Help with 82 cutlass project log

[ForMySon]

I'm finally ready to start my car rebuild. This thread will be a log of all the questions I will have. And yes, I will have questions. I've done a few other major car projects and have been successful so far. Soon I'll will post pictures.

I love this car. I bought it used with a carbed 455/TH400, 7.5 inch rear (limited slip). I blew that engine and swapped in a carbed sbo 350 from a 76' or 78' (not sure of year) Delta 88 Royale, 100,000 miles. I ran this engine for 5 years and then the oil pump went out, engine over heated (all oils, and trans fluid boiled out the top of the engine), after that the car would run but engine would grind to a stop. It did that 3 times before I parked it. That was 3 years ago. Now its time to get her goin again.

Sometime this week, I will be cleaning the engine up to find hidden engine numbers. I did find that it has the #8 heads, not good sofar. I'm hoping its not a 78 with windowed webbing block; I'll ditch it if so.

First few questions:
What do I do about rust that has appeared in trunk? It's eaten out a pretty good section and needs to be stopped.

Cost wise, should I keep this sbo 350 to rebuild, get another sbo 350 to rebuild, or, 455 to rebuild? I'll be doing as much of the rebuilt as I can. I have some money and plan on making this a many month project, so with time, I can slowly buy and pay for what I need as I go. But, I'm not gonna spend incredible amounts $$$. It will be a few days a week driver to daily, so it needs to have some streetable manners. It needs to be fast 0-60 in under 6 seconds. I wanna smoke some irocs, and stangs fast. Just can't decide which engine choice will fit me, I'm an experienced begginer so any advice will be appreciated.

I also want to have this kinda speed with highway or near highway gears. Maybe get a little MPGs out of it. Is this possible?

Almost forgot: I just did this project for my oldest son, 86' Irocz with awesome built chevy 350 (I didn't build it).
http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/engin ... -iroc.html
Now that I have practice...

 

[ForMySon]

Is this a dead board? Did I post in wrong place? Is their a better board suited to what I'm doing? Am I typing my letters the wrong way?

Edited:
Ooops! Sorry...this sounds very impatient and immature.

 

[chevy2480]

Is this a dead board? Did I post in wrong place? Is their a better board suited to what I'm doing? Am I typing my letters the wrong way?

first off this is the right board. By getting on here and asking a question and expecting an answer in only a few hrs sometimes doesnt happen. I suggest not posting a statement like you have and be patient. The sky is the limit on what you want but the 455 is probably your best bet. As far as mpg with any performance motor good luck.

 

[beermonkey9417]

someone will post something, ya just have to wait a lil for some one whos a lil more knowlagable about cuttys than me. 🙂

 

[67rstbkt]

Well, I can answer this question for you:

What do I do about rust that has appeared in trunk? It's eaten out a pretty good section and needs to be stopped.

If it's just surface rust, you can clean it up with a wire wheel and use any number of rust treatments and encapsulators available. Eastwood.com and Summit racing both have products for this purpose. Your local auto parts store should also have some stuff.
If the rust is rotted through, the only real fix is to cut out the bad section and replace (weld in new section). I don't think repair sections are available for your car, so you may have to get one out of a donor car.

 

[Burnhard]

When I build a car I always start with the best body I can find,every thing can be swaped but for me the body shell and frame are key to a quality build. As for the engine the small block olds is a great street strip engine with minor mods they realy wake up. If your going to build a 350 build a pre 1976 block they are stonger. The 350 is a better engine than the 455 and will out live a 455.

 

[Dennyboy]

When I build a car I always start with the best body I can find,every thing can be swaped but for me the body shell and frame are key to a quality build. As for the engine the small block olds is a great street strip engine with minor mods they realy wake up. If your going to build a 350 build a pre 1976 block they are stonger. The 350 is a better engine than the 455 and will out live a 455.

i don't know if either block is better. it really depends on what you want to do with it. do you want a high RPM screamer? or do you want a low end torque monster? My 455 in my 81 cutlass runs down mullet machines and ricers all day long on the street. as well as burning them through second gear.

as well as that sound that a big block makes... could never go back to a small block.

 

[88hurstolds]

The 350 is a better engine than the 455 and will out live a 455.

Based on what?

Bottom line is this, a 455 will allow for a direct swap and give you the performance a SBO will lack with the same money invested.
Go with a 455, find a pair of large valve C heads and do a mild build.
C heads are very abundant and can be found with work done to them already for around $500 and $200 for cores...
I have a 73 455 with large valve C heads, a built TH-400 and a 7.5" rear with 3.08 gears in my 1988 Cutlass, the car is more than quick for a street car, gets great gas mileage around 17mpg with adult driving and does low 13's.
I'm even running stock exhaust manifolds into a cat out to a Y-pipe with quiet mufflers, it's a sleeper... but is super fast for the street and extremely fun to drive 😀
If you need more Oldsmobile performance guidance try the search function or Motor Combo forum on Realoldspower.com

 

[ForMySon]

I have a 73 455 with large valve C heads, a built TH-400 and a 7.5" rear with 3.08 gears in my 1988 Cutlass, the car is more than quick for a street car, gets great gas mileage around 17mpg with adult driving and does low 13's.
I'm even running stock exhaust manifolds into a cat out to a Y-pipe with quiet mufflers, it's a sleeper... but is super fast for the street and extremely fun to drive 😀
If you need more Oldsmobile performance guidance try the search function or Motor Combo forum on Realoldspower.com

This is what I had before the sbo 350 was dropped in. 455 block and head cracked. I'm still running down costs on sbo 350 rebuild with a few hp boosting goodies. My general opinion is that the 350 had way better throttle response, vs. 455s dirt slow or extreme torque take offs. The 350 seems like a better, smoother reving engine, with a longer power curve.

Thanks for forum suggestions.

 

[ForMySon]

My 455 in my 81 cutlass runs down mullet machines and ricers all day long on the street. as well as burning them through second gear.

as well as that sound that a big block makes... could never go back to a small block.

What kinda build do you have for that 455? How much? I love the big block sound, we use to call our olds when it had the 455, the helicopter.