Hurst1979Olds's Build(t) Thread

OK I decided to finally do a build thread. I own a 1979 Hurst/Olds. I bought it as my first car in 2002 when I just turned 16. The outside was clean. The car ran a drive fine just needed cosmetic in the interior and the engine bay...No biggy. The guy I bought it from wanted a Black interior. So he spray painted the dash, console and put black floor mats and front seat covers in. Left the door panels, back seat, and head liner the original camel tan color. Wasnt sure what motor was in it at the time of sale but wasnt too concerned. Turned out it was a 1967 330. It was a clean solid car until I found the floor rot once the car was home.

I cut out the floors and had a friend of the family who restores car weld in new floor pans and undercoat the bottom and seam seal everything.

I found a complete dash from a junk yard with 2 small cracks in it for $100. Came complete with all wood grain, radio, gauges, etc. Sold most of it and made my money back. I found a guy with a black hurst/olds for $1000 but it was too nice to part out. Luckily he had a complete interior minus console, and dash. The door panels were still attached to the door. He said he a black H/O and someone stole it and he took all the good parts out of it. I bought everything for $175. I bought new seat covers for the seats and had a local upholsterer replace them, and his friend redyed the complete interior when he had the seats apart. I put everything in and the guy even came out to the house to do touch up work.

Car when I first got it home.



Rattle can Paint job on engine

Interior when I first got it.
Interior after everything was replaced and reconditioned.

I graduated high school in 2004 and then went to college in Ohio. I had to park the cutlass until I could drive it again. That didnt end up being until Fall of 2007.

It was parked here for those 3 years.

Hurst1979Olds's Build Thread (Lots of Pictures)

Now its time for the good stuff....the New Engine. I found a complete engine in the bed of a pickup outside a shaddy bodyshop. It was a 1977 Olds Diesel 350D (not DX). I stripped it down to the bare block and junked everything else. I sourced for month parts for the engine.

Found a 425 BBO crank, set of BBC forged connecting rods. The rods were bushed on the pin to accept a .927 pin for a SBC. Sent the crank out to machined to accept the rods and counterweights cut to fit in the block. I bored and honed, line honed the main, and decked the block myself while in college at UNOH. Bore is now 4.155 and the stroke is 4". I had it ground on a 4" instead of the 425 original stroke of 3.975. The pistons are small block chevy 400 pistons. Flat top. Cylinder heads are Edelbrock aluminum heads that I ported myself in college.

Main studs with a Mondello main girdle

Just mock up. Checking clearances and such
Final Assembly.



Head studs as well.

I have since swapped rockers for Comp Cams Ultra Mags

Thanks guys. Well the engine has been built and installed in the car for awhile now. I'll keep posting pictures as I get around to it.

Right now I got a th350 trans and a 3.08 gear. I do plan on putting 3.42, or 3.73 in it. I also have a 2800-3200 stall. The motor has never been dumped and never to the track. When I Di ill definetally post times. The engine is 10.75:1 compression.

dogshit said:

Very cool build! Hope in time you can post some time or dyno slips. Did you flow the heads? What kind of cam specs? I assume its around 10-1? Do plan to to do a 200-4R? What gear & converter do have planned? I applaud you for sticking with it she is really coming around.

Click to expand...

A/C Panel with the old engine removed.

Engine bay cleaned up and an A/C Delete panel installed.



Engine installed. Too bad the valve covers hit the a/c delete panel.

Engine bay was semi detailed at this point.


I removed the engine when I still was renting an apartment in NJ. The landlord came out and I was under the car disconnecting the exhaust and motor mounts and he saw the starter on the ground and said "Replacing the starter" I said nope pulling the engine. I guess he didnt see the hoist sitting there. I pulled the engine on a rock driveway.

The way I pulled the engine is the car was on a slight incline. I has the wheels chalked and I would slowly roll the car backwards until the engine was completly out. then rolled the car back uphill. Then to install my landlord pushed the car with his 4 wheeler under the new engine as I lowered it in. It was pretty slick and redneck for sure.