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Engine Of The Day: Oldsmobile Generation 2 V8

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oldgraygeek
07/11/09

In reply to Engine Of The Day: Oldsmobile Generation 2 V8
I remember my best friend's 1980 Toronado.

He bought it with an Olds 350. We decided to put a 403 in it, but the rebuilt engine he bought came with a loud piston slap. He had a '68 Delta on his repair shop lot, with a 455 in it... so guess what we put in the Toronado?

By the time he got done, it had 2-barrel Holley ProJection, the 2-1/2" exhaust system from the diesel models, and the strongest TH325 transaxle he knew how to build. His favorite trick was to lay rubber at 60 miles per hour, by flooring the car at speed. If you floored it from a standing start, it wouldn't move: it would just hide itself in a cloud of tire smoke.

He went through transmissions, differential housings, and outer CV joints like they were going out of style... it's a good thing he knew how to rebuild and replace all of the above. The one part he never broke was that 455 motor: it just kept on destroying the parts behind it.
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mytdawg
07/11/09

In reply to Engine Of The Day: Oldsmobile Generation 2 V8
From the home of Oldsmobile, thanks for the write up. One of my favorite engines ever. From the 69 Delta to the 85 Cutlass I loved every one I had. I miss my 455, sniff...

If I ever get it back, it's going in the Corvette - heh.
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Edited by mytdawg at 07/11/09 1:47 PM mytdawg was starred mytdawg was unstarred

badco/LoJ
07/11/09

In reply to Engine Of The Day: Oldsmobile Generation 2 V8
I think the 400 Pontiac mill in the late '70's Trans Am was the "6.6 T/A" motor.
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mytdawg
07/11/09

@badco/LoJ: Both of them were. The Pontiac motor was in the standards and the Olds were in the automatic. 400 or 403=6.6
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If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face
07/11/09

In reply to Engine Of The Day: Oldsmobile Generation 2 V8
I miss the divisional GM V8s so much. That's why buying an Olds over a Chevy actually meant something...well, until they started slipping Chevy 350s into Delta 88s without telling anybody...
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despisethesun
07/11/09

In reply to Engine Of The Day: Oldsmobile Generation 2 V8
Pontiac also offered their own 400 engine in the Firebird/Trans Am up until 1980. Not all of the 6.6L badges meant Olds power.

And I've posted about it a few times, but the Olds diesel 350 was only terrible for a diesel engine. Strip it down to the block and you have a solid, durable foundation for a big power Olds small block, running on gasoline, of course. They can be bored out more than some aftermarket Chevy blocks and will take all kinds of crazy abuse.
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Murilee Martin
07/11/09

@despisethesun: Didn't the 400 cars get "6.5 Litre" emblems? Here in California, the 400 couldn't pass smog standards, so all our Malaise Trans Ams had the 403s.
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despisethesun
07/11/09

@Murilee Martin: I'm pretty sure it was 6.6. I found a website that says that the exact marking on the scoop was different depending on what was under the hood, but the L78 400 and the 403 apparently shared the same markings. Clicky

Edit: New commenting system apparently doesn't automatically convert URLs to links. Among its many flaws.
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Edited by despisethesun at 07/11/09 2:29 PM despisethesun was starred despisethesun was unstarred

TexanIdiot25- needs moar horse powah
07/11/09

In reply to Engine Of The Day: Oldsmobile Generation 2 V8
I would really love to drop a Buick Nail Head or an Olds V8 into a farm-truck C10 (aka, the OK C10 from a few weeks ago), and run it hard to be different.

Or a Cadi big block, a few guys are doing that now for drag racing..... BEASTS
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ptmeyer84
07/11/09

In reply to Engine Of The Day: Oldsmobile Generation 2 V8
I had a 71 Delta 88 with a 455 in high school. Two-and-half tons of awesome with a heaping side of torque. Great car, wish I hadn't gave it up for a Jeep...
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Adamskiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy
07/11/09

In reply to Engine Of The Day: Oldsmobile Generation 2 V8
I used to drive a Cutlass....

The awesome mid-90s-FWD-V6-sedan version (just a minor detail)
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Novaload
07/11/09

@Adamskiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy: Admitting the truth is the first step on the road to wellness. Congratulations on fessin' up!
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