Additionally, the 403 had windowed main webs, which reduced the internal strength of the block in the crankcase area. Our sources for this article included the Auto Editors of Consumer Guide, Encyclopedia of American Cars: Over 65 Years of Automotive History (Lincolnwood, IL: Publications International, 1996); John R. Bond, Car of the Year: The 1949 Cadillac, Motor Trend November 1949, reprinted in Cadillac Automobiles 1949-1959, ed. Rockets, Vikings and Your Old Man. The Rocket-powered 98 was already a very respectable performer, so installing the new engine in the lighter body made for quite a hot number. As the diagram below illustrates, an L-head engine has its valves in the side(s) of the block. Some things, like the Hydra-Matic, arent so bad, but trim pieces can be a major pain, and even the early Rocket engines can be challenging at this point. The idea of keeping the brand names on a model-specific basis is not illogical (although again its contrary to current brand management philosophy), but it would present all manner of practical problems, not least that it would invite the ire of people who had previously paid money for a sales franchise for that brand. Were Oldsmobiles ever sold in Brazil in any significant numbers? Oldsmobile might be gone, but the Rocket brand hasn't been forgotten by collectors shopping for a 1950s American automotive icon. This very open and flat chamber was fuel efficient and had lower than average emissions output. (Google, DoubleClick, YouTube, and other related marks and logos are trademarks of Google LLC. Those were the good old days. Some consider Rocket 88, recorded by Jackie Brenston in 1951, to be the first rock and roll song. com/ newsletter/ 2004-10_OCAZ_Newsletter.pdf, accessed 15 June 2015; Helen Jones Earley and James R. Walkinshaw, Setting the Pace: Oldsmobiles First 100 Years (Lansing, MI: Oldsmobile Division of General Motors Corporation, 1996); John Gunnell, ed., Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975, Rev. All LV2s feature a 4-barrel carburetor. A nominal 360 hp was claimed in 1967 when equipped with a W30 camshaft, 4-barrel, and outside air induction, 502 of which were factory produced. Oldsmobiles first OHV V8, dubbed the Rocket engine, had a 3.75-inch (95.3mm) bore and a 3.44-inch (87.3mm) stroke, compared to 3.25 inches (82.6mm) and 3.88 inches (98.4mm) respectively for the straight eight the Rocket replaced. The demise of Olds is yet another dreary episode in the ongoing story of GM losing its way. The prototypes, which first ran in November 1946, were 287 cu. For additional information about how Google uses cookies and/or other technologies that may collect and/or process personal information, see the "Technologies" section of their Google Privacy & Terms site and the "Our advertising and measurement cookies" section of their Google Business Data Responsibility site, which includes a detailed list of cookies associated with Google advertising and measurement products. They were criticized at the time as being unsafe in city traffic because they picked up their air too close to the tail pipes of cars ahead. Flory. It was used in most Oldsmobile models, as well as those from Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and Pontiac. The cookies are not set at all unless you select that option when submitting a comment. The LG8 was a modern 307cuin (5.0L) High-Output derivative of the LV2 produced from 1983 to 1987. New brakes, wide Whitewall tires and classic stereo and speaker. With a 4-barrel carburetor and 10.25:1 compression, the Olds 215 made 185hp (138kW) at 4800rpm and 230lbft (310Nm) at 3200rpm with a manual transmission. In an OHV engine, by contrast, the valves are a fair distance away from the crankshaft, which makes operating them far more complicated. I have an interest in the history of Camshaft design tildentechnologies.com. BMEP, IMEP), you will immediately see that bore/stroke ratio does not directly effect engine power. The development testing, however, had been done using the smaller B-body Olds 76 as a test mule. Two-barrel carburetion was standard; all high performance 324s came with four-barrel carburetors. Except as otherwise indicated, all written content and images are copyright Aaron Severson dba Ate Up With Motor. If you use the buttons to make a payment or donation, the PayPal services will set additional cookies (not listed here) to manage your PayPal login and transaction data (and potentially also for various other purposes, e.g., user analytics and/or advertising). Even in markets where fuel is substantially more expensive than in the U.S., fuel efficiency is widely regarded in purely economic terms. Offenhauser 3200 49-53 Olds Rocket Dual Quad Intake, Small Port $889.99 Ships Free . Runs great. When you submit a comment, you may have the option save your information for future comments, storing the info in these cookies. The "Rocket" name disappeared from the air cleaner decal in 1975, the same year that the catalytic converter was added to the emissions control system. Adding turn signals, backup