65 Skylark with LT1 and 4L60E, Plans change. Edit: Well the plans have changed cause I came across a good deal on a complete 94 Formula Firebird. It has 76000 miles and runs great besides the back is totaled. So for 1200 I can't pass it up. Hello everyone, I've been on this forum for a while now trying to get some info and such about getting my Buick running. A little background info. My brother bought it in a parking lot for a thousand bucks. Bone stock all original everything. Wildcat 310 with a ST300 2 speed. Stock hubcaps even. Well after time the car started running a bit worse and worse and more and more of the original interior was being tossed. Then one day BAM he got into and accident that completely wrecked the driver side fender. Then my brother got a new car and left this one to sit. He then moved out of state for a better job to support his family and left me the car. I was happy because I was always asking him if I could buy it from him. So the car sat for a good year then I started working on it and got it running and driving but it ran bad. Started taking stuff apart and it lead to the entire engine needing to be rebuilt. Long story short, car needs new engine and trans and I'm getting both pretty cheap. And besides who wouldn't think a Buick with a six speed would be bad ass. I'll keep my progress picks going for anyone who wants to keep an eye on this swap, its my first one and I can't wait to get it running. Heres what I got so far. Not much just pulled the old stuff out and fixed some rust.
that should be a pretty neat swap. Lots of Buick purists around here, but iam becoming a pretty big fan of the LSx engines. They are a pretty kick-ass engine and are getting to be pretty rasonable in price too. Let us know how you set up the fuel system if you plan on keeping the EFI.
I'll keep everyone updated. I am planning on keeping it EFI. I am going to see if I can get the stock tank to work with an electrical fuel pump and return line and all that. If I can't figure it out then I'll just do a fuel cell in the trunk with a pump already done and I just have to wire it.
That should be pretty cool,,,,it'll be neat to see what you have to go through,,,,there are a bunch of guys over on pro-touring.com doing the same kind of thing to all kinds of pontiacs,,,chevelles,,olds,,,haven't seen it in a buick yet though,,should be very similar!!!! Between the Buick guru's on here and the pro touring site,,you should have lots of resources for any info your needing!!!!
You might consider an early to mid 90's B-body plastic gas tank. The 94-96's were LT1 cars, so there's your EFI sender & pump setup. Fuel goes in back by the license plate, just like the older cars.
Thats awesome I had no idea those cars gas tanks would work, let alone even look into it, Thanks a lot you just solved one of my issues.:beer
i've done quite a few transplants along the lines of what you're doing. Go to hotrodlane.cc and download their catalog. You will actually doodoo in your pants when you see all the cool stuff they have to help you out. I also have a complete Borg-Warner T56 setup out of a 94 Camaro that will bolt up to your 5.3 for sale. Someone else did make a great suggestion about the fuel tank- what are you going to do about a wiring harness? Factory? Aftermarket? Exhaust? factory manifolds? What is your budget? Sounds like a really cool project that will be a very reliable car when your finished!! good Luck-
Not much progess so far. I am picking up the engine next weekend. Freak6264, I am using a stock wireharness and I'm going to cut it up and get rid of most everything I don't need. Exhaust is going to be 3in true duals with glass packs or chambered sticks. I'm going to go with a set of shorty ls1 manifolds. I was told on the fbody forum that the truck manifolds are wider than fbody ones. I'm not sure on the budget it keeps changing with the stuff I buy.
please do not go true duals....use an x pipe...or at least an h pipe...if you run true duals you will notice a drop in torque and horsepower...(as compared to an x'd system)
Check your oil pan clearance to your frame..might not clear...Im doing a ls/t56 swap in my 64 right now, still building up the engine. Go to LS1tech.com lots of info on a-body swaps. Hotrodlane as stated above is pretty slick and make a lot of brackets and acessories for it. Edelbrock make some pretty sweep headers for it. Frame mounts/motor mounts will have to be from a 68-72 chevelle or you can fabricate your own. But yeah, keep us posted as will I on the swap. :TU:
Picked up the donor car last weekend. 76,000 miles Trans Am Formula. Bone Stock. Was totaled do to frame damage. This is going to be a way easier way to go than the ls/t56. No mods to the oil pan I can use the stock one and with the original wire harnes and all there is not much to work out besides tuning. I'm going to drop the motor out this weekend and start mocking up the car.
Got the motor and trans out of the other car and going to start pulling the wire harness on thursday. I got some work to do on the motor as I broke a manifold bolt off in the head. I also had to take the trans and use it in my Camaro do to a so called "built" transmission failing. Oh well now the Buick will get the stalled auto after I go through it.
I'll be using small block chevy motor mounts for a 65 Chevelle 350. They will mount to the LT1 and I think the frame of the Buick. I have not been able to test fit it yet but hopefully this weekend. I still need to do some front end stuff like ball joints and shocks before the motor goes in.
Well I got the wire harness out of the transam and am going to pull the fuel pump out this weekend. It has been coming slowly do to work and school. I hope to do some engine work this weekend. I am putting a LT4 hotcam kit in the motor before the motor goes in. I also need to do some trans work I believe I broke the sun shell.
This sounds like a really nice project. It sounds as if the LT1 will bolt in even easier than the LS based motor. The 4 door looks really solid as well.
Been a long time since an update on here. I wish I had something awesome to say like motor is in or getting ready to fire it up or something. I really haven't had time for anything. Pretty much just collecting. Picked up fender, front bumper, grille assembly. Got everything I needed out of the parts car and got rid of it. Need to order a full front suspension rebuild kit and body to frame bushings. Need to order weather stripping all around car. Pretty much it. Gonna try to get inside and work out the wiring mess in there and pull the dash so I can get some measurments for my custom gauge panel. I'm going to go with all new electronic gauges. Oh I forgot I did pick up a gas tank with a Wahlbro pump. Came from a 95 Impalla SS. They fit pretty good in these cars.
