Family Car
August 25th, 2013, 06:50 AM
#1
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 4
Family Car
Hello, my 11 year old son and I have a '66 F85 Jetfire that we inherited from my great grandmother. It was purchased new in '66. Some questions I have are, how do I find out if it is deluxe edition and what motor is in it. I am wanting to rebuild the engine but need to know where to start. I would also like to keep the original 2 speed trans but it is going to be my sons daily driver when he turns 16 and I am not sure if there was another trans I could go with for better daily drivability. Thank you in advance for any answers.
August 25th, 2013, 07:03 AM
#2
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 7,286
Hello, my 11 year old son and I have a '66 F85 Jetfire that we inherited from my great grandmother. It was purchased new in '66.
=============
Interesting...
Some questions I have are, how do I find out if it is deluxe edition and what motor is in it.
============
Deluxe would say so on the door trim I think, and will have a windsplit trim up the center of the hood. Plain F85 will have a flat trimless hood like a 442- valuable part that is.
....Engine: Pretty sure all the F85 v8's were 330- either 2-bbl 9:1 compression or 4-bbl 10:1 or so. Nowadays with the fuel available, the 9:1 is probably a better choice. Start with your air cleaner decorative tin wording, and take a peek at the carb under the air cleaner- is it 2-bbl or 4-bbl? Next, if it matters, look at the machined pad on the front of the RH head- there will be a stamped-in Engine Unit Number... like W101123L or similar. The prefix and suffix LETTERS will tell the exact nature of the engine- see the early sections of the CSM [Chassis Service Manual] at wildaboutcars.com. Free to view, just join for free.
....There was also a V6 base engine around that time, I assume you can count plug wires and discern a V6 from a V8.
I am wanting to rebuild the engine but need to know where to start.
=============
Is it in bad condition? Maybe a valve job and re-seal is all that is required. Clean out the pistons' oil return holes, etc.
I would also like to keep the original 2 speed trans but it is going to be my son's daily driver when he turns 16 and I am not sure if there was another trans I could go with for better daily drivability. Thank you in advance for any answers.
=============
The switch pitch 2-spd is a fine match to the 330 engine. Sure, you can put in say a 1985 era 4-spd OD trans if you want to go thru the mechanics of that- cable to carb, lockup TC electronics, length and yoke differences, shifter travel requirements, etc.
Not sure a '66 with RWD, single line drum brakes, no collapsible steering column, no ABS, no airbag, and a strong V8 is a good choice for a 16 yr old's driver. Then again, it was for me, lo these many years ago. Just put a sharp spike in the center of the steering wheel to remind him that's what it'll be like if he hits anything head-on.
=============
Interesting...
Some questions I have are, how do I find out if it is deluxe edition and what motor is in it.
============
Deluxe would say so on the door trim I think, and will have a windsplit trim up the center of the hood. Plain F85 will have a flat trimless hood like a 442- valuable part that is.
....Engine: Pretty sure all the F85 v8's were 330- either 2-bbl 9:1 compression or 4-bbl 10:1 or so. Nowadays with the fuel available, the 9:1 is probably a better choice. Start with your air cleaner decorative tin wording, and take a peek at the carb under the air cleaner- is it 2-bbl or 4-bbl? Next, if it matters, look at the machined pad on the front of the RH head- there will be a stamped-in Engine Unit Number... like W101123L or similar. The prefix and suffix LETTERS will tell the exact nature of the engine- see the early sections of the CSM [Chassis Service Manual] at wildaboutcars.com. Free to view, just join for free.
....There was also a V6 base engine around that time, I assume you can count plug wires and discern a V6 from a V8.
I am wanting to rebuild the engine but need to know where to start.
=============
Is it in bad condition? Maybe a valve job and re-seal is all that is required. Clean out the pistons' oil return holes, etc.
I would also like to keep the original 2 speed trans but it is going to be my son's daily driver when he turns 16 and I am not sure if there was another trans I could go with for better daily drivability. Thank you in advance for any answers.
=============
The switch pitch 2-spd is a fine match to the 330 engine. Sure, you can put in say a 1985 era 4-spd OD trans if you want to go thru the mechanics of that- cable to carb, lockup TC electronics, length and yoke differences, shifter travel requirements, etc.
Not sure a '66 with RWD, single line drum brakes, no collapsible steering column, no ABS, no airbag, and a strong V8 is a good choice for a 16 yr old's driver. Then again, it was for me, lo these many years ago. Just put a sharp spike in the center of the steering wheel to remind him that's what it'll be like if he hits anything head-on.
Last edited by Octania; August 25th, 2013 at 07:07 AM.
August 25th, 2013, 07:50 AM
#3
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: southeastern Michigan
Posts: 14,297
The second digit of the VIN should be a 3 to indicate the F-85 line.
