hello everyone , well its winter ,back to work on my hotrod , I have a question or maybe a couple , have any of you guys ever use a 455 buick in there modal a ford , I have a modal a tudor and I was going to use a 389 Pontiac set it in looks ok but just can't get into it , so I came across this buick engine I like the looks of it ,want to know what you guys think ,thanks a bunch
Make a couple cheesy motor plates and drop it on the frame.... take some pictures... check em out..... wait a couple weeks then go look at em... If you like it .... do it
The 455 Buick is a torque monster, so making sure the chassis is up to the task should be a priority. A fair amount of speed goodies are available, but don't expect them to be cheap... Kenne-Bell used to be the 'go-to' guys for Buick stuff, they may still be. I recall 4000 lb 455-powered Buick GSs with power everything turning 12 second quarters with the AC on... so it makes some power.
a 455 Bick is a pretty ugly motor. They are a torque monster for sure, but I always felt that they were best suited to newer cars than a model A. A 389 looks killer in an A! I had a 455 from some 70's full size Buick. It was bolted to a pallet when I got it. Worked great for a little extra weight in the bed of my truck in the snow!
back in the 70's I built my very first hotrod a 27 chevy coupe with a 350 buick ,think I was in the 8th grade had some help from my dad of course ,wish I had pic's of it , drove it up and down gravel roads for years ,this is a great hobby
There are a few aftermarket suppliers TA Performance and Postons. You can make a ton of power with limited bolt on's. They are a relatively light engine also. 600lbs compared to almost 700lbs for a BBC. It would definitely be different. I have heard of some of them with oiling issues, just make sure to buy a good oil pump. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
410 mer. I had one in this one .Man it would leave everyone just sitting at the stop light .She was a real sleeper but man, sucked the gas but she was fun. Bruce.
I've got a 430 Buick in my 55' stude. Goes 11.70's, I shift it at 5000, goes through the traps at 5400. 3.73 rear. Weighs almost the same as a small block Chevy. Torque by the ton. They're only as ugly as you make them look. Oiling can be a problem, do the mods and they will live. I drag race the snot out of mine. Motor has been in the car for 19 yrs. They don't rev like a small block, you just gear it right and hang on Go to v8 Buick.com. Everything you need to know is there.
when I was in highschool a friend of mine had a electra225 with a 455 that would bury the needle past 120 it had power
DO IT! Like said previously beef the frame to handle the torque. A 70 455 out of an Electra 225 will make 370hp and 510ft. lbs of torque. Pictures lots of pictures! There is an old hotrod in my area that has a 455 in it and most people can't figure out what it is. Sweet ride!!!
I have one in my 49 Sedanette project and another on the shop as a backup. Use a turbo 400 for an easy tranny combo. Lots of tork and should make the wheels come off the ground in a model A. There are speed parts available. I have a dual four set up for a 455 on the shelf and might entertain selling it.
I think it can be a good choice. Like many said, big torque in a fairly light package. The front mounted distributor is nice for clearance at the firewall, nice advantage vs most GM V8s (Cadillac also front dist). The B-O-P bellhousing gives easy good trans choices. www.v8buick.com is a good place to learn more about it.
I put one in a 66 TR4a. Good power to weight ratio, made it a peppy little sports car. If you swap that half acre wide iron intake for an aluminum one you're at about the same weight as a SB chev.
Put a 70 455 in a 64 Malibu 4 door as a sleeper/street racer made a lot of money with that car and it was bone stock with quiet exhaust. Just used the torque. Early Mustangs was its favorite meal. Had a turbo 400 with a column shift.
Napa makes a oil pump repair kit that adds a steel plate between the timing cover/pump housing and the lower cover as the pump gears will wear into the lower cover and cause a lowering of oil pressure. Also there is a lip seal that can be used in place of the rope timing cover seal but IIRC you will need to use a speedy sleeve on the balancer. My stalled Buick project is using a 71 455 with a Comp Cams H camshaft, Edelbrock intake and T/A Performance headers. Slightly modified HEI and a friend is building a QuadraJet for me, my preferred carburetor.
I put a 70 455 into my 69 GTO. Sorry HAMB police for mentioning a OT car. Oh and I just picked up a 73 455 for $100, thats might go into a 50 Cornbinder?
This might give some perspective. It's narrow for its displacement. Popular American V8 Engine Dimensions
I think they crossed up the width dimensions between the big block and the nailhead. 455 is anything but narrow.
Guy around here had one in a 65 Chevy pickup, couldn't keep rear tires on it! He ended up with a big chunk of iron and concrete, may have been an old forklift weight, chained in the bed for traction.
500 ft lbs of torque at 2800 Rpms will do that. Set that out in front of some numerically higher higher gears with a splash of shitty traction and you should expect nothing less. I'd bet that old 225 weighed more than the truck and had 2:50 or 2:70 rear gears
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