Thread: Want to set up 231 Buick in '30 tudor Model A Ford

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Not sure if this is the best forum area to post this on, so if not, please excuse error.

Dead set on putting a 231 into my stock Model A Ford. Anyone done this before and any tips about which year engine to look for, which tranny and rear end to be using? I am trying to keep the swap to the "low buck" mode. I am looking for an engine that does not require a multitude of computer gizmo stuff to make it operate either. I am not looking for neck breaking power, but I am planning on making this a "daily driver, beater, rat rod or whatever term fits. Most of my shopping for parts will be in wrecking yards, so any low buck advise is really apprecated.

I have found only limited info on the 231 engine, but it seems that I am to look for an evenfire engine as opposed to the odd-fire engine. Seems this is a popular swap on Jeep sites, but when I go to such sites and mentione the engine is to go into a Model A, no one seems to know much at that point. I have found some info on the Dauntless Buick V6, but if anyone has more info that is posted somewhere, I'd appreciate your sharing it.

Anyone have any pics of a 231 in their street rod to share?
Thanks,
Huey
a1930ford1@peoplepc.com

Just go ahead and do it. There's no doubt the engine will fit, and there's no doubt there'll be problems. That's hot rodding! As for the odd/even fire bit, I've run both, and see no advantage to one over the other, if you're going to leave them both relatively stock.

Somewhere I have a stack of magazines with articles on how to build up a Buick V6 but I guess they're in the attic somewhere. There was a great deal of information on these engines around 1979 in the previous smaller form of Street Rodder and in Hot Rod following the gas crunch of the mid-70s. In fact I think Brian Brennen was the guy who tried to popularize the V6 as the de facto standard of rodding and published a whole series of articles on a total build of a '29 Ford roadster with a Buick V6 from the Sears catalog. As gas prices eased a bit folks went back to the SBC but now maybe gas prices will cause the V6 to come back. There should be a lot of them out there including that Buick Grand National turbo model which beat Corvettes easily, but I guess you will have to look a bit. One cautionary note is that the later heads were much improved by Smokey Yunick and the early heads on the odd-fire were poor. Smokey Yunick described the intake manifold on the early odd-fire as "below horrible" so it would seem that a later engine would be better in stock form. It looks to me that there is a strength/rigidity advantage in the very short bock and high rpm should be possible. I recall an article in Hot Rod documenting over 2 horsepower/cu inch from a Buick V6, but at rpms over 8000. Another cautionary note is that I started (did not finish) a steel (rust bucket, archaeology project) '29 Ford roadster and gathered together a '39 Ford three speed and an adaptor plate for a GM V6 out of a Monza only to find that there are several size V6 engines and although the most of them are 231 cu in, there is a smaller model from the Monza. I rode in the car it came from and it was pathetically underpowered. If I were doing it again I would look for the later model 252 cu. in. engine with the later heads on the even-fire. But at higher rpm and with a low rear gear it would seem that 500 HP is obtainable from the V6, in stock form it might be another reason to look for the 252 version. One last suggestion is to go to your public library and look through the microfiche copies of Street Rodder and Hot Rod from 1977-1987 and you should find a wealth of information on the Buick V6 as a rod engine.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

I know you want to stay away from the electronics, but the good even-fire engines are electronically controled. So, as you'll have the computer to deal with anyway, I would suggest getting a FWD version of the 3.8L with supercharger (gives a little bling if polished) good for 240 HP stock (260 HP if you score a '03 or newer). Salvage yards will sell you the engine and computer system complete for around $1000.

Ideally, I'd also look for a RWD block (I believe there are differences between FWD & RWD) and just swap over the internals from one to the other. The 3.8L will take just about any trans GM has used, automatic or manual. Many who race FWD Grand Prix's using this engine easily get 400 HP from these engines, and with the supercharger having bypass valve, it'll only use minimal HP while cruising which should get you well over 25 MPG while on the highway.

The engine RPO code is L67 (prior to 2003) or the L36 (2003 and newer). Check out L67 Swap.com . This is a forum dedicated to swapping this engine in other GM cars, but the info is good for putting this engine in just about anything. Good luck.

My project is a 29 Tudor and I plan on the buick v6. So far have just done 1 mockup with the engine lowered in. Here in Canada they sold the carbureted non computer version until at least 86. I have one in an 86 old cutlass and one I bought from a salvage yard from an 83 grand prix. Speedway motors sell a crossmember type motor mount set which I expect to use. Right now I just weld one up from 2x2 for testing.

The Novak site says the more modern 231's can easily be bypassed with the computer stuff, but their site does not explain just how. '79 was the first year of the evenfire 231 here and they ran through '84 before the computer gizmo stuff was added. Love to see any pics of 231 engine in a rod; especially a Ford tudor or such.
Thanks for info,
Huey

A1930ford, here a 2 pics of a 231 in a model A. Someone had sent them to me.
www.ncf.ca/~da229/pics/engine1.jpg
www.ncf.ca/~da229/pics/engine2.jpg

Thanks for the pics. I appreciate them.
Huey