not so new newb. 91 quad 442

[mr quad 442 HO]

ok guys, im not a total newb, but new here. i like this place, and decided to join. idk how you w30 guys are gonna like this, but i have a 91 w40 quad442. like my signature says, its not a common piece. i have an awesome link to my showoff page if you all request it. just figured it'd be nice to get away from the motor side of things... and go more olds specific. i did my IDI gold... just for the simple reason.. OLDS MADE IT!!! shame they went out... but i can hand a brand new NA cobalt its rear... so.. not bad for a 17 year old car... thats STOCK!!!

let me know what y'all think.

craig.

Welcome aboard.

I'm partial to the classic '64-'72 era myself, but from what I've heard those Calais' hauled some serious @$$ in that class of vehicles.

It's pretty much the ultimate stock 4-banger sleeper (minus badging, of course...)

And hey, with the '91 definition of '442', looks like I currently own two of 'em... if you'll count a 4-cylinder 16 valve DOHC Ford Ranger...

Please do post the showoff link!

[mr quad 442 HO]

Sweet! im gonna link you to my home forums.

http://www.quad4forums.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=12319

and yes the quad runs GREAT.. they say! that my car is CAPABLE of 15.1 at 92 box stock. thats EFFIN FAST for a 4 banger, especially stock. i wax on VTAKs all day, and i beat a non supercharged cobalt SS the other night. (rumored to also have a qtr mile time between 14.8-15.2) so... i think its possible.

hope y'all enjoy, and i am going to try to be a serious member on here too.

AND btw.. idk if it says or not... but i have a 60's muscle car too. 69 chevelle ss. (clone) 396/(hopeful hp) 450. th400 and a 12 bolt posi. trying for 13's in a streetable car. so i know the a-body too. lol

[DennisG.]

My buddy bought a brand 1990 Quadd 442 when he got home from the service. They are very upappreciated. Olds did offer quite a bit of aftermarket parts for the quad 4. They raced them in the SCCA`s. That puppy was fast. Once you figured out how to work with the torque steer and launch it. It would hand a new GT Stang, with an automatic, it`s a$$. A stick car or an LX was another story all together. Man did he go thru tires, clutches. LOL. Had to have the headgasket done, ofcoarse. Another friend of mine has a MINT, show quality 91 W-41. His dad bought it brand new. Always garage kept and never seen bad weather. I think it has like 9,000 original miles or something close to that. He`s thinking about putting it up for sale this summer at the nationals.

[oldsgoat]

Didn't the Aerotech use one of these engines to set the landspeed record?

Regardless, I have always wanted one of those Quad 442's... they're definately sleepers and, of course, it's an Oldsmobile!

[joe_padavano]

Originally Posted by oldsgoat

Didn't the Aerotech use one of these engines to set the landspeed record?

Regardless, I have always wanted one of those Quad 442's... they're definately sleepers and, of course, it's an Oldsmobile!

The Aerotech used two different completely hand-built Q4s. These engines used virtually no production parts, including custom blocks and heads. This is like saying that IRL cars used to use Aurora engines.

[shaks 442 clone]

Originally Posted by joe_padavano

The Aerotech used two different completely hand-built Q4s. These engines used virtually no production parts, including custom blocks and heads. This is like saying that IRL cars used to use Aurora engines.

aurora engine from the olds aruroa?

what are you talking about joe?

i need a clarification stat.

[Olds64]

The Olds Aurora had a small V8. I believe it was the same engine used in the Cadillac Northstar. They were pretty herculian. Dual overhead cam. I always thought it would be cool to transplant one of those into an older Omega or F 85.

BTW, welcome to the website Mr. Quad. I remember when my buddy and I cruised around in his family's 90s Olds quad four. It wasn't the 442 but it got around. Fun times.

[Oldsguy]

There is a site for traditional Hot Rods, mostly populated by cars with either flathead V8s or small block chevies but there has been some interest lately in small roadsters with little straight six engines or inline fours from newer cars "dressed down" to look old school. The get up and go if you can keep the car light.

[joe_padavano]

Originally Posted by shaks 442 clone

aurora engine from the olds aruroa?

what are you talking about joe?

i need a clarification stat.

