Good to see you back Fritz, will keep an eye out for an engine for your car. Is a 40 engine of the same displacement, there might be one available. I'll check it out.

 

Fritz,
Sorry to hear the engines are different as I sure would have liked to help out. The price would have been shipping as it isn't doing me any good lying in the corner of my garage. The transmission was a three speed I think but would have to check it for sure. It was one of the "new" automatics that were offered by Oldsmobile after the war so for sure it would not have been available on your '36. I hope you find the correct engine and good luck.

 

Thanks anyway Dan! Your price is hard to pass up! If I was local I might have to give it a 2nd thought. But as long as I'm doing it I want to do it right. In the end, the engine and trans won't be numbers matching but it'll be year and equipment correct which is as close as I'll be able to get to pure original.

Pat--
I'll take another look at my book to see what they say about the '40 straight 6. They give the full tech breakdown by year and model. As we know, the '39 is a 1 year specific vehicle but not sure if that is body and interior only or if that includes the engine as well.

Fritz

 

Pat--

I pulled my Oldsmobile book out again last nite to see what they say about the '40 inline 6. Seems this engine is a much closer match to my '39. There are very slight differences such as total horse power - 90 @ 3500 rpm for the '39 and 95 @ 3200 rpm for the '40. But it appears they share the same carb and most internals.

I'd be interested in this one if it's available. Where abouts is it located? I'm in Ohio.

Fritz

 

I'll go back through my e-mails. It was on a craig's list posting from a friend who knows I am into Olds. I think it is on the west coast, and if it is it would cost a lot for shipping because of the weight. I'll let you know.

 

Fritz if you are looking to put the car back original, I would take Dan up on his offer. Chances of finding a complete and rebuildable 60 year old engine and tranny are pretty slim. If the displacement and carb are the only differences, that ain't much. Unless you are planning on restoring this car to a 100 point car, it won't matter. You may be holding out for some time. It is your car so do what makes you happy.

 

Nice car Fritz. I share your vision too. If it was mine, I would definitely put the original interior back in it (the seats look like they don't belong) and the original drivetrain. Good luck finding the original engine and trans. If I hear of anything around these parts, I'll let you know.

 

Ok. I'll give Dans offer further consideration. I've got some time over the long weekend so I'll do a little more research to make sure the motor mounts are the same and try to determine if overall appearance is the same. I seem to be having some trouble finding good photo's of an original '39 in line 6. I have promo's from the day but none of them are full color photos. Guess they didn't have the technology to mass print color photos in '39.

I was told by an expert in classic Chevys that GM used the same in-line 6 in many different models and divisions like they do today. He seemed to think they're a dime a dozen out there! I haven't been searching long enuf to know if he's correct or not.

Dan--
Would you happen to have some photo's of you're engine that you could email over to me?? fritz2102@yahoo.com

Thanks all!
Fritz

 

Well, I couldn't wait for the long weekend so I decided to look thru my books again tonight. Turns out Olds offered an engine upgrade in '39 to a more powerful inline 6. Here's how they're listed in "The Standard Catalog of Oldsmobile":

'39 - Inline, L-head. Six. Cast iron block. B & S: 3-7/16 x 4-1/8 in. Disp.: 230 cu. in. C.R.: 6.1:1. Brake HP.: 95 @ 3400 R.P.M. 4 main bearings. Valve lifters: steel spherical mushroom. Carb.: 1-1/4 single downdraft w/automatic choke.

'46 - Inline, L-head. Six. Cast iron block. B & S: 3-1/2 x 4-1/8 in. Disp.: 238 cid. C.R.: 6.5:1. Brake HP: 100 @ 3400 R.P.M. Five main bearings. Solid valve lifters. Carb.: Carter one-barrel Model WA1-504S.

What I wasn't able to determine is if the motor mount brackets are the same. Can't imagine they'd be any different but then again the front end framework of the '39 may be different than the '46. I do know from working on the front suspension last spring that my '39 has the same suspension components such as lower A arms, king pins, shocks, tie rods and ends, etc. as all Olds up to the early '50's. So possibly the frame and motor mounts are the same as well.

I don't know enuf about engines to fully understand the significance of these differences. Sounds to me that things like 5 main bearings instead of 4 and solid valve lifters are unnoticable improvements over '39 technology.

Dan--your offer is sounding better every day! If anyone here who understands these engines better than I can clarify some of these difference, please jump in. Here are a few more photos I took this past summer.