ah64pilot

Ok, so it doesn't need the latter stuff...but it is getting a new engine. I am proud to announce that the convertible is finally getting the service it needs.

We have officially begun the transplant process. we are putting a mild 455 / TH400 in to replace the tired factory 350 2bbl engine that was in it. While it won't be getting the same treatment that the silver car got, it will still be cleaned up and made to look nice while keeping the stock look.

The Car:





Engine out (notice the picture in my signature that's hanging on the wall? My wife surprised me with a print of the burnout picture...she's so cool!)





New engine, almost together:

classicjoe

Thats a real nice convertible you have there Steve. It dose'nt looks like it needs much of anything. I'm looking forward to seeing the finish product

Allan R

Good to see you've found another project Steve. Is this one for the wife so she can keep up with you? That car is gonna have 'sleeper' written all over it.....Wutchu gonna do with the old 350?

oldcutlass

Can't wait to see n hear the finished project!

Stevec

Nice car Steve! What I want to know is just how MILD is that 455?

car_designer

Great starting point. Look forward to the updates and finished project.

ah64pilot

Thank you! It doesn't NEED a thing...but I think we're gonna have to put some 15" Rallye's on it and some bigger tires. I don't think the rails it's on now are going to control the mild 455.

I've had this car for about a year now. It's the one I bought for $5500, I own it together with my father. And it is NOT so the wife can keep up with me lol! It is so she doesn't feel left out rolling into a car show

I'm gonna sell the 350/TH350...it is COMPLETE! The only thing I have to take off and reuse is the starter Any takers? lol!

I'll video it and post it up. The new engine has WZ manifolds and Pypes 2" exhaust with 40 series flowmasters. It should sound decent...maybe not loud enough for my taste but I have to keep it quiet. It does the Memorial day parade in Austin every year with a celebrity rider.

It's mild, honest!
.040" over 455
"N" crank, rods - shot peened & balanced
KB277 pistons (14CC dish)
Stock "E" heads
Engle 20-22 camshaft (.496/.512 lift 226/230 duration @ .050" 110 LSA)
Edelbrock Performer intake
Edelbrock (Carter) 750 carburetor
9.5:1 Compression

Shoot, the only difference is the engine will be blue instead of gold and it'll have more power lol!

Allan R

Just thinking on that. Do you know offhand (cause I don't) what the difference is between a L32 (2bbl) and L34 (4bbl) 350? Any difference in cam or anything? Your turn to help me learn. I know what you can potentially turn it into, but as a stock engine I'm curious what the differences would be other than carb/intake and throttle bracket/linkage/ oh yeah - air cleaner.

ah64pilot

You know I never thought there was a difference...turns out there isn't. The AMA documents for the 1972 model year have the 350 2 BBL and 350 4 BBL Automatic Transmission engines sharing the same camshaft.

Running duration 250 / 264
Lift .400 / .400

http://wildaboutcarsonline.com/membe...ss_Supreme.pdf

lsutigers93

Beautiful car...you got it in that condition for $5500?

ah64pilot

Well, plain and simple, yes.

Complicated version: Dad and sister owned car together...sis's money got tight, sold me her half of the car for $5500 (1/2 of the original purchase price in 2008). So now I'm half owner with my dad. One of us will become full owner if something happens to the other...so we walk around with pistols holstered and good luck charms all around our neck. I think he's trying to make me have an accident while we're putting this engine in...wish me luck!

Come to think of it, maybe I'll make him put the transmission in...

btrbill

Steve,

Can't wait to see your cars! Or have you look at mine and give me pointers! LOL.

I start Monday morning, and plan on calling you during the week to see if you want to have a beverage or something.

I love the Viking Blue cars! Mine is Nordic Blue, but the lighter shade is growing on me...

ah64pilot

Bill you should come out to the Niftee Fifties tonight! It's right there in Spring...I am going to be there from 5-?

Check out the link for directions: http://niftee50ees.com/contact.html

btrbill

I would Steve, but I am in Louisiana getting some final stuff done at the house before I drive over tomorrow. You guys have a fun time tonight!

ah64pilot

Ok, going on a week since starting the project. Most of my time has been spent cleaning 40 year old parts...and I hate cleaning. That's why everything in the silver car is new, but for this one we want to keep it looking factory, mostly.



