I wanted a car to play with on the street that I was not afraid to tear up. Im the original owner of my GN and its just too clean and collectable to tear up doing donuts & bustin Mustangs and such. Not that this still doesnt happen from time to time. I picked up an 88 Cutlass and always wanted a big block so I thought I would look for an Olds 455 since it was an Olds and since I like fast but factoryish looking mild mannered stuff. A friend who is a mechanic knew another friend who turns wrenches at the local Midas. He says his fellow mechanic buddy has to move and has an engine from one of his old derby cars that he can't take with him so I could get a running big block for the price of... come pick it up by friday. Upon arrival I find out its a Cadillac 500 not an Olds 455. Well we are here now and the price is right. I tell him I was hopeing to put it in an 88 Cutlass. He says I'm building a 350 Sbc to put in my 85 Grand Prix.
Cut to the future I have overhauled the 500 added a mild cam & headers and gotten her shoehorned into the Cutlass. After changing the break in oil I was headed to ye ole test & tune to see how she would do. On the way all of a sudden I had smoke everywhere so I coasted into a Midas I was passing to check it out. As luck would have it GP Jerry was now the manager at this Midas. We put her up on the lift and turns out when I changed the filter the old gasket did not come off and I did not see it so when she got warm she sprayed oil everywhere. Jerry said the motor looks like it came in here and you even hooked up the AC? We get her fixed up and naturally Jerry needs a little ride. I was happy to oblige. Were backing out onto a little side street pointing away from the main drag when Jerry asks can we brake stand it and give a little show for the guys? I said brakes?.. We don't need no stickin brakes! I matted it. Instantly the posi sent the 275s up in smoke and the quiet mildish sounding 500 roared. The arse end fished tailed and two black streaks stretched out well over a school bus in length. Jerry freaked. The last time he rode behind the 500 it was factory camed in a 5000 pound cadillac with air plane gears and a choked factory exhaust. A few shots down the street and he said this thing would flat kill my GP! He just could not believe it.
He told me what he all did to the GP. When I asked him what he spent on the motor I was surprised that he spent almost exactly what I had spent on the Cad. He did buy better pistons rods & new valvetrain to survive the rpms a new Holley. But since I am not spinning the snot out of it and she is not strung out like a tabby cat on caffine she don't need it. All he kept saying was I can't believe how strong this thing is and that I gave it away. He said I should have put this thing in my GP but I never thought it would fit.
BTW a year later a lady pulled out in front of me and I T-boned her totaling the 88. I bought it back and happened to find an 87 442 that I could save with the remaining insurance proceedes. So since installing the Cad does not require a welder or a torch and the vin 9 307 can be put back she now provides appropriate power for a 442.
Cut to the future I have overhauled the 500 added a mild cam & headers and gotten her shoehorned into the Cutlass. After changing the break in oil I was headed to ye ole test & tune to see how she would do. On the way all of a sudden I had smoke everywhere so I coasted into a Midas I was passing to check it out. As luck would have it GP Jerry was now the manager at this Midas. We put her up on the lift and turns out when I changed the filter the old gasket did not come off and I did not see it so when she got warm she sprayed oil everywhere. Jerry said the motor looks like it came in here and you even hooked up the AC? We get her fixed up and naturally Jerry needs a little ride. I was happy to oblige. Were backing out onto a little side street pointing away from the main drag when Jerry asks can we brake stand it and give a little show for the guys? I said brakes?.. We don't need no stickin brakes! I matted it. Instantly the posi sent the 275s up in smoke and the quiet mildish sounding 500 roared. The arse end fished tailed and two black streaks stretched out well over a school bus in length. Jerry freaked. The last time he rode behind the 500 it was factory camed in a 5000 pound cadillac with air plane gears and a choked factory exhaust. A few shots down the street and he said this thing would flat kill my GP! He just could not believe it.
He told me what he all did to the GP. When I asked him what he spent on the motor I was surprised that he spent almost exactly what I had spent on the Cad. He did buy better pistons rods & new valvetrain to survive the rpms a new Holley. But since I am not spinning the snot out of it and she is not strung out like a tabby cat on caffine she don't need it. All he kept saying was I can't believe how strong this thing is and that I gave it away. He said I should have put this thing in my GP but I never thought it would fit.
BTW a year later a lady pulled out in front of me and I T-boned her totaling the 88. I bought it back and happened to find an 87 442 that I could save with the remaining insurance proceedes. So since installing the Cad does not require a welder or a torch and the vin 9 307 can be put back she now provides appropriate power for a 442.
