Glad to have found this site.
I'm Stevce from North-Cnetral Florida, and I have a couple TR7s and I am also a Buick guy, so...I'm hoping I can easily put a '65 Buick 300 essentially stock into my 5-speed '80 TR7. Any and all advice will be appreciated.
Steve
halfmoontrail@yahoo.com
It's about the same engine as the 215/3.5Rover so the parts are available. Hood clearance is going to be tight and it's a little wider. The '64 had aluminum heads, plus TA Performance will have heads about the end of the year if you want to wait and get some really nice ones.Several choices on aluminum intakes.
Let us know where you are in the process and we'll help you along if we can.
Jim
Welcome Steve,
Be sure to take pictures as you go. I have an '80 TR7 also.
Dan B.
-- moved topic --
Hi Steve,
Not a problem putting a Buick 300 into a TR7. You will have to get a subframe for a TR8 or make your own along with the enigne mounts. The mounts for the Buick 215/Rover a different than for the Buick 300. The bellhousing can be sourced and best case from D & D Fabrication. You can use a T10, T5 or a T56 at this point. Headers can be TR8 since the head bolting patterns are the same along with the alternator and coolant hoses for the radiator are all going to be TR8 items. You will want to go to a larger radiator. The TR7 one will be inadequate. The rear you will need to be nice to. I think the stock 4 barrel torque is over 300. This and aggressive driving will kill a TR7/8 rear, so you might want to consider upgrading that too. For the TR8 parts give Woody @ The Wedge Shop a call. Good Luck!
I would recomend not useing a 300 buick engine for several reasons first the weight the 300 is not a lite weight engine is nostocloser to a ford 302. 2 there are not much available for preformance equipment and 3 it will cost you more to work on the buick than a chev v8 I would recomed the 4.3 chev V6 One big reason is the V6 is shorter than aV8 and fits into the TR 7 much better The 7 has the room for the width of a v8 or v6 but is limited on room for the leinth
I am going to let this post go even thoigh the spelling is terible I have Parkinsons deseise and hiting the right key issome time is hard and i can;t find the spell ck to so.lve the problem./
Mark Thompson
But Mark, isn't the 4.3 v6 actually heavier than the 300? The '64 version with aluminum heads and intake is just 80 lbs heavier than the 215, so still under 400 lbs. It's the same length as the 215(3.5 Rover) which came stock in the TR8 so the only issues are height and width.
Jim
Steve the following link provides an extensive engine weights. http://www.35pickup.com/mulligan/weight.txt
Cliff
(Moderator repaired broken link...)
Why not go with a current LS motor from GM? Light weight and if you use the adapter plates it is not much more work. A Chev trans will adapt and you could go to a Monza rear end.
monza rear ends are weak junk. don't do it!they won't hold up with a decent motor.my stock 305 monza broke them.
I'm back, and just picked up a 215/4barrel complete engine. It's a little daunting to look at $400 for a subframe, anyone have a good used one?
Steve
halfmoontrail@yahoo.com
300 and 215 mounts are the same except the left steel mount will need to be dressed a bit. Bellhousings are a dime a dozen on ebay. I paid $75 for mine and it is from a 300 Skylark with the single starter bulge.
Steve, I understand all you need to do is space down the subframe 3/4" with four solid spacers (for hood clearance) and provide a set of engine mounts to adapt to it. Looking at the John's Cars V6 kit they should not be hard to fabricate. Lowering the cross member will affect suspension geometry slightly (track width and camber) but is a common mod. Might need a bit more for the 300, or else a hood bulge perhaps. I don't know, the V6 in Edith's car has plenty of clearance with the Edelbrock foam air cleaner.
Jim