Should I do this or not?

BIGCARGUY · Addicted!

Should I do this or not?

StriperSS · Poncho Master!

Quite a few years ago when I lived in Vancouver, and I had my W-31, a friend had a 67 Cutlass that he put a crate LS7 in. It was a pretty fierce car, and all you need are Chevelle mounts and manifolds. You will get some grief for the swap though from those who think it shouldn't be done.
I'd love to find another Olds like yours!

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

I will tell you a very funny 67 442 story.

Years ago (about 1974), a guy coming through our small town with a 67 442 4 speed had engine trouble, I think it was a bad bearing. He abandoned the car and the company that towed it eventually claimed it for storage. They sold the Muncie out of it but my brother bought the car, a nice red rust free car. He put a 350 Chevy and a TH400 into it and drove it like that for likey 10 years. He and I took a trip with it about 1985 and took in a major Olds meet in the US, where he showed the car with the hood closed (which was allowed for some reason). We knew nobody at the show and left to continue our vacation. About a week after we got home, he received a package in the mail. It was his trophy for "Best Original Car" in his class!!!

So go for it, just don't open the hood!

Pontiacanada · A Poncho Legend!

Don't do it! Give me the Olds! (just kidding).

Next to a '68 442 & '67 Olds Tornado this is my 3rd. favourite Olds.

long stroke · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Carl Stevenson wrote:
I will tell you a very funny 67 442 story.

Years ago (about 1974), a guy coming through our small town with a 67 442 4 speed had engine trouble, I think it was a bad bearing. He abandoned the car and the company that towed it eventually claimed it for storage. They sold the Muncie out of it but my brother bought the car, a nice red rust free car. He put a 350 Chevy and a TH400 into it and drove it like that for likey 10 years. He and I took a trip with it about 1985 and took in a major Olds meet in the US, where he showed the car with the hood closed (which was allowed for some reason). We knew nobody at the show and left to continue our vacation. About a week after we got home, he received a package in the mail. It was his trophy for "Best Original Car" in his class!!!

So go for it, just don't open the hood!

Carl, that is hilarious.

66 Beau · Poncho Master!

I've got a soft spot for Oldsmobiles. The first car I ever rebuilt was a '64 Olds Cutlass. Original 330, 4 BBL. Put a TH400 in it, not that it particularly needed the extra weight.

If it was just a Cutlass, I'd vote for the 427, but 442's are fairly rare and command big bucks if done correctly.

If you only ever intend to drive it yourself, then go for the 427. If you ever intend to show it, or eventually sell it, keep it Oldsmobile.

If you do with the 427, it'll be a lot of fun and while you're driving it you could keep your eyes open for a 4 speed 400. You could then swap it in if you were going to sell.

From what I've seen, selling a 442 with a BBC, you won't get a fair price for the car or the engine. A lot of Olds fans are purists. Same issue with GTO's. Put a BBC in a GTO and you cut the value BIG time.

My 2 cents. It's yours, do what puts a grin on your face.

MC · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

66 Beau wrote:
I've got a soft spot for Oldsmobiles. The first car I ever rebuilt was a '64 Olds Cutlass. Original 330, 4 BBL. Put a TH400 in it, not that it particularly needed the extra weight.

If it was just a Cutlass, I'd vote for the 427, but 442's are fairly rare and command big bucks if done correctly.

If you only ever intend to drive it yourself, then go for the 427. If you ever intend to show it, or eventually sell it, keep it Oldsmobile.

If you do with the 427, it'll be a lot of fun and while you're driving it you could keep your eyes open for a 4 speed 400. You could then swap it in if you were going to sell.

From what I've seen, selling a 442 with a BBC, you won't get a fair price for the car or the engine. A lot of Olds fans are purists. Same issue with GTO's. Put a BBC in a GTO and you cut the value BIG time.

My 2 cents. It's yours, do what puts a grin on your face.

This would be my opinion as well, for what it's worth (likely no more than 2¢).

pudge444 · Addicted!

Here's one for you. A friend owns a local repair shop here, his customer brought him a cloned 442 70 Cutlass with a blown Olds 455 and wanted him to drop in a 400 Pontiac engine.

Magician40 · Poncho Master!

I finished a 67 442 for my Daughter last year. 400 engine and auto. I still own a 442 convertible with a 4sp, so I would keep it Oldsmobile, my 455 has put a lot of Chev. engines the way home. But its your decision.
Brian

427carl · A Poncho Legend!

If it were mine I would run a Canadian Pontiac 427

GLHS60 · Poncho Master!

I really like Olds engines too, but they can be very complicated as there were so many flavors if you want it correct.

1968 and newer 400's even had a different bore and stroke than earlier 400's

They even had different lifter bank angles between engines.

Put the wrong one in and purists will frown, so I'd run the Chevy until a proper 400 turns up.

A guy with an extremely low mileage Blue 1967 442, 4 speed shows up often at our summer Tues night gathering,
incredible car!!

I like Olds so much I put a 1970 455 Olds in a 1979 AMC Spirit years ago and it would haul the mail !!

Thanks
Randy

BIGCARGUY · Addicted!

I decided to wait for a 400 olds in the '65-'69 era with the manual trans crank. What's funny, years ago 2 good buddies of mine back in high school had a '68 Cutlass S with a 310 HP 350 and 4-speed. The other had a '68 442 with the 400 and TH400 trans. While the 442 was a torque monster, the Cutlass with its little 310 HP (did have a 268 comp cam and a carter AFB and 3:42 gears)would out sprint the 442. The 350 in the '67 has some serious go for just a stocker '72 350. I can easily melt the rear tires and did get a ticket on the freeway on ramp by a state trooper finding out. The '67 and my '70 Impala are the 2 cars I have now and the red '65 Buick will be sold soon as soon as I clean it up. The 427 will have to sit in the back of my garage for another project (have my eye on a '67 Strato chief 2door sedan car up north that might be a home for it)

The reason I picked up the '67 Olds was I came to a point I owned a lot of full size Chevy's and wanted a change after I sold my '63 409 & '65 Impala SS. My very first car was a '67 Cutlass Supreme sedan with the 320 HP 330 I paid $249 in 1988 at a Chevrolet dealer. The tired 330 got up moved and ate up quite a few mustangs and '70's Camaros in midnight races. Got junked when a girl in her folks brand new range rover failed to stop at an intersection and T-boned me hard in 1990. I guess having your first car you paid on your own leaves an impact one self, at least it did for me ;)

-- Edited by BIGCARGUY on Friday 4th of December 2015 04:24:10 AM