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This was the car that got me through college and it was my first automotive project. The vehicle really was my father's Oldsmobile at one time. As far as the body was concerned, it was the perfect urban assault vehicle for driving to and from college in an inner city environment. Also, it was a good example to demonstrate GM interchangeability.     Originally, it came with an Olds 350 in.³ V8 with a 4 bbl carburetor (180 hp @ 3800 RPM & 275 lbf·ft @ 2800 RPM), THM 350 transmission, and an open differential with 2.73:1 ratio gears. The interior had bench seats, column shift, and warning lights for instrumentation.     Later, some of the interior parts and all of the drivetrain components were changed. The following table shows the parts that were added and their sources. Additional components like engine mounts and radiator hoses were for a '74 Chevy Malibu.

Components Added and Their Source Vehicles

Component Source Vehicle engine: Mark IV Chevy; transmission: THM 400 1972 Chevy Kingswood Estate transmission short tailshaft 1969 Pontiac GTO torque convertor 1974 Olds Cutlass (original, used with the Chevy drivetrain) rear axle housing 1975 Chevy Monte Carlo limited slip differential 1973 Chevy Impala ring & pinion gears, 3.42:1 ratio 1972 Chevy Camaro bucket seats 1970 Pontiac Grand Prix console and analog instrument cluster 1975 Olds Cutlass Pontiac Rally wheels, 15x7 1976 Pontiac Grand Prix V6 fender emblem 1976 Buick Regal

The engine was acquired from a friend's station wagon in need of a major rebuild. It started out with 402 in.³ of displacement. The final specifications, after the rebuild, are presented in the following table.

427 CID Mark IV Chevy V8 Specifications

block 2 bolt mains, bore: 4.125"+0.125" (427 in.³ with 3.76" stroke crank), deburred heads closed chamber, oval port, brass valve guides, deburred TRW 2.19" intake valves, TRW 1.88" exhaust valves, Crane single coil valve springs with dampers, Manley rocker arms and retainers cam Crane Blazer 292-2H, #13380 intake: 218° duration @ 0.050" cam lift, 0.510" valve lift with 1.7:1 rocker arm exhaust 230° duration @ 0.050" cam lift, 0.527" valve lift with 1.7:1 rocker arm lobe centerline: 114° Crane hydraulic lifters #99277 crank assembly TRW forged aluminum pistons (#L-2268), 11:1 compression ratio, TRW double moly rings, cast crank, SPS 3/8" connecting rod bolts, crank assembly fully balanced, TRW bearings induction Edelbrock Torker 2-0 (single plane, aluminum manifold), Holley 735 CFM (OEM 1969 Ford 428CJ #C9AF-9510-U, List 4609), GM splash shield under intake manifold (#3931093) ignition GM HEI, Accel cap with brass terminals & rotor, adjustable vacuum advance exhaust Blackjack aluminum coated headers (#5806) with 1.75" primaries & 3" collector miscellaneous Cloyes True Roller timing set, TRW high volume oil pump, chrome timing chain cover, Mickey Thompson polished aluminum rocker arm covers, Accel high torque starter

The engine and transmission bolted right in. The holes for the engine mounts were predrilled in the crossmember. The holes to move the transmission crossmember back by 4" were predrilled also.  A Hurst Dual Gate shifter was adapted to the Olds console. Lastly, V6 emblems were added to the fenders.     Unfortunately, the fuel economy was only about 11 mpg in the city with a best of 15 mpg on the highway on premium fuel. Nature was taking its toll on the body. With a job lined up, finishing college, and a new respectable muscle car coming out (Buick Grand National) it was time to bury the Olds. The car was stripped and junked.  The engine was sold 5/13/00. It has been revived in a 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS. The car was replaced by my first new car, the Grand National shown on the main page. Until then, the Olds was a fun to drive sleeper.

The engine cleaned up and in its new home, a 1968 Chevelle SS.

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