H.O. vs. H/O
#3
Just an Olds Guy
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Edmonton, AB. And "I am Can 'eh' jun - eh"
Posts: 24,525
Dang! You got me. First thing I thought of when you put H.O. was a railway gauge scale for small model trains. Now if they were Olds W trains, that would be sweet.
#4
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_V8_engine
421 HO
First offered as an option in 1963, the 421 HO came in a 4bbl (330 HP) and with tripower (370 HP). Pontiac offered this to the public as a streetable version of the 421 SD. The engine came with 9770716 heads, special exhaust manifolds and a special McKellar camshaft.
#7
That would be HO scale for model trains and slot cars.
They have Oldsmobile slot cars, no trains.
Even though after '72 their front ends look like locomotives.
#9
On that wiki site for Pontiac it has 301 HO listed. If any one considers the 301 as a high output engine they would have to be crazy. That term over the years has been used loosely to sell cars and trucks mainly after the muscle car era.
#10
#13
Back when I had my '66 GTO, some schmuck in a Turbo T/A (301) tried to race me, whooped 'im bad, and I only had 3:08's in the back, His girlfriend would no longer acknowledge his manly-ness (or so I'm told)
#17
[quote=442much;153281]
B4 SD
http://www.highperformancepontiac.co...gto/index.html
I would rather have a round port Ram Air IV ...
http://www.sportscarmarket.com/Profi...ruary/American
http://www.highperformancepontiac.co...gto/index.html
I would rather have a round port Ram Air IV ...
http://www.sportscarmarket.com/Profi...ruary/American
#18
mugzilla you are right the ram air IV is a killer moter . so was the ram air II those things in a firebird will fly. The 197 headed h.o 455 were a great moter have very low compretion but still would run with the old high comprection stuff on the streets .
#19
mugzilla looked at your link the 70 h.o 455 was not as good of a moter it was a d port head cast iron intake the 71 was however a round port set up that was goer. didnt rev like the 400s the 67 ho was a pair of 670 heads and were the best flowing pontiac d port head ram air III is very close.
#20
mugzilla looked at your link the 70 h.o 455 was not as good of a moter it was a d port head cast iron intake the 71 was however a round port set up that was goer. didnt rev like the 400s the 67 ho was a pair of 670 heads and were the best flowing pontiac d port head ram air III is very close.
Yes I remember it well ...
I just brought up that link 'cause it mentioned the term H.O....
The '70 was a nice low rev eng ...
Last edited by mugzilla; March 1st, 2010 at 07:58 AM.
#21
Here's a better article showing Poncho choices on '68.
http://musclecars.howstuffworks.com/...rebird-400.htm
Here's an Olds ...
http://classiccars.com/108326.car
Engine Size 425 high output
http://musclecars.howstuffworks.com/...rebird-400.htm
Here's an Olds ...
http://classiccars.com/108326.car
Engine Size 425 high output
#24
Here's an Olds ...
http://classiccars.com/108326.car
Engine Size 425 high output[/quote]
Looks like a Custom to boot! Side trim and buckets.
#25
I have a friend in Chicago that's a guru on Pontiacs, and he's educated me over the years! I used to be "Olds or nothing" guy, but I learned from him that Pontiac was actually first on most everything that I thought Olds was first on! Hemi heads, aluminum rear ends, 3-valve heads, SOHC, DOHC, Pontiac did it all back in the early 1960's.
Anyway, what I learned from him (via many e-mails) was that the 1970 455 H.O. was nothing more than a standard Pontiac 455 with better exhaust manifolds, and really wasn't designed as a high output offering. It was marketed as a cruiser engine. Pontiac didn't have a 455 RAIV ready to go in 1970, so they simply assigned the "H.O." name to their 455 GTO engine.
In 1971-1972, the 455 H.O. was truly a special engine, with an aluminum two-piece intake, round port heads, etc. These engines weren't as special as the 1973-1974 SD-455 engines, but they were very fast, easily on par with the 1971-1972 W-30. The 1973-1974 SD-455 was in a class by itself.
Anyway, what I learned from him (via many e-mails) was that the 1970 455 H.O. was nothing more than a standard Pontiac 455 with better exhaust manifolds, and really wasn't designed as a high output offering. It was marketed as a cruiser engine. Pontiac didn't have a 455 RAIV ready to go in 1970, so they simply assigned the "H.O." name to their 455 GTO engine.
In 1971-1972, the 455 H.O. was truly a special engine, with an aluminum two-piece intake, round port heads, etc. These engines weren't as special as the 1973-1974 SD-455 engines, but they were very fast, easily on par with the 1971-1972 W-30. The 1973-1974 SD-455 was in a class by itself.
#28
Whatif is correct, although I'm not even sure if the 1970 455 HO had the good exhaust manifolds. If memory serves correct, the Pontiac guys aren't even sure; some speculate they may have had them if equipped with Ram Air.
I also would not suggest that the '71-72 455 HO is the equal of the same year's W-30 - I think the HOs were king of the low compression motors aside of the 1971 Corvette LS6.
I also would not suggest that the '71-72 455 HO is the equal of the same year's W-30 - I think the HOs were king of the low compression motors aside of the 1971 Corvette LS6.
#29
I also would not suggest that the '71-72 455 HO is the equal of the same year's W-30 - I think the HOs were king of the low compression motors aside of the 1971 Corvette LS6.[/quote]
With the exception of the LS6, it really boils down to driver skill and tuning.
With the exception of the LS6, it really boils down to driver skill and tuning.
#33
Please, get real, just another bench racer. The quickest RAIII/IV at Purestock is still slower than the quickest W30 there, and slower than he quickest W31. As I have witnessed these races first hand I could claim that therefore All Olds "W" machines are the quickest, but on any day, by any driver, that can change, and to broadly proclaim one over the other is foolish.
#34
You're mistaken about the fastest W-30 there, as they've never held a candle to the RAIVs there.
Then there's the old magazine road tests too.
Unreliable? Sure. But don't call me a bench racer without looking in the mirror yourself.
By the way, I've been to every PS race since '96.
Then there's the old magazine road tests too.
Unreliable? Sure. But don't call me a bench racer without looking in the mirror yourself.
By the way, I've been to every PS race since '96.
#35
#37
You cannot compare a F-boid to an A-body ...
At top levels you have 3 to 4 Goat mills to 1 to 2 olds engines and the wrench turner is the most important factor, next the guy holding the purse strings ...
As for a 400 pontiac head, the c***** guys used to bolt them on so it is a buff high flow masterpiece but common, so common ...
At top levels you have 3 to 4 Goat mills to 1 to 2 olds engines and the wrench turner is the most important factor, next the guy holding the purse strings ...
As for a 400 pontiac head, the c***** guys used to bolt them on so it is a buff high flow masterpiece but common, so common ...
#39
You're mistaken about the fastest W-30 there, as they've never held a candle to the RAIVs there.
Then there's the old magazine road tests too.
Unreliable? Sure. But don't call me a bench racer without looking in the mirror yourself.
By the way, I've been to every PS race since '96.
Then there's the old magazine road tests too.
Unreliable? Sure. But don't call me a bench racer without looking in the mirror yourself.
By the way, I've been to every PS race since '96.