Thread: putting a different engine in a Rivierra

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If time and money isn't an issue, most anything can be put in there with some fabrication and welding time.... That 401 with the right cam and a good working carb makes a ton of torque. The engine that comes to mind that would be a bolt in is the Buick 425 Nailhead, if you can find one.... I saw a '64 last summer that had one of the newer 455 Buick GS engines in it, it was very well done and to the non Buick knowledgeable guy looked like a factory install..... But it also looked like it had been a bunch of work, including some mods to the oil pan....

I had done the same thing years ago with a 69 buick Le Sabre.
Best thing is to take a good look at the engine in yours and go to the junk yard. I had a 400 trany and found differant motors in some of the same cars even had the starters on the other side of the engines.

Kurt

Thank you everybody for the information and the advise on the Rivierra. The more Im learning about this car the more I'm liking it. Another unique feature that I found out about it today is that You can take off the door skins just by unbolting them off. That will come in handy for me because one of the them is going to need some major body work on it. So what im going to do is have that 401 rebuilt and put back in the car and start restoring the Rivi.

Good choice, here is a forum with lots of help for you. You can also check out http://nailheadbuick.com/nail/intro-1.html There is a lot of help out here on the net.

Brian