Saved 62, my low mileage (35,8xx), award winning 1962 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 convertible is being offered at auction. Bidding opens on 2 Dec and closes one week later on 9 Dec.



One may view the auction listing, and enter a bid, online, here-
https://auctions.allcollectorcars.com/items/view/4-7MAVB/1962-oldsmobile-dynamic-88

A consistent award winner!

 

Wow, what a nice car. I hope you did well. I do have a question if you can help. I have a 62 Olds 394 engine stuffed into an older Olds. I am trying to determine if it is a 280 or 330 HP engine. I know the 280's came with a two barrel and I understand that the 330's came with a 4 barrel carb. This one has a 4 barrel on it, but that does not mean that someone could have switched it over to a 4. So,I am wondering if you would happen to know the difference between the two so I could look for those differences? I have already taken off the heads and oil pan so I can pretty much access everything.

Also, what should the original color of the engine have been? Mine was repainted blue at some time in the past and I am not aware of GM painting any 394s blue.

Thanks, Sincerely, Lloyd (aka Rustednutz)

 

She is indeed a very nice ride, if I say so myself and she did not sell in the auction.

As for differences betw the engines, a little hard to tell. The easiest way is by engine color. The high hp engine was red and had aluminum/chrome valve covers. The lower hp engine was what Oldsmobile called turquoise. You and I might think of it as a green

Another clue would be the engine #, stamped on the block, on the driver side, just below the head and above the exhaust manifold. If it has an "F" in the number it is a low horsepower engine. It could NOT have an "F" in the engine number sequence, but still not be a high hp engine. The "F" code engine was the low compression, 260 h.p. option. There was also a 280 hp, 330 hp and 345 hp engine. Those would have had 4 bbl carbs. The 345 hp was achieved by use of domed pistons which increased the compression ration to 10.75. All the other engines had flat topped pistons.

I have attached an 1962 Oldsmobile Engine Specs chart. As it is a MS Word document you need that program to open/read it.

Lastly, here is a link with all you need to ID what your engine should be/is - Powertrain Decoder

Hope this helps -

 

Oldsd88, thanks for your help. Interestingly, the engine number on my heads and block is 15339, which is no where close to the 300,000 series of numbers. No letters either except the right had does have a G in the second part of the number. If you get a chance, take a look at all of the information I have. The heads and engine match and a resource book also shows the other head numbers. I think it is a 62, only by comparing the various numbers of all of the parts. Thanks again Oldsd88. Rustednutz

Engine block 15339 stamped on left front of block, and it matches the heads number.

Engine block 582813 cast on flat spot behind distributor. American V-8 Engine Data Book shows this number for Olds 394 blocks 59-63.

Heads are stamped below edge of valve covers, middle of head above exhaust on flat spot -- Left head is 15339, Right head is 15339 G405194S. There are no other letters.

Both heads have 583832 cast under the valve cover in small numbers. This number is listed as a 59-63 year number for Olds 394 in the American V-8 Engine Data Book.

Left exhaust manifold has 5487193-2 cast. Right exhaust manifold has GM 579279 LH *D2 cast. The same Data book shows 579279 for the left side and 579278 on the right for 61-62.
Not sure what this means and how accurate the Data book is.

4 barrel Inase manifold cast number is 580677.

The cast iron Flex-plate housing has 558709 1 *CFD cast on right front of housing.

Bore is 4 1/8

 

I see you did get on CO and have posted this msg there. Hopefully, you will get a definitive answer. I shall follow the thread on CO.

 

Thanks, I will need to know in order to get the right parts. This the 50/88 that it is in.

 

Nice ride, and with the 394 engine it will be a hauler!