lights, windshield washers, and heater tacked an additional $112 to the price these items wouldnt be standard for several more years. Not a lot of people collect or preserve those cars anymore, and many succumbed to rust or the crusher a long time ago. *. The early Repco engines produced up to 300bhp (220kW), and featured new SOHC cylinder heads and iron cylinder liners. If anyone at GM had had doubts about offering the big engine in the smaller body, the sales alone would have been enough to convince them. In 1962 and 1963 Oldsmobile built a turbocharged version of the 215, designated Turbo-Rocket. Shop 303 Oldsmobile V8 parts and get Free Shipping on orders over $149 at Speedway Motors, the Racing and Rodding Specialists. An 88 also won the first grueling Carrera Panamericana, the 2,176-mile (3,500-km) Mexican Road Race. The wahFontColor and wahBgColor cookies, which are set if you alter the site's color scheme, normally expire after about 14 days, but you can remove them immediately by clicking the "Restore Defaults" button on the sidebar. Engineers today are wrestling with questions very similar to those faced by their counterparts of 70 or even 90 years ago. Your email address will not be published. Power for the base engine was up to 315hp (235kW), even though compression was down a quarter point, to 9.75:1.[9]. This problem did not appear until the engine had over 50,000 miles (80,000km) on it. It was the seminal American muscle car, predating Chrysler's Hemi-powered 300-C by . Of those sales, 100,273 were the Rocket 88. From 1950 until 1974, the 88 was the division's most profitable line, particularly the entry level models such as the 88 and Dynamic 88. Since the valves of a flathead are also in the block, the camshaft can actuate the valves directly. Oldsmobiles reign as the hottest performer in the land proved to be short-lived. In Brazil, OHV V8 engines are commonly known as motores roquete (rocket motors), no matter which producer. The first Oldsmobile V8 was of a flathead design that was developed by Northway Engine Works before GM assumed operations. Clarke (Cobham, England: Brooklands Books Ltd., ca. Total Oldsmobile sales for the 1949 model year, including exports and Canadian production, were almost 294,000, a 64% improvement from the year before. The 1961 through 1963 Sky Rocket (and 1964 Rocket) was a high-compression, four-barrel 394cuin (6.5L) engine. They were all painted Bronze and had V and G stamped on the cylinder heads. Set an alert to be notified of new listings. They had long since lost genuine autonomy anyhow. 76. "Kelly", Jr. Baechtel, John. I will let you know soon. You must be at least 18 to comment. The cheap ones are expensive, and the expensive ones are cheap. I heard it (fittingly) in connection with Jaguars, but of course its true in general. The 455 big block Olds V8 was replaced in 1977 with the 403cuin (6.6L) small block, which used a 4.351in (110.5mm) bore, the largest ever used in a small-block V8, with the Olds small-block standard deck and 3.385in (86.0mm) stroke. Some early 307s were painted GM Corporate blue, but most were painted satin black. The means exist to do the same work while burning less fuel; the question is whether a meaningful number of American consumers will accept those means while theres still fuel left to burn. The second issue was that the practical limit for L-head engines was a compression ratio of about 7.0:1; above that threshold, it became difficult to control combustion roughness. 98. California residents also have the Right to Opt-Out of the sale of their personal information see the Do Not Sell My Personal Information page. Until 1951, Oldsmobile offered a choice of fastback and notchback body styles, as well as the convertible. If the payment button is visible, it may set the third-party cookies PYPF (via paypalobjects.com, which is owned by PayPal, Inc.), which appears to check whether or not you are a logged-in PayPal user, possibly to facilitate the PayPal user login process, and/or 01A1 (via abmr.net, which is owned by Akamai Technologies), which stores certain technical information about your device and browser (or other user agent), possibly to facilitate the login and shopping cart functions. Unlike the 76, powered by a straight-six engine, the 88 came with a V8 under the. Regarding production tallies, in MY1949, Oldsmobile built 288,310 cars, of which 95,556 were the 76, meaning the remaining 192,754 (66.9% of production) were 88s and 98s with the new Rocket engine. If you correctly enter the password, the site saves this cookie on your device to allow you access to the password-protected post or page. Note the stylized rocket chrome trim on the front fender. (This cant be viewed as an entirely altruistic effort, since GM still owned a major stake in the Ethyl Corporation, the principle producer of the tetraethyl lead additive that was the primary octane booster used in contemporary gasoline.) Lakeland, FL 5 years at classiccars.com 3 28,500 1955 Oldsmobile 88 gasoline blue manual New interior paint and re-chromed bumpers. (At present, this setting does NOT affect the payment or donation buttons that may appear on portions of the site's administrative dashboard, nor does hiding the box affect any cookies that may have already been set). You are correct its even a Studebaker Avanti, not the later Avanti II. The final 1990 configuration was rated at 140hp (100kW) at 3200 rpm and 255lbft (346Nm) of torque at 2000 rpm. Ate Up With Motor's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy may be revised from time to time. From 1961-1963, Oldsmobile manufactured its own version of the Buick-designed, all-aluminum 215 cubic inch (3.5L) V8 engine for the F-85 compact. 