reesejames

just looking for opinions on the matter,due to parts availability

rocketraider

If you have to ask that question, you probably have no business owning an Oldsmobile.

Keep in mind I have tried to be as polite as I can, while still being forthright.

Jamesbo

Yes

lshlsh2

If you think olds parts are hard to find. You never tried to restore a 71 opel gt.
Larry

redoldsman

In 99% of the cases the answer is yes. You did not say what year and model it is. Parts for the Olds 350 and 455 are plentiful and still reasonably priced.

reesejames

What I was meaning to say is, with all the new tech around. I have a 87 cutlass salon (t-tops) I always been a bop guy

Nilsson

There is an original steering wheel 68-69 on e-bay right now for 1000.00 looks like new, I am considering buying it. Yep, my old olds is worth it or I may be just plain stupid.

Run to Rund

My opinion, keep the body and engine Olds. Trannies and diffs were shared among divisions, and Ford sold trannies to Olds so these items are "disposable."

Run to Rund

BTW, I'm in denial about the dark days when Olds used Chevy and Buick engines.

442much

For me I wanted a 442 because you don't see them everyday like Camaro's, Corvettes, Mustangs. It was different and so I would want to keep it different by having an Olds engine in an Olds car or Olds pieces on an Olds. It's up to you, but you have to ask yourself, did you buy an Oldsmobile because you wanted an old car and it happened to be available, or did you buy it because you actually thought it was the coolest car around? If it's the latter, then keep it cool.

reesejames

There's nothing like the sounds of a olds

joe_padavano

Availability of WHAT parts? Engine parts are readily available for all Olds motors.

reesejames

@ joe bolt-on upgrades! I have a 72 350

joe_padavano

If you don't think parts are available for an Olds 350, you must not be looking very hard. No, Olds parts don't fall from the sky like SBC parts, but they are readily available. If you are basing your comment on published catalogs from Summit and Jegs, be aware that the parts in the catalogs are only their best sellers and their on-line sites list MANY more parts.

reesejames

Enlighten me! I know about moneydello, I'm not arguing just looking for info

MDchanic

Bill Cosby had a routine about taking his driver's test in a '41 Mercury with an airplane engine in it.

"An airplane engine!?!"

"Yup."

"How do you keep it cool?"

"Just gotta keep movin'!"

I'd approve of THAT .

- Eric

joe_padavano

Again, what parts are you looking for? Edelbrock makes half a dozen different intakes for the SBO. Every cam vendor has numerous cams. Same with header vendors (ignore the inevitable footnote about not fitting Supremes). Roller timing chains, valve covers, fuel pump, distributor, etc, etc. What do you need that you can't find? Keep in mind that with the exception of pistons, rods, crank, and pushrods, everything that fits an Olds 455 also fits a 350.

Run to Rund

Of course, main and rod bearings are different, too.

joe_padavano

As are piston rings, but I figured that was obvious...

alek72us

Yeah if ur not finding what u want ur not looking.

Run to Rund

lol. Hey Joe, will an Olds engine still run OK if it has Chevy pistons and rings? Will it even know it has them?

coltsneckbob

When I was 18-early 20's - which I hate to say was in the 70's - I had a summer job sitting around at a marina on the North Shore of LI (Huntington). Friends would come to share some brews. Our "beer game" was to tell what car was passing without looking and just listening to the engine....we got pretty good it (not nearly 100% but way better then 50% of the time).

Of course we scored even better when listening to a car start.....LOL you always knew those MOPARs cranking away!

Another "cruisin and boozin" game we played was guess the model car by the front head lights at night.....yea we did drink and drive LOL......literally had a bar in the car. Got stopped twice.......but no arrests and no tickets (I guess cause I worked with the police and knew so many of them - including the precinct commander)!!! AH the good old days.

hazzmatte

Have to agree with just about everyone. Keep it Olds. I have an 85 cutlass salon and had the option of going SBC but stayed with olds. I's had no problems finding any parts new or used on the internet.

greenslade

you will get no respect around here if you have anything but an olds engine,you can change any other part you want,but you must have an olds eng block,go figure!

a64olz

Pssssssssssssssttt..... my Olds has a transmission out of a Chevy,eeewwwww.

