Rocket 350

[Arok]

I'm bidding on a screwed up rocket 350 on ebay. To any die hard olds people you'll be glad to know that I'm not going to have an SBC as previously planned.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1972...046316751QQcategoryZ33615QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

He's also got an extra th-350 he says he'll throw in. It's a 90 mile drive to get it but that aint too bad.

 

[78lemans]

Forgive me for asking a stupid question Olds guys, but I'm curious. Is there any difference between a supposed Olds 'golden' rocket 350 and a regular 350 out of a Delta or Cutlass?? I've got a buddy who has an Olds 350 'golden rocket' in his garage out of a '71 Cutlass. It's siezed up, crank pitted, just generally a total mess but he's convinced it's something really hard to find and totally worthy of an expensive rebuild because it's a 'golden rocket'. I told him if it was a 455 or even a 403 it'd be worth sticking the money into (especially since he doesn't have a car to put it into right now) but he's convinced this thing is special. Is he nuts or am I? Also, is golden rocket the term these engines were actually referred to as, or is it redneck lingo based on the fact that they are painted gold? I've seen 'em painted blue too. Should I tell him it's Ok to rebuild but I'd go after one of the even more rare 'blue rocket' 350s first?? hehe.

Don't get me wrong Arok, I'm not knocking the Olds 350 (had one in a car once myself, good engine) or the engine you're bidding on. I'm just trying to unravel a mystery. Thanks.

 

[mrapii]

All 1968-1974 Oldsmobile Rocket 350cid engines were painted gold, after 1974 they were blue. Why in the world would your buddy think there is something special about a gold painted Olds engine?

 

[85_SS]

mrapii is correct. Rocket 350 is the general terminology Olds used for their engines - golden is something he added, never heard that before. Nothing special about it, unless he just considers it special because its an Olds engine.

A gold Olds engine equates to an orange sbc 8)

 

[DrRansom442]

ehhh, if I were building an engine and had my choice between the 350 and the 403, I'd use the 350....sometimes cubes aren't the answer to everything, especially when the engine in question isn't structurally sound. Good for a real mild motor but the windowed mains, the low nickel iron and HUGE bore really didn't do the 403 favors .... that early 70s 350 is probably THE best SBO casting made

 

[mrapii]

And if that engine were going into a G-Body I'd choose a 350 SBC.

 

[78lemans]

Actually he's the second person I've run into that refers to it as the 'golden rocket' engine. No idea why. Of course these are the same people that refer to a 455 as a 'big block' Oldsmobile engine.
Another guy I used to know of thought he had something really special because he had a 350 'golden rocket' in his '84 Cutlass. He bought quite a few speed parts for it........headers, intake, carb, etc. Later ran the casting numbers and found out it was a '79 260!

 

[wmsnye]

"Golden Rocket"

I just bought an old book about Oldsmobile High Performance from the 50-70 ' s The book had a picture of a 1956 "concept" car. It was named the "Golden Rocket"

Oldsmobile the performance years by Martyn L Schorr copyright 1983, the picture is on page 62

 

[Arok]

I was at the gatornationals with hospitality passes from miller on saturday. The miller girls were hot and the beer was cold, had too much beer and not enough girl.........went home and passed out early, missing the final bid on the motor. Oh well. I'm thinking about getting a motor from advanced auto, I've heard they are reasonable. I'm pretty impulsive, so who knows what I'll end up with. I did find a guy today who wants me to tow off his 1980 cutlass supreme, 307, th-350. He said it had nice factory rims and all the glass in it is good, so that's why I want it.

 

[mrapii]

A "Golden Rocket 307"?