Modifying 1971 350 2v

[Guest]

I have a 71 Skylark with a 350 2 barrel.Now I now the 71 350 compared to a 70 350 is a dog so what could i do to this engine to get around 350 horses.Is it possible to just slap a chevy crate motor?And would it be more ecomomical than modifying the current buick motor. Any advice would be helpful Thank You

[YellowLark]

Larkhead,<P>You just pulled the pin on your hand grenade.<P>Please folks, when you flame this guy about the SBC into Buick swap, remember, his name is different from mine. LOL

[Guest]

Blasphemer!!! How dare you even THINK about putting a Chivvy in a Buick!<P>I own a '71 350-2 and find it quite nice after a few fixes here and there. Sure it's not a 455, but I still kick some ass on the streets with it?<P>If you want a 'dog', (okay, G-rated ) try a '72 or later with EPA stuff on it.<P>I agree with YellowLark, you mine as well just handed everyone a rocket laucher aimed at'cha.<P>Best of luck stayin alive in the war... lol<P>-S

[Guest]

Keep your Buick intact. <P>You can buy a turn-key engine built most any way you want, from T/A Performance, for the price of a run-of-the-mill Chevy crate motor. Everybody runs a Chevy crate motor... you see 'em in rods, kustoms, wanna-be musclecars... they're everywhere!<P>You can get all sorts of parts for the 350 if you want to do the rebuild yourself, and just piece out the machine work. The only thing I'd say is that you'd better have a good machine shop in mind that is willing to do as you ask them to do, or work with you to get the combo you want. That's why I mentioned T/A Performance; that's what Mike does for a living.<P>My two cents...<P>Matthew

[Guest]

The greatest thing you can do to increase horsepower on the 350 would be to bolt on some good headers and throw in a good cam and lifters. My 350 has a .480/.495 int/exh cam from Poston and Hooker SuperComp headers.<P>I'd buy the headers and a new exhaust first, and later on install a new intake and carb with the cam, timing chain and lifters since you have to take the intake off to change them anyways.<P>For roughly the same price, you can build a Buick 350 with the same HP and more torque than a Chevy 350. It's just a matter of finding parts.<P>-Phil

[Guest]

Thanks for the advice Phil! Don't worry you deticated hardcore Buick fans I am going to stick to the original engine.

[Guest]

I agree that the 350 is a good motor. The biggest improvements I made to mine were adding 2 1/2" dual exhuast with turbo mufflers, and tweeking the original distributor and carb. Use good quality parts in the distributor and get a curve kit for it. I was able to get my stock '69 350 to run 14.60@92mph in the 1/4 on little 14" whitewall tires and a 3.23 posi rear. That was with the stock intake and exhuast manifolds. The car actually ran slower 60' times when I added headers.<P>Ken McMillan<BR>'69 GS California

[Guest]

Holy crap,is that possible guys? Could a car actually run slower with headers? Cant see how more breathing could slow down a car???????????

[The Old Guy]

There could be two explanations for running slower!! Either he broke the tires loose and lost 60 ft times from slippage,or he uncapped them and didn't rejet the carb. opening the headers means upping the jet size bt least 2

[Guest]

It's all a balancing act. Torque is affected by back pressure, which a good set of headers will reduce. 60' times are all about torque and getting "out of the hole."<P>Matthew

[Guest]

if you were to buy a basic rebuild kit using the 10:25 to 1 stock pistons and using an aftermarket intake with the stock camfrom the 325 horsepower engine yu coud hit the 350 mark in no time and have a good inexpensive motor to boot also what sounds better then a chevy or ford getting there ass kicked by a buick can we say crybabies