540 Olds

Okay...this goes back many years to summer of 1973. My disclaimer in advance..I was 18 years old, just learning about cars, and took the advice of the local "experts" on what to do. This advice had me do something I look back on as the DUMBEST things I have ever done, carwise. Ignorance truly is bliss...That being said, if you're an Olds purist, please take some Valium, put all guns and sharp objects out of reach, and don't hold it against me.

Best I can remember, I bought the car in October/November 1972. At that time I was driving my first car, a super badass, six cylinder Chevy Nova, knowing I had "trade up." All my buddies drove Camaros, Chevelles, etc, so I had my eye on this 66 Chevelle 396/350. I was living with an aunt and uncle; he was a gearhead and had driven Pontiacs all through his street racing years. He went with me to look at this Chevelle; he drove it and power-shifted through the gears and I knew I had to have it. After the ride, we got in his car and I immediately informed him I had to have this because it SCREAMED!! He said, "I want you to look at an Olds I drove last week that would eat that Chevelle for lunch." An OLDS??? are you nuts??? I thought he must be crazy, but I figured I'd humor him anyway. So the following weekend I called about this '67 Olds and drove out to see it. Directions weren't so good and I had to stop in a phone booth (you youngsters need to google "dinosaurs/phone booth") and dialed his number. While the phone was ringing I heard the distinct sound of a four barrel carb going WOT, followed by some nasty tire noise; I turned around to see this silver car banging through the gears, front end way up and blowing the back tires off, (Those super sticky, white-wall, 14 inch Polyglas F-70's) wearing wire-wheel hubcaps. I knew right away that was the car I had come to see so I hopped back into Super-Nova, wound all "three on tree" out and managed to track him down at a Pizza place.

The car was sitting out front, idling with the parking lights on. You know those times in your life that are seared into your memory..the times you can recall instantly like it was 5 minutes ago...well that's what this was. I still remember the idle pumping out a nice lumpy sound and the interior backlighting as I walked up and looked at the SUN tach bouncing around 8-900 rpm, the three Sun gauges under the dash, and the center console with that Hurst shifter shaking back and forth along with the idle. I went brain dead at that point. It wasn't a naked lady, but it was damn close!! I found the driver who was the owner's friend and told him who I was. He said get in and I'll drive you back to the owner's house; so I told my cousin to follow in the Nova. I strapped into the passenger seat and he gave me the "tour" on the way back; my uncle had been right..this thing was much faster than the Chevelle I had ridden in. We got back to the house and the owner says "here are the keys, take it for a ride". That was a total surprise to me being a 17 year old kid he didn't know at all and he's gonna let me take this car out alone..?? Well I took the keys , but his buddy had a little sense and said he'd go with me. So out we went down Eastern Avenue in Essex, Maryland. After a few minute of getting use to it, I gave the "tour" to his buddy. By the time I hit third gear, I knew I had to have this car...it was all over for me. I remember under WOT it would rapidly climb to about 2500 rpm, and then explode in the rpm, blow the tires off and settle in at about 6200rpm. Anyway, we went back and made the deal and I was the new, second owner of a '67 442 with 37K miles on it...$1200 in 1972. My grandfather was not pleased that my uncle had let me pay that much for a "five year old car with all those miles on it", but I was in heaven. He'd really been upset to know how many $$$ would be "invested" in it over time.

The car was a 400, 4-speed, with 3.90 rear. I didn't know a lot about cars at this point, but I knew "headers" when I saw them. I remember the owner telling me it had "C" heads that had been ported and polished (the big deal back then) and he said something about the cam being a Ram-Air or some high-perf upgrade...as best I can remember; all I know is, he said it wasn't stock. It also had an aluminum Edelbrock intake on it and a 780 Holley with this wierd looking "gear-type" thing which allowed the primary and secondaries to work together. I never got it to the track so I don't know what it really ran, but most of us back then had mid to low 13 second cars and I could hang with just about all of them. I wish I had some pictures of it or video like we do now...but ..oh well, we had phone booths!!