After taking the crossmember down to bare metal I put 5 coats of satin black on it. I'm OCD, and I think my dad and I butt heads in that respect. He said clean it a little...I went overboard in his eyes. But now, it looks like a brand new piece and makes the rest of the underbody look horrible



I also pressure washed the frame and cleaned it up a little. It looks better, but my dad made me do it "his" way so it's not nearly as clean as the silver car...but it looks a hell of a lot better than it did. Compare to the picture in the first post of this thread:



The engine is almost all together. Now it's down to nit-picky things that take a crap load of time...you all know what I mean. Manifold fittings, bolts, etc. We are trying to make it appear stock at first glance, but that is a painted Edelbrock performer intake and it will get a few stainless bolts in key locations to keep corrosion at a minimum. Also, thanks Joe (Joesw31) for the water pump! Our Fusick blue doesn't quite look like the factory color but it still looks good. We won't be winning any OCA shows anyway...



Finally, for anyone looking for a new radiator...this Champion radiator is amazing! It is an aluminum oversized 3! core radiator that fits in the stock location and matches up perfectly to a factory 4 core top plate. It has perfect welds and looks better than either the Be-Cool in the Vista and the Summit Racing in the silver car. I'll take a pic of the actual radiator once I put it in...it's tucked away right now for lunch

67Olds442X2

Looks good Steve. That blue paint on the engine looks a lot better than the paint on mine. What is it? On another note, My new car might turn into another project for me. Have fun cleaning.

ah64pilot

It's the Fusick Olds 455 blue. It looks good, but I think it's a little light. I don't know, these aren't award winning cars or anything

oldcutlass

You know, a clean engine compartment makes it go faster! Come on Steve, no short cuts, pull of all the engine compartment stuff, flip the other crap out of the way, and detail the rest of it! No short cuts!

droptopron

Where did you get the radiator from?

ah64pilot

Direct from the manufacturer: http://www.championradiators.com/page/400601638

ah64pilot

Spent a little time getting some odds and ends tied up and then finished getting the engine together this morning.



And then some time around 1300 we started putting the engine in...some time around 1330 it was in, now just to button everything up



After the heat wave I'll go back out and get the transmission and driveshaft put in. I expect we'll be breaking the cam in tomorrow evening and we are going to try to make the Coffee and Cars on Saturday morning for our first long range test drive. Keep your fingers crossed!

Allan R

Yowsa! Fits with room to spare. Nice work Steve.

ah64pilot

So the transmission went in last night and this morning we were set to button up the engine bay. I ran into a bit of a problem with the shifter mounting bracket since we switched over to a TH400.



I know I have one somewhere but it's probably at my dad's house...so instead I just made one.







So after eating up half a day making the bracket, we are pushing our break in back to tomorrow morning. Oh well...it'll get done eventually lol!

ah64pilot

We got the engine in and running It looks horrible with the stock aircleaner on it but it'll get new paint and a new decal soon.





I also took a few pics of the cars together before my dad left for Austin. Hope you like them Also, I will post a video of the convertible running once it's finished uploading to youtube.

Allan R

Nice job Steve! BTW, did you notice the stock hood on the blue CS does not have louvers and does not have vents at the back? That car is bone stock with that. 72 AC cars did not have vents at the back of the hood.

I like the blue/white combo on the vert, but as you know I'm really partial to silver!

Lady72nRob71

Very nice job - FAST, too! When I find a Vista I will send it to you. If I do it it will take forever and a day...

ah64pilot

10 days, start to finish...it's been rough, especially in this heat. But we got it done. Didn't get to clean some stuff but it can always be done later. At least the engine and trans are clean and leak free

I know, here in Texas we don't see many cars with louvers because it's almost impossible to drive without A/C lol! That car is all original, except for the engine, which we just changed.

By the way, 80Cutlass picked up the L32 today. We got a lot accomplished when you think about it. Not only did we pull the original motor and transmission but we got it sold too! Very fortunate that he wanted it and I can't wait to see what he does with it. And our new engine runs so well...even I am impressed. I'll get the videos up as soon as they are done, I think you're gonna like the way it sounds

ah64pilot

Rob I'll be in Dallas next week, Grapevine actually...I'll help you get whatever projects you have left done lol! I would get a MAW hat too but on this build it didn't seem to haunt us.

