Buick conversion Buick 340-327 chevy

[67special327]

Hey I own a beautiful 1967 Buick special Deluxe, It had a 300 originally then before I bought it the Buick 340 was swapped in. Well the 340 is no more! I am wondering where I can find an aluminum rad for the car, since its a chevy motor going into a Buick will it need to be custom built? Also I'm kinda worried that my driveshaft will need some tweaking?? As the 340 is much shorter then the 327. Is there anyone out there that has done such a swap, any info will help! Then theres the dreaded wiring, isit all going to reach? Thanks guys, cant wait to drive my Buick again! Also one more thing I already found a turbo 350 trans for it, whats the best shift kit for drag racing, yet still somewhat streetable, it wont be a daily driver by any means but it has to be streetable! Thanks ***Keegan***

[The Old Guy]

Unless you have destroyed the Buick engine, you would be better off to rebuild it. The Chev engine will make the car less valuable, and the Buick engine ,although more expensive to build HP into ,is a better engine

[JohnD1956]

I agree with Joe, but baring rebuilding the 340, I'd look around for a used 69 or 70 Buick 350. It's probably a bolt in and still has tons of guts even in a stock form.

[67special327]

I know you guys are true Buick fans as am I, but I already have a 4Bolt main ss 327! When I said that the 340 is no more I meant it, I blew the poopoo outa it! When she went pop My Camshaft went into 6 pieces, one came back threw the journal and jammed up my ring gear so at 100+ mph it came to a devistating screeching halt, the crank punched a hole in the block big enough for my fist to fit in! Even tho it was trashed I opened it up to see what else went, I had maybe 4 good pushrods left, there were chunks of crank bearings everywhere!I still have that piece of camshaft that brought me to a stop so fast as a souvenier! I loved that 340 wish I woulda rebuilt it while I still could but not now! As for keeping it stock, its to late already! I dont have the money to look for another Buick engine! Plus like you said its hard to get anymore hp outa that buick engine then what it had 260Hp and 365ft/lb I believe, while the 327 for sure has more hp then that, maybe not quite the torque but theres such a huge aftermarket for a chevy sb!

[The Old Guy]

Installing a Chev is more complicated than just droppping it in the hole. You will need different moyor mounts, a different trans, and different trans mount. That coupled with the wiring and radiator changes makes it a major job.

[67special327]

I never asked if the swap was hard or not! I fully realize that its not a bolt in application! The 340 was so much shorter we are going to have to move the front cross member. I am not doing this swap for ease I am doing it cause I love the 327, I already have the 327 and t350 tranny Edelbrock performance intake, edelbrock double pumper, headers,valve covers. Motor mounts are the least of my concern they are like what $30! My main concern right now is finding a aluminun rad that will bolt into the buick yet be plumbed for the chevy! Also i am wondering about my driveshaft! So please quit trying to discourage me, its not going to happen! You think this is a big deal you should see my girls project car, its a 90 240sx with a 02 sr20DET 6 spd. I need to build my Buick strong so I can stay infront of her little ricer, cause that would suck to have my gf's car faster then mine!lol

[Guest Tom]

67special327, I'm guessing you are getting the responses to your question because you are on the Buick Club of America website. I copied the following right off the home page.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Welcome to the Buick Club of America

Thank you for visiting the official web site of the Buick Club of America. The BCA is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and restoration of automobiles built by the Buick Motor Division of General Motors Corporation

</div></div>

Nothing wrong with what you are asking, but you may be asking the wrong people. I'm thinking I would get similar responses if I went to a classic Chevy forum and asked how to put a Nailhead engine and Dynaflow transmission in a '57 Belair.

[The Old Guy]

67 Special 327 I'm sorry if I upset you. You can't believe how many people think that any engine will fit anywhere. I was just pointing out some of the pitfalls.

If you contact Summit Racing or Jeg's Automotive , they can probably point you in the right direction for the radiator.