The Aerotech was a race car built by Olds (actually, paid for by Olds) designed to showcase the then-new Quad4 4 cylinder DOHC engine. AJ Foyt drove the car to closed course speed records in Texas using alternately two different Q4 engines, one built by Fueling and another whose builder escapes me at the moment.

The Aurora V8 was a smaller-bore version of the Caddy Northstar and came out later.

And to get back to the original topic, welcome. While I'm not a great fan of wrong-wheel-drive cars, at $4/gallon the Quad442 might actually be a better choice for daily driving. I'm still upset at Olds, however, for the ads that were run claiming that the then-new Quad442 would outrun "your father's" 1967 442.

[DennisG.]

As I seem to recall Batten did alot work on the Aerotech quad 4. Or at least one of them.

[Poorboy]

I have the W40 Quad442 also. Black / Grey interior. Love the car, but I put it away in my garage after Olds went under as I figured if I kept driving it the was I was, I wouldn't be able to find replacement parts. Does anyone know where all the spare parts were sold and stockpiled?

[GoodOldsGuy]

Originally Posted by joe_padavano

The Aerotech was a race car built by Olds (actually, paid for by Olds) designed to showcase the then-new Quad4 4 cylinder DOHC engine. AJ Foyt drove the car to closed course speed records in Texas using alternately two different Q4 engines, one built by Fueling and another whose builder escapes me at the moment.

The Aurora V8 was a smaller-bore version of the Caddy Northstar and came out later.

And to get back to the original topic, welcome. While I'm not a great fan of wrong-wheel-drive cars, at $4/gallon the Quad442 might actually be a better choice for daily driving. I'm still upset at Olds, however, for the ads that were run claiming that the then-new Quad442 would outrun "your father's" 1967 442.

C.J.Batten Engineering of Michigan.

[GoodOldsGuy]

Originally Posted by joe_padavano

The Aerotech was a race car built by Olds (actually, paid for by Olds) designed to showcase the then-new Quad4 4 cylinder DOHC engine. AJ Foyt drove the car to closed course speed records in Texas using alternately two different Q4 engines, one built by Fueling and another whose builder escapes me at the moment.

The Aurora V8 was a smaller-bore version of the Caddy Northstar and came out later.

And to get back to the original topic, welcome. While I'm not a great fan of wrong-wheel-drive cars, at $4/gallon the Quad442 might actually be a better choice for daily driving. I'm still upset at Olds, however, for the ads that were run claiming that the then-new Quad442 would outrun "your father's" 1967 442.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Jump to: navigation, search

Oldsmobile Aerotech


The Oldsmobile Aerotechs were a series of experimental high-speed vehicles created between 1987 and 1992 incorporating the latest in performance technology with the intention of breaking multiple automobile speed records. The first such car was driven by four-time Indy 500 winner A.J. Foyt to a world closed-course speed record of 257.123mph (413.788 km/h) on 27 August 1987 at the 7.712-mile (12.411 km) test track near Fort Stockton Texas. Prior to this, on 26 August 1987, the car had posted a top speed over a mile of 267.88 miles per hour (431.10 km/h). The car consisted of a March Indycar single seat chassis enclosed in an extremely efficient aerodynamic body shell. It was powered by a highly turbo-charged version of the 2-litre Oldsmobile Quad 4 engine. The Aerotech body was designed by GM Design staff and was one of the sleekest vehicles ever developed for use on a high speed track. The design of the Aerotech included the capability of adjusting underbody sections to control the distribution of downforce, front to rear. Oldsmobile produced three versions of the original Aerotech to prove the capabilities of the company's Quad4 engine. Two were short-tailed (ST) versions and one was long-tailed (LT).
Subsequently, between 6 - 14 December 1992, another version of the Aerotech, this time powered by a 4.0 litre Oldsmobile Aurora V8 engine and fitted with lights, broke 47 speed endurance records including the 10000 and 25000 kilometre world speed records. Other national and international speed records ranging from 10 kilometres to 24 hours were accomplished by a team of drivers working 24 hours a day for 8 days. These records were also set at the Fort Stockton test track.

Fred

[GoodOldsGuy]

Originally Posted by joe_padavano

The Aerotech used two different completely hand-built Q4s. These engines used virtually no production parts, including custom blocks and heads. This is like saying that IRL cars used to use Aurora engines.

