Also I would like to point out, everyone who comes by the shop says either "is that a nova?" or, "what is that nova looking thing out there?" I tell them, its my OLDSMOBILE Omega haha, and that im putting a 455 in it, all they can say is "wow, good luck not getting a ticket haha"

 

No problem! I already added a link to this thread for over there. All good!
This is fun for me to watch as most the time a car gets sold and you never see it again.

 

Ordered my headers today from mondello, and I ordered a solid motor mount from dick miller yesterday. cant wait to get some parts rollin in! this weekend im probably not gonna get much done on the car, because I have to go to toppenish to get a factory rollbar for my truck haha

 

Savings = gone
Paycheck = gone.

Bring on the top ramen.

 

Also I ask the oldsmobile community to help me think of a nick name for this thing, theres a guy who races here with a dart, its called the lemon twister, cause its yellow. Needs to be oldsmobile related though, Im the ONLY guy who races an olds engine at our track haha.

 

How about " LiL Olds' Bastard", since so many Olds guys say the Omega is not a real OLDs. I sold a 73 Omega in the exact trim as yours, and I regret it.

 

Coming along nicely ...

I still on the fence on whether I like the Manual steering in my Nova over having Power steering in the Omega.

Good luck correcting when you're in a fishtail with manual .... : (

Whatcha got for brakes in the Omega? I read manual somewhere .... manual drums all around or do you have disc in the front ??

Always wondered what manual discs would be like ....

 

Lol lil olds bastard wasnt really what I was thinking, and as far as being a real oldsmobile or not, If it says olds on the side of the car, and has an engine between 260, and 455 cubic inches from the factory, its real to me.

The omega has drum all the way around, Ill probably get the conversion brackets from scarebird classic brakes for the front, and eventually ill do disc in the rear too. I have a buddy with a dart, factory manual disc's it stops pretty nicely without a ton of pedal effort.

 

and it is manual. once i convert everything to disc, if i dont like it, I have a 10" or a 9" brake booster I got out of a camaro awhile back. Ill probably slam that in

 

Headers showed up today. Mondello said they would fit without modifications. They look a lot like the ones I already had, but they say 74 omega 455 on the invoice. Little scared. Just waiting for my solid mount from DMR. and ill throw it all together. hopefully they go in like throwin a ball down a hallway. second? haha

 

Are you going to use this as a street/strip ride or just for the track?

Nice progress so far, keep the pics coming!

 

Hey thanks for the interest! Its a street strip vehicle for sure. Like i said in the last post, I got my headers, but im STILL waiting for my motor mount. Dick was out of them, never bothered to tell me till I called and asked where it was, only to have him tell me its leaving the same day. Should be here tomorrow, I hope. Havent touched the car since my last update. Rode in my buddys 4 speed dart today, I really, really, need to get this car going and show him whats up!

 

solid mount showed up, just like the a body mount but a bit taller. new rubber passenger side
0315121708.jpg

 

ever since I Have dropped this engine in, its looked crooked, and in changing the motor mounts, I just about had a brain embolism trying to line everything up, but I got it. but the mondello headers didnt fit, they said they would. so i undid everything tried this

0315122149.jpg

Header still doesnt fit, but its closer. also the motor mounts were 100 times easier to line up. I think theres supposed to be a spacer in here on the Omega, any thoughts anyone? gonna call mondello tomorrow, ask wtf mate

 

I wish I had a better picture for you, but here is the spacer on the drivers side on my 350
New motor 175.jpg

New motor 191.jpg

 

Pretty sure there is a big round spacer on my work bench. Had no idea what it was or where it came from.
Let me know if you what me to ship it your way.

 

Nonhog and 74 omega. I lOVE YOU GUYS hahaha that just made my day. I called mondello and all they said was, they fit, you tried to install them, they are yours. Nonhog, I would love it if you could send me that spacer. Let me know what I need to pay. that way once it gets here, I can duplicate it, and put one on each bolt. 74 omega, whats that bracket that bolts to the front motor mount bolt?

 

I hate cell phones! Just got your text from yesterday.(and todays)
I'll send that spacer who knows maybe I'll find the other one also.
Might be stuck to the greasy 350 in my trailer. LOL
I think the bracket in question might be a P/S pump reinforcement?

 

And Mondello wonders why they have the reputation they have.

You should have told Welfringer to bring his greasy *** over there and show you how they fit. More to the point PROVE to you they fit.

That outfit went straight to hell when Joe turned it over to Lynn. I was lucky enough to get my stuff when Joe was still actively involved.

