This is going to be a long thread, Hopefully with a happy ending.
I posted up pictures in the Gallery https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...oject+car.html
Have a look make suggestions.
1. on my list needs to be Stop the Rust, and button it up for the winter.
2. make it a rolling chassis (I don't have rims or tires.)
3. buy and build an engine. (looks like i have one found.)
4. make it drivable.

I'm going to be sorting parts and selling/trading things i don't want/need to help raise cash/get parts i do need.

I'm sure People here will have all Kinds of advice about things I MAW do now to save time later so bring it on, and help me put together a solid plan. Just keep in mind this is going to be a Low Buck Resto (Yeah i know its going to cost quite a bit to get this done, and i can hear you laughing, but I have to do this as cheaply as possible.)

 

do some searching for body parts on your non car time and use por 15 corectly for the rust and also see if you can form some patch panels patience has to be exercised hear your time is free. do all of this after careful examination also and as for detailing spray cans can be your friend if needed.

 

I have seen Por 15 mentioned here a couple times, looked at the web site for it, I'm sold. I will be buying some soon. This will help combat One thing i hate about living in the rust belt.

 

link to car pics http://imageshack.us/g/1/9761663/
Figured out I have a pair of #6 heads (no rocker arms), and matching block, no crank, cam, or main caps, pistons and rods, again no caps.

 

2. make it a rolling chassis (I don't have rims or tires.)

DONE! bought a set of Weld Wheels Draglites and tires today for $250.

 

Have to say that for a 70 it sure has a lot of 72 parts there. FYI, there's no such animal as a low budget build. Budget is just a word in the dictionary. Go ahead, ask how I know. If you can keep focused and set a limit for spending? Prolly take 10 years to get it where you really want it.

 

The Car has a lot of parts from a Donor Car that was a 72, not sure what my brother in law had in mind, I'm just picking up the pieces and doing my own thing.

Budget is a relative term. This Car will probably never be truly done. The Tire and wheel deal was a matter of right place and time that i couldn't pass up.

 

Sweet! my buddy scored some free black epoxy paint for the engine bay. time to pull the fenders off, and "Paint it Black" (pretty good tune by the Rolling Stones)

 

Well that was Easy! My drivers door now opens! Linkage for the outside button was stuck, and did not allow the door to unlock. Fixed that problem, and now the door is fully functional.
The hardest part of the job was moving stuff out of the way to see the linkage.

 

good luck

 

thanks, I'm going to need it.

 

Keep at it. Lots of the smaller details often get overlooked. Don't be bashful about posting pics of your work and overall progress!

 

I'll post pics as soon as i make some progress, right now I'm doing research and buying what parts i can with little to no money. I'm still trying to get my hands on more parts i know are with the previous owner, but she is a hoarder so getting to the parts is a dig. (hoping i can find one of the wheel hubs for the front spindle, i can't even mount the drivers side front brake drum or tire.)

I did clean up a door panel. lol

 

No new pics, but i do have a project update.

I spent more on Gas today than parts thanks to CopperCutlass. I drove from Springfield up to Elgin IL to get a block, and rotating assembly from him for a price i couldn't pass up, and then he sold me a NIB Cam at a price I couldn't refuse. I gotta say everything was as he described it, not perfect, but no BS either.


cam specs.

Hydraulic, fair idle. Good cam for high performance street or mild bracket racing applications, has good mid range torque and horsepower.

• Advertised Duration (Int/Exh): 290/300
• Duration @ .050 (Int/Exh): 224/234
• Gross Valve Lift (Int/Exh): .496/.520
• LSA/ICL: 112/108
• Valve Lash (Int/Exh): Hyd/Hyd
• RPM Range: 2500-5500

So now i have a good block, crank, and rods that will need some minor work to make it serviceable.


A decent Cam. (I'm thinking its a bit more than i had planned, but at the price i got WTF.)



A set of #6 heads that I'm in the process of porting (yes I'm porting them myself, not my first set either.)


Friends are loaning me tools, Engine stand, ridge reamer, hones, and tons of advice from years of experience, and I'll take all the help I can get from the People here, be it parts deals or just advice that says do this not that.



Speak UP! remember that You are helping me save an Oldsmobile from the junkyard/crusher.


For those that have read this far.... I also found out today that.......
http://www.manta.com/c/mm2zk03/ace-auto-salvage has a couple Cutlass (at least one Convertible) parts cars. (Tonica IL )

 

Stall convertor recommendations ?

 

I should have mentioned i also have a 2600-2800 stall converter lying around i only ran one season. Keep that in mind. lol

 

Now you tell me! lol
Future Road trip! Shoot me a price, and I'll figure out when i can make another trip north. (Norman wants to go check out Ace Auto as do I.)

 

ace auto ? yeah 75 bucks. I would have it gone through but at the price you would be ahead of the game. I called midwest converters a while back they said 150 to go through it and re stall it. It worked good but felt loose to me but it could have also been my trans or most likely i ordered it wrong. It's a 10 in. converter.

 

Ace Auto is a salvage yard near you.

