Jolds86

I'm a newbie, I've just purchased an 86 Olds Cutless Supreme, and I'm not an Olds fan. I'm in to Corvairs and Fieros. The 307 is tired, and I have a friend with a 350 Chevy engine in a wrecked 76 Chevy truck I can get cheap. . I don't like the Turbo 200 trannys, I like the 350 and 700R4. Any ideas is welcomed. also; I need a 3:73 pos rear. anybody got one for sale. waiting to hear back. and thanks for listening.

olds 307 and 403

Then why did you buy an Olds? The swirl port 307 is hated even by many Olds fans. A mild Olds 350 or 403 is by far the easiest swaps. The Fiero liked to catch fire, I have seen it happen. The 700R4 is nothing special either.

MDchanic

Odd place to end up then, no?

Welcome to ClassicOlds.

- Eric

fdwheelman

I've learned that Olds Fans are a little more dedicated to Olds. I can honestly say I am not a big Chevy fan.

With that being said. I'm sure you will catch a little flack about taking an Olds 307 boat anchor out in favor of a Chubbie 350...

An Olds 350 or 403 will drop right in, use all the same accessories, and in the end, cost a ton less for a conversion. A 200-R4 can drop in as well, and it too can built to handle just about anything you toss in front of it.

OLD SKL 69

Welcome. I agree with the above post, would be easier to keep it all Olds and probably help with resale value too.

Redog

Yeah I agree, the 307 is not a powerhouse of an engine, however I'd rather have the 307 SBO than a 350 SBC in an Olds.

The swap for an Olds block is so much easier and cheaper. You can probably find an Olds 350 on CL for cheap.

The 200R4 can be just as strong as a 700R4. 700R4 will only bolt to a Chevy. It is a fact that the 200R4 is a better trans if you are drag racing due to a lower 1st gear

J-(Chicago)

Note: Chevy engines don't belong in Oldsmobiles!!

That being said........ Gutting the entire drivetrain on a 1986, is the best improvement you can make. The cars are dog slow.

BUT...... a 1976 Chevy 350?!?! That's a lousy idea. You will be doing all that work for a whopping 15 horsepower, and losing about 35 foot pounds of torque.

joe_padavano

Well, from your post, you bought a car, hating the engine, trans, and rear axle. Sorry, but your cheapest path to happiness is to sell the Cutlass and buy a Monte Carlo SS. You get the SBC, 200-4R, and 3.73 posi axle.

As others have noted, the 307 is a turd. The only saving grace is that it is externally identical to any other small block Olds, including the 350 and 403. A 455 Olds is nearly a bolt-in also. The Cutlass chassis may be identical to a Monte chassis, but there is a lot that changes for the SBC swap. Yeah, it's been done, but simply getting a "cheap" motor from a 76 truck is only part of the problem. You need the correct G-body frame and motor mounts, the correct Chevy-pattern trans (the truck TH350 will be a long-tailhousing unit), and all the matching accessory brackets, radiator, hoses, wiring, etc, etc. A 350 Olds motor can be bolted in over a weekend or less. Figure out the total cost, not just the engine cost.

oldcutlass

Welcome to our site. As I am the last person on here that would oppose a Chevy swap, but if the 350 is of the 76 pedigree your swapping one turd for another. I agree with everyone else that a mildly warmed over Olds 350 would benefit you better than your current path.

Professur

Not to put too fine a point on it ... but most Olds enthusiasts are rabidly anti chevy. You'd find more support here dropping a 351 windsor or a hemi in there than a sbc. The Pontiac forums are much the same.

MDchanic

I've heard that Evinrude makes some good motors. Shouldn't take too much fabrication...

- Eric

oldcutlass

C'mon guys no sarcasm or condemnation. He asked a valid question and is looking for a direction. Educate!

Professur

My '81 Custom Cruiser has the 307 .. my '85 Parisienne the bowtie. I sympathize with the OP .... The 350 bowtie will fit ... with some fabrication. You'd be far better tho ... if you're leaving the Olds flock, to look at a modern engine. Get an LS7 with a modern trans and ignition/injection setup. In many places (my local included) if you swap for an engine that wasn't a factory load ... you have to meet this year's pollution standards. Olds does hold the advantage on that, in that an nice 403 block is awfully hard to spot when replacing that 307. A bowtie stands out like a sore thumb.

joe_padavano

I can't speak to Evinrude, but this SBC was built by Mercury Marine.

joe_padavano

"Some fabrication"???

