71 Cutlass

Last time I attempt this, then I'm giving up b/c it is too complicated for some to understand. The reason this whole post was pointless is this: it served no point other than for someone to say, " I'm not helping certain people with their car." That's it..there was nothing else new in the original post that no one had ever known about before other than those words.

PetChemMan

My 1979 Olds 88 came from the factory with a 301 c.i. ( 4.9 L) Pontiac engine .
Coming from the " corporate car" days, I would guess that quite a few more components are shared with other GM brands. My dad bought the car new, and I keep it tagged and running mostly because it was his last car. Still , it's been a very good car . There's nothing exciting about it, but it's comfortable, roomy, quiet, and has been the most reliable and trouble free car I've ever owned. So corporate car or not, I can't complain.

wolfman98

CLASSIC OLDSMOBILE.COM

aliensatemybuick

What an ill-considered new sig. line. Neverminding being a contradictory / self-referential statement, it also rules out A LOT of cars, including a few I've owned, like my 1998 Intrigue (daily driver) and my old 1990 88 Royale Coupe, not to mention one of my fav. "modern" Oldsmobiles, a 1988-1990 Olds Touring Sedan (all powered by corporate 3800 engines). And a ton of other cars built from the 60s (odd-fire Buick V6 and Chevy staight 6 equipped Cutlii) right on through to the end. I'd eventually like to pick up a Final 500 2004 Bravada myself, very much an Olds in my book.

Aceshigh

I beg to differ on the ending of your point, but agree with the intro completely.
Gobs of easy power, very inexpensively = True
Everyone has one = False.

How many Oldsmobiles have you seen with LSX motors in them ???
They are even MORE rare then the rarest Olds ever produced.

I dont' think the thread is pointless, I'm amused by it. It shows the old purists mentality vs the newer mentality.
BTW most LS motors are all aluminum btw. Unless they are the truck variations with the Iron blocks.

I had to double check and see if you quoted me somewhere.
Nice to see others are seeing the power / cost potential.

L92 heads flow 300-320cfm out of the box. More then any BBO head ever did.....and they're small blocks
http://www.gmhightechperformance.com...ugh/index.html

I did give a fair shake at researching potential OLDS options for more power. I really did.
Every avenue I checked led me to obnoxiously priced end results for what I wanted.
So this is where the classic olds purist decides to spend it, OR stay with the classic stock low power engine.
and the mod junkies like myself go bigger and modern for less.

There is no WRONG way.
In the end, everyone has their own money to invest in their vehicles how they see fit to make themselves happy.
I myself would never spend $80,000+ doing a frame off restoration to a non-rare vehicle, whereas I've seen others do it.
If it makes YOU happy......do it. It's your money in the end. It's the you like blondes, I like brunettes deal.

For now, my 70 is Olds powered with a 70 Rocket 350. This winter I'll clean and paint it.
Maybe next year it will be sold for another LSX.....we'll see.

Aceshigh

That is most definitely going to be happening. I can assure you.
That new 5.0L is pretty badass.
Like this??
http://www.crateenginesbygm.com/specialbutton.html

gearhead1218

Just like that, except get rid of those Chevy valve covers.

PetChemMan

The discussion over whether an Olds should have a Chevy engine is not so easy to answer. Philosophically, how long is an Olds still an Olds if it's been hot rodded and/or restored with lots of aftermarket parts ? Starting with the engine, you could overbore the block, use aftermarket pistons, rods, and maybe even a crank. Then you might buy aftermarket cylinder heads, and an aftermarket cam and valvetrain, and an aftermarket distributor, and an aftermarket intake manifold and carburetor, water pump, etc. At that point, how much of your Olds engine is really Olds ? Not much. Then there's the rest of the car. Repaint it, perhaps a non-factory color. Install new tires, wheels, and a complete aftermarket interior. Add an aftermarket exhaust system, shocks, suspension parts, etc. At that point, nearly everything you see or can touch is a reproduction, and not genuine Olds. Add to that the fact that the new car, from the factory, was built partially from parts supplied by dozens of independent manufacturers not related to Olds or even GM. ( Yes, some components were supplied by Olds itself, and some from GM plants.) The body type and chassis platform and transmissions have been shared among GM divisions for decades.
So, an Olds ( or Chevy, Buick, etc.) is a compilation of parts to begin with, and gets more so during a restoration or a hot rodding. I mean no criticism here, but I'm only pointing out that an Olds is " all Olds" only in our minds.
So, perhaps some compromise in the origins of the engine may be acceptable, especially if that engine type was also factory installed.
Having said all of that, however, I do firmly believe that Oldsmobile, throughout most of its history, managed to distinguish itself from competing brands inside and outside of GM by putting together some very outstanding cars . That's why, of course, we are Olds fans.

