[1971BB427]

If making something as simple as a motor mount is stopping you, then you should probably sell the Olds and use the funds to get an engine that's a bolt in. But if you can weld well, then you should have no issue building or adapting factory mounts.
I start with bolting the trans to the engine and sitting it in the car with trans mount in the stock location. Leave the engine/trans on the hoist, and check the driveline for fitment.
Once the trans is located and the driveline fits, then lower the engine until the motor is level or a few degrees up in front. Then you can look at the factory mounts and see what is needed to adapt to the frame. I usually start with cardboard pieces taped together to make a mount, and once it's right I pull the pieces apart and cut out steel, then weld it all together.
After it's welded together you can install it, and either bolt or weld it to the frame. If I'm welding them or bolting, I still tack them with a welder and then remove the engine to finish welding, or drill and bolt the mounts.
I can usually drop an engine in and fab the mounts in a day without rushing. It's really rarely a big deal unless you're stuffing a V8 into a tiny car that was originally a 4 banger. In that case it took me two days to fab everything for my tiny Austin 4 banger to accept a smallblock Chevy V8.

[Moose2]

Thanks for the feedback, and maybe I'm choosing my words poorly. Yes I'm seeking good feedback like you just gave me, and no, motormounts aren't stopping me: I just haven't had to make them before. Thanks for taking the time to get back to me with good info.

[Moose2]

PS, its not an Olds, Its a Buick.

[cobalt327]

Originally Posted by Moose2

PS, its not an Olds, Its a Buick.

I think he meant sell the Olds engine and get a nailhead Buick engine to fit the car. It IS still an Olds engine you have now, right?

[Moose2]

yeah, yeah, yeah its still an Olds engine. Grin....

[cobalt327]

Interesting page on the Buick transmissions, like used in your '64 Riv: Transmission Swaps & Modifications. Seems there were ST400's used in '64 Rivieras (guy says he drove one for 13 years, even describes the peculiar shifting of the ST400). Maybe Buick used both, but the TH400 wasn't mentioned.

[joe_padavano]

Originally Posted by cobalt327

Seems there were ST400's used in '64 Rivieras (guy says he drove one for 13 years, even describes the peculiar shifting of the ST400). Maybe Buick used both, but the TH400 wasn't mentioned.

"Super Turbine 400" was simply Buick's marketing name for the TH400 when first released in the 1964 model year. The other available automatic (the two speed used in the A-body) was called the Super Turbine 300. Rest assured that the original trans in the 64 Riv was a TH400. I have seen these personally, with the unique bellhousing. It's a TH400.

[joe_padavano]

For those who still don't believe, the second page of this article has photos of the TH400 (aka ST400) with the nailhead bellhousing. Interesting trivia: AMC used these nailhead case TH400s in Jeeps with an adapter ring to bolt to AMC motors.

Nailhead Buick Switch Pitch TH400

[joe_padavano]

And one more photo. Here's a nailhead-pattern TH400 that came out of a Jeep. Note the cast iron adapter ring leaning against the transfer case.

[MARTINSR]

So did Aston Martin, RollsRoyce and I believe also Ferrari.

Yes they were all TH400's (called a ST400) from 64-66 behind the Nailhead, with the two speed being a ST300. The 64 was the first GM car to use it and they hid that it was a three speed by only putting 2 gears on the shifter. You rocked the shifter back and forth to get into low gear.


Moose,you have a private message.

Brian

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by cobalt327

Interesting page on the Buick transmissions, like used in your '64 Riv: Transmission Swaps & Modifications. Seems there were ST400's used in '64 Rivieras (guy says he drove one for 13 years, even describes the peculiar shifting of the ST400). Maybe Buick used both, but the TH400 wasn't mentioned.

LOL, I just PMed Moose with a link to that site, it's my brothers site and is a nationally known Buick Nailhead expert.

Brian

[cobalt327]

ST400. That's what Buick called em and that's good enough for me. If it was a Powerglide inside, wouldn't matter- ST400 is what Buck called it and that's what I was saying in my post when I was "corrected". It seems that the shifting of the ST400 was different than a TH400 as well.

The 64 also is lacking in controlling down shifts, it shift 3 times but only has a low and drive. If you want to hold it in each gear you start off in L, wind it up and shift to D, that puts it in second gear, now pull it back into L and that holds it in second, wind it up again and shift to D and you are in third. Here is the part I don't like, say you are driving in the mountains, the turns are tighter and slower, you drop in down to L holding it in second gear, then you have to slow down to about 25 mph to make a tighter turn and bam! it goes into low, then you faster, put it into D to put it back in second and and back to low to hold it there.WHEW! I drove a 64 Riviera everyday for 13 years so I know.

[MARTINSR]

I always call it a ST400 because I'm a Buick nut. Like the factory chrome wheels of that time, they aren't "Rally wheel" (I'll punch you in the throat ) They are "Sport Wheels" or "Road wheels".

The 64 ST400 also didn't have the switch pitch converter that the 65 and later had which has a variable stall speed controled by a simple 12 volts to it raising the stall by about 500 RPM. It was controled by a micro switch on the throttle linkage at the carb. The idea being when you have your foot off the gas at a light the stall went up so the car wouldn't be "pulling".

Brian

[MARTINSR]

My brother and I have an inside joke about that 64 shifting in that our dad use to call it "Rocking" the shifter and referred to it once in a while about the "good old days" and telling some story about racing a new Riv (he was a Buick salesman then) and "Rocking" the shifter.

Our dad was the greatest.

Brian

[MARTINSR]

I was just talking to my brother and he said the first problem with swapping the Chevy in is they don't have a center sump pan as the 401/425 in the Riv did.

Brian