Fast forward to summer of 1973...I had been driving the car for 6-7 months. I was shifting it at 6500rpm all the time. One night while hanging out on Ritchie Highway, an older car guy asked me about the car and why the tach needle was set at 6500. I explained to him that was where I shifted. He then said something that has always stuck with me.."those Olds motors can't take that kind of rpm for long; 5000 rpm is about it." Well, it had taken it for this long so why worry. About two weeks later I was out cruising late on a Saturday night, and up comes this 350 Nova. We impressed each other at several red lights, and were having a lot of fun vulcanizing the highway. About the fifth light, in front of Anne's Dairy Creme, we roll out and get into it and away we go. Around top end of third gear I notice out the corner of my eye the oil pressure gage dropping from 60 pounds to about 20, but hell, I'm not gonna let that stop me (18 year old thought process) and I continued to hit 4th, then we had to slow for the next light. As I came to a stop, the oil pressure is now reading "0" and I hear this noise from the engine..sounded like someone was in there with a hammer beating along with the rpm. I rev'd the engine a little and the noise kept in synch. So I pull over in a gas station and called a buddy......he drives out to meet me, I start the car and ask "what's that??" He says to me "you blew your engine up." What??? what does that mean; if it's still running how is it blown up?? He explained to me I had just "blown it up" by running it too hard and was no longer any good and would need to come out. Holy **** Batman..this isn't good because I don't make enough to get a new engine. So I had it towed to the local "guru" who was know for his magic with Big Block Chevy engines.

First thing Monday morning I called him to tell him what was up; I went over and started the car and he said same thing as my buddy; said best thing would be to take the engine out and put a Chevy in it..?? I asked why and he explained (Okay Olds guys.....sit down and strap in..fair warning) that the "Oldsmo-trouble" engines were junk. He said they don't make anywhere near the power of a Chevy , they were a poor design and they can't turn any rpm and that's why it blew up." Hmmm....two "experts" had told me the same thing, so what's a dumbass kid to do but follow their advice. He told me I could pull the engine at his place if I came down Saturday afternoon. So I went down with another buddy and we pulled that engine. Then came another one of those moments "seared" into the memory. I can visualize this like it was yesterday..there was this 400 Olds motor, hanging from the cherry-picker....aluminum intake and distributor still on...I asked him what to do with it and he said (you guys really need to SIT DOWN now) "just drop it in the dumpster".. I can still see in my mind, as clear as can be, as we lowered that engine into a dumpster like a piece of common scrap junk and I remember thinking it was too bad we couldn't fix it, but after all...it was "blown up." So that move qualified as one of the dumbest things I have ever done with cars.

Over the years as I learned more about engines and started building my own, I get a little angry knowing that engine could have been fixed back then for about $200, worse case. It was nothing more than a rod or main bearing...one solid weekend of work, maybe a little machining required and I could have been back on the road, but the "guru" advised and I did what he said. Still pisses me off to think about it.

So..more of the young kid who "doesn't know about engine" stuff. The local Chevy guru says he has a 396 block and can build me a nice 396/375 that will run rings around that "Oldsmo-trouble", but he tells me I have to get pistons. I go to another local machine shop and they have a set of used pistons. I buy them with rings on, and before I leave the shop the guy tells me "the rings were only run for about 8 minutes at 8500 rpm in a boat race, but I'd replace them." SO I go back to guru and tell him what the guy said....which lead to another "moment" I remember as he held the pistons up to the light, inspecting the rings and said "these are still good; they haven't seated yet". Hell, he's the guru...who can argue with that logic.

continued on next post......I got a message it was too long!!

540 Olds

PART 2:

Long story short; I laid in the dirt/gravel driveway and wrestled that engine into the car, it sounded like a diesel from the day it started, ran like crap, never had the snap and response of the Olds 400, and burned a quart of oil every 100 miles until it finally dropped a valve while cruising at 2000 rpm about 5000 miles later. I would always ask him about the diesel noise and he said it was the "high compression pistons". It sounded awful all the time. When asked about the oil usage I was told "those chrome rings take a while to seat". Basically it was a junk engine, thrown together; a hand grenade with the pin pulled just waiting to go. When it went, it really "blew up"...dropped a valve, broke cam in three pieces, knocked out two cylinder walls, and broke two rods. Heads, crank , and six rods survived...my introduction to Big Block Chevy power!!!
"Oldsmotrouble", my ***!!

I went into the Air Force a short while after that; the car was just sitting at a friends house when my gearhead uncle put me in touch with a buddy he used to race with...another Chevy engine guy. We talked long distance from where I was stationed and he told me he'd build a nice 427 from the parts I had. I sent him $100 a month and returned home 9 months later to pick up the car. I started it up and it brought back memories of the 400 Olds engine..sounded very nice and smooth. I let it warm up, took it out, got rolling in second gear and stabbed the throttle leaving about 100 feet of rubber, and I was off. This guy built a real nice engine, sort of what I was expecting the first time around. This was summer of '74 and I drove the car as my daily transportation through college in Florida and summer job back home in Maryland until 1979. If I broke it on a Saturday night, it had to be fixed by Monday for work. I hauled it to Texas on a trailer when I re-enterd the USAF in September of 1979. Played around on the streets in Lubbock, TX, then out to Pheonix, AZ for another six months before heading overseas in 1981.