sklbndt

It will only fit in the convertible.....put the top down and drop it right in there.

nonhog

But the headers won't fit a Supreme !

bammax

Technically I'm driving an Old's powered Fisher. That's what the plate says when I open the doors anyway

hialeah56

So I wanted to ask how hard would it be to put a chevy engine in my 56?





























na J/K I already have the mounts and the chevy engine ready to go in
I guess I have a chevy powered fisher like the above post said

Oldsguy

I just finished off a complete cup of coffee reading the last two pages of this thread, getting caught up. Honestly, I don't see much use in continuing this but don't want to close it either. We are beating a dead horse here guys really..........

Why not let it die? Nobody is going to change their mind about it.

PalmSpringsOlds

Personally, I love the totally stock cars, and the all-Oldsmobile street rods, and modified cars. However, when I see an Olds with a Chevy engine, it is a little disappointing, but I have to THINK: at least this car is is still on the road; it didn't get scrapped, it isn't rotting in someone's yard, and it CAN ALWAYS BE CONVERTED BACK.

No harm done. We're all here because we love Oldsmobiles, just try to appreciate what each person is bringing to the hobby, even if you aren't happy with the aesthetics of another owner's car, as well as their philosophy of the hobby...

Matt

Aceshigh

Because it's drawn the most interest.....
How many multiple page discussions are there in this section ?? 1.
It's the most active thread in this section in ages.

Is there a post limit in threads we need to be aware of now?? LOL
If it's not going sour, why close it ?? Let it run it's course IMO.

I'm sure there's MORE members who will eventually chime in their thoughts be it today or 6 months from now.

OH.....BTW, just noticed the new site banner, totally diggin it. Needs a 69 H/O though IMO.

hialeah56

Exactly how I fell about it. My car was headed for the junk yard it was one of two parts cars for a convertible project. So who is to say what I can and can't to to it. BTW the other one was sent to the crusher RIP 56 ht
here some pics of both my was the black one, you could see the convertible covered behind mine.


and this is how it looks now still a project not done

btw if anybody complaining wants to pay for a new rebuilt 324 for me I'll be happy to trow one back in

hialeah56

btw I love the new site banner as well

bammax

My project is at standstill until I find more time and money. So for me this thread is a nice way to talk about cars and history (along with a few random pictures) without feeling like I'm not getting anything accomplished. Reading through other threads are frustrating right now because I don't have the resources to pull off what others are accomplishing and I'm not interested in reading about the correct way to orient a wire in a 56 Olds since I've never had one.

Plus what other thread will have pics of the old school looking LS engine, 2 56's used to make one awesome one, and any other cool pics that show up along the way

Frankenstien

Well seeing as I was one of those guys that swapped out the Olds motor for a Chevy motor in my 84 Cutlass, I can understand where they are coming from. It was not as difficult as one might think. As time moves on though, I much prefer the original motor, or at least from the same manufacturer in my cars. Some do it for the ease of finding parts, others because they are not true Olds fans. The only reason I did it was because of my budget, parts availability, and technical expertise. This is definitely Chevy Country around here so it was not looked down upon.

Higgins

Seeing all the beautiful rear wheel drive Oldsmobiles with 22's on the them makes me GAG. I wish they would stick with doing that to Chevy's & leave the Olds alone.

citcapp

All about personal taste. I installed a built 455 in my 57 Olds. Friends tried to convince me to put a small block corvette motor (too small would look weird in the large engine bay. Big block Chev. (too big would look weird. Big block Olds kind of like the Goldilocks story, just right Added disk brakes as well. To me it was all about getting in the big old 57 and driving it anywhere in the country and not worrying about finding parts if it broke down. Mine is a driver never been on a trailer and as far as I am concerned never will. My 48 Olds has a 455 for just the same reason.

