Is it possible to change the "view type" from a "content view" to a "search view"? I have recently installed the Search API module and associated modules to build a better site search.

My current search function is basic out of the box search but there are is lot of custom HTML and CSS to make the search results look good. Therefore I am wondering if I will have to manually redo everything when making a dedicated "search view" (a type of view enabled by the Search views module) or if it there is some way to clone/copy my previous "content view" but change it's type.

I have looked for answers and it was not possible in Drupal 6 but I am running Drupal 7.
You can use Display Suite search module to use search view like content view. Display Suite module have a submodule namely search that extend the search results for Drupal core or Apache Solr.

Steps:


Install Display Suite Search Module after downloading from above
link.
Go to content type's manage display and check the search result option that you find under custom display settings on vertical tab after that save it.

Now Go to Search result display mode local tab link and configure your display of fields as you want and save it.



For Manage Core search result : 


Go to admin/structure/ds/list/search and choose option 'search result' in view mode and save it.

Go to admin/config/search/settings and chose option Display Suite
Search for ACTIVE SEARCH MODULES and Default search module.


 

Now search using core search form. This will display differently as core search result.

Now Manage Search api Search result :


Go to view of desired search index views.
Choose Format show as Rendered entity

Go to Format show setting option and choose option 'Search result'

Now save this views.


After that you can see search api result is as you configure previously on manage display.