Buick V8 Performance
Updated 9/8/97
This page is dedicated to providing information about modifying Buick V8s, and is directed mainly towards late 60s to early 70s Buicks. I created this site because it is hard to find good, correct information about hot rodding Buick V8s, and just info on old Buick V8s in general. Hopefully this site will have the info you need. There will be much more to come to this site, and hopefully pics of my '68 Skylark.
The story of my Buick
My Buick is a '68 Skylark. It originally had a 350 in it, but I'm in the process of
swapping in a 455. It is because of this project car that I started this site. Since
this is my first project car, I needed a little info about swapping in a 455. So
before I even bought the 455, I asked a few guys(knowledgeable people in the
auto industry by the way, but evidently not experts on Buicks) if a 455 would
bolt in to my original 350 car without changing the engine mount brackets on
the crossmember. They all said yes. But when I got the motor, and dropped it in,
I noticed that it would not bolt in, because the engine mounts are a few inches
offset from the frame brackets. So I made some calls to a few Buick experts
(Poston Enterprises and Year One, although Year One isn't really a Buick expert),
and I found out that I had to change the frame brackets, as I had doubted. I ordered the new frame brackets from Year One, and let me tell you: it is no fun at all replacing the frame brackets. It took a lot of time and cussing, but I got it done. It was a pain in the rear taking the brackets out, and it was even more of a pain putting the new ones in. I still have to bolt in the engine mounts, and that's a pain as well, especially since I'm gonna have to take the frame brackets out again! I have to take them out so I can grind them for clearance, which Year One recommended, and has to be done for the mounts to bolt to the block. And I also discovered that
my stock crossover pipe will not fit the 455 manifolds, but I heard that LeSabre or
Electra crossover pipes will fit. By the way, the 455 is out of a '75-76 LeSabre or
Electra(I'm not sure which one, cause it's from a salvage yard). I now have a 455 crossover pipe from a '74(?) Electra 225, and it fits fine. Anyway,
when I'm done with this project, I will have a lot of information available for those
of you that are planning on swapping in a 455 into a '68-69 350 Skylark or GS. Well,
enough of the story for now. Here are the modifications I'm planning to make to my
car as of now: Hooker Super Comp headers, Flowmaster dual exhaust, Edelbrock
intake, and a 750 CFM Carter AFB carburetor. Later on, when I have enough cash, I
will completely rebuild the motor with high compression forged pistons, and a
performance cam. By the way, believe it or not, this is going to be my daily driver,
and is also going to be a street/strip car. I'm gonna modify it so that it will run mid
to low 12s.
Current Events
My Skylark had the Super Turbine 300 transmission, and I'm currently swapping in a TH400. As of now, the TH400 is on the tranny jack under the car....still trying to get the thing lined up! Not an easy job!
Buick links
Ed's Buick Page
A site with pics of a nice '68 GS 350
The Buick GS Homepage
Skylark Drive Buick Club-lots of good info about Skylarks/GSs here
Ken's GS Home Page
Torqued!-A good site about the '65 GS
The BEST Buick site! Lots of info and links!
A bad '67 Wildcat
The Buick GS Page
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My '74 Challenger
I'd love to hear from you. Feel free to e-mail me with any comments or questions.
E-mail me