Hey guys, just recently acquired a 1980 Oldsmobile 98 Regency 2 door and personally know nothing about oldsmobile vehicles. The car came with a original 350/350 combo and me and my father estimate the engine to have around 50k miles. We got the car for free and my dad does not want to waste a perfectly good engine. Basically what im wondering is what to look out for and any helpful insight anyone might have. We plan on putting the engine in a 86’ camaro just to be different. looking for maybe 400hp or dipping close to it. I've heard some people say to properly build them you have to spend a lot of money which just seems untrue. I just recently turned 19 and want a fun street car, nothing over the top. Don’t really care about daily drive ability. Thanks

 

it will cost you a fair amount to build 400hp out of your combo. You're talking machine work to the block, new quality internals to include pistons, cam, externals to include intake, carburetion, exhaust, etc., full rebuild to the heads and a full trans build capable of backing that newfound hp. You might also need to upgrade your rear differential to handle that additional power.

To do it 'right' you're in for 5 figures starting from scratch. Look on this board in the Parts For Sale section to see if anyone is selling a previously built drivetrain that might meet your interests, that could be your best bet to save $$ towards your goals.

 

Ahh, I see. Thank you for responding. We were most likely looking at building it all ourselves, besides the head work. What machine work would I looking at for the block? Just trying to learn everything I can before starting the build process.

 

Get it running and driving, sell it and get a Chevy crate engine for your Camaro.

 

^°^ Good advice ^^^

 

Car is just a straight body and low mile 350/350. Interior is stripped fully and only the steering column remains. Thats kind of why we want to go with building this 350. + It was free. Just wanna be a little different then everyone else, because me and my dad aren't really trying to race or anything like that.

 

A 1980 350 Olds block has windowed main bearing webs, 1976 and earlier had solid main webbing. A windowed main isn't the best choice for a performance 350 Olds but you already have that block. There are CO members that are Olds performance engine builders, they will hopefully chime in about the HP limits of a windowed main block and the co$t to get in the ballpark of your HP goal.

 

Sometimes just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Get a Chevy small block and put it into your Camaro.

 

Yea I guess that is true. We have another option, a chevy 305 from the 70s. Just kinda thought more displacement, little more power.

 

Had a windowed 79 Hurst Olds 350R motor block rebuilt back in 2005 to about 250 hp. IMHO, that's about it for that era engine block. I agree with looking to at least 76 or earlier for more muscle.

 

You could put that whole car for sale here on Classic Olds in the for sale section. Someone may be looking for body-trim-etc, and of course that eng/trans has value especially if you could get to run good. Good luck ! I am impressed with a young man like you who wants to learn and work on old cars. That is great and the experience will help you a lot over the years with house, lawn mower, car, repairs, etc. But,,, I would get a chevy eng for your Camaro also. Keep us posted and welcome to the site.

 

With that low of miles, tear it down and see what shape everything is in. If It is truly that low of miles, you could use standard bore Speedpro or DSS pistons with Molnar rods, a roller cam and RPM intake with either Procomp heads milled a bunch or smaller 68cc chamber Edelbrock RPM heads, supposedly releasing next month and hit 400 HP witb full length headers and dual exhaust. Unfortunately the block is questionable, especially if you plan to rev way high. The crank is also grey iron and weak but may survive with an automatic. The heads don't flow well and are crack prone and would need hours of porting. You wonder why it is called the Malaise era. Pretty much all the late 70's motors, not just from Olds were lightened for fuel economy reasons. Don't build a sbc 305 either, get a 350 if you really want to 400 HP.

 

A lot of damage has been done and money spent just because we had free things lying around and felt obliged to use them. Don't ask me how I know this.

 

Thank you for the warm welcome. We have a 305 which a lot of people talk bad about them, but it was also “free” (exchanged for a headliner). But after some research on them, ive seen that they can be pretty stout little sbc. Wonder what your thoughts would be on that? Thanks

 

Easier than Olds to build (if that's the direction you're going) and should be a drop-in for an '86 Camaro as that's what most of them came with. I've had several, and aside from a tendency to puff a little through the guides, no issues.