FYI-

The IRL Aurora V8 is based on the production 4.0-liter DOHC 32-valve Aurora V8 that is available exclusively in the Aurora luxury performance sedan. As required by the IRL rules, the competition engine retains the production Aurora V8's basic "architecture" -- its 102mm cylinder bore spacing, 90-degree bank angle, and chaindriven camshafts. The street and racing versions also share similar technology, including lightweight aluminum construction, dual overhead camshafts, multi-valve combustion chamber design, and advanced electronic engine management. The production Aurora V8 engine produces 250 horsepower at 5,600 rpm on unleaded gasoline; the methanol-burning IRL Aurora V8 racing engine produces over 700 horsepower and revs to 10,500 rpm.
Source-Auto World/VIS News release from Oldsmobile Division 1992


Fred

[joe_padavano]

Originally Posted by GoodOldsGuy

FYI-

The IRL Aurora V8 is based on the production 4.0-liter DOHC 32-valve Aurora V8 that is available exclusively in the Aurora luxury performance sedan. As required by the IRL rules, the competition engine retains the production Aurora V8's basic "architecture" -- its 102mm cylinder bore spacing, 90-degree bank angle, and chaindriven camshafts. The street and racing versions also share similar technology, including lightweight aluminum construction, dual overhead camshafts, multi-valve combustion chamber design, and advanced electronic engine management. The production Aurora V8 engine produces 250 horsepower at 5,600 rpm on unleaded gasoline; the methanol-burning IRL Aurora V8 racing engine produces over 700 horsepower and revs to 10,500 rpm.
Source-Auto World/VIS News release from Oldsmobile Division 1992


Fred

Yeah, and the 70 W-30 only produced 5 HP more than the stock 455...

Don't confuse marketing with reality:

The street and racing versions also share similar technology

Read that press release again. What it says is that both the Aurora engine and the IRL engine have aluminum blocks, four valve DOHC heads, and electronic engine management systems. You could also say the same thing when comparing the Aurora engine and similar V8s from Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, Lexus, or Infinity. In no case do the engines have anything in common other than all are aluminum DOHC four valve V8s with EFI and electronic spark control.

By the way, the press release also claims that the Aurora motor is exclusive to the Aurora car, without mentioning that it is just a smaller displacement version of the Northstar.

[GoodOldsGuy]

Originally Posted by joe_padavano

Yeah, and the 70 W-30 only produced 5 HP more than the stock 455...

Don't confuse marketing with reality:

The street and racing versions also share similar technology

Read that press release again. What it says is that both the Aurora engine and the IRL engine have aluminum blocks, four valve DOHC heads, and electronic engine management systems. You could also say the same thing when comparing the Aurora engine and similar V8s from Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, Lexus, or Infinity. In no case do the engines have anything in common other than all are aluminum DOHC four valve V8s with EFI and electronic spark control.

By the way, the press release also claims that the Aurora motor is exclusive to the Aurora car, without mentioning that it is just a smaller displacement version of the Northstar.

Reread this..."the competition engine retains the production Aurora V8's basic "architecture" -- its 102mm cylinder bore spacing, 90-degree bank angle, and chaindriven camshafts."
If there was no Aurora V8 the racing version would not have a basis for existence.

Now Joe....Why would OLDS advertise for Cadillac by calling their version a Northstar when in fact it was not?? Is that Reality or Marketing?? Kind of like the "Rocket V8" Chevy engines in the Oldsmobiles circa 1977. I think I know the answer to that reality or marketing question. PM me and we can continue our discussion as we are very off topic on this post.

[wmachine]

1. Guys, please don't take this hyjacked thread private, it is a good healthy discussion on Olds history here. It is important to understand what the reality of the "printed history" is. Years later is when the value of this will be more aparent. Just move it to a new thread to keep it in its proper place!

2. I still have the '92 W-41 SCX that I bought new. Hard to believe that it is over 16 years old now (all original except for battery, fluids and filters). Last of the Oldsmobile W-Machines. I can attest that it is a very respectable performance vehicle. One has to drive this differently than the old torque monsters to get the ponies going. Under full throttle you notice that it *starts* to pull hard a 4k rpm and continues right up the the 7k redline. The manual trans is absolutely necessary.
Olds (and GM) really blew it big time by not promoting and marketing this car.
Stack this up to even today's standards: 190 HP fuel injection only (less to go wrong- the head gasket problem is easily engineered out), .86 g skidpad, and I clocked 32 mpg on the road. And not well known: it sold for $5,000 less that any similar car at the time.
So how smart was that, not to advertise and try to sell it?