C'mon, the SBC was factory installed in these cars. More to the point, if someone can't figure out that the Cutlass and Monte Carlo are the same car, with everything bolting up, then I question that person's ability to do this swap.

And frankly, I'm really tired of the "I got a line on this cheap SBC..." logic. These people NEVER take the time to add up the total costs. Sorry, but SBCs are like belly buttons (or, another orifice), everyone has one. Personally, I don't want to be like everyone else.

MDchanic

You mean you don't have a bellybutton, Joe?!?

- Eric

Sampson

Welcome aboard. I live in Fuquay. Not sure if you would be interested but Steve Ashworth Performance has a nicely built 403 that has never been cranked. He was building it for a guy who ended up in a striped suit and left him holding the engine. Steve told me he would let it go real cheap to get his labor back out of it. By the time you do all the stuff to bastardize your car you could have a really nice set up! Pm me if you want more info.

orange442

First, the 700-r4 has a lower first than the 200-4r. Many like the 200 because first and second are closer together in ratio so not as much RPM drop on the 1-2 shift. Also, the 200 has a bell housing bolt pattern for Chevy and BOP. The 200 will always cost more to build than the 700 just because components are more expensive and usually harder to find.

Anytime you come on to an Olds forum and talk about installing a Chevy in an Olds, you are going to get these kind of replies. A small block Chevy is always going to be a cheaper motor to build and maintain because just like 700 trans, parts are cheaper and more readily available. If your small block from the truck already has all accessories, you will need Chevy frame mounts and g-body motor mounts and the engine will bolt right in. You will need to do some rewiring for the starter, battery, salt. etc. but that is not difficult especially if you can find somebody parting a Chevy G- body that can give you what you need. Do what YOU want to do with your car so that you are happy with it. Hardcore Olds guys will always give you hell for a Chevy in an Olds but in the end it is you that have to be happy with what you have, not them!

This being said, I will usually keep an Olds in an Olds because I have so many engines and parts that it is easy for me to do it. A guy I know is taking the Chevy 350 out of his 72 Cutlass to install a built 455/200-4r combo. I would like to get his old setup and install it in my 79 Malibu because it seems to be a good setup. Good luck with your project whatever you decide to do.

Professur

Just a side note ... remember there is the THM-200(c) 3 speed, and the THM-200-4r 4 speed. And while they are similar, they are not the same. Also a built 200-4r can be as tough or tougher than a 700-r4 stock ... applying the same treatment to the 700-r4 just makes it tougher still. The 200 and 200-4r are liked for drag racing ... but of the 2, the 200 3 speed is the winner for the lowest parasitic hp loss ... but it takes some serious work ... a very expensive place to look for those couple of hp ... but when you've maxed out all the rest, those couple of hidden ponies might be all that's left to get. And from personal experience .. the 200C is a great trans to learn to rebuild. Dirt cheap, simple, and if you do screw it up ... who cares?

Lars

Yup with what they said. If you still have to go sbc, try gbodyforums.com, you may get more support over there. Goodluck

Kyle's 77 Cutlass

Come on guys, you are going to make the poor kid cry. Give him s tissue at least

Octania

coldwar

Ratcatcher_h5.jpg

Kyle's 77 Cutlass

Lmfao x2

joe_padavano

So, the rest of this thread aside, that has to be the coolest tissue dispenser ever.

MDchanic

Perhaps, but if bet that if you grabbed for a tissue in haste, you could end up with a black eye.

- Eric

Killian_Mörder

Sounds like one of Richard Rawling's pranks, by signing up here to play on our emotions. Or, maybe, Jay Leno?
If a Chevy engine must replace, then better a big block whose exhaust sound and torque resemble an Olds's more

Boldsmobile

Whoa, i thought i clicked on classicolds and not ROP.

car racer

car racer

Please email me more info about 403 in fuquay.antoniowesley205@gmail.com.thanks

joe_padavano

Welcome to the site. You do realize that the post about the 403 that you're asking about is over a year old, right?

bisscrac

Lol.