Willidog

I don't know about the late model cars but the 69 Cutlass is probably one of the harder cars to find parts for and I found all the parts I needed for a frame off resto. I would keep it Olds, and like has been stated, they sound alot cooler than anything else out there.

Oldsguy

In general my answer to your question would be yes, it is worth trying to keep your Oldsmobile all Oldsmobile, with this caveat. To the best of your ability.

If you have the money and the time just about any car can be completely 100% restored. For items that aren't available any longer there is always the option of having the original re-built, re-conditioned, or a copy built by a skilled individual. Just look at all the 100% concours correct cars that are out there. I am talking about cars from the 50's, 40's, 30's, 20's, teens, even from the first decade of most manufactured cars. I have a screen saver of a model 1910 Oldsmobile that is gorgeous and am thankful that some person had the money desire and time to have it restored so we can appreciate it. On the other hand, I own a 1946 Oldsmobile model 76 with a JCWhitney turn signal mechanism in it. I think there might still be original turn signal mechanisms from a model 98 of that era that I could have located and had re-built but I would not have been able to afford it nor did I want to expend that much effort/time. The wiring is not original, it is from Electronics supply, and there are so many plastic zip ties on it that it would make an auto restorer cringe. But in a compromise the engine and transmission are from a 1969 Delta 88. I kept the drive train Oldsmobile because I could. I had the ability to do it so I did.

I think this is what most people on this site are talking about when someone asks about putting a Chevy engine in an Oldsmobile for whatever reason they have. Why, when it is so easy to still get an engine and transmission from a donor Oldsmobile? The engine is usually considered the 'heart' of the vehicle and making a transplant from a non-Oldsmobile just doesn't seem correct.

joe_padavano

Don't you run the risk of organ rejection?

joe_padavano

This gets back to my original comment. Changing just the ENGINE doesn't really help with parts availability issues, if that is your real concern.

reesejames

got busy! but i never said anything about putting in a chevy motor. i have a 307 in the car now and a 350 on the stand. however a lsx would look pretty nice.....

Destructor

A properly rebuilt engine or a relatively low miles original engine well cared for should last many years and many, many miles. It's not like these cars go through engines. I've got 79,000 original miles on my 70 Cutlass's 350, It runs great I doubt I will have to rebuild it, though someday I may begin acquiring parts anyway especially if it becomes more difficult to get quality US made parts. I see that as more of a potential problem, offshore junk finding its way into our engines. It’s even a problem I have to watch out for with my 00 and 07 Grand Marquis. A twenty dollar pitman arm made in China is just waiting to fail.

jon69olds

The Olds 350 in my '69 Cutlass had 139,000 miles on it when I had it rebuilt. Due to it burning oil. Found out the oil ring on #7 piston was no longer floating like they are supposed to. Now it is bored .030 over and runs better than ever. Like others have said Olds engines have there own sound.

GoodOldsGuyDougie

its not your fathers Oldmobile, its yours..... But still leave the Olds all Olds. The parts may sometimes be hard to find but they can be found. Its what makes the Car special.

Redog

Quoted for truth

Fakser

If your looking for engine parts and are on a budget I would take a look at egges.com they have some really good prices. Be patient I know at first it seems like a daunting task and changing will make it easier but, if you take your time and do some internet searching you'll find what your looking for at reasonable prices. And a lot of the stuff your looking for you can probably find on this site or get referred to a vendor if you post with a question.

I'm new to rebuilding and have monitored this site daily and find nothing but good advice here take pride in the olds it's different pretty soon you'll be talking smack to your buddies because they have the same thing as everyone else and your ride is a classic that not many have.

