Dropping 454 in my '64 Wildcat

J

jeffsguitars

Member
This may seem sacrilegious to the Buick enthusiast, but I've decided to drop a Chevy 454 into my 64 Wildcat. I've been through two Nailheads now and I don't have the money or the desire to go through it all again with another Nailhead. Any hints from anyone who's done this on motor mounts, oil pan, exhaust headers vs manifolds etc. would be greatly appreciated.
 
Booo!!:D

Throw a 455 in it, it is better than a 454!!
Myself and another member are doin the 455 swap, you should join us and do the same.
 
Aready have the 454

Man, I already have the 454. Let me clarify that I have been a Pontiac and Buick guy forever. But, I drive my cars so dependability is a factor as well as accuracy. I have spent the last 15 years being loyal to my cars originality, searching and scratching for rare and expensive parts. Everywhere I look I find Chevy parts for a fraction of the cost along with an abundance of choices and availability. I decided to give it a shot. There are some grey areas though that I could really use some help with. Hoping someone on this site can fill in the blanks.
 
Last edited:
unfortunatly 454 is cheap to build compared to 455. Just like anything chevy vs buick. I am trying to do a 348 swap to my 62 lesabre and I am finding I am on my own. Buick guys wont help caus its a chevy engine and chevy guys dont care caus its a buick car. :angry: Why does everyone want there cars to be like everyone elses. I say do it up. Make if differn't oil pans gonna be a problem but there has to be a way.

keep thinkin outside the box
 
454

what about all the extra weight you will put on the front springs and the breaks for stopping ?:jeez:
 
If I was going to do that swap, which I wouldn't, but that's beside the point; I think I would start by bolting on the 454 motor mounts, bolt the frame mounts to them, and then drop that preferably with the transmission bolted to the engine into the empy engine compartment and wherever the frame mounts locate on the frame rails, weld them there. That's a simplified start of course because you would have to locate the engine front to year to have the transmission line up with the crossmember. A custom driveshaft might be needed. As far as exhaust, stock manifolds would seem to be the easiest. That's my two cents worth anyway.
 
I think when you go cross brand, there are just a lot fewer people who have the experience you want to tap into.

Good luck!
 
ya might run into a fan space problem, I think the 454 is longer than the 455 - I'm putting a 455 into my 64 LeSabre, and in anticipation of the squeeze, because Im planning on using a 4 core radiator, I'm also planning on dual electric fans - lots of room in front of the radiator.

I sold my motorhome that had a 454 innit - with only 20K miles onnit - the guy didn't want the motorhome - he bought it just for the engine.
good luck on the install; you'll have to get a T-shirt with :shield: on one side and =/=/= (chevy) on the other:car:
Butch
 
your 64 had the 400 trans in it? YOu might just be lucky enough for the splines on the driveshaft be the same i would install the drive shaft before you weld in the mounts. If you can move the engine a inch or two and use your stock drive you would be money ahead. Also is your 64 steering behind the front crossmember? my 62 is. Oil pan is going to be your biggest problem caus chevys typically have rear sump with the steering in front of the crossmember. I am planning on custom making my oil pan for the 348(should be fun). a center sump pan doesent exsist for it to my knowledge.
 
As far as fan spaceing that shouldent be a problem if you have the short waterpump. If it is autozone sells cheap electric fans. I built a ranger with a 302 in it a few years ago and autozone had the fans for around $40 i put 2 in the front of the radiator they can fun forward or reverse depending on how you wire em just hook up a relay to a toggle switch (and watch your temp gauge) if you dont want to spring for the thermal switch.:waving: BEST OF LUCK
 
It would help to know if there is a Chevy equivalence of the wildcat, because many cars shared the same undercarriage.

