I'll throw a fly in the ointment. Have you ever thought about a 403? It's bolt in and small block headers are cheap. Again don't believe the myths about it being weak. I've had both 455 & 403s in G bodies. Just another option.
455 swap maybe???
- Thread starter H/O84
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Even a 350 is a bolt,in vast improvement over a 307,all the accessories swap over from a 307 to 350 or 403 and 403's are out there
New possible engine again. Im getting a 83 hurst olds parts car and the guy also has a stock 73 455 that needs a distributor and a crank pulley and comes with a th400 and he wants $600 for the engine and trans. What can I do to the 73 to improve it? Im assuming ditch the j heads would be a start.
I always heard about how weak the 403s are. About a dozen years ago a machine shop I patron had a stalled project 403. I picked it up for the machine work. I had him aline hone it. It had 30 over pistons with new rod bolts. I assembled it with used knick knacks I had laying around. I then got worried so I bought a halo girdle from J&S Machine, Jim milled my caps and I got a main studs kit from Dick Miller, just for safety. I put a used cam & lifters. 0.496/0.512. A Holley Street Dominater intake and a good Quadrajet. I put fresh small valved, one angle valve job. Tubed headers. I had a Saturday night special convertor, 350 turbo, 7.5" 3:73 posi. It was in a $400 1981 Regal. The combo was bad. That Holley intake loves rpms a Preformer would have been better. The heads were limiting the "big" bores. The small valves wouldn't flow enough. I actually limited the air flow running an air filter (disconnected) outside induction. Shifting lower rpms 4900/5000 and running it threw at 5400/5500 gave me best times 12:96@105 mph. Low 13s drive in, never over 180 degrees. I had shifter problems and over reved it a couple times. Never a problem. I still have the engine, one of these days I'll redo it I hope. So I'm a 403 fan. Really it was 409 cubic inches.
Don't assume it has j heads someone could have changed them also for what I think you want to do a milled set of j heads and a small dish piston could net you an easy 400-415 horse with right cam you need to set some goals for what you want to do
I recommend talking to a reputable olds builder I prefer Bernard Mondello in California not to be confused with mondello performance products there are others also j&s machine was mentioned bill trovato,rocket racing another one to avoid is olds performance products talk to these people they will steer you in the right direction I also mentioned that 25.00 investment to get you started
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