oldcutlass

Yes, I went to what diehard Oldsmobile folks would call the darkside! I dropped a 468 BBC/T400 in my Cutlass. I guess one would call it (stealing the term from another member, the others are not printable) a funny looking Chevelle now!

The reason I did it is purely financial and bang for your buck!! I live in a small town where there is one machine shop, and he gave me a figure to do my 330 for performance of about $4200. I would have still needed a trans to go with it! So I figured when I was all done with incidentals, trans, torque converter, intake, & better exhaust, I would be facing about a $7000 bill. Not to mention I would have to drop a bunch of additional money on a set of headers. Starting from scratch with a 455 would have cost even more! Remember this is a 1967 Cutless holiday coupe with no air! We all know that this is never going to be a collectable car! So its the perfect candidate for an old school hotrod!! Build it with what ya got!!

Low and behold a 1980 chevy pickup was for sale in my area that had this engine and trans in it. A 454 stroked to a 468 with all the goodies in it and about 10k miles on the engine. I bought the whole truck for $2800!! I pulled the motor and trans and sold the truck to a friend for $750. So needless to say, I got the motor and trans for $2050.

I bought BBC brackets and motor mounts for an "A" body, a cheapy set of heddman headers, had to install a ford solenoid because of the ministarter (which by the way helped with extending starter wires as its on the passenger side), used the bracketry from the BBC and with the Olds alternator, and used the BBC power steering pump and brackets. I had to modify 1 hose. Some additional minor wiring, and plumbing changes for Gauges and it basically dropped right in.

Since the deck is taller on the BBC I had to use a lowprofile performer manifold, which was aquired thru a swap of the manifold that came with it. Throttle linkage is still stock Olds but some minor tweeking will be necessary!

Just to be on the safeside I sent the trans to a local shop for a checkup and shift kit! The transmission xmember was moved back approx 6.5 inches and I remounted it with existing holes and hardware. I still need to play with the E-brake.

The whole project, turnkey wiill come in somewhere close to $4500! It has been alot of fun! Hopefully I can get to firing it up this Sunday!!

I will post an update soon!

80CutlassCalais

Sounds great to me! Got any pics?

oldcutlass

I will post some soon!

Aceshigh

Personally I think it's cool that you got it on the road and got what you wanted.

It doesn't matter to me what GM engine you put in it to keep it going.
Pics would be good.

oldcutlass

All I have left to do today is reinstall driveshaft, re-route trans. cooling lines, some minor harness wrapping, throw the front end back on, and fire her up!

Then I need to tackle the e-brake cables, and its off to the muffler shop!

I'll get some pic's taken today, sorry I did not really document this swap on film!!!

Btw, I was really surprised that the 468/ T400 was actually lighter than the 330-4v/ St300 coming out!! The car sits about 3/4" higher now! Go figure!!

nonhog

More HP less weight= hotrodding ! Good for you. Not like you can't go back someday if you wish. 3/4" higher? Did I recall you wanting to lift the front end in a different post?

MDchanic

Money talks, BS walks.

I could never criticize another for saving hard-earned cash.

Sounds like a great car!

- Eric

oldcutlass

Well, I grabbed the camera on the way out yesterday, and went to click off some pics, %&*&$## dead battery!! Sorry guys pics will have to wait a bit!!.

I did however get it running late last night, fired right up! 60 psi oil pressure when cold, 45 completely warmed up, no funny noises!! Tansmission went into all 3 gears! Temp after idling for 20 mins, stayed about 195 deg! Have not set timing or the carb yet!!

Some things that I found helpful along the way!!

The Ford solenoid works fantastic on the mini starter and actually helped in rerouting the starter wiring, looks like it belonged there and allowed me to retain the stock harness!

I fought with the trans cooler hardlines for about two hours to try and clear the headers, and decided to take a trip to the parts store. I had them fabricate 2 hyd. hoses with 5/16 compression fittings on each end, 1 was 4' the other 5'. I cut the hardlines staggered at the trans so the fittings were seperated by about 1.5 inches, tightened the compression fittings. I routed the hoses up and around on top of the wheel well following the same route as my heater hoses. I attatched them to the wheel well with adel clamps. At the radiator, I cut the hard lines, and made a 45 and a 90 degree entry using the original hardline fittings. It made for a nice, neat, fire hazard free install!!

