altereddoug

I purchased a 1970 cutlass clone 442 car and it has a descent 350 in it. But it is out of a 1974 car. So power is lacking. I am either going to buy a 455 or was toying with the idea of putting a ls1 and tranny into it. By the time I buy a 455 and turbo 400. rebuild it. I would probably have about the same I can can a complete ls1 with the wiring and transmission.... Since it isn't original anyway... any thoughts whether this would be a good idea or not?

Olds64

No, it isn't a good idea. I guarantee you that your stock Olds 350 block has more potential than any Chevy engine. Have you considered building the 350?

69Rman

Uh, oh,
I think I know where this is going....

joe_padavano

Let's just say that the folks on this forum predominantly believe in keeping an Olds engine in your Olds. Note that there's a lot more to swapping an LS into an A-body than just buying the motor. You either need to install some sort of ECU and associated high pressure fuel pump, or you need to convert to a carb, which means buying a standalone ignition controller. You need to get a custom oil pan and may still need to notch the crossmember. You need to adapt the accessories. Etc, etc. Do your homework and collect REAL costs before making this decision.

72 cutlass455

Most of the evils committed against your 350 can be fixed better cam and earlier better flowing heads and a dual or single plane intake manifold will wake it up.

gearheads78

Not taking sides for are against because its his car but statements like that are just ignorant. Have you ever owned an LS powered car let alone a built one? The last mild one I threw together for a whole lot less than my 455 will cost made over 500 HP and was a 10 sec street car. This was a 347 inch motor. Its easy to make over 600 starting with a 6.2 with L92 heads.

I have no problem with someone wanting to keep an Oldsmobile Olds powered as mine will be but some of you need to realise there is a world outside of Oldsmobile.

Olds64

joe_padavano

I have to agree. The LS series provides an incredible amount of HP for the package. The secret is primarily in the heads. I wouldn't put one in my Olds, but you have to respect the performance of that package.

This also begs the question, rather than produce aftermarket aluminum heads that look like stockers, why doesn't someone start casting Olds heads with LS-series ports and chambers?

allyolds68

awhhh...that wasn't a nice thing to say, was it....

TK-65

Agreed.

TK-65

So you are saying a 350 Olds has more potential than a 427, 454, or a 502 Chevy?

t bell

Hmm, that is an interesting take on it. After seeing the Jeff Schwartz Cutlass with a LS motor massaged to 455, I was intrigued. The motor would in no way pass any Olds person as a legit imitation. But I Do like that he atleast tried to appease the Olds crowd. But if it's your car, why are you trying to appease anybody else.

gearheads78

This just came out and with the modern combustion chambers and runner design they have incredible potential. Us Oldsmobiles are just the step childeren. All we get is a aluminum version of a basicly stock head

http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_...npb/pdf/11.pdf

Olds64

IMHO, there is no reason to put a Chevy engine into an Oldsmobile.

When I was in high school my first car was a 1975 Chevy Caprice coupe with a 400 and TH 400. It was a decent car; however, it didn't compare in performance or comfort to the 1976 Olds 98 coupe my dad had at the same time. Of course, the 98 had a 455, but the cars were only one year apart and were very similar cars (personal 2-door luxury cars).

My friend had a 1981 Chevy Camaro with a 350 years ago. It wasn't a very good car, it was a quick car, and had some decent performance parts on it (Edelbrock intake, headers, posi-rear end) but it never ran right and he always had driveability issues. What good is going fast if you can't do it most of the time because your car won't even start?

IMHO, if this guy wants to put a Chevy engine in his car that is fine, it is afterall his car. However, if he does that then he is going to be just like every other Tom, Dick, and Harry that has a "cracker jack" car that you see in the pages of Hot Rod magazine every month.

Ultimately, I think a SBO has "much more potential" than a Chevy engine. Maybe not if measured in HP alone, but if he wants to have a classy car that is fun to drive and not have to deal with modifying the engine mounts, accessory brackets, transmission bell housing, and electrical connection in his engine bay, then IMHO he should keep the SBO.

72 cutlass455

What i was try to say is that engine most likely has the dreaded #8 heads and almost any earlier head would increase the compression ratio. A better cam and earlier heads would take the muzzle off that poor beast. And it would cost less and I think you would be impressed by the difference.

t bell

So there isn't anybody making "new" heads for the Olds crowd? What about Dick Miller, Bulldog or Mondello?

Olds64

I agree.

Edelbrock makes aluminum heads for Oldsmobile engines; however, I've heard they don't flow much better than a decent set of stock heads unless you port them.

gearheads78

Bulldogs are are like the tooth fairy or santaclaus. Lots of people think they are out there but few have seen them. I remember seeing a guy on ROP waiting over a year and still didn't get them. Rocket Racing makes a head but they require special intake and still don't make a bunch more power than a well ported stock head. The previous owner of my ported C heads said he picked up a whopping 2 tenths after spending all that money. BTR is doing some killer stuff with edelbrock heads but he is getting ahold of raw castings and highly modifing them. They make killer power but my whole 455 machine work and all will cost less than he gets for a set.

If someone would make an Olds head with modern port and combustion chamber but still used an Olds intake and bolted up like any stock head they would sell a bunch.

joe_padavano

Of course there are "new" aluminum heads for Oldsmobiles. Go back and re-read my post. The whole point is that these heads are pretty much locked into the existing Olds intake, exhaust, and combustion chamber geometry, with the result that there is only minor improvement to the flow and HP. The LS-series heads are a quantum leap in flow and are the primary reason for the performance of those motors. Applying that port and combustion chamber design to a set of Olds heads would be incredible, as all short blocks are pretty much the same.

Witness the SBC blocks now on the market that let you bolt LS-series heads to an old-style SBC short block - performance is light years better than with the best old-style SBC heads.