Limey

A friend keeps insisting to call my 350 a rocket motor is he true in calling it this, for he said that Oldsmobile calls all there 350 motors.

Remember I am new to Oldsmobile but I thought there was a designated amount of 350 rocket compared to the original 350

RAMBOW

Physically it is a 350 ci motor.

Oldsmobile Called their motors "Rockets" where-as Chevy called theirs "TurboJet & TurboFire" ... I'm sure buick and pontiac had a name for theirs as well.

People refer to Olds 350s and 455s as "Rocket 350" or "Rocket 455" to help differentiate them from all the other 350's (Chevy, Buick, pontiac all had 350 ci motors) and all the other 400's and 455's.

Does that make any sense?

So you can call it whatever you want- If you like Rocket 350, or just Rocket or just 350. They are all correct.

BlackGold

From the introduction of the first high-compression, overhead-valve V8 in 1949, until the last 307 was shipped (1988 or '89?), Olds marketed every single one of their V8s as Rockets, though some years they pushed this term more than others.

I once sold a totalled '72 Cutlass S with a 2-bbl 350. The buyer argued with me about the fact I had advertised it as having a Rocket 350. He insisted that only 4-bbl engines were rockets. He was wrong. I don't know why he cared, since he was going to install the Olds 350 into a Buick.

airmale

All the answers are correct and theres no such thing as a stupid question

1969w3155

I have had people think that the "Rocket" had a different valve train and valve covers...go figure.

Limey

ok thanks for clearing that up ..

joe_padavano

EVERY SINGLE Olds V8 since 1949 was called a "Rocket V8" (except for the 215, which was the "Rockette"). The name is pure marketing and means NOTHING as far as performance is concerned.