts car in it. Thanks Rick
You may or may not know the follwoing. The Wildcat is built on the 225 frame, and the wheelbase and front clip is 3 inches longer. Most everything else is interchangable between them. More information about your 340 vs the 455 condition and what you have in mind for driving style will help get you answers you need. Maybe drive shaft length, but you are looking at minimul work in swapping parts. Most things will fit, so a lot is grunt work, compared to modding to make things work.
If you have the prerequisites, time, money, resources and you got a little bit of crazy, go for it! Wildcat it and stuff the big motor in there.
A '66 Wildcat would have a 401 or 425 Nailhead engine, not a 455 and that's a lot of work to put a 455 in a 66 wildcat, Ask Wild Bill aka Topcat.
I would suspect front springs would also need to be swapped. Minor in the scheme of things. As others noted -- hood and fenders are different size...
Buy a real running Wildcat convertible and sell your car. Your parts car likely has a 401 cid nailhead engine with a 445 ft. lbs. factory torque rating on the air cleaner lid. You are confusing the 445 torque rating with a 455 cid Buick engine produced 1970-76.