[67special327]

Hey thanks old guy for understanding, I have nothing against the Buick Engines, that 340 pulled my Buick just fine, I have pics of the needle barried and a good one of me blowing by a 68 Charger, you can see the 440 shaker hood and the the guys mouth hanging open as I flew by! If my pockets were deep enough i would probally go find another 340 or the Buick 350 does sound like an good engine with its long stroke! But I gotta work with what I've got! You would think that die hard Buick fans would like to see this car come off the blocks and be driven and appreciated again! Its been sitting for years now! I cant wait to have The Purple Love Machine running again! ( its plum crazy purple got that nickname back in highschool,lol) Is it really that absurd to assume I could find knowledge about doing an engine swap into my BUICK, on this Buick site?? Thanks Tom for your handy work there, as I didn't realize I was on a Buick site!haha

***67Special327***

[imported_buick5563]

Keegan,

You actually bring up some good points. Even though the majority of us around here are restorers vs. hot-rodders, you are on the modified section of the forum. Alot of times when people ask how they can modify their car everybody jumps them telling them to keep it original. I personally lean towards keeping a car mostly original. You have a 327... Cool. We just usually like to keep the Buick powered cars here. Again, your car, your decision. I would check out the Hokey Ass Message Board to get further info on this swap. I'm not trying to scare you away, or [censored] you off, it's just that Chevy engines are not our specialty. I'm with the Old Guy, check JEGS or Summit or call Walker Radiator directly. I guarantee you aren't the first guy to stick a Chevy motor in a Buick.

Good luck.

[imported_buick5563]

Wow. My first censored post.

Sorry Moderators

[The Old Guy]

67 Spesial 327

If you check my profile ,you will see that I have a 37 Buick with a 455 Buick engine in it and have been involved with the Buick Modified Division since it was started. I can understand why you are installing the chev engine as with the economy as it is right now, it pays to save wherever you can.

[67special327]

Thanks guys you understanding! I Literally got the 327 for free, believe it or not it was in a old 47 chevy touring bus made into a motorhome,and the cool thing is the motorhome was built and registered in 67 and the engine was outa a 66 chevelle, so it had very little time getting drivin hard in that chevelle,sat most of its life it that motorhome only had 30K on the odometer in the motorhome!That was quite the unit back in the day but it rotted out and my parents sold it to a lady who wanted it as a shed! So I got a ss327 for free!! Then I acquired all the performance parts for very little! So all in all its going to still be a pretty cheap project! (I Hope) still along way to go but as long as shes ready for this summer, I'm happy! Thanks for the suggestions I will check it out!

***67Special327***

[Guest John Chapman]

67Special,

Just some thoughts from the sidelines...

With what you've got in the 327, and given that it's a four bolt, you could sell it and the THM 350 outright and have enough money to do a very nice Buick 350 <span style="font-style: italic">and</span> a competition-rated THM 200R4.

There are plenty of Chebby guys that would give a valuable body part for a numbers correct, solid '66 327 four bolt.

While it sounds like the level of effort isn't an issue, the Buick/200R4 would be a very near bolt-in, requiring only that you move the rear crossmember back about six inches. That would be far more tidy than having to patch and rig. Oh, and you'd have an overdrive fouth gear for cruising.

Other considerations... the Buick 350:

...will deliver far more torque than the SBC at similar tune (and a big handful more than the old 340, too).

...will dress out about 100-125 pounds lighter than the SBC

...is made of better material (higher nickel content iron), is a stiffer block (no four bolts needed)

...you won't need to spend a bundle on an aluminum radiator. The stock four core cross flow Buick will handle the load easily.

...performance parts for a Buick 350 are readlily available (T/A Performance, Gessler, P.A.E Enterprises, Inc, plus others)

...you get to use standard parts (a lot of the 340 external parts will fit... water pump, distributor, maybe the carb, oil pump)

...you won't have a "MuttMobile"... you'll have a really cool Buick. Not many of those at the local Sonic. Everything up to an old Massey Furguson has a SBC in it these days.

...you get to have your 'knowledgeable' pit monkeys wonder how hard it was to build a 350 with the distributor in the <span style="font-style: italic">front </span>where you can get to it...

