Here because of my 1980 Cutlass Brougham
Thread Starter
what is a wrench?
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 3
From: Vestavia Hills, AL
Here because of my 1980 Cutlass Brougham
Yo. I'm a Cutlass G-Body enthusiast poking around the internet for research on my short and long term goals for doing stuff to my 1980 Oldsmobile Cutlass Brougham. 4-door, infamous anemic 260 V8, cream body, gold vinyl top, all original interior and body, custom dual exhaust with XLerator mufflers, all original motor except for everything that has broken, original 3-speed automatic and rear differential, original 14-inch body color rally wheels. Garage parked Sunday driver I inherited from my granddad with 84k miles.
When I was little, my parents both had grey 1979 Cutlass Supreme Coupes. Hers was a V6 with red interior, his was a 260 V8 with blue interior. So although my dream car is actually a 72 Cutlass 442, this one was free, and I have a lot of nostalgia for the G bodies.
I'm hoping for insight on squeezing maybe 10 extra horsepower out of the 260, because given my current budget and employment situation, it will be in the car until it explodes. The online consensus is that doing any more than I already have with the exhausts is a fool's errand, and even the exhausts were just for looks and sound. Did nothing for power and just a little for gas mileage, but it sounds amazing. Everyone tells me any additional air from an intake system would not be used by the engine because it can't accommodate the extra air, and at any rate the intake manifold is a stupid shape that nothing will fit. Maybe there is a least a cheap system out there that will get the air colder? I'm not looking for huge gains here. Just 20 mpg instead of 18 and maybe 0 to 60 in 15 seconds instead of 17. Yes that is a real number, lol.
The other help I need is with cosmetics. Emblems and decals, plastic interior parts, and the seam in the vinyl top. Because of the garage parking, the vinyl top looks spectacular, like new. But the stitching down the center is gone, and I want to head that off at the pass before it messes up the rest of the top.
Anyhoo, I know this is an introductory forum and not for specific questions, so as I get comfy here, I'll bring that stuff up in the respective forums.
I am an absolute novice newbie when it comes to cars. I have a mechanic that does all of the work for me. I can change a battery and a tire. That's it. I've never been to a junk yard to find anything. I plan to do that in the next week or so, just to get my feet wet. Plus now that my wife and I are recently separate, I have more free time on my hands, lol.
Personal info: I was a profession musician for a few years, performing and teaching. Before and after that, I worked in restaurants. I have a useless bachelor's degree in music, so I'm going to community college to get a 2 year degree as a physical therapy assistant. I spend way too much time with and money on my dog, I run all the time, and I sleep a lot.
The end.
When I was little, my parents both had grey 1979 Cutlass Supreme Coupes. Hers was a V6 with red interior, his was a 260 V8 with blue interior. So although my dream car is actually a 72 Cutlass 442, this one was free, and I have a lot of nostalgia for the G bodies.
I'm hoping for insight on squeezing maybe 10 extra horsepower out of the 260, because given my current budget and employment situation, it will be in the car until it explodes. The online consensus is that doing any more than I already have with the exhausts is a fool's errand, and even the exhausts were just for looks and sound. Did nothing for power and just a little for gas mileage, but it sounds amazing. Everyone tells me any additional air from an intake system would not be used by the engine because it can't accommodate the extra air, and at any rate the intake manifold is a stupid shape that nothing will fit. Maybe there is a least a cheap system out there that will get the air colder? I'm not looking for huge gains here. Just 20 mpg instead of 18 and maybe 0 to 60 in 15 seconds instead of 17. Yes that is a real number, lol.
The other help I need is with cosmetics. Emblems and decals, plastic interior parts, and the seam in the vinyl top. Because of the garage parking, the vinyl top looks spectacular, like new. But the stitching down the center is gone, and I want to head that off at the pass before it messes up the rest of the top.
Anyhoo, I know this is an introductory forum and not for specific questions, so as I get comfy here, I'll bring that stuff up in the respective forums.
I am an absolute novice newbie when it comes to cars. I have a mechanic that does all of the work for me. I can change a battery and a tire. That's it. I've never been to a junk yard to find anything. I plan to do that in the next week or so, just to get my feet wet. Plus now that my wife and I are recently separate, I have more free time on my hands, lol.
Personal info: I was a profession musician for a few years, performing and teaching. Before and after that, I worked in restaurants. I have a useless bachelor's degree in music, so I'm going to community college to get a 2 year degree as a physical therapy assistant. I spend way too much time with and money on my dog, I run all the time, and I sleep a lot.
The end.
Last edited by thebernreuter; Feb 8, 2018 at 01:10 AM.
Administrator
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 42,514
From: Poteau, Ok
Welcome to the site, IMHO I would leave the 260 alone. Your goal is not going to make that big of a difference in performance. Concentrate on the cosmetics and just keep it running. Save your money for the 72.
Old(s) Fart
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 50,829
From: Northern VA
Welcome. Unfortunately there is precious little you can do the the 260. That motor uses unique heads with extremely tiny ports. The stock intake is matched to those ports. Any 4bbl intake has larger 350-sized ports and the mismatch at the heads will cause a flow disruption that negates any benefit. About your only option is a dual exhaust to reduce backpressure.
Thread Starter
what is a wrench?
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 3
From: Vestavia Hills, AL
Thanks! I got a local guy to do a custom straight pipe dual exhaust with no catalytic converters, and the gas mileage got better. Plus it sounds and looks amazing. 2.25 inch pipes from front to back. It's arguably a little faster, depending on the run. I use a K&N filter too, and again, maybe it's a little more efficient, maybe not.
Somebody told me I should've told him to do headers too, but I've read lots of places online that it's hard to find headers that fit the 260 as well. Any truth to that?
Somebody told me I should've told him to do headers too, but I've read lots of places online that it's hard to find headers that fit the 260 as well. Any truth to that?
Last edited by thebernreuter; Feb 7, 2018 at 12:27 PM.
Olds Fever
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 4,526
From: New York (Upstate)
Welcome to the group... It's always a plus when you can own a vehicle with family heritage... As has been said, the 260 is not worth the effort/money for performance enhancements... Keep it simple for your basic transportation needs... Just an FYI, when searching for interior/exterior trim, you may want to reference your 1980 Cutlass as an A-Body since the G-Body designation did not come into play until 1982... Good luck keeping your granddad's Cutlass as a survivor...
Thread Starter
what is a wrench?
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 3
From: Vestavia Hills, AL
Olds Fever
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 4,526
From: New York (Upstate)
Don't belittle yourself... There are many Olds enthusiasts out there who are also unaware/uninformed of the difference... It's just a good thing to be aware of when searching for parts... Especially using salvage yards and interchange books...
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