I recently purchased a 1987 cutlass 442 with t-tops in pretty good shape. My son and I are going to turn it into a fun hot rod to drive on Friday nights, weekends and maybe a car show every now and then. It has a 307 in it now and we want more horse power under the hood. It has a like new (20,000 mi.) TR200 street strip transmission with a stall torque converter installed. Will be converting the rear end to a Posi keeping the 373 gear ratio. I hope I can just buy a posi carrier and put it in the existing 8.5 in. housing. What motor do you guys recommend. We are considering a turn the key crate motor from someone. But with so many choices I don't know where to start. Small block is what where thinking but who's? I was thinking stay Oldsmobile but is that the best thing to do?

 

a 350 oldsmobile engine will fall right into place.

 

can it be any year 350 or only certain years.Any recomendations on who to get one from?

 

post a wanted add here with the area you are from and someone from your area will have one. you may need to rebuild it or you may even find a good running one. any year Oldsmobile 350, 307, 403, 330 will fit in the same place as that 307 will. just use all the accessories, motor mounts and parts from the 307. you would want to use a non computerized carb and distributor on the other engines. i have some 350 engines in brazil indiana if you are near me.

 

A posi carrier will be a bolt in replacment and capable of reusing the same 3.73 gears.
My personal preference would be to keep the engine all Oldsmobile. Nothing turns me off more at a cruise in or car show,than to find a chevy engine under the hood of an Olds or visa-versa.

 

I have told my son the same thing Keep it all Oldsmobile is my choice. I live in Channahon IL near Joliet IL. I will Google Brazil Indiana to see where it is. Does any of the 350's you have been rebuilt with any performance extras?

 

all of them are stock. i would consider them to need rebuilt. i have two that will start and run but i have never driven them to know what they would need if anything. i am around 3 hours south of you. you should be able to find several in Chicago area. i would consider selling the engine out of my Rallye 350 but i would need more than it was worth. it is a miled build.

 

If its going to be a weekend cruiser, and you are going to keep it olds... then just jump in and get/build a 455.

If you have no interest in building the motor (don't feel bad, most people don't) then find a reputable builder(don't worry if they aren't local, its only about $500 to ship an engine) and have them build you something decent. Have it dyno tested & broke in before they ship it, so its truly a turn key operation once you install it.

Even a mild 400hp 455 is going to make that 307 feel like you were driving a geo metro, and should not break the bank, because you won't need fancy heads & gadgets and gizmos to reach that power level.

 

Not something I would do but if that engine is coming out and your stuck on turning it into a hot rod, put a 455 in it. My choice is keeping it stock but if you are hellbent go with the big one. At least keep it stock appearing.

 

I'm on the east side of Channahon, and a friend has a '69 350 - at least he did the last I taked to him. He's in Manhattan, and a little flooded right now, but I'll find out. Has the T-350 trans, too!

 

if you go with the 350 engine i would keep the 2004R transmission that is in the car. it will hold up and have overdrive. you could have the 2004R built to handle more than the stock 350 engine also.

 

My suggestion is to always keep it original and make it a real nice cruiser but if I ever decided to swap motors go big or go home - 455 all the way.

 

Oh yea go 455!!

 

don't you have to run a hood scoop on a G body for a 455 to clear? Toronado intake maybe?

 

No You can keep the same hood.

 

x-2

 

I'm not real sure, but is there headers made for the 455 in the "G" body cars.
You might give a 403 Olds a look, it will bolt right in and I believe there is headers for this combo.


Gene

 

Good question about the headers with a 455 in a G-body. Does anyone know the answer? and yes we are definitely getting rid of the 307 its way to slow for us. We went to and engine builder shop tonight and they said go 455 also. Same amount of money for machine work on both but no need for special heads with the 455 and have a lot more HP when done, so actually less money overall for more HP. when done. What else will need to be done if we went with the 455. Will the 2004R trans work and bolt up? And the guy in Channahon Rickman 48 I would like to talk to you

 

I'm the voice of opposition on here.

I'm going to tell you that a 5.3L modern fuel injected GM engine out of a salvaged truck is (<$1000)
going to be the biggest bang for your buck. If you want to spend more, get an LY6 6.0L with
the GM L92 heads that flow 330cfm stock. Then there's the lower costing LS1's now.

ESPECIALLY with gas prices continuing to rise, and the fact that you're starting from scratch.
Unless you have a hangup for nostalgia, I'd go modern fuel injected with an OD trans.

Again, just depends on what you want.
I already have an LS1/4L60e in my other classic.

 

Check your E-Mail - Cell # is there!!
My address is simular.

 

A built 350 / mild built 403 will be the best bang for the buck. Headers are no problem for a 455 but will cost a good bit more than SBO headers.

 

why do you say go 403 is the best bang for my buck?

 

The 403 is the only Olds engine with 'thin-wall' castings and 'windowed' main webs, in an attempt to save weight.
Over about 425 HP has a tendancy to crack the block, internally.

 

Because externally you are the same as a 307 / 350 but you get 400 cubes. Not the best choice for big power but great motor for a mild street cruiser

 

If I were you and I was going to pull the "9" 307 out of a 442, I would drop in another SBO.'

You could go with a 455 big block, but sticking with a 330, 350, or a 403 and paint it flat black, it will look like the orginal engine and only an Olds guy could tell the difference between a 307 and other small block cousins, since all the SBO are the same externally

I suggest this because a 442 isn't just another Cutlass and is worth more to a collector, just in case you sell it one day

 

Sounds like the Chevy 400 blocks problems they had as well.

Tendency to overheat as well for the Chevies, might be the same with those.

 

Aces - I think it was more the 'siamesed' cylinders in the Chevy.
One of the cures was 'bigger steam holes' between the cylinders.