But, all said and done, it's your project.

Cheers,

JMC

[supersix]

If you find a factory small journal 4-bolt main 327 block you could probably get a fortune for it. To my knowledge they were never produced.

[joe_padavano]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 67special327</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I never asked if the swap was hard or not! I fully realize that its not a bolt in application! </div></div>

First, I am also one of the people that says keep it all Buick. Having said that, this absolutely IS a bolt-in swap if you get all the parts. The Special is an A-body, just the same as the Chevelle. The frames are interchangeable between a 67 Chevelle and a 67 Special. You need the Chevelle frame mounts (your crossmember is already drilled for it). Of course you will need the correct transmission, accessory brackets, hoses, exhaust, etc. Again, I didn't say it was easy or cheap, but it IS a bolt-in.

Of course, the better approach is to sell the 327 and buy a Buick motor.

[67special327]

Thanks Joe I picked up the motot mounts yesterday for about $20 not bad! So since its the same body as a chevelle, couldn't I just get a 67 chevelle rad made for the 327?

***67Special327***

[joe_padavano]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 67special327</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thanks Joe I picked up the motot mounts yesterday for about $20 not bad! So since its the same body as a chevelle, couldn't I just get a 67 chevelle rad made for the 327?

***67Special327*** </div></div>

I don't know if the core supports have the same radiator mounts. I know that in some cases the Cutlass and Chevelle radiators are different (crossflow vs. downflow, for example). Why do you even think you need a different radiator? Are the hoses on different sides? If so, any good radiator shop can simply move the inlet and outlet tubes on your current radiator.

[Guest Bill_Boro]

It looks like this thread has been quite for a while.

Just to stir the pot a little ..... I have a friend that was given a rusted out Land Rover for free. it has a smooth running, small displacement, aluminium 8V that Land Rover bought the tooling for from Buick. There appears to be more than a few of these English rust buckets out there.

Does any one know much about this engine, and if would make a good swap engine for an older Buick. I thought that with its small displacement and light weight it would also make a nice street rod engine with potentially good gas mileage.

[Guest imported_Thriller]

In the original configuration ('61-'63 Specials / Skylarks), which are smaller, lighter cars, 20 mpg is reasonable according to what I've heard. With the 4-bbl, I think they were rated at 185 hp. Of course, I don't know what Land Rover may have done with them. You would need to lighten a car or go for some performance mods to make it much of a street rod though. They go well enough, but I wouldn't say they are really a performance engine in original trim.

[joe_padavano]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Bill_Boro</div><div class="ubbcode-body">It looks like this thread has been quite for a while.

Just to stir the pot a little ..... I have a friend that was given a rusted out Land Rover for free. it has a smooth running, small displacement, aluminium 8V that Land Rover bought the tooling for from Buick. There appears to be more than a few of these English rust buckets out there.

Does any one know much about this engine, and if would make a good swap engine for an older Buick. I thought that with its small displacement and light weight it would also make a nice street rod engine with potentially good gas mileage. </div></div>

The Rover aluminum V8 is a near bolt-in replacement for the 61-63 215 motors. The Rover version came in various displacements from the original 3.5 liters up to 5.0 liters. The 3.9 and 4.4 versions are common in wrecking yards here in the D.C. area. These also have a very cool EFI system with individual runner stacks inside a common plenum. The best bet is to run it with a custom computer like a MegaSquirt. The 3.5 and 3.9 versions also respond well to the installation of the supercharger from a Buick 3800SC. At least one of these has a web page dedicated to it.

[Guest Bill_Boro]

Thanks for the information! Any input or preference on a bolt up transmission selection?