1955 Oldsmobile Super 88, 324-V8, 4 bbl carburetor, engine free, I have owned this since 1973, good 4-speed hydramatic transmission, interior useable, nice dash. Ford, Chevy, Dodge and Mercury were the top sellers and I believe Oldsmobile would come in 5th or 6th place. They call mine the black ace and they have a club division in the oldsmobile club of america. Every 307 used a four-barrel carburetor, which was a variant of the Rochester Quadrajet, usually the CCC (Computer Command Control) Quadrajet. The Cadillac and Oldsmobile V8s represented the start of several major trends in American engine design. Most contemporary road tests at least mentioned fuel consumption. 1956 Oldsmobile 88 4dr St Rod, new gas tank, new brakes and tires, rebuilt front end, good body, new paint, nice patina, good original interior, rebuilt . (2,969 cc) six with a compression ratio of 12.5:1, where most contemporary engines had ratios of no more than 7.0:1. During those few brief years, both the hot rodder and the racers weapon of choice was either the Cadillac 331 c.i. This was not an official assignment; he was simply exploring ideas for his own interest and amusement. To learn more about the specific cookies used and/or to fine-tune your available choices, click "Privacy Preferences" at the right. The 324cuin (5.3L) version was produced from 1954 until 1956. The Rocket 88 model name was dropped after 1957. (Google, Google Analytics, and other related marks and logos are trademarks of Google LLC. The typeface used for the labels in the author-created diagrams is Liberation Sans, one of the Liberation Fonts (version 2.00.1 or later), which are copyright 2012 Red Hat, Inc., used under the SIL Open Font License, Version 1.1. ), These first-party cookies are used to manage user logins and certain other administrative functions of the WordPress content management system, e.g., post editing. Home / Cars for Sale / Oldsmobile / . (6,460 cc), which was about the limit of the original block design. (Im not entirely sure why H-M did not, actually.). By late 1956, many Olds dealers learned about the problem. Free shipping for many products! Assuming your car has its original engine, its the version Oldsmobile called the Skyrocket, which was differentiated from the base Rocket by its four-barrel carburetor and gross ratings of 330 hp and 440 lb-ft of torque. On that level, the Oldsmobile Rocket engine didnt make it, but thats with the benefit of hindsight. The PYPF cookie normally expires in approximately four weeks, the 01A1 cookie in approximately one year. However, my research has of necessity stretched back somewhat further than that and not just to the late 40s but, in tracing company histories, at least as far back as 1903 and the curved dash Oldsmobile. Unless youre building a rod, its often worth it to spend more upfront for a car thats in better condition. In the mid-1950s, American automakers were engaged in a ferocious horsepower race. What these activities have most in common was that there was an awful lot of engine-swapping going on. Submitting a comment signifies your acceptance of our. I came here to pick up some information for a book Im writing and was pleasantly surprised to find more than I bargained for. 324 rocket v8. Known variously as the Rockette, Cutlass, and Turbo-Rocket by Oldsmobile (and as Fireball and Skylark by Buick),[10] it was a compact, lightweight engine measuring 28in (71cm) long, 26in (66cm) wide, and 27in (69cm) high (same as the small-block Chevy),[11] with a dry weight of only 320lb (150kg). Call 800.979.0122, 7am-10pm, everyday. 1985), pp. 1959 and 1960 371s used green painted valve covers. The other members may be able to help you decide whether a price is fair, and in some cases, they may even know the specific car (Ikes 53? I have a 62 olds super 88. If you look up the concept of MEP (e.g. Your email address will not be published. [[[Chevrolet Corvair#First generation (19601964)#{{{section}}}|contradictory]]]. This 1955 oldsmobile deluxe 88 is a 2 door holiday coupe.. 