[Oldsguy]

Not so much hyjacked thread as thread necromancy as I see it. This thing is almost ten months old and the OP is long gone. Even his link is no longer any good. Not surprising the subject kind of got off track. But you have a point about the historical value of the last W machines Olds produced and the validity of the quad engine as a viable power producer. As I posted earlier, these engines (and other 4 bangers that are more modern) are being used as power plants in hot rods that have traditionally seen only V8 power, raising some eyebrows and turning heads as they go.

[joe_padavano]

Originally Posted by GoodOldsGuy

Reread this..."the competition engine retains the production Aurora V8's basic "architecture" -- its 102mm cylinder bore spacing, 90-degree bank angle, and chaindriven camshafts."
If there was no Aurora V8 the racing version would not have a basis for existence.

I guess we'll just agree to disagree. That same "architecture" (with the possible exception of bore spacing) also applies to the Ford, Toyota, Chrysler, Lexus, and Infinity engines I mentioned (not to mention the Northstar). Would they also not have a basis to exist?

90 degree bank angles and chain driven DOHC are not unique to the Aurora architecture. The two motors share absolutely no parts whatsoever. This is a far cry from the stock block motors based on Chevy and Buick parts that raced at Indy in the 1970s and 1980s. Even the old Ford DOHC Indy motors used in the mid-1960s were based on the small block Ford. Repco also built DOHC heads for the old 215 block for use in F1. These examples were MUCH closer to the production parts than the Aurora IRL motor.

The fact that GM simply switched the Oldsmobile valve covers to Chevrolet valve covers when Olds left IRL tells you that there was nothing related to the Aurora production engine.

[GoodOldsGuy]

Originally Posted by wmachine

1. Guys, please don't take this hyjacked thread private, it is a good healthy discussion on Olds history here. It is important to understand what the reality of the "printed history" is. Years later is when the value of this will be more aparent. Just move it to a new thread to keep it in its proper place!

2. I still have the '92 W-41 SCX that I bought new. Hard to believe that it is over 16 years old now (all original except for battery, fluids and filters). Last of the Oldsmobile W-Machines. I can attest that it is a very respectable performance vehicle. One has to drive this differently than the old torque monsters to get the ponies going. Under full throttle you notice that it *starts* to pull hard a 4k rpm and continues right up the the 7k redline. The manual trans is absolutely necessary.
Olds (and GM) really blew it big time by not promoting and marketing this car.
Stack this up to even today's standards: 190 HP fuel injection only (less to go wrong- the head gasket problem is easily engineered out), .86 g skidpad, and I clocked 32 mpg on the road. And not well known: it sold for $5,000 less that any similar car at the time.
So how smart was that, not to advertise and try to sell it?

I appreciate your interest in the topic....I just did not want to belabor the issue. Joe and I can both agree to disagree, the fact is we are all OLDS guys here.
Your points regarding the W-41 powerplants are well made. I had (sold in 99) a 90 Calais 4dr I-Series with the Quad HO powerplant and 5spd manual. Like you mentioned it was a beast (for a 4cyl). A few minor mods got me over 200hp. These cars did VERY well in IMSA with the only big weakness were the hub and bearings/discs. (replaced with Toronado units for longevity)
The Quad Four engine reminded me of the Pinto 2000cc OHC four that I used to race at Lime Rock CT. But the Quad had way more torque and way more potential....like Fueling Engineerings' 300mph Salt Flats attempt in a Cutlass Supreme body in 1990. A wild machine with six wheels! (dual rears!).
GM (Olds)marketing in the 1990's was weak. Olds Engineering was ahead of the curve but marketing did not know how to sell it.
While working on Long Island our OLDS dealer in Great Neck was also a Ferrari dealer. He sponsored a BMW/Ferrari day at Bridgehampton. Naturally he invited myself and another Olds Field Exec.so we showed up with a brand new '92 SCX W-41. The BMW guys could not believe the adjustable suspension and the power. They also couldn't believe that Olds made a car with that kind of power and handling for the very low price. We had a great time at the track that day to say the least. Hang on to your SCX W-41...they didn't make too many.
Here is some additional stuff for reading:

