1984 Cutlass Calais / BBO 455 build thread *UPDATED*

Great project look forward to more progress pics. Two links for you;
www.robertpowersmotorsport.com Bob had a self built 455 Cutlass that ran like a best of 12.3 at 110 and got like 15mpg with the 200-4R & AC
www.cardomain.com/ride/1381227 Dwight has a 455 Cutlass with 700-R4 thats ran 12.0s and gotten over 20mpg hwy.

I believe both geared them for the quarter mile with 3.73s but don't have to spin the snot out of them on the highway and get good mileage because of the overdrive, working lock up converters, & Q-jet carb with a reasonable cam.
If you don't have a posi yet for that 7.5 you might do a salvage yard search for S-10 pickups for both the posi & 28 spline axels (instead of weak 26s) as they are both cheap drop in upgrades. Put that with the support cover you are talking about and it should hold up on the street without slicks. If you do need an 8.5 send me a PM. check out www.taperformance.com as they have 7.5 support covers made to their specs.

Nice! Looks like you found an engine that was maintained.

dogshit said:

If you don't have a posi yet for that 7.5 you might do a salvage yard search for S-10 pickups for both the posi & 28 spline axels (instead of weak 26s) as they are both cheap drop in upgrades.

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Scratch that, S10 axles are shorter than g-body axles.

wish i had a bigblock. I might get one though. I guy was talking to me at one point bout selling one out of a truck for 500. Complete from carburetor to oil pan. He also has a 455 running with transmission for 1200. I didnt get it because I had just blew a big chunk of change.

He is right the S-10 axels are shorter but the posi will work. You would have to get I think strange or moser to make you some axels which im told are not cost prohibitively expensive. Especially if you get the posi cheap as they are expensive to buy new.

W30-style exhaust manifolds will work just fine...

STL84Calais said:

I have a question, now I don't want to spend $500 on long tube headers for the 455, but I was curious, would a set of the shorty block huggers from sanderson work in an 84 cutlass??

http://www.sandersonheaders.com/popup_image.php?pID=196

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I don't think they'll work. It appears as though the exhaust dump will be pointing directly at the frame crossover.