For example if the Impala shares the same platform as the Wildcat (I don't know if it does), then you could look at what's needed to put a 454 in one of those. I suspect things like a wiring harness may be available to purchase if you can figure out the right equivalent.
 
impala shares the frame with it but.. everything on it is different chevy steering is in front of the crossmember, motor mounts are bolted to a chevy frame unlike my 62s that are welded
 
wireing should not be an issue, first off get a 1 wire alternator. Use original coil, starter, and generator wire to power the engine. I know you can even make the 1 wire work with the idiot light but i would have to track down the wireing diagram on that one i think it may have been on the chevy site 348-409.com
 
[edit] 1964-72

The A platform was intermediate-sized platform introduced for the 1964 model year for the mid-sized cars of four GM divisions including the FR layout Chevrolet Chevelle, Buick Special, Oldsmobile Cutlass and Pontiac Tempest. This A-body was used in a wide variety of GM's most famous cars of the muscle car era, including the Pontiac GTO, Chevrolet Chevelle, Oldsmobile 442 and Buick GS.
Initially, when the A-body cars were first introduced for 1964, GM had set a corporate policy prohibiting V8 engines larger than 330 cubic inches in these models. However, Pontiac would drop a larger 389 cubic-inch V8 in its Lemans to create the GTO — which is often considered the original muscle car. Though this was technically in violation of that 330 cubic-inch limit, Pontiac got around the rules by designating the GTO as a low-volume option package rather than a specific model. However, the sales success of the '64 GTO led the corporation to increase the cubic inch limit for the A-body cars to 400 cubic-inches starting with the 1965 model year to open the door for the other three divisions to offer similar muscle cars. The 400 cubic-inch limit for A-body cars, as well as all other GM cars that were smaller than full-sized with the exception of the Chevrolet Corvette, would continue through the 1969 model year. In 1970, the 400 cu in (6,600 cc) limit was tossed, which led each of the four GM divisions to offer engines of 454 (Chevy) and 455 (Buick, Olds, Pontiac) in the A-body muscle car variants such as the Chevelle SS-454, Pontiac GTO, Oldsmobile 442 and Buick GS.:waving:
 
Thanks for all the info!!

So far it looks like the motor mounts are going to be the big challenge. The 454 block that I have turns out to be 2 inches shorter than the 401 block that currently sits in the car. My Wildcat frame mounts are welded to the front surface of the cross member and motor mounts bolt there, completely different than the 454 mount positioning. The oil pan looks like it might fit though. If not I have a local contact who can fabricate.
 
Not sure what all the A-body stuff is about it does not apply in anyway to a wildkat. But you are going to have to cut the frame mounts off for shure and weld/bolt on the 454 mounts. I picked up my 348 yesterday and the oil pan is deffinatly gonna be a problem for mounting in my 62
 
I just put a 401 engine in my 1955 Buick and it would probably have been easier to put the Chevrolet engine in it as everything had to be changed.

The mounts that we used were the original 55 mounts and we made a plate to bolt to the engine then welded the brackets from the 55 to the plates.

You can see how this was done on my blog page.

This does have a good point in that if someone really wanted the original engine back in the car it would just bolt back in.
 
More Revelations

Thanks again to all for your help and suggestions. Yep, I've been looking at Impala parameters and it looks like the Impala mounting brackets will weld/bolt onto the top surface of the Wildcat cross member and will not interfere with the stock 401 brackets at all. So I will be able to leave the 401 brackets in place and attach the Impala brackets a few inches back from the stock 401 brackets. I have also been able to determine that exhaust manifolds from a truck or Blazer/Suburban will fit and hook up nicely with my existing pluming. Weighted flex plate will bolt up as well. That just leaves the oil pan, that I may just have to measure and fabricate.
 
i sat my 348 in today and my waterpump comes out halfway through the stock frame mount. I am gonna have to modify the oil pan to clear the stearing or i will have to cut the crap out of my firewall for a trans to fit. fuel pump will not clear the nails frame mount. who needs a mechanical pump anyway. I never thought I could leave those mounts there.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top