Aceshigh

I'm from Chicago and I see various kinds of trends and styles.
SO here's my .02
ohnoes.gif
Keep it original if your car is a limited edition 442, Hurst Olds, or Convertible
If your car is a run of the mill dime a dozen Cutlass SX or F85 , then don't worry about it.
Avoid the overpriced BS parts retailers and build yourself a custom car.
Purists are abundant on this forum, some will mock you for thinking outside of the box

I don't know why some guys got into the hobby, but I didn't get into it to MAKE money.
I got into it to build a car that I wanted to enjoy. In most cases 99% of car owners lose money.
Keeping a car all original is cool, but sometimes not cost effective at all.
Most suspension upgrades are not Factory Oldsmobile.
Most guys with brake upgrades are not Factory Oldsmobile.
Most guys with transmission upgrades are not Factory Oldsmobile either.
So what are we talking about here ?? What % is acceptable ?? LOL

Here's my philosophy:
Ford engine in Oldsmobile = Not desirable and weird.
Dodge engine in Oldsmobile = Not desirable and weird.
GM corporate modern LS in Oldsmobile = Badass
(BTW Buick designed these LS heads in 1988 for NASCAR use)

People have forgotten what "Hot rodding" once was.
It was taking what you had and making it faster, better handling, etc.
None of that said you had to stay with an original car.
I've seen so many Mazda Miata's around race tracks with GM LS1's in them destroying cars.

Why LSX's are superior to SBC's: Information Inside

Run of the mill average Cutlasses don't bring in more money because the motor
is Oldsmobile. In fact, run of the mill Oldsmobiles don't sell for much at all.
You can browse quite a few sites and see Cutlasses selling all over very cheap.
You might see an owner TRYING to ask $20,000 for a basic model, but asking
and selling it for that are 2 very different things.

(I own a pro-touring 1978 Z28 as well, and in stock form these cars aren't worth much either)

You're likely to appeal to the modern generation of hot rodders if you put in
a Gen III or Gen IV corporate GM engine in it with an Overdrive transmission.
This brings it up to the modern standard of pro-touring that's taking off huge.
Prime Example > http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/66-Ol...t_15243wt_1161

Boooo hisssss awwwww I can hear all those purists nostrils flaring.

MDchanic

I don't think that the idea that a hot rod is a hot rod and a restoration is a restoration should make too many waves.

That said,

1. If I see another tilt wheel and Cadillac power bench seat in a '42 Pontiac I think I'm gonna scream.
2. Saving rats from the crusher by making hot rods is good.
3. Destroying good original cars by making hot rods is bad.

- Eric

Olds64

Of course it is worth it.

rocketraider

Mmph. With less than 3000 total SX built over 2 years, I'm waiting for the SX guys to bust your ***** on this one.




So once again it took someone else to make the chevrolet shyt work. Same as it took Oldsmobile Engineering to finally eliminate the BBC shortcomings with the Rocket Block and DRCE.

So that's the only raison d'etre to fool with cars? Some of us like and respect originality. I've seen a lot of cars cut up and trashed to satisfy the owner's masturbation fantasies, so when one is like it's supposed to be, I appreciate that. Any fool can cut a car up and throw a credit card and catalog at it, and the vast majority of cars of this type, the only manual work the owner has done is to sign the check. Most of 'em don't have a clue how to turn wrenches is why they like all this modern crap that does not require them to do it. God help they get stranded on the side of the road.

And since I'm force-fed a diet of high technology daily at my job, when I am away from work I am in full revolt against technology.

Doesn't help that the technology often creates more issues than it prevents.

joe_padavano

Just to clarify, the Rocket Block is actually an SBC casting with an Olds rocket logo (hence the term) designed initially for NASCAR and drag race teams using "corporate" motors in Cutlass bodies back when Olds was actually sponsoring drag race teams in the 1980s. Note the logo in this photo:



http://www.sallee-chevrolet.com/Chev...are_Block.html

Apparently the tall deck versions could be punched out to 455 cu in...