I was just thinking about the 68 F85 I bought after I got after I got out of the Navy. I think the thread about the color of the 6 in the 70 Cutlass reminded me of it. I am curious, would a "Chevy" powerglide be behind a "Chevy" 6 in a late 60's F85, or a jetaway?

 

Greg, I am pretty sure it was a Jetaway. I don't think Olds ever used Powerglide transmissions. One of the experts will speak up.

 

This is actually a pretty good question. I'd have to assume that any Olds application that received a Chevy 6 (after the V-6 was retired) would have been equipped with a PG -- GM wouldn't have bothered to adapt a Jetaway to the Chevy engine.

 

I know for a fact that they did cast a POWERGLIDE (not a Jetaway) transmission with a BOP bellhousing.

When I worked at Coan years ago there were several racks full over them. At that time, there were around 15k core transmissions in the warehouse, maybe 75-100 were the BOP glides. Unfortunately, this was long before cell phone cameras were common, so I don’t have pictures.

 

This should clear things up Jetaway it is.

 

I checked every Olds brochure on wildaboutcars from 66 thru 72 when the "Action Line" six was offered.
From 1966 thru 1969 a Jetaway trans was offered behind the six. 1970 thru 1972 a turbo 350 was offered as an automatic.
Oldsmobile never offered a Powerglide
In the 1967 brochure the picture of the trans looks like a "dual pattern " trans. Able to bolt to either BOP or Chevy blocks.
1967_Olds_All_Lines_Prestige_Large_Format_1-48C.pdf (wildaboutcarsonline.com).

 

My son bought a 67 F85 with the 250 cu. in. 6 cyl. The transmission was a Jetaway that had the dual bolt pattern. I still have the transmission but the car is long gone.

 

Àny 6 cylinder 250 would be a chevy powerglide.

 

That's what I would have thought, but take another look at posts #5 and 6.

EDIT: On second thought, is it not possible that Olds just used Powerglides and called them Jetaways to maintain the Olds identity? My recollection is that the ratios were the same in both transmissions, so that's no clue.

 

No, because that would have been a lie. See the Delta 88s with Chevy engines controversy. They would have called it something euphemistically accurate, like a Dearborn transmission for the Ford Top Loader. Maybe the Ypsilanti Transmission.

 

The ST300 (Jetaway) used behind the six had a dual bolt pattern bellhousing. There was a small closeout plate that went at the top. This is shown in the PIM. These were not switch pitch.

 

Yep, clear as mud. I would think a dual bolt pattern would make since. My 70 Vista with 350 had a dual pattern T375, though not sure why. But I am still curious. That old 68 F85 was a beater and had a 2 speed auto that I of course thought was a powerglide cuz back then everyone called a 2 speed in a GM car a PG- But that is wrong I now know. I never looked underneath it and had no trans problems. It was a good old winter beater that kept me out of trouble. Oh it would slip the right rear tire on ice, on wet pavement- No....

 

Oh that just came up as I was typing, Thanks Joe.

 

All of the powerglide transmissions I have ever seen had the word "Powerglide" cast into the top of the housing. This trans does not have that, and driving the car was a real indication it was not a powerglide.

 

Only Chevy used the Powerglide. Olds, Pontiac and Buick, used Buick's Super Turbine 300, called the Jet A Way by Olds.

 

Even when Olds used Chevy engines?

 

In the first generation of Buick Specials through 63, Buick used the Dual Path, In 64, Buick went to the Super Turbine 400 and Super Turbine 300.

 

Which was the same transmission as the Jetaway under discussion.

 

Yes, as mentioned, the Jetaway had a dual pattern case that fit either BOP or Chevy blocks.

 

One more time. Oldsmobile NEVER used a Powerglide, ever. There is no fuzz on this.

 

Next time I’m at Coan, I’m going to see if I can go in the warehouse and take some pics. I’m very well aware of what a Jetaway and Powerglide trans looks like, and know the differences.

 

There was a discussion on V8 Buick as well discussing this.

 

I posted photos of the unisex ST300 above

 

The fire in the hydramatic plant was in 1953. There are contemporary news reports of that event.




There are no such reports from the 1970s.

 

After the fire in the hydra-matic plant in 1953, Pontiac used Powerglides and Olds and Cadillac used Dynaflows. That is pretty well known.

 

I don’t know if anyone knows Dave Coan, the man is TIGHT with his money. I’m guessing that’s how he managed to acquire so much of it. I guarantee if some accepted a ST300 or Jetaway as a core, or Dave paid Powerglide core charge money for something other than a glide, it would only happen once. The next time, he would have kicked you to the curb, or taken the money from your paycheck.

All I can say with certainty is they DID cast Powerglides with a BOP bellhousing pattern. I have seen them, I have taken them apart. I know the difference between a glide and a jetaway. If you know what your looking at, it’s pretty hard to confuse them.

I have no clue if Coan still has any in the warehouse. If so, I’m taking some detailed pictures.

Im not imagining or making this up. Kinda like the solid main web 403 block, until I see one I say it’s a myth. I have personally had my hands on a BOP glide.

 

Sure would be interesting to know what engine it was meant to go behind and in what car.

 

No one ever said the PG didn't come with a BOP bell. Pontiac used Powerglides. Oldsmobile, however, NEVER used a PG trans.

 

I'll add that pretty much every Pontiac "Powerglide" has ended up being an ST300. Here's an example. Note that the modulator is on the passenger side. Also note the short tailhousing.





A real PG has the modulator on the driver side and a much longer tailhousing.





And to settle this once and for all, here are photos of a unicase Powerglide. Note the driver side modulator and longer tailhousing.

 

Which made me realize that I used a GTO book when I stated that Pontiac, along with Old and Buick used the ST300. I did not think about lesser Pontiac models.