I have seen this done many times, and have thought about it myself. I have a 1971 Buick Skylark. If anyone has done this before, could you reply or email me in great detail as to what you had to do to accomplish the convert. thanks
squirmyman@hotmail.com
Just buy a Chevelle body and your chevy will be complete. Why mess up a good Buick with a Chevy engine? Oh, and you need the transmission too.
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Hillbilly
67 Buick Electra Conv
70 GS Stage 1
73 Gran Sport Stage 1
ASE Certified Master Tech
GM Master Tech
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I would, but my skylark is way too cool to trade up. I wouldn't mind beefing up my Buick's engine, but to get 400 hp, it's gonna cost like twice as much as it would with Chevy stuff. Maybe I should just bite the bullet and build my buick.
Bite the bullet and build your Buick. I have a Chevelle and a Skylark and I would not put a Chevy engine in the Buick (I wouldn't put a Buick engine in a Chevy either).
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Jim North
1971 Skylark Convertible
1971 Chevelle Convertible
My lame website
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You can install a 455 Buick engine very easily, and they are available and fairly cheap. Then whn you want some HP you can buid it and still have a streetable car. If you build a Chev engine to whip the 455 ,you will have a car with very poor streetability
i look at it this way though. say I have 4500 to throw into building an engine ok. If I build even a 455 verses a chevy 350, by the time I'm done, which one would have more power? Really, It doesn't matter how much streetability it has because I don't care. My buddies dad's chevelle has close to 500 hp. and he runs all over town with that thing. Gas mileage is no big deal. If I have power, I can stop and put in some petro. And I know it will all depend upon what I were to put into those 2 motors, but I've looked all over trying to find some parts places, some really decent parts places and they just aren't there. I have postons, year one, original parts group, and T/A performance.....why doesn't anyone make decent parts for what we need?
You are right in believing that a Chevy engine can be built for less money. If your friend has a true 500 HP small block on the street, I doubt he runs it on pump gas ,and gets into traffic at all. There are quite a few 455 Buicks that are running low 12s that are running pump gas ,and can sit in traffic like a stocker. TA Performance has everything to make a 455 fly, but you are correct that it will be more expensive. I think it is worth it because evervone runs a Chev, and I like to be different
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Joe T
37Buick coupe /455 powered
40 Super convert
72 GS455 convert 13.0/105
63 225 2dr Hard top 25K original miles
Equally prepared, the 455 will blow the small block into the weeds. There is no substitute for cubic inches.
There are more than plenty of hi-po parts available for the Big Block Buick from a variety of sources. Unless you want to build an all out drag car, everything you need is out there. First, spend a little time learning what the big block Buick is, and is not. It is not a Chevy. The build up is not the same. Bearing clearances and oil pressure are much more critical on the Buick big block.
You can NOT turn it up over 6,000 without spending a lot more money than you want to spend. But then, you don't need too! It will make power from 2000 to 5500 easily. The "power" is torque. A small block chevy can not match it. Torque is what moves you, and accelerates you, not Horsepower.
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Hillbilly
67 Buick Electra Conv
70 GS Stage 1
73 Gran Sport Stage 1
ASE Certified Master Tech
GM Master Tech
Support this site, CLICK HERE!
By the way...
If all you are looking for is 400 HP, then any Big block Buick will give you that with just an aluminum manifold, a good carb, and a decent cam (that doesn't mean one that won't idle under 1800RPM!). My 2 pence worth. You don't even need headers!
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Hillbilly
67 Buick Electra Conv
70 GS Stage 1
73 Gran Sport Stage 1
ASE Certified Master Tech
GM Master Tech
Support this site, CLICK HERE!
Senior Member
O.K. here's my $.02 worth.
Even if you decide to use a Chevy, you are not investing in you power wisely. You would be far better off to use a Big Block Chevy. I have seen many stock and close to stock 396's blow the bags off of built 350's. Like the guys have said, you can't beat the cubes!
A Buick 455 will add value to the car and will blow away most 350's with very few mods.
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