Oldsguy

I don't think I could do that, never really considered it. I just want everyone to be nice.

1966_F85

Wow, must say, you can tell who is old and who is young on this site, with this thread. It is a good read. Honestly, I am in agreement with some others, if placing a chebby in it saves it from crusher, go for it.

Most people (outside of the gearhead comm.) when they see the older cars, they are not concerned with the power plant, but with how neat or cool the car looks and an Olds just has that something that the other divisions kind of over looked, (hard to explain) but that performance with class kind of look.

At the last few car shows I have been too, hardly anyone asked to look under the hood, but everyone wanted to know the year, look at the inside, smile at it and take some pictures of it. Makes ya fell good especially when you have a chromed the hell out Chevelle with a 454 next to ya, that people are walking right past to see the Olds.

Love my Olds, will not give her away, but if there ever comes the day when I can't find an Olds power plant for it, I don't think I would even think twice about putting a Chevy in it. At least she will still be on the road.

joe_padavano

I'll just add one more comment for consideration. Back in the 1980s, the first time musclecar values took off, there was a company called American Supercars. Their business model was to completely rebuild GM musclecars and sell them for high dollars to non-motorheads. The problem was that as part of their rebuild, they trashed the original motors and replaced them all with crate 350 Chebbies. There was even a lengthy article at the time in Car and Driver about a 66 or 67 442 that they had built.

Unfortunately, it's the ENGINE that makes a musclecar.

It didn't take long for them to go out of business.

rocketraider

Young or old has nothing to do with it. I'm 53 now; I've been this way since I was in my teens. It has to do with having a little respect and pride in your chosen make of car. If things like that don't matter to you then by all means stuff whatever engine you want in it. Just don't expect (or worse, demand) people like me (and there are many of us) to like it or embrace it.

A car, especially a musclecar, deserves the engine its manufacturer made for it, whether it is Oldsmobile, Mopar, Ford, or even Chevy. I ain't crazy about stuffing a non-Chevrolet engine in a Chevy either. Someone on ROP showed us an Olds-powered 2nd gen Camaro, and though the job was clean, it just did not look right under that hood.

About the only exception I'll make is in an oldschool hotrod, and even then I don't want to see a 350 Chevy crate in it. A 265, 283 or 327 Chevy mill is interesting. A Chevy/GM crate 350 is the most boring engine on the planet, I don't care what kind of power figures it makes, it is BORING. Ubiquitous. Bellybutton. And that other thing everyone has. And proves to me the car builder has absolutely no imagination. A hotrodded four-cylinder is infinitely more interesting than a tricked-out ZZ4 or whatever GM is calling its crate engines now.

Frankenstien

That is exactly what my 1984 Olds Cutlass said inside the door. Kind of funny really.

Aceshigh

You're in the minority there.
I can assure u of that one. Just look at the aftermarket support.

BTW here's another Delta 88 getting an LS implant.
http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/conver...ble-e-rod.html

Age most definitely plays a factor in perception.
I can assure you we don't shop at the same clothing stores.

How many WWII veterans if alive today would consider driving a Japanese car??? Not many.
Why?? Because of their perception of Japan and the war they fought. My Great Grandfather abhor'd Japanese cars.

Whereas most 19 year olds today PREFER a Japanese car because TODAY that generation is
mostly into the Fast and Furious style of vehicle, but others because of Honda's widespread perception of reliability.

The point is, the perception of Japanese vehicles is HUGELY different between ages here.
Same as it is in our topic of discussion.

Why does your age differ in perception then mine being nearly 20 years younger??
You grew up in the ORIGINAL Muscle Car era when Oldsmobile was a class leader before Corporate GM changed that.
I grew up after Corporate GM already took over, and the muscle car was killed by the 70's oil crisis and emissions.

So your perception is what you grew up with and you adhere to that.
Mine varies because the coveted muscle car era.....has been reborn with ABUNDANT modern options that are cheaper and stronger.

Does it mean all older guys think like you??? Absolutely not.
Does it mean all younger guys think like me?? Absolutely not.
You're a purist, I'm a Pro-touring G machine type. Purists ridicule anything NOT original.
G-Machine guys ridicule Purists for being stock. LOL Opinions are subjective, and no one is right or wrong.

