'76 455 into 88 Cutlass

[Bonegrater]

Hey everyone, I am a new member here on the board, and I have recently purchased a really nice '88 Cutlass. It has the rally gauges and F41 suspension from the factory. I also recently acquired a '76 455 and 400 trans. out of a Motorhome. My question is, is the '76 model 455 a good engine to build? I am not looking for outrageous HP, but just want a good, smooth running street engine. Are there any areas I should address or pay extra attention to with this engine? I will be rebuilding it and will be backing it with the matching 400 transmission, and I am undecided on a rearend choice at the moment. Any tips for this swap would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Blake442]

If your car has a 307 in it now, the 455 will drop right in.
You'll have to modify the A/C brackets should you choose to run it, but otherwise it's pretty much plug and play.
Worn body mounts can lead to clearance issues with the valve covers hitting the heater box, and depending on what intake and carb you use, could lead to hood clearance issues as well.
All of this can be solved with a fresh set of body mounts, which most of these cars could use anyways.

Nothing wrong with a '76 motor, the blocks are essentially the same as any other 455, just with lower compression.
The biggest difference will be the cylinder heads. Upgrading to some better heads will help a lot.

Since it came out of a motor-home, check which TH-400 you have. You'll want a short-tail version, as the medium and long tails would require a rediculous amount of driveshaft cutting. Even the short-tail 400 will need 1/2"-3/4" taken out.
If your car currently has a 200-4R in it, the TH-400 will use the same crossmember, but upgrading to one that will clear true-dual exhaust is a good idea.

Your 7.5" rear will hold up just fine on the street, just upgrade it with some better gears and a fresh pair of axles.
If you really want to start flogging on it, you're better off just getting a Ford 9 inch for it.