Aussie 67 Delta 88 Custom ... overhaulin' update !

[Aussie67Delta88Custom]

In my last message I stated -

My 67 Delta 88 Custom is now in a workshop to get ...
1. reco of the 425 to "mild street" for LPG only ( no more petrol ).
Turns out the motor was a 455 and it was SCRAP ! I lucked upon another 455 ready to be re-assembled and I pick it up tomorrow
2. auto to be reconditioned - still being done
3. LPG only system using twin Gas Research throttle bodies and twin tanks.
4. engine bay clean up - being done now
5. a set of 18inch multifit wire wheels and tyres !
AND now ...
6. it is being prepped to be resprayed !

It's costing a bundle but it will be fun when it's done

Then it will be off to get the suspension and brakes freshened up

check out my olds site for updates as they happen - http://groups.msn.com/MyAussie67Olds88

Cheers all,

Gary T
Oldsmobile Club of Australia.
gthr1967@bigpond.net.au

[Olds64]

Gary, why was the original 455 scrap? It would take some pretty heavy damage to make an engine block unusable. I thought a good machinist could put a sleeve in pretty much anything. Good thing that you found another block though. Let us know how everything turns out. Post pics too!

[Aussie67Delta88Custom]

Olds64,

I have been told that the heads had been cracked previously and that plugs had been inserted to stop cracking continuing ?

I agree the bores could have been sleeved but although that process has come a long way since a sleeve let go in a V8 I had in the 80's, you will understand that I am not a huge fan of the process

I had the 425 that is in my 66 88 2 door as "plan B", but found someone selling a set of new 455 pistons (up 40thou.) on ebay over here and when I asked if they had anything else they answered - "a whole motor in pieces" !

Turns out the seller is an engine reconditioner who, after reading an article on Olds motors in the 80's decided to do one up "for the hell of it" as he did not even have a car to put it in. thus it has not been used for 20 years and includes a lot of bits the engine guys were going to have to source anyway.

Here's one good point that leads me to think he may have found an interesting engine for me - it has an original Oldsmobile alloy intake manifold !

I pick it all up tonight ... and I hope it is still in the condition he described .

I will add pics to my site as they become available.

Gary T

[J-(Chicago)]

what intake manifold number is it??
you could look it up at www.442.com in the faq section

[Olds64]

I know what you mean Gary. I would have second thoughts about sleeving a cylinder if I had a bad experience in the past.

[Aussie67Delta88Custom]

J-(Chicago)

I will have it all tonight

update - its - 407570 decribed as - A 407570 '71-'72 455 W-30. "Olds W-455" cast in raised letters.No EGR. Aluminum. on that site.

Heads are "G"

Thanks for the tip on the website.

The heads sound like they are W-30 too... large valve.

I will fill you all in tomorrow.

Gary T

[Aussie67Delta88Custom]

http://groups.msn.com/MyAussie67Olds...ul.msnw?Page=1

[$tryker]

Excellent score from the Land down under!!!! Congrats

[Aussie67Delta88Custom]

thanks Stryker,

I can't wait for my 4 door to be on the road !

Oldsmobile will be a house-hold word in the cruising scene when my 67 is back on the street

[Aussie67Delta88Custom]

To all of you who have conveyed your interest and support in my Aussie Olds project over the last 12 month's - thanks and I would like to wish you all a safe and Happy New Year in 2008.

After my "Year to forget" in 2007 I am looking forward to 2008 and getting my "stalled for the holidays" 67 Delta Custom back in running, rumbling, cruising condition.

Once again this has been a great site to be a part of and I hope you can put up with my Aussie Olds adventures as the project nears completion and I bore you all with road trips around our great country.

Take care distant friends and if you are heading Down Under and are planning a stop off in Melbourne, please let me know at gthr1967@bigpond.net.au and we can catch up.

Happy New Year ALL ...

p.s. it is going to be 42deg. Celcius here today ! Yuck ! Maybe I'll try to come over for your "White Christmas" next year
p.p.s - one thing to report ... I sold one of my Aussie cars for $5500 to the cars previous owner before the guy I bought it off... confused ? Anyway when I put it back on the road I elected to keep the previous plates - just as well ... otherwise he would never have recognised it on good ole EBAY ! ( the guy I bought it off put a V8 in it and changed the front panels) ... he was rapt ! so was I ... more $$ for the Olds !

Gary T
Oldsmobile Club of Australia.
http://groups.msn.com/MyAussie67Olds88

[Aussie67Delta88Custom]

Once again ... not much to add ! ...

Well, this is something ...

Next week the engine reconditioners are hoping tobe able to show me my 455 being run in on an engine dynometer !! ... pics will be on my website straight after !

Other than that the "project manager" at the LP Gas place can't do much until he gets the engine and gearbox back in the vehicle... so we wait.

I will be in touch

[Oldsguy]

Patience is a virtue. A video would be real nice if possible. I love to see dyno runs.

