Benjamin Deffendall

Hey yall, just got a 63 f85. Swapping engine for blueprint 350 and 200-4r transmission. If yall have any tips for engine removal hit me up. Also gonna be in the market for 14in steel wheels and wire spinners if u have a lead lemme know. Excited to get this baby going

jensenracing77

Engine swaps are very difficult in these cars. There are many ways to get more power with the 215 in it or with the Rover engine. I can't help on engine swaps but if you go that way you have to rework the entire bottom of the car front to back. Floor pans, rear end, front suspension and all.

joe_padavano

The suspension crossmember has the frame side mounts welded to it, so step on is to learn how to weld. Step two is to hack the tunnel to fit that trans. Step three is to get a plastic mockup for your belly-button motor and fit it where you want it to go, then fabricate and weld mounts. There's no easy bolt-in for this swap. Oh, and since the Chebby motor and 200-4R weigh about twice as much as the original engine and trans, expect to require mods to the front suspension, brakes, and steering.

Or... build a Rover 4.6 stroker (about 298 cu in and any easy 300 HP), bolt it in (since it's externally identical to the Olds 215), and get better power-to-weight than a W-30.

redoldsman

The 4.6 seems like a no brainer. That would make a fun car.

edzolz

In 1990 the NTOC sponsered the national meet, there was a 63 F85 that had a small block chevy installed along with a 200-4R. As stated, he had to greatly modify the floor pan, the front suspension, rear end because the original rear would not hold up, re-work the front crossmember for motor support, re-wire the electrical system to match the chevy, and much more. Just get you a Range Rover set up and forget about all of the problems.

Benjamin Deffendall

The 215 in it is jacked up and to rebuild would be less cost effective. Really want to be able to do some highway driving. Also looked at the 306 for comparable weight. Any recommendations?

joe_padavano

Than swapping in an SBC and new trans? You might want to be more honest with yourself about the real costs of the swap.
What's a "306"?

Benjamin Deffendall

typo, sorry

Benjamin Deffendall

4.6 seems to be the way to go . Thanks everybody. I'm sure I'll have more questions. Preciatte yall

oldcutlass

I don't know where you are located but this popped up on fb market place recently.
Marketplace - Olds 215 | Facebook

no1oldsfan

Just me thinking and asking out loud. How hard would a Grand National drive train be to swap? Same brain damage?

redoldsman

Yeah that would be cheap.

joe_padavano

Actually, not so much of a problem. The 62-63 Skylarks came optional with the 198 Buick V6, which was the precursor of the 3800. Unlike the 64-up V6, the 198 used the same bellhousing as the 215. Later ones were BOP, and the Series II/III motors went to the 60 degree metric bellhousing. I suspect a GN drivetrain won't be cheap. Another option is the 3800SC version used in FWD cars. Those were 260 HP stock. The two problems are 1) the 60 deg bellhousing limits you to either a manual trans or the 700R4 used in F-body cars and the S10 trucks with the 2.8 V6 and 2) the throttle body on the supercharger hangs out over the bellhousing and hits the firewall.

Here's another option, one of those superchargers on a 215:

matt69olds

Small block Chevy in a Olds?! yuck.

just my opinion.

Cutlass Fan

I must have missed him saying he wanted to swap in a SBC, all I saw was a blueprinted 350.
A 300, 340, or 350 Buick is very similar to a 215 and should fit, but you probably still have tranny fitment issues.

joe_padavano

No, he said "blueprint 350". Blueprint Engines is a huge vendor of so-called "crate" engines, none of which are Olds or Buick. In fact, they call them "Chevy/GM Compatible" engines. If you ever watch Engine Masters, that's about all they ever run on the dyno.

https://blueprintengines.com/