I want to swap my stock 307 for a bigger engine that i can drive everyday and get some nice power out of. Which would be more expensive? and either would be mated to a turbo 350 transmission and dual exhaust.
engine swap ?'s
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Olds is a direct swap but the engines cost more to build, it depends on how much power you want. You can use a lot of parts off of the 307, including all accessories. You should also consider a 403, more cubes=more power with less money, and it is still a small block.
Chevy is cheaper to build, but it is not a direct swap. You really cant use much at all off of the 307. Wiring is different and fuel lines are different.
Chevy is cheaper to build, but it is not a direct swap. You really cant use much at all off of the 307. Wiring is different and fuel lines are different.
idk not to much power the car will never see the dragstrip and it is going to be hopefully my dailydriver all through the rest of high school and my classes at UTI for automotive and longer. so maybe 250-350 hp. and how much horsepower did the olds 350 have stock compared to the 403 and which would be more expensive?
86_cutlass said:
I have no idea what the stock power ratings are, but the older engines usually have more power. You should be able to find a complete 350 or 403 that needs rebuilt anywhere from $100-$300. Anything that costs more than that don't buy it. With the power you want, it should not be too expensive. It also depends on what engine you start off with, it will determine what parts/machine work you will need to get the power you want. You will also need to figure the cost of basic machine work that will be needed.
If you are serious about getting an Olds engine, join some Olds forums and the people there will be able to give you more specifics about what you will need to do to get the power you want. Also it will be easier to find an engine through people at those forums.
Here are a couple of forums,
http://www.oldspower.com/vb/
http://www.classicoldsmobile.com/
The problem with most older engines is that they are...well...old. Even if you find one that still has good compression (possible with the Olds because, IIRC, they used high nickel iron in the block), you should still at least change the gaskets and timing chain. As for power, it is hard to say. I would not expect most of the engines you would look at to have much north of 200hp, given when they were made. Unless you get lucky and find a good running engine that has never been touched from no newer than 1970, the compression will be 8.5:1 or lower which kinda neuters it. Even in the rust free parts of the country it is hard to find a 40 year old engine that is original and not way past it's prime.
The Olds is by far the easier and cheaper swap if you happen to find a good one and just want to put it in the car with no real work done to it. The Chevy has a higher cost for the swap due to the need for EVERYTHING to be changed to a Chevy configuration. The overall cost of actually getting power out of a 350 Chevy is lower than the Olds given that you probably don't have the hook up with a large group of guys who are upgrading one or the other and need to rid themselves of their old parts. That being said, neither is all that cheap anymore due to the relative scarcity of good donor vehicles some 20-30 years after these engines were used in large quantities in average production cars and trucks. Either can still be done cheaply, but both require patience and the ability to bargain hunt.
The Olds is by far the easier and cheaper swap if you happen to find a good one and just want to put it in the car with no real work done to it. The Chevy has a higher cost for the swap due to the need for EVERYTHING to be changed to a Chevy configuration. The overall cost of actually getting power out of a 350 Chevy is lower than the Olds given that you probably don't have the hook up with a large group of guys who are upgrading one or the other and need to rid themselves of their old parts. That being said, neither is all that cheap anymore due to the relative scarcity of good donor vehicles some 20-30 years after these engines were used in large quantities in average production cars and trucks. Either can still be done cheaply, but both require patience and the ability to bargain hunt.
The easier of the 2 is going to be the Olds since you won't have to make all the changes you'll need to get the SBC in there and working properly...
But the SBC will allow you to upgrade your parts easier and cheaper than the Olds block...
I wanted to keep my Cutlass Olds, I really did, but personally, I didn't want the hassle of having to hunt down parts and haggle for trades even after I found the desired part...
Don't get me wrong, switching to the SBC has had it's share of complications, but I don't regret it...
But the SBC will allow you to upgrade your parts easier and cheaper than the Olds block...
I wanted to keep my Cutlass Olds, I really did, but personally, I didn't want the hassle of having to hunt down parts and haggle for trades even after I found the desired part...
Don't get me wrong, switching to the SBC has had it's share of complications, but I don't regret it...
well i was kind of hoping to find a stock olds 350 or 403 that is running then drop it in until i am on summer vacation. then take it out and rebuild it with some hopefully minor machining work. then drop it back in and slowly upgrade with heads, headers, carb, intake, cam, etc.
86_cutlass said:
If you are cash limited, all the small stuff you need to swap to a Chebby will nickel and dime you. Contrary to popular belief, I've never found Olds engines to be difficult to find or overly expensive to build. As I've said before, you CAN find dirt-cheap Chinesium parts for a Chebby, but for comparable quality, the cost for Olds and Chebby parts is also comparable.
If you have the room to do it, the cheapest route will be to buy a rusty Olds full size (preferably with a 455), take all the parts you need, and junk the hulk.
i will probably go with the olds cause it keeps it in the family and i dont want to be like a lot of other cars on the road running a sbc
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