As far as which specific series you have, the third digit of the VIN will tell you this:
3 = "Standard" F-85 with the L-6 engine
4 = "Standard" F-85 with a V-8 engine
5 = "Deluxe" F-85 with the L-6 engine
6 = "Deluxe" F-85 with a V-8 engine
8 = "Cutlass" with a V-8 engine
If yours is the "standard" F-85, and it has a V-8 engine, the third digit should be a 4, and the first three digits of the VIN should be 334. If it is the "deluxe" F-85, that digit should be a 6, and the first three VIN digits should be 336.
The "Jetfire" rocket engine was the base V-8 engine available in the F-85 line, and it put out 250 hp. Options included 310 and 320 hp versions.
As far as changing out the transmission, if it were me, I wouldn't do that unless there was a problem with the 2-speed Jetaway that is in there now. I owned a '64 Olds Jetstar 88 for five years back in the early '90s, and it had this same transmission. In fact, 1964 was the first year for this transmission.
The car had about 110,000 miles on it when I got it, the transmission never gave me a lick of trouble, and I drove that car everywhere and often at highway speeds. It worked fine, and Olds used it for many years. If there's nothing wrong with how yours operates now, I wouldn't worry that it will fail suddenly and leave your son stranded on the highway somewhere.
August 25th, 2013, 09:18 AM
#4
Old(s) Fart
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 47,693
Welcome. The place to start for an engine rebuild is to get a copy of the factory Chassis Service Manual. The second thing to do is to find a machine shop who understands the differences between Chevy and Olds motors.
As for the trans, you'll find that the 200-4R four speed O.D. automatic is a much better daily driver trans. Both fuel economy and off-the-line performance will be improved. Personally, however, I'd focus on brakes, steering, and suspension first THEN worry about the trans swap.
As for the trans, you'll find that the 200-4R four speed O.D. automatic is a much better daily driver trans. Both fuel economy and off-the-line performance will be improved. Personally, however, I'd focus on brakes, steering, and suspension first THEN worry about the trans swap.
August 27th, 2013, 06:37 AM
#6
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 4
Hello, my 11 year old son and I have a '66 F85 Jetfire that we inherited from my great grandmother. It was purchased new in '66.
=============
Interesting...
Some questions I have are, how do I find out if it is deluxe edition and what motor is in it.
============
Deluxe would say so on the door trim I think, and will have a windsplit trim up the center of the hood. Plain F85 will have a flat trimless hood like a 442- valuable part that is.
....Engine: Pretty sure all the F85 v8's were 330- either 2-bbl 9:1 compression or 4-bbl 10:1 or so. Nowadays with the fuel available, the 9:1 is probably a better choice. Start with your air cleaner decorative tin wording, and take a peek at the carb under the air cleaner- is it 2-bbl or 4-bbl? Next, if it matters, look at the machined pad on the front of the RH head- there will be a stamped-in Engine Unit Number... like W101123L or similar. The prefix and suffix LETTERS will tell the exact nature of the engine- see the early sections of the CSM [Chassis Service Manual] at wildaboutcars.com. Free to view, just join for free.
....There was also a V6 base engine around that time, I assume you can count plug wires and discern a V6 from a V8.
I am wanting to rebuild the engine but need to know where to start.
=============
Is it in bad condition? Maybe a valve job and re-seal is all that is required. Clean out the pistons' oil return holes, etc.
I would also like to keep the original 2 speed trans but it is going to be my son's daily driver when he turns 16 and I am not sure if there was another trans I could go with for better daily drivability. Thank you in advance for any answers.
=============
The switch pitch 2-spd is a fine match to the 330 engine. Sure, you can put in say a 1985 era 4-spd OD trans if you want to go thru the mechanics of that- cable to carb, lockup TC electronics, length and yoke differences, shifter travel requirements, etc.
Not sure a '66 with RWD, single line drum brakes, no collapsible steering column, no ABS, no airbag, and a strong V8 is a good choice for a 16 yr old's driver. Then again, it was for me, lo these many years ago. Just put a sharp spike in the center of the steering wheel to remind him that's what it'll be like if he hits anything head-on.
=============
Interesting...
Some questions I have are, how do I find out if it is deluxe edition and what motor is in it.
============
Deluxe would say so on the door trim I think, and will have a windsplit trim up the center of the hood. Plain F85 will have a flat trimless hood like a 442- valuable part that is.