[Guest butchcoat]

Thanks guys you understanding! I Literally got the 327 for free, believe it or not it was in a old 47 chevy touring bus made into a motorhome,and the cool thing is the motorhome was built and registered in 67 and the engine was outa a 66 chevelle, so it had very little time getting drivin hard in that chevelle,sat most of its life it that motorhome only had 30K on the odometer in the motorhome!That was quite the unit back in the day but it rotted out and my parents sold it to a lady who wanted it as a shed! So I got a ss327 for free!! Then I acquired all the performance parts for very little! So all in all its going to still be a pretty cheap project! (I Hope) still along way to go but as long as shes ready for this summer, I'm happy! Thanks for the suggestions I will check it out!

***67Special327***

67 buick specail, i think your on the right track, the first problem i ran into with my 62 cutlass was the chevy oil pan hits the cross member along with all the steering linkage, so i bought a 66 340 buick to put in it instead, i do alot of car and engine building and the one thing i've learned is you can put anything in anything for the right price, so as long as you have the mo ney and will power then getter done eh. oh and i can build 3 sbc's to every 1 ford, mopar,buick or olds, thats if you can find any hp parts thats not specail order, i'v owned everything from a 65 vette to a 31 5 window chevy coup, to mustangs, so many camaros i can't even count them, chevelles, trucks of every kind, and now on to a 62 olds cutlass that i soldthat 215 aluminum motor out of and 4 speed, the rad problem shouldn't be a problem, they make one t fit every thing, but if you have a 4 core already in good shape then you should be fine, a 327 isn't anything special how ever a smart man told me once theres no replacement for displacement, so why put a 327 in when a 350 sbc is exactly the same thing or a 400 sbc? if that 327 will go in so will these and the parts you have will interchange with the 350 so you don'thave to buy anything. don't believe the hype of 327 are hard to find or rare because the sell for about 150 bucks unless it's a large juornal then it could go as high as 250 because the are an exact block for the 350 they put in the 69 camaros, a good friend of mine just bought one that was hot tanked and new cam bearings installed and cross hatched for 200 bucks. so anything you have already bought for the 327 will work on a 350, and you can sell the 327 for enough to buy a 350 or just swap someone. you don't mention any numbers off your block so now if its a small juornal then you'd need a few diff things, did this block come with a crank? well i would like to know, you mentioned you had blew up the 340 that was in your car, do you have an aluminum intake from it? or headers?or hp heads? i hope i helped you in some way, i'm an old hot rodder who thinks all origenal cars have a special place to, thanks butch:cool:

[Rusty_OToole]

Have you thought of selling the Buick and buying a Chev? Or swapping the Buick for a Chev?

I know you don't want to sell the Chev engine and buy a Buick engine. Even though it would save you a lot of time and money.

I don't get how you haven't got the money for a used Buick engine but do have the money for a custom built rad, suspension, oil pan, motor mounts, exhaust, transmission crossmemeber etc.

I would be selling the Chev engine and putting the money towards a Buick engine or possibly buying a wrecked late sixties early seventies Buick with a good motor.

[Guest Jim_Edwards]

Have you thought of selling the Buick and buying a Chev? Or swapping the Buick for a Chev?

I know you don't want to sell the Chev engine and buy a Buick engine. Even though it would save you a lot of time and money.

I don't get how you haven't got the money for a used Buick engine but do have the money for a custom built rad, suspension, oil pan, motor mounts, exhaust, transmission crossmemeber etc.

I would be selling the Chev engine and putting the money towards a Buick engine or possibly buying a wrecked late sixties early seventies Buick with a good motor.

Rusty I hope you realize this thread is two years old.

Jim

[NTX5467]

For some reason, this thread comes up on the AACA Forums (complete listing rather than just those for the BCA, which is where I found it before getting to the BCA-only side of things) as the most recent. Still interesting, though.

Since we're HERE, I would be remiss to not mention the Buick 300 "upgrade" article in the current HOT ROD MAGAZINE. I found it the other night after Rick mentioned the Nailhead article in it (which I must have overlooked as I didn't see it). Seems that with the little Buick 300 V-8, it can be greatly upgraded in power and TORQUE by doing some creative "hot rodding" and using Buick 340 pistons. Pretty danged impressive for a previously-not-considered engine to have that much hidden potential! CHECK IT OUT!

Enjoy!

NTX5467