Hello to everyone! I was referred here by the Pontiac site, PerformanceYears.com. I am starting a new project and would like some opinions as to where to begin with the motor. Below are some pics of the car, inside it has a 69 Olds 350 motor and T350 auto of unknown origin. The car was driven home last month. The car will be street driven, no track, and probably during the nice months in Northern Indiana. I was planning on having the machine work/inspections done locally, but assembling the motor myself. I don't know what Olds engine combos work best so you'll have to let me know. Thanks for any replies!
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I think it will come down to personal preference, you can put in a 330, 350, 400, 425 or 455 without too much trouble. I like the big blocks, but have known people to make a small block produce lots of power and torque too. I'm not sure what kind of performace you want on the street, so I can't say what you should use. You could do a search of this site for threads where different combos have been used to get some ideas. John

 

X2
Easy&Cheap power...find a BBO core and rebuild that.
SBO are super fun & reliable but will cost you if you want big power.

So if you're starting from scratch...

BTW...Super nice '65!!!!

 

So, will the Olds 350 trans bolt up to a BB Olds, if I can find one? What would be a general cost difference between rebuilding my Olds 350 and a BB Olds buildup? I guess my first thought was to build up the motor that's in it, but now you've got me thinking. BTW, thanks for the compliments, you'd pass out if I told you what we got it for!

 

All BOP pattern transmissions interchange.
There are people who run built up TH350's behind 10's BBO's.
BUT- it's a bit unorthodox.

 

The BBO and SBO are very, very similar, so buildup costs will be comparable. The TH350 will live behind a BBO for a while - at least until you save up to buy a better trans.

 

Ok, my buddy and I will start looking for an Olds block here close. What years(I.E. "good blocks") for what size should we be looking for? I mean, hey, everyone likes a 455, but are they getting unreasonable to find? Would a different size be just as good? Thanks for the help so far!

 

There's a debate here I feel...many opinions.

Here's what you'll be up against(IMHO)
Any year BBO is good. All can be made do do whatever you want.
The 455, 425 & even 400 are all worthy contenders.

With that said...
65-67 425's are a nice choice.
Good heads stock(especially large valve C&B heads)
Great steel cranks.
Can run into a problem with 45/39 degree lifter bores
if you're not careful.

68-76 455's are probably the most popular choice
Earlier engines will probably have better head choices.
If you're leaving the heads stock, try to find:
Large Valve(2.07)- C,CA,D,DA,E,F,G,GA,H,K,Ka
Basically everything but J heads(although with work
they can flow just as good as everything else)

400's...
(I know very little here...I've never owned or worked on one)


There's a debate about earlier blocks having higher nickel
content, noted by a 'F1', F2, F3 etc on the back of the block.
I have no idea.

If you plan on reusing pistons, remember the CR dropped out
in 71(72?) and went down hill from there.

-Others should chime in with there preferences...
Hope this helps

 

Where in Northern Indiana are you?

If you want a 455, we may be able to dig one of those up. They are on Chicago craigslist twice a month.
I have an extra TH350 as well, but you can probably find one for $50-100 bucks closer to your place.

 

Not a far drive from Ft.Wayne,IN. Chicago isn't out of the question, we get over there on buisness every now and then. It seems like that "craigslist" sounds familiar, but what is it exactly?

As for the trans, I think the one that's in it is ok, if I can get it to shift correctly. The carb that's on it now is plumbed half-a$$ed to say it best, and I think that's why it's not shifting right. Even with the Olds 350, it really needs another gear on the highway.

 

Craigslist is a website that you can post things for sale on, free of charge.... like an online garage sale. Then typically, local people email you about what you are selling and come over and pick it up for cash if they want it. It has no association with any auction sites, and it is up to the people to negotiate the deal.

 

I think one of the things here that is being ignored is "what do you really want to do with the car"? If you just want a nice car to cruise in and take to the occassional weekend show, I would say stay with the 350. The 350 is a great engine and one that can be made to perform very nicely. If that is your choice, I would say check out what you have as far as condition. It may not need as much work as you think. With the appropriate cam, intake and a good set of headers, it will do very well. Gears are more important for a 350 than a 455. If you really are after performance, the old saying "there is no subsitute for cubic inches" applies. The 455 is a torque monster. I have a 72 Cutlass convertilble with a numbers matching 350. Although the engine is leaking it is still in good shape with only 85,000 miles. It is time to pull the engine and transmission to repair leaks and detail them. I have actually considered a 455 but think I have finally decided to warm the 350 over and keep it. If a 455 came along at a good price I would probably be all over it.

You have a very nice car. I love that body style. Good luck with it.

 

I did the same. Even though I have a 455, and people think I'm an *** for not building it, I wanted to have something semi-original. Not original to the car per say, but an original machine. A new 455 build on a street car seemed like a waste of good potential to me.

If it can do 9's then make it do 9's Why keep the bird in the cage? I do not need to do wheelstands on the way to work in the morning however.

 

I think we(Myself and "palmers65) want a car that we can eventually take to some cruise-ins and also take the family out for a Sunday drive. "palmers65" actually owns the title, I just help with tracking down information and by providing mechanical knowledge. I'm sure if he would get on the computer more(hint-hint), he'd post more pictures of the work that needs to be done.

The 350 Olds that's in the car runs well. Supposedly it was removed from a 69-70 "W" car, but we haven't been able to verify this. Athough I think the cam is flat, rings are bad, and valve springs are weak, it drives wonderfully. Over this weekend, I have virtually re-wired the engine bay to fix previous chop jobs. It could be a good motor, like you said. We are definitely leaning toward finding a BB Olds, c.i. not being a factor. Is there a certain BB that is easier, or cheaper for that matter, to find buildable parts for? The car will have headers, carburetor, automatic transmission, and fully equipped interior. We also want to convert the open rearend with different gearing and a clutch type posi.

The driveability of the car is very important. We don't want this car to stumble at stop signs, or overheat during the cruises. A variety of town and country, kinda like a pro-touring setup. I hope this helps, and that "palmers65" will chime in to give his .