I'm looking at buying a 1972 98 4 door hardtop from the son of a lady who passed away 6 yrs ago. They were running the car up until about 2 yrs ago. It is a 455 with 138,000 miles on it. I thought about buying it for my 56 Olds and using the engine and trans. Would this be a hard swap? It runs but I'm sure it all needs rebuilt. What was the horsepower on this engine? I was considering just a sweet cam and a stock overhaul. What is a fair price to pay for this car? If I paid $600.00 is that too much? I offered him $500.00 and he wanted closer to $1000.00. I told him I might go $800.00 but need to think about it. What I do like is it is all there. I don't know how hard it is to find complete 455's. I have no clue what it is worth, or what would be a fair price to pay as I have not bought much Olds stuff. Please give me your opinions guys. I'd rather have an early year engine but how much pollution garbage is this engine going to have on it? Body is clean but I'd part the body parts. Is a 72 Olds 455 ok engine to rebuild? Also has the quarter skirts. Thanks for any advice guys. Lyle

 

'72 455 probably had C heads and not much anti-pollution stuff on it. If you rebuild it to put into a '56 you could leave most of whatever was on it off anyway. You probably paid a fair price for it considering it is the whole car. You can keep the transmission as well as the engine and swap both into your '56 and part out the rest. Not a huge market for the big cars, not compared to the market for the Cutlass and 442s but you could still recoup some of that $600 anyway. There is a thread that talks about putting a 350 into a '55 I think. Search it out and you will see what is involved. It is very do-able. Congratulations on your acquisition.

 

I would say $600-$800 for a 455 and TH400 is worth it. I paid $300 for my engine and transmission and it didn't come with a car.

 

thanks guys for the responses. I just want to clarify that at this point I have not committed to buying this car yet. I offered him over the phone $800.00 but told him I need to consider wanting to pay that much. He said he would accept $800.00 if I wanted to pay that much. I think whats happening here is he knows its a 455 but mostly its a sentimental value thing here I'm dealing with cause it was his mothers car. The rest of the car ain't much to me. My intent was using the 455 and trans and bolting it all in my 56 olds. I just don't know how hard it is to find a complete and unmolested 455 (138.000 miles) that hasn't been hammered on and what is a fair price to pay this guy. I'm not trying to rip it from him but I don't want to payto much either. Taske into consideration that I'm sure it will need an overhaul. Are the 455 Olds engines getting harder to find, or no? I figured I may even use the radiator, brackets, etc. I figured since this one is still together and all complete it will save me in the long run. Whats a fair price to pay guys???? Any advice is appreciated. I haven't messed much in the Olds car market Thanks

 

Maybe I missed something in an earlier post, but a stock 72 motor would have come with Ga heads and small valves.

 

Ga heads are better than J heads. My 73 Olds 455 came with J heads. Good thing I was able to find a set of C heads for it. Then again, if you aren't racing at the track it probably isn't going to make too much of a difference.

When you consider buying the car don't forget that you are going to have to do something with the car once you take out the engine and transmission. Actually, when I was in the market for a 455 I DIDN'T buy a 72 98 4 door hardtop for $800 because I thought I should wait for an engine and transmission alone. I asked the guy if he would part with the engine and tranny. He said, "Sure, you can have the engine and transmission for $800!" The same price it would cost to buy the entire car! Oh well! I waited and I saved $500.

 

455s are still a dime a dozen out here.
Complete motors go for $300-$400 I'd say.

 

Over the last couple of years, I've paid $50-$100 for short blocks and $150 - $200 for complete but non-running engines. I've been stockpiling 455 blocks for the last few years, since the last new ones were cast in 1976.

 

Ok guys as far as getting rid of the body after I would pull the engine is no problem. I own a body shop and know lots of wrecking yard owners. I've got lots of ground to let it sit alos too if I decide to. Anyway, after talking to a wrecking yard owner he has a newer cutlass someone put a rebuilt 455 in and next week he'll fire it up once the 30 days are past so he legally owns it. He says its a real rebuilt as he can visually see new gaskets and said the heads were painted seperately. He said he will check it out next week. He wants $500.00 and I'm sure I'd get the whole car with the tranny. So, for now i'll wait and see what he has there. I appreciate all the help. BTW, he said the same thing about 455's, he said the same thing about "a dime a dozen"

 

Go with a 394 which is a DIRECT bolt in to your '56. Putting a 455 into your '56 requires custom engine mounts, custom transmission mount, custom radiator, custom driveshaft, etc, etc. Take it from someone who has done this swap. That swap easily added about $1,000 to my '57 with a 425.

 

I have a '72 Olds 98 (A Cotner-Bevington Hearse to be exact) and am always looking for a complete parts car.

 

$800.00 is a fair price for the whole car. It will be complete with all the little stuff you may need. You can then post the rest on here and sell what you can off it. Then take it to the scrap yard. Scrap is high right now. Or find a derby clown to buy the rest. Either way you`ll recoup alot of your money. I hate to see these cars get wasted but there really is`nt much of a market for them.