 

You could probably walk out your front door and trip over any number of Chevy 350's being sold locally. It's admirable that you want to be different with the Olds engine but consider selling off all the stuff you currently have and just invest in a 'buildable' Chevy. I wouldn't consider the 305 a great platform regardless of what you read on the internet.
Alternatively, what makes you think you need 400hp? If the Olds engine is running, drop it in the Camaro and have some fun. Roadkill that SOB and it'll surely put a smile on your face.

 

Yea ive heard differing opinions on the 305. Mainly the small bore size. You are right though even if the camaro got running with any engine i would be happy. There are is a huge selection of 350s in my area (east texas) for reasonably cheap, was just looking to be that red headed step child is how id put it lol. + My dad always taught me to use whats given to me and these engines basically dropped right in our hands.

 

The 305 is a bad a choice as that 350 Olds. Sell both and use the money to buy a 350 Chevy. That year Olds has a lightweight casting head that flows poorly, and are known for warping easily and blowing head gaskets. The Chevy 305 block castings are small bore thin wall castings not designed to make any kind of power. Youd be miles ahead buying a GM Crate motor in the 350-383 size

 

You definitely are not wrong, but from my research ive seen these 305s pretty easily be 13 second cars and 5.5-6 second 0-60. Which is plenty fast for me.

 

I have never seen a more suitable candidate for an LS swap than an 86 Camaro.

 

Yea that is true, the cars got the crappy 2.8 V6 in it right now. That thing ran like hell tho for only making what? 110 wheel hp lol

 

Kind of getting that the OP doesn't really want to spend LS swap money, and why would he when you can get plenty of power out of a regular old-fashioned SBC?

 

Only on classicoldsmobile would a guy be talked out of building and Olds motor project with his father…you guys should be ashamed of yourselves.

he clearly said him and his father want to try something different and work with what they have. GM out the Olds small block in F body Trans Ams for the factory in the earlier generation…his engine cradle is not much different…it’s not that difficult.

don’t talk him out of it..the 400hp may be a lofty goal but it’s not out of the question

 

Not really feeling ashamed but I catch your point also.

 

ya you should be ashamed,, or at least be embarrassed about saying he should sell the Olds or part it out and keep the Camaro Chevy

 

Not sure exactly what it is -- tension over the upcoming election? -- but lately a high percentage of CO threads seem to devolve into trainwrecks. Many of them seem to have one thing in common .

Nobody who contributed to this thread should be ashamed. I'm not and here's why: I got the impression that OP isn't exactly rolling in dough, so I merely recommended the quickest, cheapest and simplest way to get him rolling in a car he can enjoy, by building an engine he has on hand and swapping it into the car he has on hand. Nice as it would be to build the Olds, it would be more expensive, and adapting it to an '80s F-body would likely involve some painstaking fabrication. While the 305 may not be the perfect choice performance-wise, it can certainly be built to run respectably and would be pretty much a bolt-in for OP's Camaro.

I see too many projects that end up languishing under tarps in the back yard for years on end because car owners with more ambition than experience bite off more than they can chew. I want OP to have a running, functioning car he can have fun in sooner rather than later. I saw a path to that end and recommended it, is all.

 

No shame here. I've done things that he's proposing. I'm just trying to get him the best bang for his buck. Gen 1 small blocks are slow and not worth the money. Same goes for Olds. S L O W. I've owned enough to know. An LS out of a boneyard will still have the factory swirling in the cylinders. I don't care what mileage it has. They're cheap too. Just as cheap as a complete Gen 1.

 

I like your plan. Yank the drivetrain from the olds, along with the frame pads. sell/trade the carcass to a demo guy. Reseal the 350 and swap the intake for a cheapo edelbrock, curve the distributor and tune the q-jet. The v6 camaro will have 3.42s, so thats a plus. Toss the 2.8 in the dumpster and start swapping. Get that smog 350 figured out as your mock up. Beat it to death and then find a proper SBO to swap in its place. You'll have fun.

 

You've hit the nail on the head. It's all about having fun. I'm missing the forest for the trees.

 

Exactly. I kind of get that's what he's looking for, it's just a matter of determining the right approach.