Anyway- your "Nova looking thing" is going to be a blast when you get everything sorted out.

 

Hey rocketraider thanks! i think it will be a blast too. Nonhog, and 74, do either one of you know how think that spacer is so I have something to do tonight and saturday? i can make something for now, until i get the hardware thats correct. got the passenger side in. but, that was never a problem

 

Be a couple of hours till I can measure it.

 

Yes the bracket is the power steering pump....I'll look for extra spacers tonight, see if I can give you a measurement

 

sweet thanks guys. ill be looking forward to finding out what it is. Im gonna assume, 3/4"? I did some reading on nova's with big blocks, they are spaced like, an inch to the right.

 

I want to try and at least test drive this thing this weekend.

0316121241.jpg

mms95picture-2.jpg

 

Looks like 3/4" to me.
Probably be Monday before I could ship it. Only see the 1.

 

 

Part Number: RW81Engine mount adapter kit for installing an Oldsmobile 350 or 403 engine. $139.99
QTY:



Add to

 

arent those for a trans am with an olds in it?

Thanks Nonhog, whenever is fine, you have been more than helpful since day one.

 

Yes they are, I got mine from a member on here or ROP. But found you can get them from Year One, if I do this again. Just have to order the rubber motor mount that bolts to the frame for a 78-80 Trans Am with a 403. Same sub frame as our 75-79 Omega. I know you are going to get this done, but if you could find a sub frame from a later model it moves your steering box in front of the crossmember and out of the way of your headers. Here I could get one at a local you pull it yard for 100.

 

I thought about that, but it just being so much work, im trying to avoid it, although it really might be the way to go. the difference being 75 and up are front steer right?

either way, the first thing that needs to happen is i need to send mondello an email. I spaced my engine 3/4's of an inch, to the passenger side. this is what I get.

0316122155.jpg

0316122156.jpg

 

its really too bad i cut up my cutlass header trying to modify it, because it was close with the engine crooked! now that the engine is spaced, i bet it fits fine.

 

Is anything else in the way besides the steering box? If you don't have your motor and trans bolted in, to swap to the later model front clip is a breeze. The core support bolts and body to subframe bolts and the rag joint on the steering column. If you do it your going to say man this would have saved alot of time and expense. I like the way the front of the earlier Omega's more than my 78. I wish i could find a 74 and see if I could replace my 78 front cap with it. I did buy the front frame section from a 79 Camaro in case I ever find a older Omega.

 

Yea its all together, the only thing keeping me from driving it is the headers, and some more wiring haha. im so maddddd!!!!!

 

well im back from kentucky, i sent my headers back to mondello, they said they would look at them, and see what we could do, i assured lynn, they didnt fit, and they payed to have them shipped back. although now that im back at work, i realize i forgot to include the bolts. oops. oh well, ill send those back if they need them. regardless, i still dont have headers that fit. also nonhog, thankyou so much again for sending me pieces that i need.
once i get payed i guess ill get my subframe connectors. but this header situation sucks. now that the engine is spaced to the passenger side, i bet the cutlass headers would fit, but of course i cut those up in frustration

 

hope you get the header situation behind you quickly. Anxious to keep reading updates!

 

Anxious to start posting updates!

 

Hmm . . . the frame mounts are like the 68-72 a-body style with no rubber in them? I need to look at my 73 olds omegas motor mounts. I thought they changed in 73. But obviously I must be wrong. I know my 78 has the rubber style mounted to the frame and the metal ones 78 olds 468 showed.

This setup is for a small block chevy im my 78 olds omega but the frame mount should be similar. The solid motor mount would be the olds style.

But the subframe is obviously different as it is the 75 up style and not the earlier style.

78oldsSXracecar005.jpg


Here is another pic.

78oldsSXracecar008.jpg

 

yea my buddy has a 75 nova i was lookin over. as much as i would like to go through all the trouble to just have a front steer setup, its just a lot of work, so i talked to lynn, he thinks hooker misboxed the headers. so hes getting me another set to try and install. if you have to deal with mondello, lynn is the guy to talk to.

 

Very cool post. Keep up the work. i dig the Omegas....I don't think I have seen one on the road here in L.A. For at least 10 years.

 

Sub frame connectors showed up today, thanks to jegs online price match i got them for 335 roughly. i also won one hell of an auction on ebay. 4 weld draglites, 3.5 wide for the front, 8 wide for the rear, 4.5 backspacing, should barely fit according to all the stuff i have read on novas. if not, ill make them fit