Thread: putting a different engine in a Rivierra

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I got a hold of a 1965 Buick Rivierra and it has most of the 401 motor parts to rebuild it but I was wondering if there is any other Gm engines that will fit in it with very little modifications to the oil pan, or mounts. And that will be able to be to be hooked up to original tranny

I guess you could swap any engine in there, but putting anything else in that Buick engine bay is kind of like calling the Pope names. These Buick mills are so cool on their own and dress up so pretty, it would be a shame to look in there and see something like a sbc.

Just my opinion, but I would rebuild the Buick and save yourself all the hassles of trying to work out engine mounts and the zillion other tasks you would have to do.


Don

PS: If you lived closer to Florida, my answer would have been different. I would have told you to pull that 401 and sell it cheap to some deserving hot rodder (me)

Swapping in another engine will prove to be MUCH more difficult than the small difficulties of making that nailhead (401) work. First off there is NO motor, GM or otherwise that will interchange with that one. The tranny is totally different, it is a TH400 but a short tail shaft, and the bell housing bolt pattern is not the same. The motor mounts are about 6 inches forward of ANY GM motor. These are just the first two issues.

That motor is TOTALLY unique motor from other GM engines. If you think this is a problem in working with it, just try replacing it! It is MUCH easier to find someone who knows these motors (there are more today than twenty years ago) than to fabricate everything you would need to in a swap.

This is one rare time, one very rare time where your cars value will be in the crapper if you swap out that motor. Even the ever popular small block Chevy would cost you a number of dollars at resale. Have you checked the value of that Riv. They bring some big bucks, more than a 65 Gran Sport Skylark, they ARE a true classic.

Did you know it was designed by Bill Michell the same guy who designed the 63 Vette Split window? The 63 Riv (same basic body) was the first GM car to have true hardtop windows with no metal frames around them. The First GM car to have urethaned in windows, it is a classic and should be left alone.

Brian

If time and money isn't an issue, most anything can be put in there with some fabrication and welding time.... That 401 with the right cam and a good working carb makes a ton of torque. The engine that comes to mind that would be a bolt in is the Buick 425 Nailhead, if you can find one.... I saw a '64 last summer that had one of the newer 455 Buick GS engines in it, it was very well done and to the non Buick knowledgeable guy looked like a factory install..... But it also looked like it had been a bunch of work, including some mods to the oil pan....

I had done the same thing years ago with a 69 buick Le Sabre.
Best thing is to take a good look at the engine in yours and go to the junk yard. I had a 400 trany and found differant motors in some of the same cars even had the starters on the other side of the engines.

Kurt

Thank you everybody for the information and the advise on the Rivierra. The more Im learning about this car the more I'm liking it. Another unique feature that I found out about it today is that You can take off the door skins just by unbolting them off. That will come in handy for me because one of the them is going to need some major body work on it. So what im going to do is have that 401 rebuilt and put back in the car and start restoring the Rivi.

Good choice, here is a forum with lots of help for you. You can also check out http://nailheadbuick.com/nail/intro-1.html There is a lot of help out here on the net.

Brian