[Aussie67Delta88Custom]

Good idea... I use a Fujifilm 602S with digital video capabilities

I will try to get some footage.

Oh yeah, I forgot - I have sold another Aussie sedan and this week sold my 66 Delmont 2 door ( so long as I can find the import papers ! )

I will be sorry to see her go as she would've made a great cruiser too ... but all $$ to drive way and 67 !

cheers

[Aussie67Delta88Custom]

G'day All !
It's Thhursday in Aus and I have visited my 455 & my 67 Delta 88 Custom.
Well ... it was more like just a visit to the motor... as that is what the 67 is waiting for.

It was worth it ! I found my 455 (now 463) just about ready to fire up and I hope I can have some footage of it on the engine Dyno next week.

check it out at - http://groups.msn.com/MyAussie67Olds...or.msnw?Page=2 waiting for "Rocket Red" paint.

Some info on the motor ... it will apparently be running 9.2:1 comp ration (originally 8.5:1), a ProComp HEI distributor & leads to HEI plugs... They will run it in on petrol on the Dyno so it can be put into the 67 on straight LPG.

I can't wait for next week now.

in the mean time I have sold the 66 coupe I had bought for it's 425... the new owner is a Olds nut in a place called Romsey, north of our State's capital - Melbourne. He reports the 425 is a sweet runner (I never had it running while i had it) and he's looking forward to putting a later model EFI 455 in it. I guess he'll sell the 425.

Anyway ... once again, thanks for your interest

[Aussie67Delta88Custom]

HI All,
Just a quick note ... check out http://groups.msn.com/MyAussie67Olds...onthedyno.msnw

I will add more later.

[Aussie67Delta88Custom]

Good morning all,
Well, another week has flown by and bits of my 67 Olds are slowly coming together.

A mate and I went to see ( & photograph of course) my 455 sitting on an engine stand at the reconditioners, ready to go to the workshop.

The Reco boys don't want the motor to go to the workshop until they have somewhere to put it ( and they pay for it ! ) because the sump sits close to the crank and they don't want it coming back because some idiot knocked dinted the sump up into the crank. So I am taking a heavy duty engine stand around to the workshop today so it does not have to sit on the floor.

Then we went around to the workshop and they aren't in anyway ready for the motor yet because the rust repair guy has started his part of the project very late and is repairing a fair bit of rust around the bottom of the front screen... damn.

Anyway, the motor is ready, the Trans & converter are at the workshop, so it's rust repairs holding things up now.

Until next week ... check out photos added to -
http://groups.msn.com/MyAussie67Olds88/new455motor.msnw
http://groups.msn.com/MyAussie67Olds...soverhaul.msnw

[Willidog]

Looks like you are dealing with alot of the same type of body work that I am although mine isn't quite as bad. Good luck and keep plugging.

[Aussie67Delta88Custom]

Hi Willidog,
do you have a Delta 88 ? ... got a site or pics ?

Feel free to join my site(s) ... It would be great to be able to compare two prokects of opposite side of the world.

Good luck with your too

[Aussie67Delta88Custom]

Hi All,
Well progress is slow on my Olds right now and I have little new to report.
The reco'd 455 and reco'd Turbo 400 are awaiting body repairs to be completed before being re-installed... fair enough.

I will keep you up to date with everything every now and again.

meanwhile I will continue to source parts from here are there so completion can be quick when it needs to be.

cheers all

[bcg88]

Thanks for the update. Looks like a lot of hard work. Nice to see someone else put some time into one of the big 'uns.

I am starting to work on my interior on my 69 Delta. Body work will be last with little ones bumping into it in the garage. My 18 month old ran chalk down the side of one of the quarters last week. At that age you just have to grit your teeth.

[Aussie67Delta88Custom]

bcg88,
I thought I had replied to your message when you left it but it seems whatever I wrote did not save. Sorry.

a 69 eh ? All the best with your project too and thanks for your comments.

[Aussie67Delta88Custom]

Greetings all and thank you for your support of my 67 Olds project to date.

I have added a few more pictures to my site - http://groups.msn.com/MyAussie67Olds88 and things are progressing a little quicker now.

To recap on the project ...
1. I sent my 67 Olds to a workshop for a full mechanical overhaul...
2. the 425 & Turbo 400 auto were removed and sent to specialist businesses for reconditioning.
3. by this time it is mid-December and everyone is getting into the Christmas "Lets wind down" mode and everything grinds to ahalt for nearly a month !
4. January sees the engine reconditioners actually bothering to look at the 425 and it is declared D.O.A. - bad bores - worse heads - they had been drilled and plugged to stop previous cracking and the whole motor is declared too far gone.
5. sourced partly reco'd 455 W motor from a retired engine reconditioner on Ebay (Aus) and we're back in business... engine reco begins on 455 at 40thou over.
6. It's February and the T400 is back at the workshop ... They also begin to strip vehicle for rust repairs and paint... that's right, it's not just a mechanical make-over now !
7. 455 reconditioned and ready for running in on the Dyno. Got to see it running on the dyno ... pretty cool.
8. workshop has the twin throttle body LPG set-up stolen from the display cabinet under their counter ! ... not my problem but they are not happy.
9 455 returned to workshop and rust repairs around the windscreen are underway.
now - windscreen rust has been repaired and other rust nearly replaced with steel. hopefully they can put the 455 & auto back in soon and get the LPG put into the vehicle.

phew ... it's been nearly 6 months ! How time flies when your sweating !

cheers all,

[Aussie67Delta88Custom]

I dropped in on my 67 last Thursday and it was just as well I did.