2 tone twilight blue and polar white colors with ivory and blue interior. For the Rocket 88, Oldsmobile came up with a 303 cubic inch V8 capable of a maximum 135 hp and 283 lb-ft of torque. The Buick version of the 215 V8 went on to become the well known Rover V8, which still remains in limited production, utilizing the Buick-style pistons, heads, and valve train gear. In 1985, roller lifters, floating piston wrist pins, and swirl port intake runners were added. Sorry! This car has the pushbutton radio, which cost about $96. The heavily domed hood would continue through 1953. Owned that vehicle till 1970 and traded in due to a bad dual chamber fuel pump for $350. The cylinder head is little more than a cover for the top of the cylinder, which is why L-head engines are commonly called flatheads. For consignment a Rocket design Oldsmobile 88. Ate Up With Motor, its logo, and other associated icons and graphics are trademarks and/or service marks of Aaron Severson dba Ate Up With Motor. mill or the Chrysler Firepower hemi of the same displacement. Other American manufacturers would reach the same conclusion. The Olds 403 was used by Buick and Pontiac in addition to Oldsmobile until its discontinuation after 1979. The 307 "Y" produced 148hp (110kW) and 250lbft (340Nm) in 1980-1984 models and 140hp (100kW) and 250lbft (340Nm) in 1985-1990s. I just wanted to know if I have a rocket engine and how can I check if its a 394. 9 (September 1964), reprinted in Oldsmobile Muscle Portfolio 1964-1971, ed. In development, the high compression ratio combined with the charged load created problems with spark knock on hard throttle applications, which led Olds to develop and utilize a novel water-injection system that sprayed metered amounts of distilled water and methyl alcohol (dubbed "Turbo-Rocket Fluid") into the intake manifold air-stream to cool the intake charge. From your research, do you have any information on Bouvy? Free shipping on many items | Browse your favorite brands | affordable prices. 1949 Oldsmobiles proclaimed that they had Futuramic styling (theres even a Futuramic badge on the front fenders), but it was updating a basic body introduced in 1941. 26-31; Roger Huntington, 1965 Engines, Motor Trend Vol. Accessing certain posts or pages on this website may require you to enter a specific password. I received some information from Harvey Crane. 1948 & 1949 Cadillac Fastbacks, Special Interest Autos #11 (June-July 1972), pp. It is arguably the best engine Olds made in the muscle car era, although it never made it into a "muscle car". 1955 Oldsmobile 88 gasoline blue manual This is a 1955 Olds 88 with its original 324 V-8, automatic, power steering and brakes, tinted glass (all windows), factory wheel covers, wide whitewalls and&. Most 394s used 2-barrel carburetors, but special high-compression 4-barrel versions were available starting in 1961. The Rocket, along with the 1949 Cadillac V8, were the first post-war OHV crossflow cylinder head V8 engines produced by General Motors. The new V8 was designed with plenty of extra room in the block for future displacement increases, but Gilbert Burrell and his team actually hoped that Oldsmobile could return to the 287 cu. R.M. (4,977 cc). Bore was increased to 3.875in (98.4mm) (same as the later 283 Chevy) and stroke remained the same at 3.4375in (87.31mm). A popular modification made to the 403 to increase power was to swap on early Oldsmobile 350 heads to boost compression. Compression ratios never approached the 12.5:1 level that Kettering had proposed, peaking at about 10.5:1. Maybe. Im not sure about the early Hydramatics but later ones, 54-56 you put in reverse to park. Get the best deals on Complete Engines for Oldsmobile 88 when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com. ), These third-party cookies may be set in connection with embedded video players for content hosted on the Vimeo video platform, for purposes such as (without limitation) managing video settings, storing video preferences, providing certain functionality (e.g., allowing you to pause a video at a particular point), associating your video viewing and other activity with your Vimeo account (if you have one), showing you advertising, ensuring proper functioning of the service, preventing abuse, and/or compiling user analytics data. In the mid-1980s, hot rodders discovered the 215 could be stretched to as much as 305cuin (5L), using the Buick 300 crankshaft, new cylinder sleeves, and an assortment of non-GM parts. Its a super 88 sedan 4 door. If the engine is thrashed and you just plan to swap in a later crate motor and a modern transmission, it may not matter, but if you want to restore, thats another matter. These cookies manage your cookie and privacy preferences. The present mindset (with which I dont necessarily agree, mind you) is that all brands must either be Youthful or Aspirational or if possible both, so a brand whose name begins with Old and which is best known for decades of middle-of-the-road respectability isnt off to a good start on either front. It was optional on 1964 98s and Super 88s. In a 1972 interview with Michael Lamm, then editor of Special Interest Autos, former Cadillac chief engineer Jack Gordon lamented the trend to ever bigger and thirstier engines, noting that he had tried unsuccessfully to convince oil companies to develop ultra-high-octane fuels so that Cadillac could adopt more fuel-efficient high-compression, small-displacement engines.