[72CutSupreme]

Howdy all,
I have a 72 cutlass supreme with an olds 350 in it. The car was sitting for 4 years before a purchased it but surprisingly it is ruhning and driving. the problem is that is seems to have very little power. I know that this car probably moved out quite well back in the day but not anymore. I now have to decide weither I want to put money into this olds 350 and get some power out of it or swap in a chev 350 and build up that. I'm on a budget so I'm looking for most power for the least money. I'm looking for more of a torque motor than a hp motor. I'm not wanting to go 150 down the highway i'd rather have my power off the line. I'm not interested in pulling these motors apart so i'm also limited to what I can get out of bolt ons (cam, intake exhaust, heads). just something else to keep in mind. I allready have a brand new performer intake for a sbc so i'm kind of leaning towards the chev.

I know that the chev is a lot cheaper to build up but which is a better candidate for higher torque numbers?
My next question is how hard would a sbc swap be into this car.
Any input and oppinions would be appreciated

Thanks
-D

 

[engineman302]

:welcome: first off i dont think the trans will bolt up.it been a long time but i had a 350 rocket in a buick regal and wanted to go with a 350 chevy and it was going to be to much trouble. i went back with the rocket and was very happy.

 

[chevyman06]

I do not beleive that the trans/motor bellhousings match, but i beleive u can get an adapter plate that goes between the 2 bellhousings, but then u also have to shim the flywheel, and the starter i suppose. Thats my 2 cents.

 

[280zxWith305]

i had a 84 camaro with a v-6... it was VERY sluggish.. we took the heads off and cleaned the 1-2 inch gunk out of them and when we put the heads back on... u just wouldnt believe the difference.. it was like a totally different engine. might want to take the valve covers off and have a peak

 

[poncho62]

If dollars count, stick with the Olds...gobs of torque.

Do a compression test, tune up, maybe rebuild carb....................probably will do a world of good.

 

[enjenjo]

Check the valve springs, they were famous for this.

 

[willowbilly3]

Keep it an Olds. As mentioned check the compression and state of tune. Also check for a clogged exhaust or catalytic convertor, pretty common on those cars.
If you want to do a swap find a 425/455 olds. They will bolt right in and have enough torque to change the rotation of the earth. Just don't try to twist an Olds like you would a Chevy. Never take it over 5 grand, the engine won't last and it is going to run it's quickest by shifting around 4600-4800 rpms anyway.

 

[72CutSupreme]

thanks for all the feedback guys. I'll definetaly check into those things before I consider a swap.

 

[DoubleVision]

You may also want to check the mechanical advance in the distributor, it`s likely stuck closed. If the car still has points ditch it and get a HEI, the best place for points is the trash. Just make sure you connect a 12 volt source up to the HEI. If the car sat that long, I would also pour a can of sea foam in it, let it idle 20 minutes, then change the oil and filter, I`d also pour a can in the gas tank, if any rings are stuck, this will help them unstick. Adding marvel mystery oil would also help.