Hello,



Before I start...there are a lot of threads on this subject...especially about the merits of the March system. I am not going after that here...I am trying to find options outside of the ones listed below that are currently in production.

I'm currently building a '72 Cutlass S into a light pro-touring/autocross car. Body work is about to be finished, rolling chassis is completed and my builder is buttoning up the top end of the engine now. Instead of going the LS or 455 route, I thought we would do something a bit different and just build the daylights (still a street car) out of the original 350.

My problem is that I cannot seem to find a good looking front drive/pulley kit for that motor running AC (Sanden compressor with Vintage Air and Mondello tall valve covers). Here is what I have found and the issues I am having with them.

March Perf.
-Style Track - Some guys love it...I think the enormous front bracket looks like an early 90s tribal tattoo (no offense just not whatt I am going for especially with that price tag)
-Smaller Kit (name eluding me) - Great looking kit with a lot less hardware but only available without AC

Mondello
-Snuck out early on a work trip and visited them in person to take a look. The parts look great but it is mainly built for 455s or atleast that's where it seems the demand is. The 330/350 set up looks good except for the fact that you have to use a 'bent' oil fill tube (they have a sock one that fits off of a 400) to clear the sanden compressor...or you shave the ear off a brand new compressor. Its also priced at around $2K

Ram Air Restoration
-Seem to have a great factory replacement kit but they just discontinued their PS pulley and don't currently have any left...

Dick Miller
-Serpentine set up but can't be used with AC from what I see.

So my questions is, if you are looking to 'clean up' the engine bay a bit in an A or G body Olds, what have you gone with? Can we see some pictures?

Thanks!

 

Didn't like the answers you got in this thread?

 

March?
Be prepared to re-engineer the entire thing and buy proper fasteners.
This was my mopar experience.

 

Haha how did I know that was coming Joe . The thread responses included 4 options...those 4 options are either not in production, use to many idlers or have the angled oil fill.

I'd personally rather have another option so I created this for guys to share pictures..I hope that isn't completely redundant.

 

Here is my CVF Racing setup , but I don't have A/C.

 

That looks really clean...according to their website it doesn't look like they have an AC option...might give them a call to see what they think.


Thanks for posting the pic!

 

The ribbed belt setup from Dick Miller does support AC, but it remains a v-belt, and in the stock location. It's not a serpentine setup.

The Mondello setup is ridiculous, no other way to put that.

The March Style Track setup is good, but I too don't like that big honkin' bracket on the front. And I too have heard there are issues with their' kits. The Ultra kit doesn't have AC provisions, but the Style Track does.

A serpentine setup doesn't have to have a reverse rotation water pump to qualify as a 'true' serpentine setup, to qualify, it basically just needs to be one belt to drive all the accessories. The term 'serpentine' comes from the way it wraps around to route between all the accessories.

Billet Specialties is supposed to be working on an Olds kit, they are the best kits out there, but hang on to your butt, because they are the most expensive. My understanding is the Olds kits won't be available for another year.

Didn't realize CVF had a setup for Olds, I don't see it on their' website, would have probably looked at that before I got the Dick Miller setup. I was planning to run one of those setups on my Pontiac, all the reviews I've heard from the Pontiac crowd says they are nice, functional, and great customer service. The Pontiac setup is serpentine.

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I have the other March set up and like Octania said be prepared to re-engineer it. You can forget calling March for any non-canned answers too. Technical monkeys over there.
My heads are 1/2 inch taller and I'm using Offenhauser valve covers and I had to machine down several ribs to clear. However you can purchase longer turnbuckles to push the AC compressor higher to a degree.

 

Thanks Guys! HWYSTRR do you happen to have a picture of your set up? I am looking into this DMR kit but I don't know what I would do for an AC bracket because I have to use the taller valve covers for clearance.


I also gave Billet Specialties a call yesterday and they were pretty tight lipped...definitely not something in the near future.

 

Doing the install now, and will write a review. I searched for reviews and pics and didn't really find anything helpful, so I will be the sucker to fill that gap. I will say that it's not a simple bolt on, and I am pretty disappointed. Not sure if I will send it back yet or not, want to call first and see if maybe I received the wrong ones or I'm doing something wrong. Want to give the vendor an opportunity to make it right too.

If I bail on the DMR setup, I will be calling CVF, I've heard good reviews on their' service and products.

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The CVF Racing setup looks nice, too bad there isn't an Olds Serpentine set up like for Pontiac. I am almost positive the CVF crank pulley is the same as the used March pulley purchased to replace my ridiculous under drive crank pulley, same as the Mondello one. Under driven compared to the factory big A/C crank pulleys but similar to the deep geared performance engines.

 

My Dick Miller pulley review as reference:

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...ey-review.html

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