I came back from overseas in 1986. The car was then sitting in Phoenix, AZ since 1981 when I told my friend out there "I'll be back in 18 months".....I went to get it and was disappointed to see it. I left a cover with it, but they had moved it one day in 1982, and never put the cover on!! The AZ sun took it's toll on the factory paint and it had not been started for about three years. Undeterred, I put a new battery in it and replace a piece of fuel line from pump to carb, fired it up and drove it straight back to MD with 4.10 gears.

I was married by then but my wife knew nothing of this car. I got home and she asked what I was going to do with it...I said probably sell it. Went into garage one day to replace the cracked dashpad....told her I wouldn't be long. Well, you know how one thing leads to another..she came in to the garage about ten hours later to find the interior out, front end off and engine in the corner. I told her I was gonna "clean it up before selling it." Called my high school buddy who taught bodywork at a high school and he said bring it over. His students prepped it, he painted it, I put everything back together, and it was NICE all over again.

I took it out to a few cruises with thoughts of selling it, and I began to notice something; all the Chevelles, Camaros, GTO's, Mustangs....but I was usually the ONLY Olds in the lot. After a few weeks I came to my senses and decided to keep it. It was too nice to get rid of and there just weren't many of these around. At that time it still had the original wire-wheel hubcaps, factory 4-speed console, and original hood. I still have those parts in my shop now so I can make it look original in a few days...sort of......except for that automatic tranny. All the metal/glass is still same as when I bought it, interior panels are also original, but seats have been recovered and they need it again.

Since the restoration in 1988 I have built bigger engines up to the 540 we put in around '94. I went from a Muncie 4-speed to a Richmond 5-speed at one point, The 5-speed was great behind the 427, but the 540's torque "lathed" second gear twice from a 30mph roll, so I ended up with a Turbo 400 "just for a while until I find another manual tranny"...that was in '98. I stayed with the Chevy over the years because of parts availability and I was used to it by then.I replaced the factory hood with a 4" cowl fiber-glass hood because the 540 was too tall with a Dominator carb. I'd much rather have the original hood as it looked much better that way, and the big hump on the cowl hood destroys the "sleeper" appearance and does not appeal to me at all, but it's the only way for now to fit the carb and manifold.

Original rear came out years ago as wheel-hop took it's toll.(that's another story) Replaced it with a 12 bolt 4.10 posi, went to a 3.36 and is now a 3.73. The engine is basic 10.5-1 540 with aluminum Dart oval port heads and solid roller cam. With a 3.36 gear on Goodrich drag radials it has gone best of 10.81 at 127, that was 1000rpm below it's range with those gears; about ten years ago on 93 octane pump gas.

The 540 is currently out of the car in final stages of a freshen up; I had a mild 427 in there for a few years ,then about 3 months ago I swapped that out to put a mild 454 in. My son and I had built the 454 for a truck he was going to restore...it sat in a plastic bag in the corner for 3 years and I just had to get it running, so one afternoon several months ago I had a burst of energy(don't get those much at 56) and I swapped it out.

Most recent mod was installation of a Gear Vendors OD. I got a decent deal on a good used unit and "massaged" it in there. I had gone round 'n round about an OD tranny, 700R, 200R, 4L80E....?? but after all was said this was the best choice for me. I have about 50 miles on it and it does the "trick". Not as much OD as I'd like, but takes my 3.73 to a 2.90 and that seems to be fine.

Overall, through the years, I've had a ball with this car. Not to say there haven't been days when I ask "what the hell am I under here for" but it's now part of the family scenery. I'm glad I did not sell it..that would have topped the stupidity of scrapping the 400 engine; almost........

Anyway, I hope to make it to the local Olds club get together in October to see some other fine Oldsmobiles, and run mine down the track a few times.

Hope I didn't bore you .....

Bob

71 sienna supreme

Great story!!! It's great that you kept her and still having fun with your 442. It's sad to hear that you were talked into dumping the original
Olds 400 but live and learn. It would be good if you could add some pictures. Past n present.
Keep on Olds-ing!!

rocketraider

Well, you were introduced to "Chevy-think" at a young age. They don't know anything about anything but a Chevy, so that's the only engine they'll work on or recommend.

Oldsmo-trouble. Yeah right. Boy, I can tell you a lot of stories about 396 grenades, usually the same results you had. I never understood why people thought those engines were so badass, because the only thing I ever really saw them do was throw rods thru the side of the block. They're as bad or worse than a G-block Olds 400 in that respect.

Glad you grew up and found out just what an effin' idiot that "guru" really was. Before he dies, you really should go by and see him and tell him this same story, and tell him to bite your *** and bark at the hole. Then tell him you want your money back with interest for that junk engine he talked you into all those years ago.

Then, you can laugh in his face and walk off.

oldcutlass

Great story!!

Jamesbo

Great Story

Can I buy the movie rights?

