I am considering a 442 swap in my 84 cutlass supreme. How difficult would this process be? It has the 6 cylinder in it now.
442 swap
- Thread starter Rottiedaddy83
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Well, it's kind of a broad question and could be a complicated answer. The 442 is essentially just a trim level option. They could have been powered by any one of a dozen engines including Buick V6s (which you probably have already) Chevy inline 6s and 305s, and Olds V8s from 260-455.
I'll assume you are wanting an Olds? Using factory mounts, its a bolt-in replacement. A complete donor car would be ideal as buying parts and pieces can get expensive. Be aware that your transmission will bolt up to an Olds V8 but may not last long. Also understand that the factory 7.5" rearend isn't known for it's strength in high power situations so anything much hotter than a 307 will eventually reveal it's limitations.
I'll assume you are wanting an Olds? Using factory mounts, its a bolt-in replacement. A complete donor car would be ideal as buying parts and pieces can get expensive. Be aware that your transmission will bolt up to an Olds V8 but may not last long. Also understand that the factory 7.5" rearend isn't known for it's strength in high power situations so anything much hotter than a 307 will eventually reveal it's limitations.
Ok. So what rear end and transmission would work best if I were to go with the 455. This car was given to me as a gift and, while it is in pretty decent shape for the age and the fact that it was most likely a daily driver, I would like to get optimal 1/4 mile performance out of it while keeping it legal to drive.
If you want a 455 the easiest route is a 307 donor for mounts and accessories. You'll be able to bolt it in and make it look like the factory did it without custom fab or hackery.
You have options for the transmission. If your main objective is 1/4 mile ETs then I'd probably use a TH400. Obviously it'd need a BOP bellhousing pattern to fit your 455.
If you plan to do much freeway driving you'll probably want to check into a Gearvendor overdrive. The other choice would be to have a 200-4r built. That won't be cheap because it'll need to be properly upgraded to handle the ridiculous torque that a 455 can dish out.
For simplicity's sake I'd recommend a 9" rearend. They're damn near indestructable and have the largest aftermarket support. You could also use an 8.5" but they're getting tough to find and would need some parts to live a long life of BBO 1/4 mile abuse. Chevy 12 bolt and Ford 8.8s have been swapped as well but are less common. Motorheadmike is a fan of the S60. Some site searching will get you specifics on each of them.
Don't overlook all the other stuff that goes with a major repowering like this...exhaust, fuel system upgrades, crossmembers, shifters, driveline, gauges, AC?, wiring, etc. That's all assuming that you're satisfied with your factory braking and suspension.
Not knowing you or your skill level, my advice would be to leave the car alone and enjoy it as-is until you've collected all the parts. It won't be a weekend project. If you're pretty handy and well equipped to do all of the work yourself I'm guessing you'll have at least 100 hours and (conservatively) $10k into it. If you're paying other people to do the work (correctly) then double your budget. An '80s Cutlass isn't immune to being an expensive hobby. Free cars are never free.
I'm not trying to scare you out of it -- in fact, I'd love to see you do it. We'd all just hate to see another driver fall into stalled project status. There's a lot of guys on this site with waaay more experience and knowledge than me and there's a million ways to build a Gbody. You'll learn a ton if you take a few days to wade through some build threads.
Hope that helps.
You have options for the transmission. If your main objective is 1/4 mile ETs then I'd probably use a TH400. Obviously it'd need a BOP bellhousing pattern to fit your 455.
If you plan to do much freeway driving you'll probably want to check into a Gearvendor overdrive. The other choice would be to have a 200-4r built. That won't be cheap because it'll need to be properly upgraded to handle the ridiculous torque that a 455 can dish out.
For simplicity's sake I'd recommend a 9" rearend. They're damn near indestructable and have the largest aftermarket support. You could also use an 8.5" but they're getting tough to find and would need some parts to live a long life of BBO 1/4 mile abuse. Chevy 12 bolt and Ford 8.8s have been swapped as well but are less common. Motorheadmike is a fan of the S60. Some site searching will get you specifics on each of them.
Don't overlook all the other stuff that goes with a major repowering like this...exhaust, fuel system upgrades, crossmembers, shifters, driveline, gauges, AC?, wiring, etc. That's all assuming that you're satisfied with your factory braking and suspension.
Not knowing you or your skill level, my advice would be to leave the car alone and enjoy it as-is until you've collected all the parts. It won't be a weekend project. If you're pretty handy and well equipped to do all of the work yourself I'm guessing you'll have at least 100 hours and (conservatively) $10k into it. If you're paying other people to do the work (correctly) then double your budget. An '80s Cutlass isn't immune to being an expensive hobby. Free cars are never free.
I'm not trying to scare you out of it -- in fact, I'd love to see you do it. We'd all just hate to see another driver fall into stalled project status. There's a lot of guys on this site with waaay more experience and knowledge than me and there's a million ways to build a Gbody. You'll learn a ton if you take a few days to wade through some build threads.
Hope that helps.
As said the trans and rear are weak. The easiest, meaning direct swap is a Buick 350 but they are a fairly rare motor and like your V6 if the timing cover is worn, forget having oil pressure. The Olds 350 is more reliable than the Olds 403 or 455 but 100 cubic inches down. The is now a 3.875" and 4" stroker cranks. A complete kit that pushes 414 to 428 ci depending on the bore for just over 2 grand.
Thank you, that is very helpful. I have considered a project olds for some time but never had the opportunity until now. I am a tow operator and on call 24/7 so the amount of time the car will be driven is very limited and I will be buying parts over time. The current suspension and steering components need to be replaced and I have a slow oil leak from the valve covers so that is 1st on the list but once those are done I will start looking into performance upgrades. I will definitely take your advice and not start the teardown/rebuild until I have everything in line and will be doing the work myself. I will most certainly search through other build threads and gather as much knowledge as I can before starting this, I don't want this to turn into a stalled project either. I look forward to keeping everyone updated on the progress as I go. Thanks for the help.
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