NSolds

I Have A 1972 Cutlass Supreme....i Heard Somewhere That The Engine Should Be Gold But Mine Is Blue....does Anyone Know Anything About This?

redoldsman

The 350 should definitely be gold. The 455 is blue.

71holidaycutty

I could be wrong but I thought the Olds cutty 350 Rocket was painted gold up until about '75 (not sure what year). Olds switched to putting "CHEVY" 350's in there cuttys and those were painted metalic blue. You may have a later production, Oldsmobile, "Chevy 350" in your cutty.

texasred

GM got reamed in 77 for stuffing Ch#vy engines in some (not all) Olds, P*ntiacs and Bu!cks.

Look at this link and tell me what you find on your engine:
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o...s/Block_ID.jpg

C.J.

Eightupman

Perhaps your machine has a 455 in place of a 350?

Jokers69

In the past 35 years just maybe someone painted it? My 350 in my 69 was red when I pulled it out. The reason, the previous owner didn't like gold. That may be too easy of a solution to this mystery, better call Scooby and Shaggy into solve it..

edit: I changed 25 years to 35 years to reflect correct math...

yogi442

C.J. that was actually 78 when the 231 Buick V6, Pontiac 301 and Chevy 305's were used in the Cutlass. 77 still offered 350 and swapped 403 for the 455.
There was a class action suit filed against GM in 78 over the use of non Olds motors. I have a 78 Cutlass with the stock Chevy 305 4bbl. This was the first year of the down size. I also have a 76 Cutlass which is basically a twin to the 77 Cutlass.

texasred

Yogi,

I couldn't remember the exact circumstances, but Google retrieved this article from Time magazine dated May 7, 1977:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/ar...947922,00.html

As I remember, it wasn't that they used the Ch#vy mills, it was that they didn't advertize it as such and even had the "Oldsmobile Rocket" decal on the air cleaner.

Pontiac didn't get nailed on the 77 Tran$ Am 403s because they advertized them as Olds motors.

Of course, cross-platform engines soon became the norm.

C.J.

yogi442

this must have occurred in the larger Olds models. I know that the 77 Cutlass option was 260 olds or 350 olds. Their was no record of chevy motors in the Cutlass those years. I think if I remember correctly that there was a 231 v6 in the Cutlass also in 77. I know in 78 the only real Olds V8 was the 260 in the Cutlass models. Otherwise Buick V6 or Chevy 305 with 2 or 4 bbl option.
I had to think back since the Rocket logo on the engines discontinued after the 76 model year. Though Olds continued to refer to their motors as Rocket motors the labeling on the air cleaner according to what I read some years ago discontinued so 77 model year would not have seen this on the air cleaner. I could be mistaken but being that I have a 76 and have seen 2 77 cutlass, neither of which had the decal on the air cleaner (according to one of the guys, he has had his since new) he told me there was no decal on his.

Eightupman

The 231 buick was in 1975, 1977 was the first of the 305's in the Cutlasses and Chebby 350 was put in the larger cars. 1981 was the introduction of the Olds 307 in Cutlasses.

texasred

Yogi,

I think you're right about the Ch#vy motors in the larger cars.

As to the Rocket logo, that's why I said "As I remember". Of course, I can't remember what I had for breakfast yesterday.

C.J.

texasred

Hey NSOlds...

What numbers were on the block?

C.J.

NSolds

i dont know wich one the casting numbers are...but the block had the following sets of numbers on it: 411990.....5577523B.....246.....and 16....and Y

NSolds

the following numbers were on the block: 411990.........5577523B.......246......16......and the letter Y

Eightupman

5577523B is probably a '77-'80 350, and in those years I am pretty sure it was blue.

John

NSolds

thank you guys for help

yogi442

CJ, not to worry. I am as bad as most. Part of aging but did do some checking and 77 the only motors were the ones I remembered. The Chevy motors were not introduced into the Cutlass models until 78. I had to call a local dealership to confirm. Cutlass in 78 had only 260 V8, Buick V6, Chevy 305 and 350. No Olds motors other than the 260 V8 were available in 78. In 77, the motors in the Cutlass were only Olds motors. The guy told me that the full size Olds did have some Chevy motors. He was digging through some old shop manuals. I was surprised that they had any that old still there. He said that in 1977 the the only motors available were the 260, the Buick 231 V6, and 350. The 403 was introduced that year to replace the 455. He said no Chevy motors or any other GM division motors were used in 77 outside of the Buick V6 in Cutlass in 77. It's nice to see that even getting old, moments of clarity can come about....whew! Oh, 68 thru 74 350's were painted Gold. He stated in 75 all 350's were painted metallic Blue and the Rocket decal was not longer added. I thought or would have sworn in was 76....well my memory is not perfect...lol grow'n old sucks....

Jokers69

thats good info yogi.. thanks. Looks like we didn't need scooby-doo after all.

BlazinBlueEyes04

The original color of an oldsmobile engine is gold blue is for a ford engine my husband has a 72 olds himself and he knows.....

NSolds

any info on horsepower for the 78-80 350's......thats the engine that came with the car but i recently "found" a 72 350 out of a cutlass that i can afford....

texasred

Depends on the year and size of engine. The 455 Olds motors were a kind of metalic blue color. Not a Ford blue to be sure...but blue nonetheless.

C.J.

NSolds

i also have a 1973 455 out of a 98....any info on horsepower for either engine?