On the power steering pump I did a similar mod utilizing the Olds pressure hose to the steering box, and the chevrolet fitting connected through a compession fitting to the pump!!

The E-brake presented a small challenge! I mounted a modified 1 inch long tie down hook to the existing hole in the trans xmember, and adjusted the E-brake cable accordingly. It was easier than I thought it would be!!! No expense on new cables needed!

The upper and lower radiator hoses required some minor trimming to fit!!

All in all, it went pretty well, it was an easy swap!

oldcutlass

Well Sunday is the big day!! All thats left is to set timing and carb, put the front bumper and hood back on! Some misc. tweeking and its off to the muffler shop first thing Monday morning!!

Oh yea, made sure the camera is charged up!

z11375ss

Take your guilty concsience somewhere else! A Ford solenoid! I mean come on! That's just too much. We finished a 502 69 Cutlass S convert in May. Runs like a scalded dog. Easy as pie to assemble. I prefer Olds in an Olds, but when I have no choice, I run what I brung.

oldcutlass

No guilty conscience here, I'm proud of my work and car!! The Ford solenoid was cheaper and more suitable than all the alternatives.

z11375ss

That was said tongue in cheek. I have had a few cars with chebbies where they don't belong. But if it's sitting in the garage, WTH? I say run what ya brung baby! BTW, who WAS the genius that put the solrnoid on the starter anyway? The Ford is much better design. While someone with an ego will be waiting for their bank balance to get high enough to fix their Olds, you'll be driving your car. Good luck bro.

Bill in NC

Pics!!

oldcutlass

Sorry for the delay with the pic's!! Ok, the only things left to do are, I need to hook up a kickdown switch for the T400, the original intent was to use the ST300 rotary switch, but apparently its gone **** up! I need to find an extreme drop base air cleaner, the one on there is temporary as I only have 1 in from carb to top and there is not much clearence under the hood! With some additional tweeking on the tune, and we are there!!

Overall I'm extremely happy with the way it turned out!

MDchanic

That's one funny lookin' 455.

And the fuel pump's upside down.

- Eric

BIGJERR

Blehhhhhhhh .........But its not mine so do as you please...........I must get a hell of deal on machine work or something cuz i put together a stock rod, TRW piston 455 with slighty worked heads and got it into the mid 11s and high 10s W/NOS for under $2000..That was 8 years ago tho......
..My new motor machine work was $1600 and that included bearings and a top end timing chain.........Now the heads on this new motor were another story...........

coppercutlass

im all for goin fast cheap . at the end of they day if some guy dont like your chevy engine in your olds tell em "hey buddy if you wanna pay for it be my guest " money talks bull$%#^ walks ., But i sure do love beating up on chevy's on the street with my olds lol .

oldcutlass

Yeah MD, I guess now its a funny looking Chevelle!!!! LOL

Jerr, add all your receipts, I bet you have about 5-7K in your motor alone!! I did a complete motor (pan to carb, all brackets and pulleys), transmission, new driveshaft, all mounts and brackets, headers and complete exhaust,etc... for $4500!! There is no way I would have been able to do it all Oldsmobile starting from scratch for that!!!!

OK, copper, but I think this one may give you a run for your money!!

coppercutlass

you are probably right on beating me but i built my 350 carb to oil pan with 2800 bucks i have 5k w/ drive train gonna try to get a 12.9 this next weekend

oldcutlass

But you already had the motor and trans when you started though!!

My start would have been an 330/4v and an ST300! Not a good start for what I wanted to do!

I've followed your endeavers and you should be proud of what you have there!! Those times ain't shabby!! I said nothing about beating you, only that it would give you a run for your money!!!! LOL

Bill in NC

Looking good man!

coppercutlass

hey it dont matter who wins in the end its all about what you like. I got nothing against a chevy 454 in an olds as long as that classic iron is on the road thats what it's all about . This thread reminds me of the classic n/a engines vs. boost vs. nitrous its never ends lol . It doesn't matter if you run 12's with a chevy or olds engine or with nitrous or a blower in the end it's whats on the time slip or what you're crusing

oldcutlass

Thanks Bill!

I like it, I did not want to go over the top, and the nice part is, it did not bust the bank!! I got $14.5k in it including the car!! I figure another $2k for a rear end and the remaing front and rear suspension work and it will be done!

Plus I can still drive it everyday!! Thank god I only live 3.5 miles from work!!

oldcutlass

Amen!!!