First swap- 75 Nova & 350 Buick motor
 

K guys, I'm brand new, searching and getting as much feedback as I can cause I want to take my time and do this right.

I've come across a 1972 350 SBB with about 64k on the block, still runs.

I'm going to put it in a 1975 Nova that had a former inline 6 (250).

What are my immediate hurdles in terms of getting the motor to fit correctly?

I'm researching what kind of build I want for the block, but I don't want to take the rotating assembly out, that way I can just overhaul it instead of rebuild it.

Remember this is my first, and I'm not totally new to motors, but still a novice for sure; any help is appreciated.

The Nova CAME with the 350 Buick just a few years later so it is a bolt in. The transmission will need to be a "BOP" (Buick Olds Pontiac) pattern which is different than Chevy. There were also transmission called "dual pattern" which had both BOP and Chevy. I put one of those myself in my 65 Buick Skylark.

The motor mounts are the same, I honestly think it is a simple bolt in with the tranny being the only thing you will need to rustle up.

Brian

Well that's another reason I jumped on the motor I did... it comes with the th350 bolted up to the motor already.

I've never installed a tranny though, what all goes into that?

I am not certain if you can drop them in at the same time on that car (some cars you can, some you can't) but if you can that would be the way to do it. Just leave them bolted together and slip the whole thing in.

Brian

Are you sure about that ???
I've never seen or heard about any Nova's that came with 350 Buick motors.It might not be as simple as that.
Guy

I knew someone who owned on, they put them in Pontiacs Venturas as well.
And for that matter, it doesn't matter if they did or not, the motor will bolt right in the Nova using factory parts where they bolted the motor in.

Brian

The Pontiac Venturas came with 350 Pontiac engines; I had one. I don't know, however, if those are close to the Buicks or not.

I do believe, like said above, it should be a very simple swap.

Guys, do some home work and you will find that the Novas, Venturas, Omagas 1977 came with Chevies, Buicks and Olds motors, and they MIXED them up! You had no idea what you were getting!

I had a devout Pontiac nut friend who was more than happy to tell me his sister had bought a Ventura. That was until I opened the hood and found a Buick motor!

This was part of the "lost years" with GM, the beginning of the end if you will.

Brian

Buick had their own X-body Nova clone- the Apollo (1973-'75)/Skylark (1975-'78). Not positive about '75 having both models at the same time.

Came w/the 350 Buick engine during at least some of those years, if not all- along w/the 250 inline 6 and others.

Bottom line- an easy swap. :thumbup:

Thank, that is it in a nutshell, it is so easy I wouldn't even call it a "swap". It is a bolt in.

Brian

Be aware that there is a difference between the 68-74 X-body cars and the 75-79 cars. The early cars used a rear steer subframe based on the first gen Camaros. The later cars used a front steer subframe based on the second gen Camaros. The motor mounts and frame mounts are completely different. I don't know the details of the Buick cars, but the Olds Omega used the Olds 350 for 73-74 but not in the later cars. Motor mount availability might be an issue.

Many years ago I wandered through a few wrecking yards looking for a '75-'79 X-car with a Pontiac motor, thinking I'd find mounts & stuff for putting a Pontiac 455 in a '77 Nova. I never found a single one with a Pontiac in it, but I did see one that had a V-8 with a front-mounted distributor. I figured it was a Buick, but I don't know if it was OEM or not.