 

Never heard of it. Have you checked out thompsons auto wreckers in chabanese il. The have 3 locations near kankakee but the one on otto road has a lot of classics. If you google earth it you can see on side of the yard has nothing but classics. It's right off I-57.

 

decisions, decisions. I had been planning on putting in flat tops, but now that i look at my pile of parts a find that one set of Pistons i have are 14cc dish.

How much will i gain over the 23cc dish pistons?

What will I lose if i use them instead of the flat tops?

cam specs
Duration: 290°/300°
Gross Lift: .469''/.520''
RPM Range: 2500-5500
224/234 @ .050 on 112LSA.

#6 heads ported by Me.

So far so good on doing this cheap. (yes i know cheap is a relative term.)
Block and rotating Assembly $75
Cam NIB $25
Heads came with the car.
diff appears to be a 3.08. (quick spin of the drive shaft, it just rained and its muddy)

Please give me some input so i don't wind up with a car that sounds great, but can't get out of its own way.

 

ok quick and dirty calculations tell me basically

flat top = 10:1
14cc dish = 9:1
23cc dish =8:1

I can live with 9:1

 

"The smaller the motor, the more stall you’ll need. 2500 or so with a 455 would work well for a street/strip type car. Set the heads up with around 100-120 max pounds on the seat, 300 pounds or so open."


Lunati tech support.

 

hey copper i checked for that wrecking yard and it came up possibly unknown is there a chance there closed down or a different name? I live vey close to there.

 

jfb a quick search turned up this info

Thompson Auto Wreckers


Own This Business?
Edit Company Info




Thompson's Auto Wrecker 5049 S 1400W Road
Chebanse, IL 60922-5002 map



About Thompson Auto Wreckers
Phone: (815) 697-2223

 

that is right in the range of what the cam/engine will need. Looking at convertors your price, and a rework are cheaper than buying new, but it is going to be a couple months before i can even think about buying anything else for the car.
I'm even thinking about just putting it in as is. You used it last, what do you think?

 

The converter felt good but was really soggy on the street. I did some t est runs in an industrial area we "prepped" . If i preloaded it at 1000 rpm and hit it full throttle it worked great. but on the street if i manually shifted it felt like it slipped too much. It worked great crusing and w.o.t but down shifting to switch lanes it felt soggy. that was my only complaint about it. which is why i was gonna have it re worked. i have since deicded to go with a custom unit built for my car and set up.

 

Minor progress to report. Block on an engine stand. time to check some measurements, and hone the cylinders.

 

Well I'm back for another round of talking/posting to my self.

Work continues, so far everything looks good. I just need to work up the money to buy some basic parts. (Bearings, Rings, Gaskets, and such.)

The 23cc pistons are being swapped out for 14cc pistons by a friend of a friend. (cost me a 12 pack)

I now have a Qjet Carb donated by my Neighbor.

I'm going to buy a new Edelbrock intake. (haven't had any luck finding a used one.)

basic plan is build it from the bottom up. get the crank, rods, and pistons all done and set in place, then turn the engine over on the stand and start on the lifters, pushrods and rockers.

 

Thanks to some members here i have some more parts cheap.

Thanks go out to ...

BILL DEMMER
HEI distributor core.

mike's88
replacement piston for one of mine that turned out to be bad.


1001coins
front Hub and drum i was missing

Eightupman

Edelbrock intake and timing cover.

coppercutlass
block and rotating assembly, and Cam.

 

Thanks. But thank you., you save those engine parts from the scrapyard. Hope the progress is coming along good. You need any bodywork related advice feel free to ask.

 

I hope to start assembling the Engine next payday. Waiting on a couple parts, and I still need to purchase a rebuild kit/mix and match my own kit.

 

Hey I noticed you had a disk brake and spindle inside the car.. does it have disks or drums? just curious as you are mentioning putting drums on the front...

Also, keep up the good work. I really like hearing folks that are gettin er done with just old fashioned hog trading, elbow grease and ingenuity.

Chris

 

Hey folks, I was reading up on POR 15 and got to thinking.. would this work on engines? Pulling my marine 455 apart, it has a LOT of rust all over the block. would this be suitable for outside and/or inside the block for rust prevention?

 

Why would you even think of painting the inside of your engine??? That's just asking for trouble when it starts flaking, clogging, destroying bearings and journals. Once your 455 is back together, the coolant and oil wash will keep the metal in good condition. If you have rust inside the block? It will come out when it's hot tanked.

I don't have any faith in POR as an engine paint although I know there are others who swear by it. What's wrong with the high heat engine paints on the consumer market?

 

well, I know lots of folks that paint the inside of the engine to promote oil drain back, so it is not unheard of, even though it may be uncommon. Olds engines in marine applications have known issues with oil drain back too.

Looking at POR, it looks like at the very least it may be a good way to keep the outside from rusting. My engine I took out of the boat may not be going back in being as it is as rusty as it is. every time I turned the engine it poured rust and sand out. I have probably gotten at least a cup of sand and rust out of the block already.

 

Those Brake rotors and spindles are 1980 Pontiac Trans Am. there is a bit of size difference, and i doubt they would work without a bit of work.