I just saw this topic but I have a 78 Cutlass with the stock 260 in it. Would it be the hard to replace with a Chevy 350? I have an old 71 Rocket but the rebuild is expensive on it for what I can buy a crate Chevy for. But I hear the Rocket is much better so I just want some feedback on that topic.....thanks

 

man the rebuild is expensive but i dont truely know about cheaper i have an 86 that had the 307 in it and had it rebuilt with the tranny butbothare for sell for 1200.00 completely rebuilt with 7000 miles on it but anyway i put a 350 chevy in my car and it was a pain besides everything is on the oppisite side starter battery alternator motor mount and frame mount might need to be replaced not sure i had to change mine. i have noproblem with my 350 it was an easy bulid put it like this i spent 600 dollars more on rebuilding the 307 .30 roller over that the 350 .60 over with big cam heads and intake and carb but the rocket has more stock torqe

 

[img]smileys/smiley2.gif[/img]Hey new member here, I will tell u 1 thing stay olds. The degree on the olds bank (38) is a lot wider than the chevy (15) and in turn produces lots of power and torque with little to no vibration, yeah little bit more expensive but the rocket blocks are awesome. The last one I built was 396 hp and 419 ft/lbs torque. nothing special 350 rebuilt heads .030 over edelbrock intake and 600 carb hole shot 2300 stall and sorry 2.42 in rear. It ran a 13.32 at 106 would have killed 2 c it with some 3.73's or so. It's all about torque, it's what pulls u down the 1320. Also a much better fitment 4 u. Ihave a chevy in my newest project and let me tell u Pain n the a. Probly didn't help going fuelinjected with the lt1 but everything was tough from the headers to themotor mounts wiring plumbing starter everything was a pain but cool. Hope this helps u out

 

\[img]uploads/Roketblok/33DAC_001.jpg[/img]Here is a picture of my beyond expensive swap LT1 and T-56. Fast engine management, spec stage 2 clutch w/ hydraulic slave cylinder. She should be pushing upwards of 400 hp. Edited by: Roketblok

 

From what I read is that the chevy conversion is a pain. Brackets and things go on differently. Besides, if you swap a 260 out, you can bolt a 307, 330, 350, and 403 right in and connect it to almost everything as I hear the block dimensions are the same.


I'm hopefully soon to drop a 403 thats bored .020with ported heads and intakein my 87 cutlass and replace the 307, and the tranny with a turbo 400. The 400 tranny needs a shorter driveshaft though.


If you have an olds 71 rocket, I hear the older blocks 71 and older i think have nickle material in them making them valuable candidates for a high performance rebuild.

 

ARMike, A Chevy motor is indeed a pain to swap in.


All "real" (non-corporate) Olds motors had a high nickle content. That's why there's no such thing as a "4 bolt main" Oldsmobile. We don't need it.


Mark, A turbo 350 is a lighter transmission and has less parasitic loss than a 400. A 403 will not hurt a 350.


Why 0.20 over? That's an odd size andyou may have trouble finding pistons.


C.J.