So, many may know I bought Dave Laurer’ s 74’ 442 also known as the “Whale”. As we all have at times life gets in the way of plans for the future. The car has sat the last year and a half but this week I was able to secure a heart for the car! The new engine is a total Custom built 482 BBO with dry sump system and girdle all in one unit! As of right now it’s a 700hp/700Tq engine but plans are to swap the SBO Batten intake with a BBO Batten intake as well as an updated 1050 Dominator carb. Hopefully I can pickup some power. I’ll let the pics do the talking!

 

Very very nice!!!!

 

Wow! Beautiful. Serious Olds ****. As a structural engineer, THAT's what a girdle should look like. 90% of the crap I've seen couldn't even provide emotional support, much less structural support. This is properly designed. Very nice!

 

Original Builder is Matt Lahone out of Michigan. Matt works for Roush and had his own shop at one point. The girdle/ Dry sump unit was hand built out of 7075 aluminum. Everything on this is hand built and is simply incredible! Stage 3 Battens are 375-380cfm. Rods are steel with an OEM 455 steel crank. This was built in the early 2000s for his lightweight 64’ Cutlass and went High 8s. Currently it’s on it way back to Michigan to Delaney’s race engines for tear down and a refresh as well as a few new tricks! I’ll post pics as I get more in from Delaney’s!

 

Thanks Mark!

 

On the stand at Delaney’s in Perry, Michigan awaiting tear down!

 

Did that engine come from the Lansing, Michigan area?

EDIT: I actually read your post now after replying. I saw the pictures and it looked familiar to one that was for sale here locally off and on in years past. After reading it sounds like it is.

Delaney's isn't far from me at all. 20ish minutes.

 

Yes is was for sale a few years back in Lansing area. I’m sure this was the one you are thinking of.

 

WOW! Any updates on this? I missed it completely..... Looks awesome!

Can't wait to see it run!

 

I'm glad to see the "Whale" may swim again. I've been going to the Mondello/Miller Oldsmobile meet at Norwalk for 25 years and your car was at many of them. It was the big "fish" back then. He and his buddy BTR were the heavy hitters. They loved their NOS and changed lots of head gaskets. I recall him putting it in the bean field at the end of the track one year. Hopefully you'll take it to the Miller meet so it relive it's glory days. It is a labor of love. Thanks for the update.

 

Not really much of an update as it’s in line to be freshened at Delaney’s currently. I’ll definitely post again when it’s ready!