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I am in the process of buying a 1966 Delta 88 2 door hardtop. It's a plain jane. Surprisingly it has a Starfire engine under the hood (or at least a Starfire air cleaner assembly). Is there a way to know if the engine is original to the car ? If it is a real Starfire (425/375) instead of a Super Rocket (425/370). I saw a 1966 brochure stating that the Starfire engine could be ordered in a Delta 88. Thank you for your help !
Yes the Sfire engine was an option on the 66 Delta. I also have one so equipped. Nice rare option for sure. It would be difficult to determine if the car was ordered this way. The only clues without a build sheet would be the air cleaner with Sfire pie plate. Note the Sfire breather has a longer and wider snout than the non sfire 4bbl breather. This engine option also got dual exhaust with driver's side S exhaust manifold. You could also check for original exhaust hangers and pipes if original. The gas fill cap on all HC engines would read premium fuel only.
Last edited by Oldsmaniac; May 24, 2017 at 06:45 AM.
Reason: spelling
RPO L75, a $100.05 option in 1966. Note that the 1966 D88 came standard with the high compression 2bbl single exhaust version of the 425. Optional engines included the low compression 2bbl, the high compression 4bbl single exhaust, and the "Starfire" engine that was simply the high compression 4bbl dual exhaust version of the 425.
Optional engines included the low compression 2bbl, the high compression 4bbl single exhaust, and the "Starfire" engine that was simply the high compression 4bbl dual exhaust version of the 425.
Literature has been circulated that shows the Sfire/Police engines to have had a more lively camshaft.
Literature has been circulated that shows the Sfire/Police engines to have had a more lively camshaft.
Correct. 286/280 duration with .427/.461 lift vs 278/282 at .430/.432 lift. Also note the CR bump from 10.25 to 10.5. All that plus the duals and you ONLY got 10 HP?
The Toro motor supposedly was another 10 HP over the Starfire motor 385 vs 375, but came with the depressed Toro intake, questionable exhaust manifolds, and a 281/282 cam at .472/.472 lift.
Let's just say that I remain skeptical of the Olds factory HP numbers...
That does appear to be a Sfire air cleaner, repainted along with valve covers and maybe engine? Possibly it has been rebuilt? Does the car have dual exhaust?
No duals would make me believe the air cleaner was swapped and nothing else, non original sfire engine. Slim chance the dual exhaust manifold cracked and they went back to a single exhaust system. these S manifolds were very difficult to find until now that they are reproduced.
