Chevy 350 or Buick 455

[HAULIN' IT]

I'm going to add my real-world thoughts to the topic. I've done Two square body trucks with 455 Olds swaps. About 15 years ago I did a long bed 4X4 as a daily driver/trailer towing vehicle...it worked so well that something more serious was begging to be tested. So we built this one about 10 years ago for my wife to race & take to cruises, ect.



The engine is a very low-buck piece...I've probably got $3500-$4000 in it over 8-9 years of driving/racing. I started with a running '74 engine & took the pistons, rods & crank out of a '70 engine that I bought for $200 with a BIG crack in the side of the block from someone leaving water freeze in it over the winter. A hone job, bearings & rings is all that the rotating assy. needed. I got a cam (hyd. flat tappet) lifters, timing chain, valves & springs in a kit for something like $600. Some home-port work to the '70 heads & a valvejob was about it. I re-curved the HEI & rebuilt the Q-jet with some modifications (yes the turd from the '74) & stuck it in. We have put MANY thousands of miles & several hundred 1/4 mile passes without much drama. I have done rings & bearings once again
It's been allot of fun & has gone a best of 11.85 @ 113mph.

If you get a decent core...these big, low RPM engines (BOPC) don't need all that much to work well. You just can't treat it like a small Chevy. The max RPM on this one is 5400.

My Two Cents...Do the Buick! You'll love it! Lorne