....Engine: Pretty sure all the F85 v8's were 330- either 2-bbl 9:1 compression or 4-bbl 10:1 or so. Nowadays with the fuel available, the 9:1 is probably a better choice. Start with your air cleaner decorative tin wording, and take a peek at the carb under the air cleaner- is it 2-bbl or 4-bbl? Next, if it matters, look at the machined pad on the front of the RH head- there will be a stamped-in Engine Unit Number... like W101123L or similar. The prefix and suffix LETTERS will tell the exact nature of the engine- see the early sections of the CSM [Chassis Service Manual] at wildaboutcars.com. Free to view, just join for free.
....There was also a V6 base engine around that time, I assume you can count plug wires and discern a V6 from a V8.
I am wanting to rebuild the engine but need to know where to start.
=============
Is it in bad condition? Maybe a valve job and re-seal is all that is required. Clean out the pistons' oil return holes, etc.
I would also like to keep the original 2 speed trans but it is going to be my son's daily driver when he turns 16 and I am not sure if there was another trans I could go with for better daily drivability. Thank you in advance for any answers.
=============
The switch pitch 2-spd is a fine match to the 330 engine. Sure, you can put in say a 1985 era 4-spd OD trans if you want to go thru the mechanics of that- cable to carb, lockup TC electronics, length and yoke differences, shifter travel requirements, etc.
Not sure a '66 with RWD, single line drum brakes, no collapsible steering column, no ABS, no airbag, and a strong V8 is a good choice for a 16 yr old's driver. Then again, it was for me, lo these many years ago. Just put a sharp spike in the center of the steering wheel to remind him that's what it'll be like if he hits anything head-on.
August 27th, 2013, 06:43 AM
#7
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 4
As Octania said, if it's a V-8, it's the 330, as that was the only non-442 V-8 offered that year in the F-85/Cutlass line.
The second digit of the VIN should be a 3 to indicate the F-85 line.
As far as which specific series you have, the third digit of the VIN will tell you this:
3 = "Standard" F-85 with the L-6 engine
4 = "Standard" F-85 with a V-8 engine
5 = "Deluxe" F-85 with the L-6 engine
6 = "Deluxe" F-85 with a V-8 engine
8 = "Cutlass" with a V-8 engine
If yours is the "standard" F-85, and it has a V-8 engine, the third digit should be a 4, and the first three digits of the VIN should be 334. If it is the "deluxe" F-85, that digit should be a 6, and the first three VIN digits should be 336.
The "Jetfire" rocket engine was the base V-8 engine available in the F-85 line, and it put out 250 hp. Options included 310 and 320 hp versions.
As far as changing out the transmission, if it were me, I wouldn't do that unless there was a problem with the 2-speed Jetaway that is in there now. I owned a '64 Olds Jetstar 88 for five years back in the early '90s, and it had this same transmission. In fact, 1964 was the first year for this transmission.
The car had about 110,000 miles on it when I got it, the transmission never gave me a lick of trouble, and I drove that car everywhere and often at highway speeds. It worked fine, and Olds used it for many years. If there's nothing wrong with how yours operates now, I wouldn't worry that it will fail suddenly and leave your son stranded on the highway somewhere.
The second digit of the VIN should be a 3 to indicate the F-85 line.
As far as which specific series you have, the third digit of the VIN will tell you this:
3 = "Standard" F-85 with the L-6 engine
4 = "Standard" F-85 with a V-8 engine
5 = "Deluxe" F-85 with the L-6 engine
6 = "Deluxe" F-85 with a V-8 engine
8 = "Cutlass" with a V-8 engine
If yours is the "standard" F-85, and it has a V-8 engine, the third digit should be a 4, and the first three digits of the VIN should be 334. If it is the "deluxe" F-85, that digit should be a 6, and the first three VIN digits should be 336.
The "Jetfire" rocket engine was the base V-8 engine available in the F-85 line, and it put out 250 hp. Options included 310 and 320 hp versions.
As far as changing out the transmission, if it were me, I wouldn't do that unless there was a problem with the 2-speed Jetaway that is in there now. I owned a '64 Olds Jetstar 88 for five years back in the early '90s, and it had this same transmission. In fact, 1964 was the first year for this transmission.
The car had about 110,000 miles on it when I got it, the transmission never gave me a lick of trouble, and I drove that car everywhere and often at highway speeds. It worked fine, and Olds used it for many years. If there's nothing wrong with how yours operates now, I wouldn't worry that it will fail suddenly and leave your son stranded on the highway somewhere.
August 27th, 2013, 06:53 AM
#8
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 4
Thank you for the input. The first three #'s are 336 so that makes ours the deluxe. I do plan on changing the brakes and steering column. Are there any suggestions on steering columns. The car hasn't ran in about 10 or 12 years so I was going to get someone started rebuilding the motor while we worked on the other mechanical stuff. I know it may not be the best car for his first one but he is a very family oriented kid. When I told him where it came from he was excited to get started on it. Thank everyone again for the input.
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