Oldsmobile Quad 4 - Quad Mods

Mixing And Matching The Best Pieces From GM’s DOHC Wonder


By Jeff Koch
photographer: Jeff Koch, Oldsmobile HistoricalCCenter







When it was introduced in the waning days of the ’80s, the Quad 4 represented a massive step forward for GM. Oldsmobile (along with Batten Engineering and Feuling Engineering) developed the 2.3-liter iron-block, four-valve DOHC aluminum-head powerhouse for the smaller end of its rapidly expanding FWD lineup. Concurrently, a 750hp twin-turbo 2.0 L version made big news in the longtail Aerotech (HRM, Mar. ’87), a full-bodied aerodynamic wonder on a March Indycar chassis that A.J. Foyt piloted to 266-plus miles per hour and the American closed-course speed record at Fort Stockton, Texas.
Production Quad 4s debuted in the ’88 model year. In a day when Oldsmobile’s 307ci V-8 made 180 hp in H.O. trim, a Four with half the displacement and the same horsepower at the flywheel propped everyone’s eyes open with toothpicks. (Base Quad 4s produced 30 hp less.) Why, Ford needed a turbo to get the same power output out of its 2.3L Four. Later, W41-package Olds Calais and Achievas made 190 hp.
Olds went racing with the Quad 4, primarily in IMSA Firehawk and SCCA Showroom Stock, racking up multiple class victories, manufacturers’ class championships in ’89 and from ’91-’93, and promoted its victories aggressively. The IMSA-prepped cars featured non-A/C serpentine belts and other aftermarket tricks, some of which may still be available through the GM Performance Parts catalog and may be adaptable to newer cars; thanks to optimization and a lack of emissions equipment, these engines made roughly 220-230 hp.
Though a success in terms of units built and race victories (and no one ever complained about the power), the 2.3L Quad 4 was bashed by the motoring press for its rough and tumble attitude. As a result, virtually every change made to the Quad 4 has been in the name of improved emissions and greater noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) suppression. A 1995 redesign decreased bore and increased stroke, bumping displacement to 2.4L; balance shafts smoothed things out, and it had improved lubrication and cooling, plus power output that has stayed at 150 hp despite near-yearly tweaks. The Quad 4 name was dropped when the 2.4L was introduced, and is now referred to as the 2.4L Twin Cam, but for this story we will refer to all engines of this type as Quad 4 and use displacement to differentiate between the two. All inspection was done at Katech Engineering, which worked with Quad 4s in its racing heyday.


Fred

[Oldsguy]

Good info, thanks for sharing.

[88 coupe]

Originally Posted by GoodOldsGuy

Reread this ........

And while you are at it, you can read the whole article.

http://www.autoworld.com/news/Oldsmobile/IRL_Aurora.htm

Originally Posted by Autoworld.com

........ IRL regulations require that all approved engines be readily available at the IRL-specified price of $80,000 ........

Engine only = $80K.

Obviously, it is the same engine (including the dry sump oiling system) that was used in all production Auroras.

Norm

[GoodOldsGuy]

Originally Posted by wmachine

1. Guys, please don't take this hyjacked thread private, it is a good healthy discussion on Olds history here. It is important to understand what the reality of the "printed history" is. Years later is when the value of this will be more aparent. Just move it to a new thread to keep it in its proper place!

2. I still have the '92 W-41 SCX that I bought new. Hard to believe that it is over 16 years old now (all original except for battery, fluids and filters). Last of the Oldsmobile W-Machines. I can attest that it is a very respectable performance vehicle. One has to drive this differently than the old torque monsters to get the ponies going. Under full throttle you notice that it *starts* to pull hard a 4k rpm and continues right up the the 7k redline. The manual trans is absolutely necessary.
Olds (and GM) really blew it big time by not promoting and marketing this car.
Stack this up to even today's standards: 190 HP fuel injection only (less to go wrong- the head gasket problem is easily engineered out), .86 g skidpad, and I clocked 32 mpg on the road. And not well known: it sold for $5,000 less that any similar car at the time.
So how smart was that, not to advertise and try to sell it?

I seem to remember pictures of the SCX that we had at Bridgehampton at speed. I will see if I can locate and scan.

Fred