dholmes898

Hello I have an 1970 Cutlass S. I really do not know what the Block # are because I do not know where to exactly look. I was told it was the correct year motor. I will like to get more Hp out of the engine without having to pull it.I am a college student so my fund are not that abundant but I have a little over $1000 to spend. My teammate has an nice 1986 cutlass but put an (up for debate) 383 chevy stroker engine in it. I would like to show him a thing or two if possible. Thanks!!

P.S. His engine has an 600cfm Holley Double pumper on it. I did not know a 383 can run off that!!

dholmes898

It is a 350 engine.

J-(Chicago)

First of all...
Thank you for wanting to keep the car Olds powered.

Second, the block number is behind the water pump next to the oil fill tube.
Right on top, just scrape off the crud.

I don't know if a grand is gonna cut it to beat that 383 however.
How old is his motor, and what rear end gears is he running? It seems he has you beat in the weight category too. An 86 is for sure a lighter car than a 70.

dholmes898

I figured that but more power is always good in my book. Did I add that he says it is a $10,000 engine. He says it has an Posi unit with 4.11 gears in it with 22" rims on it. I just dont think it is what he say it is! He does drive the car everyday.

J-(Chicago)

Well, for 10 grand, that motor should wipe his fanny for him. Seems kinda ridiculous just for a daily driver chevy motor. From the sound of things so far, it'd be nice to shut him up by dusting it for dirt cheap. Especially if he's one of the types that got all that wasted money from his parents. I Don't know if he's a cool guy or not.
Unfortunately, I'd say you'd need a rough money figure around 4 or 5 grand to build your 350up to racing status. Some people with better hook-ups in the racing field might quote it better however.
See if he has any strip time with the car and what time it does in a quarter mile, and we'll see how far out of reach his ride is for yours.

Where are you located?

88 coupe

Not much different than a 355. On the street, 600 CFM is all it needs. Obviously, he doesn't know that vacuum secondaries would have been the better choice.

383? Stroker? 4.11? 10 grand? Looks like he knows all the magic words. I think he is a BS artist.

Show him a thing or two? Assuming no labor costs, 1 grand worth of bolt ons won't make up for the weight difference.

Norm

Oldsguy

I would recommend that you first determine what is most important to you. To literally and really build a car that will truly go faster than his chevy powered Olds (then the question would be under what circumstances i.e. 1/4 mile run at the track or 5 mile run on the interstate?), or to build a car that would give you satisfaction regardless of what your buddy thinks. I suspect your phrase "I would like to show him a thing or two if possible." was more rhetorical in nature. Let us know what you would really want from your car, give us some more specifics about it's condition, and then we'll try to go from there. Good luck.

dholmes898

I am located in atlanta, Ga. I will like to start off with a new intake, Quadra-jet carb, Cam and lifter kit. I just really like power to sum it all up and if I can shut somebody up while doing that its GREAT! I also have another $1000 or so for the rear end like posi and 3.42 or 3.55 gears. I really appreciate everybody’s input! I was going to do the body first but I figured the best looking warrior is nothing without a HEART!

Oldsguy

Well, it sounds like you have thought about it and are headed in the right direction. For a bang for your buck you might check out the performer packages sold by Edelbrock. Not trying to sell one to you, just an option. If you shop around you might find a carb, intake, and cam for a cheaper price. Get yourself a Jegs, a Summit Racing, and a Speedway catalogue and start reading and comparing. You might find a better deal at a local shop but catalogues are cheap and fun to look at.

dholmes898

Great news. I have came in contact with a guy that say he has a 1970 4-4-2 455 engine that he is willing to sell me for a awesome price but the heads are not correct. He will be calling me to give me the Block and heads number soon so I can verify what I will be getting. How much does a rebuild usually run?

Olds64

I am starting a rebuild next week on my 455 and the machinist said his customers end up spending $1800-$3000 on machine work, internal parts, and assembly. This figure doesn't include carburetor, intake, headers, aftermarket oil pan, starter, water pump, and distributor.

dholmes898

The block number is 396021F and the heads are J 417764. What do you guys think about those numbers?

J-(Chicago)

Good News.
Your motor is not a 350.
That casting number makes it an Olds 455 motor.
You will DEFINITLY be able to dust that Chebby with that motor with some elbow grease.
The J heads are not the best of the bunch, but hey, you have plenty to work with anyway.

dholmes898

i checked the summit catalog for a Performer Package for my car but i did not see one! Is this something I can put together myself if so what parts do I have to purchase?

Oldsguy

Well, they sell the carburetor and manifold as a package and supposedly the price is good. I have always purchased my manifolds and carburetors from different sources at different times. You did see them in the catalog corrrect? Just not for your application? You are basically buying a perfomer manifold and one of their Edelbrock carburetors chosen based on engine size and throttle/kickdown requirements. You could always buy them seperately. As to feeling comfortable installing them, I don't know you or your ablities. If you don't feel good about doing it alone, you should get help.

dar83501

those big wheels are going to slow him down - a lot.

I paid $800.00 for an engine that will slap that stroker around like it was a four banger.

Big Block 455 all the way.

Redog

383 stroker does have a lot of torque.

4.10 gears, on a street car? I kinda doubt that, unless he's got a 4l80e tranny. With those gears, even with an overdrive, he'd be turning a lot of RPMs on the interstate.

And the 22 inch wheels. Probably paid 2 to 3 grand right there. Regular rims and tires are in the $1000 to $1200 price range right there.

Have you ever followed him on the highway or heard the car idle? I have a guy at work that says his 88 Camaro (not a Z-28) will beat me in the 1/4 mile, but yet he won't meet me at the track

dholmes898

His car always sounds like it about to turn off like its choking or something.