For Sale: LT1 and 4L60E Engine/Transmission

Have an interesting situation that might benefit someone who is in need of a good drive train!

I have an essentially new LT1 and four-speed automatic 4L60E trans sitting in a wrecked Caprice wagon outside my garage, and a just-acquired 194,000 mile Roadmaster wagon with a strong engine in it. I'm about to swap the two (putting the Chevy drive train into the Buick) and will sell the one left.

Frankly, I don't know much about the Roadie; just picked it up from a family in Cottage Grove, OR, and the man who owned and maintained it is deceased. There are signs that he was a bit of a freak and maintained it very well. The car has all those miles, but his widow says he had the engine rebuilt "a couple of years ago" and all the evidence seems to support that fact. The valve covers have been painted and there are fresh replacement bolts here and there. The engine is very strong and doesn't whimper a bit.

I just had a leading auto shop check everything out, and

The oil is clean, plugs fresh, and compression is an even 150 in all eight cylinders. Last tank of gas got me 19.8 mpg, and it passed Oregon emissions a year ago. I can put you in touch with the mechanic, if you need confirmation of the engine's health. It does have some fairly minor things that need addressing, though: a minor intake manifold oil leak, tired serpentine belt, and an exhaust manifold that needs attention. The trans shifts correctly and smoothly every time, but the fluids are "thick and gunky" and needs a flush.

So, here's the deal: I'm selling the entire system for $950 OBO and you can drive the car before I pull it out. (I will have it pickled, wrapped up, and strapped to a pallet.) When we do the swap, we'll leave all the wiring as intact as much as possible. I'll include the alternator, AC, etc, too. I live in the Seattle area and since I travel a lot, it's possible I can even bring the car to you if you can convince me you're serious and you live somewhere near my travels.

I plan to do the swap in about three weeks.

Drop me a note.

Just curious but how come you're swapping the two if the Buick sounds like it's in decent shape? What's the story on the Caprice's motor? Mods?

Stingroo wrote:

Just curious but how come you're swapping the two if the Buick sounds like it's in decent shape? What's the story on the Caprice's motor? Mods?

Trust me; that debate has been going on among us for days. The thing is the Chevy engine is a known quantity and I spent a ton to time and money just before the accident upgrading and getting it just right -- new distributor, water pump, valves, etc -- so it's a tossup. This is my everyday driver, and I drive a lot, so I need to be absolutely sure everything is sound.

As I noted earlier, the Buick drivetrain will probably need a new serpentine, tensioner pulley, a couple of gaskets, a trans flush/filter, and a few odds and ends. When you add all that up, I'm just about at the same cost as the engine swap.