BUILD THREAD 79 Olds Cutlass

[DJHull]

I bought this car 25 years ago and am working on my second rebuild. This year (79) is the year I started driving and the car was made in Lansing and I was made in Lansing so there is the connection and interest. The first rebuild was a 350/350 rebuild. I did not have a lot of extra cash so it was an economical endeavour. The 3.8 was blown so I got the car for $500. It had the stock open 2.41 geared rearend. My buddy and I stripped the car and took it down to metal and blew black clear on it (origanal color). The car is a Brougham and has t-tops with all the chrome so it is a sharp looking car. I have old film pics of that rebuild nothing digital back then. The car had the cancer bad in the rearend so the frame and bumper was shot. I found another 79 from Florida in the dump yard so I took my sawzall and grab the frame and bumper from just after the rear tires. Unbelievably I set it in and it fit perfectly. Just got lucky there.

The second rebuild I had extra cash I was saving to do a more complete rebuild. I bought two Toro's a 68 and 69 for $500 to start my second rebuild. I took the 69 to Engine Machine Services to have it rebuilt. It had to be bored 30 over so now it 461 cubic inches. I have a Mike Goodman from Crazy Custom doing this paint job. I should have it back in a few months. I will have the winter to get the car back together before spring. I have someone redoing my covers for the seats so they will have new skins on them. Went out on a limb and am having them use red piping and stitching in the seats. Hopefully that turns out ok and they look decent. I got all my interior parts from www.GBodyparts.com. Brian Weaver over there was great to work with. I went with a Muncie M22 4 speed transmission so I could have some fun between the stop lights. I got the transmission built for 800hp from Mid West Muncie. Jeff Collins over there was great to work with. He sold me a kit so I had everything I needed to swap out the automatic. I got the Currie 9" Plus Ford rearend in PosiTrak so the rearend would handle the drive line upgrades.

1969 Oldsmobile 455 cu
503 ft lbs / 432 hp
30 over balanced and blue printed
C heads 80cc 2.072 intake 1.675 exhaust
Icon forged pistons 10.25 compression
Performance Nitro Black Race rings
Ferrea 5000 series Hi Performance valves
Clevite H Series rod bearings
Comp Cams Thumper Cam shaft
Comp Cams springs
Carter mechanical fuel pump
Melling high flow oil pump
PRW SFI Fluid Racing Damper
ARP Bolts
Edelbrock Performer Manifold
Rollmaster chain and sprocket
Engine Pro push rods
Comp Cams Hydrolic Roller lifters
Powermaster Starter and Alternator
7 quart Moroso oil pan
Jet 800 cfm Stage 2 Quadrajet
Dick Miller W Polished exhaust manifold with flow plates
MSD spark plugs
MSD Ready to Run PRO Billet Distributor
MSD plug wires
MSD Blaster coil
K&N air filter
Edelbrock Victor Series Air Cleaner
Midwest Muncie 800 hp rated M22 4 speed transmission
2:56-1st, 1:75-2nd, 1:36-3rd, 1:1-4th
Centerforce clutch
Hurst Competition Plus shifter
Currie 9” Plus Notchback Rearend
w/ Ford 9” Posi Trac-Loc 3.50 geared 3rd member
Griffen Thermal Products 2 row Max Cool tubes Radiator
w/ two highperformance fans
AGR Quick Ratio stearing gear box
Saginaw P series pump
G Force Performance cross member
Energy Suspension polyurathane body bushings
Spohn RRx Series tubular front lower and upper A arms
Spohn tubular rear lower and upper control arms
Spohn hi performance front and rear sway bars
Wilwood aluminum tandem master cylinder
Wilwood combination proportioning valve
Wilwood DynaPro low profile 11” rear disc brakes w/ vented rotor
Wilwood Forged Billet front disc brakes w/ vented rotor
Wilwood flex brake lines
Flowmaster dual rear exit 2.5” American Thunder exhaust
VHX digital gages
Blistein B6 shocks
Air Lift 1000 series air bags
Floor pan, used doors and interior parts from GBodyParts.com
Professional mechanical service from Oscars’s R&S Auto
Paint by Mike Goodman Nasty Customs