olds 350 vs chevy 350

[drogg1]

This is such a ridiculous debate. If you do your homework and match everything about each engine like heads, compression ratio, carburetor, intake, exhaust, and camshaft specs, you will find that both engines make only marginally different numbers in the end. So, to debate which is better, an olds 350 vs. a chevy 350, is pointless due to the fact that given equality in every other aspect other than make and bore/stroke, they will make almost equal power.

Whether it is right or wrong to put a chevy in an olds or an olds in a chevy is different. There is no right or wrong. Given that each engine performs essentially the same as the other, the matter is as simple as picking what color to paint your car. It comes down to the owner to decide. Regardless of the manufacturer of the car, the owner of the car has sole say in what will be done to the car. Saying you 'can't' or 'shouldn't' put a chevy in an olds or vice versa is wrong. There is no can or can't. It is, in the end, up to the owner to decide and up to everyone else to respect their decision.

 

[mickey-d]

Hey drogg, lighten up. This is a forum, this is what a forum is all about. Questions and answers. Everyones opinion matters here. Then the person who was looking for answers has several to choose from, and can make up their own mind, picking different things from all the answers. There is no such thing as a ridicules question, and the only dumb question is the one you don't ask. .............mickey-d :lol:

 

[olds307 and 403]

Put a stock sbc 350 in a heavy car or truck with 2 something gearing, there is a difference. They are different, that is why when sbc rebuild techniques are done, bad things happen. GM has no individuality anymore. Having the same drive trains/little differences between brands and some ugly styling is killing GM right now. Customers used to buy from different divisions because there was separate engineering. Competition within a company is good.

 

[bill]

This is such a ridiculous debate. If you do your homework and match everything about each engine like heads, compression ratio, carburetor, intake, exhaust, and camshaft specs, you will find that both engines make only marginally different numbers in the end. So, to debate which is better, an olds 350 vs. a chevy 350, is pointless due to the fact that given equality in every other aspect other than make and bore/stroke, they will make almost equal power.

Whether it is right or wrong to put a chevy in an olds or an olds in a chevy is different. There is no right or wrong. Given that each engine performs essentially the same as the other, the matter is as simple as picking what color to paint your car. It comes down to the owner to decide. Regardless of the manufacturer of the car, the owner of the car has sole say in what will be done to the car. Saying you 'can't' or 'shouldn't' put a chevy in an olds or vice versa is wrong. There is no can or can't. It is, in the end, up to the owner to decide and up to everyone else to respect their decision.

From what Ive seen and driven, a stock 350 chevy circa 1970 vs stock 350 olds of the same period....to me theres quite a bit of difference. Horsepower wise, maybe not, but torque is a different matter. And to me, torque makes me grin. Horsepower is for drag racing and top end, but those days are past for me. Good street manner is all im concerned with and Im willing to bet that my stock olds in a Gbody will wipe the floor with a stock chevy motor 8 days a week.....!!!
IMO, putting a chevy or buick motor in an OLDS is probably one major reason Oldsmobile is no longer in business. GM became more concerned with sales numbers and less concerned with customer satifaction. Dont forget, Olds was the main experimental/research division for most on its life under GM. GM stopped giving its older divisions latitude to experiment and create uniqueness, and people lost interest. Everytime I see a new camaro or a mustang or challenger, I think to myself...If Oldsmobile were still around...what kind of 442 would they be building today?

 

[anakputa]

One of the reasons GM went the SBC is that it wore out sooner and it was cheaper to produce. If the engines lasted longer that would hurt sales. Everything is driven by the market.

 

[khan0165]

there is a definite difference...
the low end torque of an olds can be seen on paper too. Compare the HP & Torque graphs of a SBC and Olds, and you'll see very different looking curves.

a Chevy is a rever, with tall peaks, steep curves that really come alive past 4000rpm. Torque is a similar story on a SBC, very steep, peaky curve.

an Olds is a lazy low rever, with barely any peaks. It's got a very brod curve that dies past 4000rpm. Torque peaks just barely above idle.

Compare dyno numbers too, and look out for "average" numbers. A SBC might peak at 300HP, but the average HP is likely less than 100. An Olds may only peak around 250HP, but I betya the average is very close to a peak... again due to the brod power band.

In the end, it comes down to what you need... in stock configuration, an Olds is a great street machine with plenty of low-end grunt... but don't rev it, cuz it's outta puff around 4500rpm. Not to say a SBC is not great either, they're really fun for blasting down highways with lots of top end.

... in built configuration, it's a whole new ball game...

I won't say which is better, that's for the owner to decide... But the SBC is the simpler motor, cheap, easy to build, and lots of parts available. An Olds is more safisticated, tougher to find parts for, and sometimes needs an expert hand to get good results.

if I knew anything, I'd go BOP any day. Either that, or new LSX technology.

 

[Minion1186]

street motor wise, more torque is the answer. In a stoplight to stoplight race, the olds motor with more torque/power at low-mid range rpm's will be most likely the one to win (granted the cars racing weigh almost the same). There's an old saying, torque is what wins races. Olds motors are known for the torque at low-mid range rpms, why do you think they threw them into campers and such back then? In street races, an engine that has a high rpm power band is most likely going to lose because of the time it takes to reach the power band, whereas the olds motor with the lower rpm power band is going to win, getting into the power band quicker. Now in quarter mile races, this can be different.

hell, according to desktop dyno, my 355 olds has its max torque band at 2500! (500 Lb/Ft)
And even with my 2.56 gears in my cutlass, that motor would make the whole front end pick up.

 

[Minion1186]

Oldsmobile motors also had a higher nickel content thrown into the blocks then any other gm block, this made them good, long lasting reliable motors. Quality wise, olds would have the higher hand

 

[beeterolds]

its also like comparing the 305 to the 307... back in the day.. the stock Vin H 305 would wipe the stock Vin Y 307s *ss in a race in a G-body or even a fullsize. i know cause my caprice would run circles around my 98 (both had 2.73 gears) .. but stuff both of them in 4000+ plus lb station wagons full of family and luggage and which one do you think will do you think would have an easier time moving that bulk? the Olds motor of course!

Even as the power increased in the later 80s.. Olds stayed the same.. with the exception of the torque ratings after 84'.. sure they made 255 ft-lbs of torque.. but it basically made it off idle all the way up past its peak.. as it was designed to do

but it is what it is.. you have to look at what the engine was designed for and go from there before you pass judgment.. its almost like posting an obvious statement.. "my diesel can out town your gasoline V6".. well no sh*t..