The Olds 260 head is the worst flowing factory head?

[olds307 and 403]

Just for sh*ts and giggles I've wanted to hop up my stock 260 to see what it could do but the more I read I see why it was replaced with the Olds 307. Too bad Chevrolet had to snuff out Oldsmobile and their high performance aspect besides all the emissions crap. Could you imagine a factory W31 Olds 350 or W30 Olds 455 Gbody Cutlass......

It started back in the 50's with the F88. Harley Earl designed 3 different models. If it would have been launched with the 270 HP Rocket V8, being a better all around car vs the no flame 150 HP 6 in the floundering Corvette, it might have won out and no one would remember the Chevy. Personally, a Hemi Olds 455 or a DOHC 455 were both tested and make big power, 650 HP and 700 HP. The Hemi 455 with 8 to 1 and a .400" lift cam still made 400+ Gross HP! Even a detuned DOHC Olds 350 would have been cool for the awful 70's.

 

[84dragcutlass]

We will see how my sons car runs with its 260 with the 4barrel intake, milled heads, and cam swap. i bet it might even make 115hp 🤣

 

[olds307 and 403]

We will see how my sons car runs with its 260 with the 4barrel intake, milled heads, and cam swap. i bet it might even make 115hp 🤣

When I first put mine in my 88 CSC with shorty headers and 2.5" dual exhaust with the 3.42 gears it felt almost like a stock 307, not bad at all. With headers and dual exhaust, he might be near the 307 HO swirl port numbers, extremely good for where it started. I bet those heads would pick up a good amount with a bowl hog cut and 307 valves. Please let us know how it performs.

 

[BlueCalais79]

When my original 260 died at about 100,000 I had another one rebuilt in 1992, another 260 bored 30 over, so I figured it went from 105 hp to 108 hp. I like to say the power curve in this motor is between zero and 1200 rpms. I added a 3:08 rear which blew up the metric 200 so that got replaced with a 200R4. This brought the performance up from horrible to bad. It's tolerable if you leave it in 3rd around town and use the O/D for the highway.

I suffer through for any performance but it's still a great car to drive. Sure it takes 16 minutes to get to 70 mph but I just make sure no one is within 2 miles of me when I pull onto the highway.

 

[olds307 and 403]

When my original 260 died at about 100,000 I had another one rebuilt in 1992, another 260 bored 30 over, so I figured it went from 105 hp to 108 hp. I like to say the power curve in this motor is between zero and 1200 rpms. I added a 3:08 rear which blew up the metric 200 so that got replaced with a 200R4. This brought the performance up from horrible to bad. It's tolerable if you leave it in 3rd around town and use the O/D for the highway.

I suffer through for any performance but it's still a great car to drive. Sure it takes 16 minutes to get to 70 mph but I just make sure no one is within 2 miles of me when I pull onto the highway.

I bet the mileage is pretty good on the highway. The 260 5 spd was the gas V8 mileage machine from the late 70's.

 

[Metzger82]

I bet the mileage is pretty good on the highway. The 260 5 spd was the gas V8 mileage machine from the late 70's.

How rare are the 260 v8, 5spd cars because I've never seen one before (which isn't surprising from I'm only 19)? Because I think it would be cool to at least see one let alone own one.

 

[BlueCalais79]

With the 200R4 I get my 20 mpg highway even more. It runs at about 1850 rpms at 65 mph in 4th. I brings me right back down to about where the 2:29 was in 3rd at that same speed. I had to ditch that 2:29 as it started singing really loudly at about 175,000 miles so it was time for it to go.

And so I thought it would be great to put in a rebuilt 3:08 posi to replace it. Running at about 3,000 rpm at 65 with that axle did in the metric 200 after a few months.

 

[olds307 and 403]

How rare are the 260 v8, 5spd cars because I've never seen one before (which isn't surprising from I'm only 19)? Because I think it would be cool to at least see one let alone own one.

Quite rare. But they are out there, a few in mint shape as well for reasonable money. Rare doesn't equal valuable. It is the weak Borg and Warner T-50 trans with the weird shift pattern.

 

[84dragcutlass]

A 260 with a T56 behind it would be an interesting little turd...

 

[Cousin Lenny 123]

A 260 with a T56 behind it would be an interesting little turd...

What rear gears would u use? I had a 4door aero sedan with 260 and buckets with console in 96. Rear frame passenger side fell off and took the bumper. Ended parting it out when i moved south. wasn't a speed demon, but a cruiser...