Cutlass 350???

[gwiz]

I was in the junk yard this past weekend checking out a 78-80 Cutlass 4 door, hoping it had the aluminum radiator support (nope, just the hood and bumper support) when my friend asked what kind of engine the car had in it. I hadn't even bothered to look since usually these cars' engines are'nt very exciting. When I looked it had an Olds V8. I checked the emissions decal and it said 5.7 liter (350). I did a double take and verified that it was definitely NOT a diesel and definitely WAS an Olds V8.
I had always heard that the 350 only came in Hurst/W30 cars, but I recalled seeing an ad for another cutlass that claimed a factory Olds 350 which I dismissed as an error. However, this four door has me wondering...
This engine looked totally factory. No missing or plugged vaccum lines that I could tell. Stock manifolds, valve covers, air cleaner etc. Power steering and AC hooked up. The car also had Hydra-boost brakes.
The car appeared to have factory paint and I didn't see any diesel emblems or traces of them being removed as in a diesel to gas conversion. It had a four barrell, sway bars, and factory steel mags. No vinyl top, but fairly plush and optioned interior.
Anyway, what do you think the deal with this car is? Is there a way to "decode" this car to see if it's a factory 350? I'm planning to go back for a closer look.
Thanks from a new guy

 

[GP403]

The car also had Hydra-boost brakes.

Then it probably was a 350 diesel at some point. I don't think you could get hydroboost in anything but. Putting it on a gas engine is just a matter of putting the old PS bracket on the new engine. The diesel block IIRC *is* the standard olds block. All the accessories will bolt right up to your gas engine.

The GP403 still has the hydroboost brakes/AC/etc. from when it was diesel.

What year is it? If its >= '81, see if its got a ECM. If not then it was a diesel, (or it was removed). Check the gas cap and filler tube, the gas door/lic. plate cover, the fuel gauge, etc.

That all said, you could get the 350 and 403 in '78-'79 in the (B)ig cars ('88/'98) and in '77 Cutlass, and that could be put in pretty easy. I'd have to do some looking but its possible they could've been had in the 4-door/wagons as well.

BUT, judging from the hydroboost still being there odds are it was or still is a diesel.

[ diesel diesel diesel! typing that word is a biotch! ]

 

[RedHotRegal]

My Grandma had an '84 4 dr cutlass (i think it was an 84) It had the police package. fr/rr sways, big rearend, th350 and a factory 350. She had the mastercylinder bust on her and had no brakes. She went through a busy intersection but luckly no one hit her. she took it to the dealership that did her maintenance and traded it in on a new car. She didn't want anyone in her family to have it in case something like that happened again.