Aron Nance

GREAT STORY, BOB! We look forward to more of the same at the Zone Show in October!
Aron

Run to Rund

Great story! Hope to see you at the Zone Show next month. I have also been subjected to "wisdom" from other-brand so-called gurus.

Back in 1973 I found not one but two of the factory-built 54 1966 W30s. After buying the first one in April, in the DC area, I took it home to W VA where I was in grad school. I told a Chubby guy who had a 1968 small block Camaro that he was safe for about another month until I got an engine built for the Olds. This guy was well known for Q Jet prowess in the local area, and his Camaro was a known contender. He sold it, and I had to teach the buyer all about Olds power, lol. I still remember a night we ran near the Arkright mine in the fog--we could barely see each other and had spotters make sure no one came onto the stretch while we were out there. . .

I have lots of stories too, like the time I beat a 454 Nova after breaking a valve spring--7 cylinders was enough. The owner dared me to come to Blacksville and race the "Black Deuce," a full-race (his term) 427 early Chevy II. Later I did meet up with it, at the local drag strip (Eldora) but we never raced one-on-one; I guess the Olds running .6 sec better was enough. . . Or the guy with the Hemi who thought he knew what he was doing (he obviously wasn't the guys from WV running SS/AH hemis today). I thought he broke because he was a number of cars behind my poor little Olds with its lowly wedge engine. Nope, he just didn't have a Hemi that ran like their reputation. . .

Redog

Good story indeed.

I get that "Chevy-thinking" from people all the time. esp when it comes to timing

drec02

I wouldn't be surprised if the guru didn't "unhoist" that 400 from the dumpster and polish the crank and replace the bearings. Your junk became his treasure! He knew what he was doing thats why he threw your replacement motor together so fast... to get rid of you before the garbage truck came through!

540 Olds

I have often wondered the same thing...

Bob

Vega

Chevy guys hate Ford guys and Ford guys hate Chevy guys and...neither of them are anything special hahaha. I wont lie, it was my friend's 72' 454 Chevelle that got me obsessed with an A-body build, but after going to a car show in small-time Mooresville Indiana and seeing 4 Chevelles and 5 GTOs i knew i didnt want either of those and that narrowed it down to 2. Ive always been a huge fan of stroker motors and since Olds had the longest 455 stroke and Buick had the shortest that made my mind up. Soon i found a 455 long block for $100, snatched it up, and its been a blast ever since. Try finding a big block chevy for $100, wont happen. Its terrible even the 350 Chevy blocks alone go for more than $100. So expensive and so common and sooo vanilla. Besides i love knowing about a brand nobody knows anything about, its just not as cool if there's 5 people doing the exact same build as you just a few miles down the road. And i love even more the Olds rebuild stories you find all over the web saying "the motor put out such-n-such torque, but we'll never know what the true torque is because the dyno couldnt hold the torque under such-n-such RPM" (typically more than halfway through the Olds powerband).

I will admit i was originally a Pontiac loyalist. But even Pontiacs are getting too common for me anymore. Aside from the fact that they seem like the new "in thing" offbrand being discovered, those 400s and T/As are just everywhere. Ironicly, my uncle's fondest hot-rod memories came from a 79' T/A...with a built 403 Olds >=} muhaha

540 Olds

Doing a little cowl tag research today. My car has a 5VP on it. Does anyone know what a "P" designator might be?? Car was built in Framingham, and all the other data matches what the car was as far as color, interior, seats, tinted glass, 442 option...but that "P" is unknown.

I have a nice M-22 sitting in the corner...all I need is a 400 Olds engine..maybe one day in the future I'll go "full circle".

Thanks,

Bob

Jetstar 88

That's one heck of a story... and i'm glad you've kept the car for so long. So many stories like these end up with the car on the way to the crusher, or sitting in a backyard, rotting into oblivion.
Here's to you getting the 400/4-speed back in it, with, of course, a four-barrel and dual exhausts.

tru-blue 442

I really enjoyed reading your story Bob.
Looking forward to the pics you will post.
I really miss my 66 442. Ah well...

JCMC64

Awesome, awesome story! You got to post some pics Bob!
That story does play like a movie. I can see the script now, weave a story around this car, like what James Cameron did with Titanic.

Post some pics!

JC

J-(Chicago)

http://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/pts/2852130850.html

I saw a short block on CL yesterday.

VORTECPRO

Wow Bob, I never knew...........

tru-blue 442

Whatever happened to Bob and his Olds anyway?

VORTECPRO

Bob, oh hes around, he shows up at my shop ocassionally.

m371961

Glad this was resurected. I may have seen this car in 73, somewhere between Dunkin Doughnuts and Anne's on Ritchie Hwy. Everyone raced light to light, and slowed down at Dunkin's, as that was where the cops hung out.