But I guarantee age does affect perception because of history and experiences.
Exactly my point of view as well.

Here's more pics for the purists to cringe at.
Magnacharged 6.0L LS in a 71 Cutlass http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sHXGDJ2u-o

Bluevista

Boy.. what a scary pic.
Trying a little too hard dude aren't you??.

Us "old" guys do know that when you're banging yours head into a brick wall and isn't doing any good that you stop.

Aceshigh

This is called debating.
I'm entertaining myself while on 3rd shift 11 hours a night.

huh?

wolfman98

Hmmm I would have never guessed that there was more than 50% of vehicles out there 30 years old + that had motors from other manufacturers in them. Or at least high horse chevy motors???

Aceshigh

Who said that ??

BlackGold

Aceshigh,
That last missive of yours is one of the best posts I've seen in a while -- very well stated! However, you lost me when you said
See, I know for a fact that I am right and everyone else is wrong.

Despite Rocketraider being an angry old fart , I agree with him and dislike intensely any non-Olds engine in an Olds. However, it's worth pointing out that, despite the fact that Oldsmobile was spawned out of a little company called Olds Motor Works which only built engines, Oldsmobile used non-Olds engines in their cars for many of the early years.

jaunty75

As well as in its later years.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/ar...947922,00.html

Frankenstien

If by later years you mean 1977, I guess you would be right. The question is though, How many people actually exchanged there cars?

bammax

You can go later than '77 with the Olds cars using Chevy v8's. Would you like the tbi 305 or the tbi 350 sir? If they held out a couple more years they would have gotten the LT1's. Then Olds would have been available with the first 2 generations of Chevy smallblocks



I won't mention all the Olds cars and trucks that got Buick or Chevy v6's over the years. I guess all of them did by the end

joe_padavano

But probably not here. I for one am really tired of the monthly SBC buildup article in EVERY SINGLE car magazine around. Geeze, how many ways can you built one of these things? The reality is that 1) there are orders of magnitude more Chevy cars and trucks built than Oldsmobiles, so OF COURSE the aftermarket is heavy in parts for those. Something about supply and demand. 2) because the aftermarket primarily builds Chevy parts, the car magazines (that rely on aftermarket manufacturers for advertising revenue) feature Chevy engine builds using the selected advertiser's part du jour. 3) the vast majority of kunckleheads read these articles, can't (or won't) think for themselves, and just hit everything with the SBC sledgehammer.

Look, I think that 77-79 Trans Ams should have Pontiac 455s, not Olds 403s, and definitely not bellybutton Chebby motors. It really is BOOORING to walk through a car show or cruise night and only see Chebby motors in everything.

Heck, I took my 62 wagon to a local cruise last Friday night. Four Vipers, the requisite Camaros and SBC-powered street rods, and (thankfully) a bunch of 1960s Mopars. I hadn't even pulled into a parking spot before there were half a dozen people around my car. Several folks made the comment that it was the coolest car there (patina and all). Many were not aware of the aluminum motor or Corvair relationship. One older guy told me the story of how his parents owned one and he took his driver's license test in that car. He also heard the Beatles for the first time on the radio in that car in 1964. Now THAT's cool.

wolfman98

U are correct , one thing u said was that 90% of the population would not care about a chev motor going in an olds.???
Well i would think that more like 99.99% of the 6.5 billion people in the world dont really care. If you are talking about those who might happen to own classic olds maybe not quite that high??
Me ,I only care about my car and you yours right? If I want to go ahead and put a mopar motor in a classic 67 vette then thats my buisness , and if you cringe over that then you got a right to. But i can say that a 98 like mine is more valuable with a 455 rather than a 454 for example. Now if someone wants to build a cutlass to race then find whatever motor you want cause it is not going to be driven with care anyway. It really does depend on what you want to do with it.
And if i wanted a car for speed and agility then I would get a porsche or something better.

joe_padavano

99% of the people don't even know if their car is FWD or RWD, so I'm not sure that's a meaningful statistic.

wolfman98

When he said 90% of the population I was hoping he narrowed it down to what population. So I just went with the planet

NorTown Olds

RIGHT ON Wolfman, Right On! You'll never see THIS Newbie doing that to any Oldsmobiles! : >