Guest Anonymous Posted June 9, 2002 Share Posted June 9, 2002 hello folks i have decided to put a oldsmobile 455 in my baby. im not sure of what tranny i am going to use as of yet but i was wondering what folks are doing in terms of the rearend and axles i was talking to a guy that said the r200 found in 76+ 280's is strong enough to hold up to 500hp which is about what the 455 will be making with simple modifications. the other thing i was thinking about was a ford 9" any sugestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Shasteen Posted June 9, 2002 Share Posted June 9, 2002 Hello 73z; welcome to the board. Since I too was once an Olds guy I'ld like to add my .02c's worth. The Olds engines are good strong torquey engines, and beefy. If built correctly you shouldnt have any problem getting 500horsies. Oh yea, did I mention they are Heavy. The reason, after all these years, I gave up on my Olds passion, is once I began understanding engines I realized that their cylinder heads are very restrictive to airflow. Not that you cant change that-If you're an Olds guy and you have not obtained Joe Mondello's Manuals and catalogues on how to build and modify Olds engines then you need to obtain them; very much worth the money. Anyway; as I said, their heads can be made to flow but its gonna cost ya; a lot. Where as Chevy, Ford and Mopar already have stock cylinder heads that flow better than most Olds cylinder heads and these heads are relatively cheap compared to what it will cost to make an Olds cylinder head compatible. You may have another problem; and that is engine bay space. The olds big block is a BIG wide engine. The SBC's are limited enough in our Z's when it comes time to search for an appropriate set of headers; much less a big block Olds. The other problem you'ld have with an engine like that is traction problems. Big Block Olds are torque monsters with the power you are thinking about for your Z. The biggest hurdle you will find, when it comes to big blocks of any kind, is you're gonna have to do some serious modifications to the engine bay. There are also those here with SBC's with 450 horsies (Naturally Aspirated) that have enough a hard time getting traction. If you do build a monster torquer then you will need to make sure you get the correct gearing in the differential so that you're not to torquey at low rpms. Remember; when the big blocks came out they initially were slated for 3600lbs cars up to 4600lbs cars; not to mention the light duty trucks weighing in at a dainty 5600lbs. Where as the first generation Z's weigh in at anywhere from 2800lbs to 3000lbs. I dont want to rain on anyone's parade. If you want to do an Olds Big Block; go for it , the only problem is that there are no kits available so you would be breaking new ground. Best bet is to obtain the JTR manual so you will know what all is involved; that is of course if you have not obtained the manual as of yet. Just my thoughts. Kevin, (Yea, Still an Inliner) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denny411 Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 the 9" would be a pretty involved install, but the r200 is a direct bolt in. Oh I almost forgot, I`ve got 2 r200`s for 50.00 ea.+ shiping. By the way, Both of us are on the wrong board. I don`t know where the Olds guys go ,but I should be in the buy,sell,trade section Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 well i did some measurements and the 455 will fit. theres actually an advantage to the 455's (olds and pontiac, dont know about the buick) and thats the exaust ports there at almost a 90* angle on the poncho 455's which makes thigs a tad easier. but as for the 455 its now a dead idea one because there arent a slew of 455 parts. and i found a different motor for cheaper and thats a 427 chev. now as for the width of the engine bay the 455 is about 2' wide at the valve covers and i did some measurements and the motor will fit in there with just a tad of fender cutting. as for the 427 im not sure yet but ive seen a 455 in an mgb if that can be done anything can be done. ill let ya know. but first order of buisness is to get th l24 outa there. and as for the r200 will it stand up to the abuse of a big block and lead foot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 One other thing about the Olds, the bellhousing pattern. Buick, Olds, Pontiac and Cadillac share a belhousing pattern that's different than a Chevy, so a 700-R4 won't bolt up (assuming you'll want overdrive to keep highway rpm down). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 actually i was thinking of using a non overdrive tranny this thing is such a beast i think its only going to be an arround town sunday driver kinda thing. allthough ive said that before Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 I'd put a glide behind that rat if you don't need a overdrive. The car is light enough where a glide rules. It will really require some hammering and banging to get that rat in there, its been done by several ( Try www.ratsun.com love the Mel pictures btw... haha) people, mostly just drag cars, but hey if you can get it stuffed in there, it'll be one scary ass ride. (Hell I rode in a 68 camaro with a healthy 396 and it was sideways every shift of its 4sp muncie) Personally with the small block strokers available these days I don't see the need in a Z, specially with big block chevy parts being as expensive as they are. But if its free and it runs, go with it, can't wait to see it! Regards, Lone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silicone boy Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 Good point Lone, on the large displacement small blocks. World Products 415 short block was "only" $4700 or so--luckily I showed some restraint. With great aftermarket blocks and even bigger rotating assemblies, 440 or so CI is available. That's a lot of cubic dollars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 i dont know ive never been in a car with a powerglide so i really dont know what there like i do know a friend who built a blown 383 stroker up against a powerglide and it lit up the tires at 60mph. it wasnt his he built it for a customer maybe ill track that one down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike C Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 You can get a TH200 with either the BOP case, a Chevy case or a "universal" case that has both bellhousing patterns. The 307 olds was used up until '87 I believe in the 442/Hurst Olds and a TH700 might have been available, but if so it will be as hard to come by as the 8.5" 10 bolt in the GN. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest grinsha Posted June 11, 2002 Share Posted June 11, 2002 You can bolt a chevy auto trans to a Buick, Olds, or Pontiac Block with an adapter plate. I have the dimensions somewhere and could email them if anyone is interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted June 11, 2002 Share Posted June 11, 2002 Of all the big block choices out there, probably the Chevy BBC is the most natural choice (for reasons similar to why the small block Chevy is the most common small block to use). As Brad Barkley, Ron Jones and a handful of others (I believe there are about 5 big block Z's on HybridZ) can attest, the romance of the big block is hard to resist. They do fit - but not without some very clever metal work. You will almost certainly have to dispense with the mounting of the engine from the steering crossmember (instead weld mounting pads to the frame rails), and would need to notch the frame rails to clear the headers - even if you use block huggers. If you are an experienced big block mechanic, there's significant reason to attempt a big block swap. Otherwise, make do with the small block. Perhaps we should start a "big block V8" forum (all makes, not just Chevy)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted June 11, 2002 Share Posted June 11, 2002 Michael, you should have posted the link to your site (hosted by Pete?) to give the newbies something wild to chew on! Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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