aribera94

Im only 16 and i got a beatup 1973 olds omega. Its going to be my first car and i want to fix it up. My first thing that im going to start with it changing it to disk brakes. Does anybody have any idea what car would have the brakes i need for an omega?

2blu442

Welcome to the site! Even though it's beat up we'd still like to see pictures of your car

I'm not an expert and someone else will have to chime in. I believe the Omega from 1973 through maybe 75ish were the same, as would be the Nova and Ventura of that vintage. It seems like Buick should have offered something on that platform but I'm drawing a blank on that.

Now, where my knowledge really gets iffy is previous years. Somewhere I'd read that the early Omega's could be used on the 1964-72 A-bodies like the Cutlass. If thats true, and someone will need to confirm that, then you could look for 1968-72 Cutlass, Chevelle, Skylark, LeMans, etc. for brakes. You can also find much of this new for similar costs to buying used and rebuilding it all. If you do get used parts be sure and get the small items like the small "L" shaped bracket bolted to the frame that the rubber hose attaches through. I know on the Cutlass that bracket is different between the disc and drum brakes.

That's my thoughts, but lets see what else others will share. I know Joe Pavadano has made a couple really good posts on brakes and interchanges. If you have time you might try the search option and see if his discussion helps with the Omega. John

2blu442

jamec9869, this is a site for Oldsmobile fans. Your welcome to join us but do not add links that will be seen as spam. We will delete them and if you continue we'll ban you from the site. John, one of the many moderators....

jaunty75

Front disc brakes were an option on the '73 Omega. The easiest thing to do, I would think, would be to find an Omega with that option and take the front brakes off of it, assuming, of course, that an Omega with front disk brakes can be found. But if the front brakes off of any of the years for which the Omega was made will fit, he has several model years to search for.

Oldsguy

Welcome to both aribera94 and jamec9869. Ari, I think you are doing the right thing in considering your brakes first.

442much

Buick had the Apollo if I remember correctly.

dk-52

Welcome aboard, Sometimes chevy is a bad word to some people, but the chevy nova's in 73-74 should have the same spindles and brakes.

joe_padavano

Spindles on the 1968-74 X-body cars (including the 73-74 Omega) are a direct interchange with those on 67-69 F-body cars (Camaro/Firebird) and 64-72 A-body cars (Cutlass, Chevelle, etc.). Here's a low cost way to convert (it says A-body, but the parts are exactly the same for an X-body):

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...sk-brakes.html

rocketraider

Nova, Omega, Ventura, Apollo. NOVA. All built on the GM X-car platform.

Aribera, generally what fits one of the X-cars fits them all. Grille and taillights are Division specific, but even the interior trim is close enough to substitute one for the other. 73 Omega would have had either a 4-barrel Oldsmobile 350 or a Chevrolet straight 6-cylinder.

OK- gotta know- how beat up is it? I ask because one of the younguns at work bought a K5 Blazer that he said was beat all to hell, and when he finally drove it to work it was one of the cleanest ones I've ever seen.


There's a 74 Nova coupe on a little finance car lot here that if I could get him to the right money, I'd give the thing a home. 6-cylinder AT with full wheelcovers, and that is exactly how it would stay. Mainly to **** off the Nova crowd around here, who think they all have to have a big block and Chevy Rally wheels.

Railguy

Hello fellow Omega owner,I have a 74 Omega,drums all around.Lots of luck finding discs,there hard to find.A lot of car went when the price of scrap went up.I think alot of cars are interchangeable,including Camero which I heard even shared the same sub-frame certain years.Lots of companys make after market but there expensive. When you change to discs your rims might not work.Disc rims will work on drums but not always the other way around.Let me know if I can help.
Post some pics, Railguy
P.S. I have a cross over book for Nova (hate that word)somewhere when I find it I'll look it up.

Railguy

Heres what I found in my nova cross over book hope it helps.
Railguy

rocketraider

Aribera, I've seen Railguy's car and it's sharp, plus he understands Omega.

On the Buick Apollo, local weekly small-town paper often does an old ad. Today's was an ad from Wyatt Buick Sales in Danville, featuring the 1974 Apollo hatchback. The whole five man sales staff was perched in the hatch area with the dealer and service manager standing to the sides of the car.

I hated to see that dealer close. They had been a Buick store since 1924 and held Virginia car dealer license #5. GM screwed them- yanked their Buick and Pontiac franchises right out from under them and gave them to the Chev-Cad dealer down the street. Part of that "one GM dealer in a sales territory" bullschit.

If I have to deal with that GM dealer to buy a car, GM is not going to sell me a car anytime in this lifetime. Wyatt Buick OTOH was a thoroughly professional and ethical car dealer who was aware of their standing in the community and supported it.

Hey youngun- stick a 455 in that Omega and call it a "Go-mega"! Get ready for the "nice Nova" comments when you get it fixed up though.

Oldsguy

Speaking of these X body cars. Pay careful attention to the trailer of the new "Machete" movie. The hot girls in one scene are in front of one. I think it is a '73 Apollo. When I first saw it, I thought is was an Omega and had to go back and freeze frame it to tell it was not.

Railguy

Wow a car dealership thats ethical ! Some kind of historical marker should be put up. (: Seriously though I like The Go-mega Idea.I have a friend with a Chevy II that tell all the time to call it "Duce Is Wild".
Railguy