I was called by the guy doing up my bumpers and asked if he could have the details of the workshop where the car was because he wanted to refit the rear bar... one minor problem - I had the mounting brackets !

So I agreed to meet him at the workshop and help him work out whether the rear bar was bent or not.( It seemed okay on the car before the workshop got it).
We met at the workshop, I helped him work out his little puzzle - it was supposed to be that way - and he left.

I was talking the owner the panel / rust man - noticed some smoke coming from the area he was grinding near !
It didn't seem like much from the engine bay and he was convinced it was a bit of rubber behind the weld ... NOT !

I rushed around to the drivers door as I noticed much more smoke inside the car... the passengers footbay carpet was smouldering !

I feverishly squirted water on anything and everything under the dash but the smoke was getting worse... the hessian underlay was alight !

I ripped back the carpet and tore away the burning underlay, throwing it out the door of the car into the workshop ... where it flamed !

I tell you they were pretty calm about it for a workshop that fits Gas to cars !

Anyway no thanks to them I got the fire out before it did too much damage ( or burnt out my cabin !) and then hung around until he finished the job to be sure it did not happen again.

PHEW !

Anyway the rust repairs are done and hopefully we might see some progress on getting the drivetrain back into the car soon... if it survives !

[Olds64]

Wow! I bet that was scary. I remember driving in Oldsguy's 69 Delta 88 and smelling the hood blanket catch fire after the AC clutch froze. That was a startling experience. Good to know no serious damage was done. We look forward to seeing the pics when your car is done. Good luck!

[Aussie67Delta88Custom]

G'day all,
Sorry for the lack of updates on the 67, but I do not have much to report on at thhis time.
1. Rust repairs have been completed apparently - huge cost but a fine job.
2. they have started to put the drivetrin back in ... or so they tell me... more on that and pics next week I hope.
3. I picked up the set of 5 15 x 7 wire wheels to go on it... nice.
4. I have picked up the front and rear bumpers from the chromers... they look excellent ... and an Olds owner was the one who did them
5. I bought 1970 Vista cruiser ! ... see the appropriate discussion group for more info on that one

I will drop in on the car next Thursday soI will be in touch

[Aussie67Delta88Custom]

I'm here !!!

Greetings all Olds fans,
Yes Father, it has been 2 months since my last confession and I am guilty of ... wanting to commit murder / arson / blackmail / torture !!! joking ? NO !

I'll do all of it just to get the chance to see my beloved back on the road again ... my 1967 Delta 88 custom that is ... I was ready to scream !!

And then this last week the scumbags at the workshop actually put the drive-train back in her ! Progress !? kinda ... it's not running yet ... but it's that little bit closer.

Sorry for the rant All, but I'm sure you've all been there at some time ?

anyway ... I took the obligitory pics and they are at - http://groups.msn.com/MyAussie67Olds...ul.msnw?Page=3 if you wanna have a look.

I miss you all and hope to be able to report more progress soon.

[citcapp]

Engine looks great. Sorry your build is taking so long and it sounds like you have had many challenges. I look foward to seeing the finished product. By the way I feel your pain I am two thirds done with a 57 Olds build with a 455 9 months and counting. I will continue to watch this thread

[Olds64]

Cool pics. At least they got your engine in. I bet you are filled with anticipation.

[Allan R]

G'day mate,
Saw you had the new motor up on a dyno? What kind of power and torque is she putting out?

[Aussie67Delta88Custom]

Hi all,
just a quick update ... motors in, LPG is just about installed ... hoping they might even have it running soon ... RIGHT !

I will be visiting her this thursday with camera in hand, so more pics on the site soon.

The 2 fenders I bought from the USofA were dropped off to me today and they are very good and included a lot of the bits that got mucked up when i hit my house ( check out the site if you're wondering WHAT ?? ).

My collection of NOS parts is growing rapidly and thus the bank balance is diminishing ( not to mention buying my other 2 Olds' during the build ! )

Allan ... the engine rebuilders had to rig up a temporary flywheel to the 455 to run it on the dyno as they only had a ring-gear off the convertor , thus no flywheel to rate the engine... so they claim a "conservative" 375hp with 444ft/lbs of torque. they have told me that they would expect it to do a bit better once it is running on its twin throttle body LPG set-up and much better if I run extractors instead of the repro cast exhaust manifolds.

I'm building it as a cruiser so I am happy to just rumble about and wont need any more power than this ... yet !

cheers all