Speaking of Olds vs. Chevy costs...

[joe_padavano]

Current issue of Popular Hot Rodding has an Olds 455 build and a Chevy 400 build only a couple of pages apart. The Olds cost $8500 and made 540 ft-lbs and 514 HP. The Chevy was a DART motor, cost $9500, and made 523 HP and 523 ft lbs. Oh, and the Olds made at least 495 ft lbs from 3000 RPM to 5500 RPM. That's not a torque "curve", it's a torque mesa. Sorry folks, but I'll take that for a street motor any day, especially for $1000 LESS than the almighty SBC.

 

[jrm81bu]

Good point! Except for the part that they used an ,unneeded for those power levels, aftermarket block. Subtract the 1500+ to 5500+ dollars that that block may have cost and take another look at the totals.
I'm not and won't argue which one is better or worse, as I don't really care, but this is an apples to oranges comparrison.

Hell at least if you're gonna try to do it at least go with a 455 to 454. It would even help your arguement since a bbc usually costs more than a sbc. Or do a 350 to 350.

Besides for that much money I'd expect more power out of either.

 

[olds307 and 403]

I love Olds and they make much better street engines than the sbc. The sbc's I have run were slugs with 2 something gearing and unreliable compared to the Olds v8. That being said, I wish a reliable, honest source would make a modern chamber and good flowing head for the Olds v8. Part availability is the major chevy benefit. Olds 350 could make very comparable power to the sbc 350. The 455 would make more tire killing torque compared to the 454 and lighter too. The BBC heads flow a ton more than even max ported readily available Olds aluminum heads. I personally would want to build a Cad 500 with the MTS or Potter aluminum heads. They go 540 ci easy, are light, durable and also torque monsters.

 

[FE3X CLONE]

This comes up on ROP all the time. Block and head threads. LOL

The issue, which do you build first? If you make an Olds head capable of flowing BIG numbers, your not going to have a stock block that can handle the power. So then your spending $2500+ on girdles to hold it together.

But then some argue, without a strong block, no one will make a really high flowing head. Its a viscious circle. :lol:

One day, if I win the lottery I'm going to produce an aftermarket block and heads for the Olds to my liking.

Which brings up another issue, if someone were to make a really good flowing head for the Olds (higher than 300+cfm) and aftermarket blocks, the only guys that are going to be buying them are hardcore racers. The majority of Olds guys aren't going to spend the money for stuff like that unfortunately.

I do remember a big block build comparison years back in Car Craft or similar mag and the Olds 455 was one of the cheaper engines to build. I think it made 20-40HP less than a BBC but they handicaped it by putting a Performer intake on it instead of a Torker. Later on they installed a Torker and I believe it picked up another 20HP. It's torque output was still crazy.

 

[84cutspreme]

I'm not taking any sides here, olds are always torque monster motors. My pops just finished rebuilding his 455 and my brother a 454 (I built a 350 sbc). I think they are generally about the same cost after you're all said and done. Only thing I'll say is chevy's are easier to build because they make more parts for them...all my dad does is complain about new products as they come out, saying "Oh those are nice...too bad they don't make it for olds." I do find that olds are a little more reliable than chevy's, but chevy just has more options and parts availability. All said and done...they are both still GM, so I consider myself a GM fan...BOP or chevy, I love them all.

 

[agtw31]

an aftermarket block will never be made for an Oldsmobile

Olds racers are happy with running 9's and 10's with a chunk of iron.

the ones running 8's on motor are running diesel blocks that are damn near bulletproof

the ones running 7's have a 1000hp spray shot

 

[joe_padavano]

the ones running 7's have a 1000hp spray shot

Yeah, for a little while anyway... :wink:

 

[jrm81bu]

All said and done...they are both still GM, so I consider myself a GM fan...BOP or chevy, I love them all.

x100. I'd agree with that anyday.

 

[FE3X CLONE]

an aftermarket block will never be made for an Oldsmobile

Olds racers are happy with running 9's and 10's with a chunk of iron.

the ones running 8's on motor are running diesel blocks that are damn near bulletproof

the ones running 7's have a 1000hp spray shot

Or two BIG turbos:

Twin Turbo small block Oldsmobile powered dragster

 

[79loserbluebu]

Good point! Except for the part that they used an ,unneeded for those power levels, aftermarket block. Subtract the 1500+ to 5500+ dollars that that block may have cost and take another look at the totals.
I'm not and won't argue which one is better or worse, as I don't really care, but this is an apples to oranges comparrison.

Hell at least if you're gonna try to do it at least go with a 455 to 454. It would even help your arguement since a bbc usually costs more than a sbc. Or do a 350 to 350.

Besides for that much money I'd expect more power out of either.

I'd have to 100% agree with you. There's such a huge variance of what you can do with both engines so it makes comparison nearly impossible. You could take an older Oldsmobile engine with an aftermarket EFI setup, and compare it to an LS engine with EFI and I would guarantee the LS everytime. You could take a diesel 350 Olds and compare it to a Chevy 350, and the Olds wins everytime. The fact is both were built by GM. There are bigger fish to fry. Or, shall I say smaller.... Ford 4.6 :lol: