Cutlass Supreme budget sleeper build
- Thread starter Intragration
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Very nice! Motor looks sharp sittin' in there!
My first car (when I was 15!) was an '81 Cutlass with a Buick 455. Had so much fun in the car, but I had no gear in it! What I would give to have that car back, and with a different gear in it!
My first car (when I was 15!) was an '81 Cutlass with a Buick 455. Had so much fun in the car, but I had no gear in it! What I would give to have that car back, and with a different gear in it!
Great job Intagration, Nice job on your car. Three thumbs up!!! What motor mounts did you use, small block or big block mounts. Was wondering if you could post some pics of the headers on both sides of the motor especially the side where the header is over the frame. I also have been looking into the Hooker headers and the Dick Millers. but havent seen a set of the hookers on a car. The Miller headers are so expensive was looking at yours and they look great. Did you drop them in before you droped the block or after. How long did it take you to track down the 8.5. Been looking for awhile, are you keeping the 3.42 or are you going bigger. Again Great Job Looks Awesome.
I like the idea of a budget sleeper, that way it stays a sleeper, no hints or anything since it looks like a Cutlass rather than a race car. Same kind of idea I'm going for with my 4 door, but my wallet is scared of big blocks. Looking forward to what you do next.
Thanks for the compliments guys. I'm in Northlake, just west of Chicago, where 290 and 294 meet. What about you 79?
Finman, I don't know if the Hookers are all that much cheaper than the Miller's, but I don't like mini-starters, and you need to run one with the Miller's, so the choice was made for me. As it turns out, the full-sized starter fits without any problem with the Hookers, you could change it without touching the headers. I hung the headers in their approximate position with coat hangers and dropped the motor on top of them. There was a slight interference on the passenger side putting the motor in, but once past this, it was easy. The frame mounts are your typical Oldsmobile ones. I've heard that the motor mounts themselves are different for 307s and 455s, I'm not sure about this. I went into O'Reilly's and asked for a set of motor mounts for a 1970 Olds 98, and that's what I installed. Lined right up, and as you can see, even with the Edelbrock Performer and the medium height air filter, it clears the stock hood.
I don't have any good pictures of the headers installed in the car, I'll try and get some for you. Here's what the headers look like, you can see the one primary that sort of loops out. I currently have very small tires on the car, but I don't have any issue with the turning radius. I park in a pretty tight garage downtown, and I think the furthest I've gone is 1 3/4 turns on the steering wheel either way, and they didn't hit. To keep from having a problem, I'll just put 215-65s on the front.
It took me almost no time to find the axle. The first and only cruise night I've taken the car to so far, a g-body buddy of mine mentioned he knew someone who had an axle, that's who I'm buying it from. You just have to put the feelers out, you'll find one. Toby might have an extra one. 😉 I think eventually I'd like 3.08s, just for a slightly lower RPM on the highway, but 3.42 is close enough for now, and I have experience with a car in this range and it's not that bad, so it may work out. And if I drive 64 MPH with the 3.42s I'll be at the same RPM as 70 MPH with the 3.08s. Not a big deal to me.
Burgundy, big blocks don't really cost more than small blocks, and on the upside, you can spend a lot less on a big block, and you'll have a milder, more docile engine that makes as much or more power than a wilder small block. Plus, you get to say you have a big block. 🙂 At this point, I am dying to get back to working on and driving the car. I'm glad I got it drivable before the winter, but then just when I was starting to have fun, the snow came. Next up is that axle, interior restoration, and some baseline runs at the track, in no particular order...
Finman, I don't know if the Hookers are all that much cheaper than the Miller's, but I don't like mini-starters, and you need to run one with the Miller's, so the choice was made for me. As it turns out, the full-sized starter fits without any problem with the Hookers, you could change it without touching the headers. I hung the headers in their approximate position with coat hangers and dropped the motor on top of them. There was a slight interference on the passenger side putting the motor in, but once past this, it was easy. The frame mounts are your typical Oldsmobile ones. I've heard that the motor mounts themselves are different for 307s and 455s, I'm not sure about this. I went into O'Reilly's and asked for a set of motor mounts for a 1970 Olds 98, and that's what I installed. Lined right up, and as you can see, even with the Edelbrock Performer and the medium height air filter, it clears the stock hood.
I don't have any good pictures of the headers installed in the car, I'll try and get some for you. Here's what the headers look like, you can see the one primary that sort of loops out. I currently have very small tires on the car, but I don't have any issue with the turning radius. I park in a pretty tight garage downtown, and I think the furthest I've gone is 1 3/4 turns on the steering wheel either way, and they didn't hit. To keep from having a problem, I'll just put 215-65s on the front.
It took me almost no time to find the axle. The first and only cruise night I've taken the car to so far, a g-body buddy of mine mentioned he knew someone who had an axle, that's who I'm buying it from. You just have to put the feelers out, you'll find one. Toby might have an extra one. 😉 I think eventually I'd like 3.08s, just for a slightly lower RPM on the highway, but 3.42 is close enough for now, and I have experience with a car in this range and it's not that bad, so it may work out. And if I drive 64 MPH with the 3.42s I'll be at the same RPM as 70 MPH with the 3.08s. Not a big deal to me.
Burgundy, big blocks don't really cost more than small blocks, and on the upside, you can spend a lot less on a big block, and you'll have a milder, more docile engine that makes as much or more power than a wilder small block. Plus, you get to say you have a big block. 🙂 At this point, I am dying to get back to working on and driving the car. I'm glad I got it drivable before the winter, but then just when I was starting to have fun, the snow came. Next up is that axle, interior restoration, and some baseline runs at the track, in no particular order...
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I can see myself making so many mistakes with so much torque, that's all. I get all giddy 😳Intragration said:
Hey Mike, Thanks for the pic of your headers, they look great. I really didnt want to use a min starter also. Thats great that you can remove the starter with the headers still on the car. I looked up the price on the hookers to the millers and wow, if i can save a few bucks i might just go with the alumium heads. The only thing with the millers is they fit within the frame. Since you went with the ceramic coating how was the breakin on the headers. Does the the oil filter clear the hooker headers without any problems. So you did buy the big block mounts, i also was reading that people say to use the small block frame and motor mounts. The only problem with this that the motor sits about 1" higher. I also see that you are using the clutch fan, i also have the clutch fan and was told it will run cooler with this. Have you had any cooling problems or did you change out your radiator also. Thanks for the pic
My motor was already broken in, so I didn't have to do it with the headers. Depending on how you build your motor, I've had motors built, broken in and dynoed out of the car, so it wouldn't be a problem this way either, or you could use a set of manifolds for first run. I'll have to take another look at the oil filter to give you a good idea, but I can't imagine it would be an issue. I was totally unconcerned with the one primary running outside the frame rail on each side, I don't know what the big deal is. Like I said, Olds V8 frame mounts, and 1970 455 motor mounts and it fits fine. The clutch fan is a good idea, I haven't run it in warm weather yet, but I think it will be ok. The radiator is a stock-ish G-body unit that I got from someone who ran it with a 403 and it ran cool. Very little to worry about with this swap as far as I can tell.
I really like the look of your headers and are going to go with them (made up my mind). My buddy has a 74 Nova with a 454 and had problems with his cooling, he has a alumium radiator with a pusher fan and has finally controlled it. He had me alittle concerned about cooling with the 455. Bet you cant wait to get your Cutty out since the weathers starting to break more.
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