Have you seen my dad's Vista? I'm down for another project...I don't have anything to put a 455 in now so I'm gonna have to start helping friends

ah64pilot

Forgot to tell you...guess what I found in one of my parts boxes late last night / early this morning? You guessed it, a TH400 shifter bracket I knew I had seen one somewhere! It's both a blessing and a curse to have parts you didn't know you had...like the brand new 455 ARP main bolts I found in the bottom of a box this morning. Oh well, now I've got to build another one because I already have the bolts lol!

Joe, you're gonna love the video's! You should have come over...it runs so well! And it sounds good with that exhaust, my dad did a great job of getting it all put on! I can't believe we're done...I'm so tired! Don't call me tomorrow, I'm gonna be sleeping all day LMAO!

car_designer

Great work Steve! Two very nice cars.

Lady72nRob71

If you have time to meet up, just let me know! The 'vine is not too far away...

If it is that gold one, I WANT it! Drive is down here and leave it. I could have used it for my vacation trip the past week!

ah64pilot

Maybe we could do dinner one night? I'll be busy during the day but I get done at 5pm...I am staying at the Embassy Suites at Bass Pro Shop. I'll pm you my number...if you get a chance you can call

Allan R

Steve, quick question on that 455/400 transplant. Did you remember to put in the fender braces while the engine was out? All 455 cars got them from the factory.

ah64pilot

I was looking at that last night...I was thinking about trying to find a set for the 'vert so it'd be "correct" but you can't see them so WGAS! lol! Can you tell me, what the hell did they even do? Was it because Olds knew that 455 cars were going to be pulling the wheels at a racetrack or something lol!

That's just like the Vista Cruiser getting the support braces that go to the center of the cowl...why? If it was needed on one, why not the other?

ah64pilot

Man, what a journey...I am tired. I notice bags under my eyes in the videos due to lack of sleep, heat, and working my *** off. I hope you enjoy, videos are live:

I took this because I wanted to show how doing it right the first time can save you a lot of headache. The first crank of this engine was effortless in that all I did was spray starting fluid in the carb so the dead battery didn't get worse trying to crank long enough to get fuel up to the carb. Don't watch all of it, or any of it...it's boring as heck.

Not too exciting but I took it because it's a rare thing to see my dad and I in the SAME Cutlass lol!

Sounds better after I took out some timing. I think I was so hot after break in I messed up timing it...I had 39 degrees in it? I don't know what I was thinking...I must've had sweat in my eyes.

Quick clip of my dad leaving for Austin. "Clarrissa", as named by the original owner, headed back to the stable in Austin. I've got to get my garage cleaned out now that I don't have an engine on a stand so I can fit both cars.

It's such a great feeling to build something right and be confident that on the same day you break in the cam, the engine can make a 200 mile trip to a completely different city...and perform flawlessly.

That should answer it

joesw31

Great job! Like the videos! Car would sound awesome with a set of headers. And for Grapevine I was just there and it was 107 degrees...

Allan R

Steve - Just so you know I watched pretty much all the videos. You're right the first one was kinda boring so I did fast forwards to see how it turned out.

So- what was the final timing and rpm you used? 39° sounds more like a temp to me (translates to 103 F) Wouldn't that car be running awfully hot with the timing so far back?

Love the maniac laugh at the end of putting the silver car back. Sounded like you were disappointed you missed the camera!

ah64pilot

Thanks Joe! You could've been here but NO, someone got the lazies lol! J/k!

Yeah, the break in video is just so my family in Austin can see what we did and how we did it. Something to show the folks who don't know anything about cars...lol!

Once I got the car in the garage and could really see the timing marks I got the TOTAL timing set to 34° advance all in at 3,000 rpm...it ended up somewhere like 13° initial advance. I set the idle rpm a little high (1100) because the car has A/C and it's usually on when the car is running.

I don't know why I did the maniacal laugh at the end of that video...I think it was that final "Ahhhh" feeling when you know you're finally done. I took that video of me pulling the silver car back in the garage and I came in and sat on the couch all night. I am tired after all of that.

sicky olds

That mean you coming over for the Rallye build party? Subbed as well

ah64pilot

As in subcontracted? You are paying me? Or do you mean with my sub-woofers? I'm confused