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What general era was your vehichle made:

  • 30s or earlier

    Votes: 38 15.8%
  • 40s

    Votes: 26 10.8%
  • 50s

    Votes: 39 16.2%
  • 60s

    Votes: 52 21.6%
  • 70s-90s

    Votes: 64 26.6%
  • New with classic features

    Votes: 47 19.5%

  • Total voters
    241
No you don't. The computer is flexible enough to run a stock 455, if you keep the carb stock. A friend of mine from Maryland had an '81 with a 455 and dual exhaust that he ran on the computer. It got 18 mpg highway and ran 13's in the 1/4. His motor was very stock - 8:1 compression, log-style manifolds, high-vacuum camshaft, etc.

The only reason I had a new chip burned for mine is that I wanted a cam with more overlap and less vacuum. It wouldn't even know if you put a 350 or 403 on it. The only problem I've had is running the tiny fuel bowl on the qjet dry when at wide-open-throttle. It used to stumble and flash the check-engine light at anything above 4700 RPM, until I discovered that it was drying out the carb. I installed an electric fuel pump to run in tandem with the mechanical, and that solved the problem. The electric one pushes whenever the key is set to 'run,' while the mech pump acts as a regulator. I haven't run it dry since doing that. Learned that from my 455-toting friend.

The old OBDI style computer reads O2 levels at the exhaust, and manifold vacuum. It then adjusts the carb to run at a certain fuel richness given those two parameters. If it detects a problem with the motor, or if its in a cold start up scenario, it goes full-rich and dumps fuel through the motor. It needs at least 18 in-hg of vacuum to run properly. Otherwise? Stuff whatever you want in there. That's one of the beauties of old-style computers - they're too ignorant to be the nanny that OBDII is. Post-1996, it became very difficult to swap motors without doing some serious computer tweaking as well. Not so with the old dogs.

A bunch of people eschew all that anyway - pull the motor and all the emissions garbage, put a mechanical carb on it and a new HEI style distributor and you don't need the carb at all. I wanted to keep mine because(a) it works, and (b) I don't know if I'll ever move to a place that has emissions testing. It's still new enough to qualify for testing in many places, and a test in Chicago tells me that it's at least good enough to pass there.


Good to know! Over here in the World’s Largest Outdoor Insane Asylum, they test all the way back to 1976. It is insane. I had to have the TPS replaced in my electronic carb. I can’t do any of the things you mention because it won’t pass smog here.
However, if I could make it look stock then it might pass. :p It has to pass the visual inspection though. I wanted dual exhaust but forgetaboutit. You can definitely tell there is another tailpipe. :p Then again, with the Cadillac there was very little clearance for another exhaust pipe unless you go X pipe. No thanks.
 

Mickey85

New in Town
Messages
49
Location
Indiana
All small-block Oldsmobiles are externally identical - including the diesel. You'd pass a visual unless they checked serial numbers and head codes.

I went with a single pipe, but am running a 2.5" pipe back from the cat, instead of the stock 2", along with a straight-through Thrush muff. To do a dual setup, you need to cut a notch in the crossmember and weld a plate over.
 
Messages
10,883
Location
Portage, Wis.
No. He took it on trips to Florida, pulled his boat with it. The transmission works great. That engine just uses a lot of oil. Always ran good, though. 30 below, pump the gas a few times, turn the key, and away she went.

I have to get licensed and bonded, first. It ain't easy. I gotta run to the next town over to do some paperwork tomorrow (if anybody's there).

Mom has offered to learn her some cooking skills lol

140,000 isn't that much. I am sure all the seals did dry out. I am surprised the transmission works with all of those seals in there.

Sell more cars at the dealership then. :p

Cooking an ironing are definitely FIRST.
 
All small-block Oldsmobiles are externally identical - including the diesel. You'd pass a visual unless they checked serial numbers and head codes.

I went with a single pipe, but am running a 2.5" pipe back from the cat, instead of the stock 2", along with a straight-through Thrush muff. To do a dual setup, you need to cut a notch in the crossmember and weld a plate over.

I am not sure the nuts here wouldn't look. :rolleyes:

A bigger pipe may work for me.....:p Yeah the whole cutting the frame just throw me off doing that. I have seen it done but, no thanks. :p
 
No. He took it on trips to Florida, pulled his boat with it. The transmission works great. That engine just uses a lot of oil. Always ran good, though. 30 below, pump the gas a few times, turn the key, and away she went.

I have to get licensed and bonded, first. It ain't easy. I gotta run to the next town over to do some paperwork tomorrow (if anybody's there).

Mom has offered to learn her some cooking skills lol

Well then the engine has decent pulling power that is for sure. :p The problem is that he was using the heck out of it pulling.

Well go get the paperwork done. No big deal. Your hand ain’t broken. :p

And you can learn her to shoot. :p
 
Messages
10,883
Location
Portage, Wis.
I have most of the paperwork done, just have some questions on it, so I'm going to talk it over with the agent, if she's there.

I was thinking about buying her a pink handgun. She'll be 21 in June.
Well go get the paperwork done. No big deal. Your hand ain’t broken. :p

And you can learn her to shoot. :p
 

Gregg Axley

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,125
Location
Tennessee
It doesn't have high miles, only about 140xxx miles. The guy I bought it from hardly used it, and the gaskets dried up.

I have to put all my money toward the dealership.

I'm more worried about her cooking and ironing :p
Dern ADD...
Well now I'm confused.
So you're going to scrap the old girl because she can't cook or iron? :D
 
Messages
10,883
Location
Portage, Wis.
Bahahaha! The car has got a few years on THAT girl. Hell, I've got a few years on that girl (I got called a cradle robber this week, for goodness' sakes)

No, I should scrap my old Caprice. I'm gonna put WAY more into it than I could buy a mint, low mileage, 1 owner one for, but it wouldn't be the one I raised hell in during my glory days.

Dern ADD...
Well now I'm confused.
So you're going to scrap the old girl because she can't cook or iron? :D
 
Bahahaha! The car has got a few years on THAT girl. Hell, I've got a few years on that girl (I got called a cradle robber this week, for goodness' sakes)

No, I should scrap my old Caprice. I'm gonna put WAY more into it than I could buy a mint, low mileage, 1 owner one for, but it wouldn't be the one I raised hell in during my glory days.

A few years is good thing. :p

Do what you have to. Pretend if you scrap the real one. :p
 

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