January, 2014 - Oldsmobile Club of Arizona

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January, 2014
1st Quarter Publication
MUSCLE CAR & CORVETT NATIONALS INVITATIONAL
1968 Oldsmobile Fouranado
This experimental front-wheel drive 442 was built around a
W34 Toronado and its powerful 455 cu. In. 400 H.P. engine. It
features a 114.5” wheelbase up from the standard 112” found on
a stock 442. Subtle changes to the exterior include Toronado
15” chrome wheels and modified front fenders to accommodate
the increase in wheelbase. The floor pan was recontoured to
flatten out the driveshaft tunnel and included a modified console
for the Hurst Dual-Gate shifter. A one of one piece of
Oldsmobile performance history.
Owner and restorer: Fred Mandrick, Scottsdale, Arizona.
Member, OCA and OCAZ
1
President’s Message
2013 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President
Art Soucek
[email protected]
480-220-7781
Vice President
Jens Bruhaug
[email protected]
Secretary
Francine Serritella
[email protected]
Treasurer
Tony Serritella
[email protected]
Membership Chairman
Dennis Calik
[email protected]
623-537-0358
Chapter Representative to OCA
Jim Schultz
[email protected]
Past President
Fred Mandrick
[email protected]
COMMITTEE CHAIRMANS
Newsletter
Marie Soucek
[email protected]
Activities Director
Terri Tang
[email protected]
Webmaster
Karl Sup & Jim Schultz
OLDSMOBILE CLUB OF AMERICA
PACIFIC SOUTHWEST ZONE DIRECTORS
Karl Sup
[email protected]
The 2013 Holidays are now behind us as are the
local auctions with warmer weather on the horizon. We
had a very enjoyable picnic at a great location in
November, and the Christmas party at Cantina Laredo
was certainly a success and our year end finale for 2013
events. Thanks to Terri Tang for booking those events
and negotiating a great price for the Christmas dinners. A
few pictures of both events are in this newsletter.
We now look forward to our Annual Car Show in
March which is our single biggest event of the year for
volunteer effort by club members as well as generating
revenue to fund other events. This year the pre show
welcome dinner will be held at the Martin Auto Museum
just North of Bell Rd. off of I-17. Our February
membership meeting will be held at the same location
which will include a lunch at a nearby restaurant than a
tour of the museum before the meeting. Further
information on this will be coming.
Fred Mandrick has to be our Club celebrity of the
year with his one of one 68 Fouranado (68 442 on a
Toronado chassis) built by Hurst Performance. The car
was THE star at the November Muscle Car National
invitational car show in Rosemont, Illinois. Fred has had
it out to the Pavilions a few times and it does draw a good
crowd. There are a few pictures enclosed.
Events for this year will be announced as they are
finalized. I look forward to seeing everyone on Club night
throughout the year.
I would also like to thank the Board of Directors
members for their time and effort to keep the Club
functioning: Francine, Tony, Dennis, Jens and Fred as
well as our advisor Jim, our Newsletter editor Marie and
our activities director Terri. Without these people freely
giving of their time there would be no club.
I look forward to seeing everyone on club nights
at the Pavilions throughout the year and at our club
events.
Art Soucek
Joe Varley
[email protected]
DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTAL TO THE NEWSLETTER
For the time being the newsletter will be published 3 or 4 times a year. Information to be considered for publication in
the newsletter must be received by the 20th of the last month of the quarter for the following quarter’s newsletter.
Please send your information to the editor in an email (or as a Word Document attachment). Please email your
submittal to: [email protected].
Oldsmobile Club of Arizona – January, 2014
More pictures from the Muscle Car & Corvette Nationals, November 23 & 24, 2013 in
Chicago, Illinois.
Oldsmobile Club of Arizona – January, 2014
Membership Renewal Application
O.C.A. Number:___________
Membership in Oldsmobile Club of America is required.
Name: ____________________________ Date of Birth: Month______Day______
Spouse: ____________________________ Date of Birth: Month_____Day______
(or significant other)
Jr. Members Names/Birthdates_________________________________________
(children living in the same household, under the age of 21)
________________________________________________________________________
Address: ______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Phone: ____________________________ E-Mail _____________________________
Oldsmobiles currently owned:_________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Annual Membership
Dues: $24.00 per year
Annual dues cover the period January 1 thru December 31st.
Renewals are due by January 1st.
Mail To: Oldsmobile Club of Arizona, Inc.
PO Box 15692
Scottsdale, AZ 85267
Oldsmobile Club of Arizona – January, 2014
CLUB CALENDAR OF EVENTS
NEXT MEETING SATURDAY, JANUARY25TH
The next meeting of the Oldsmobile Club of Arizona will be held on Saturday, January 25th at 5:00 p.m. The meeting place is
the Club Row at the Scottsdale Pavilions Shopping Center, Loop 101 & Indian Bend Rd. In conjunction with our meeting, there is
a car show at the Rock ‘N Roll McDonalds. We also have a row reserved in the McDonalds parking lot exclusively for our club
members on the 4th Saturday of every month. This is a great time to have a meal and talk with Olds friends. Come out and
enjoy the fun.
2014 CLUB DUES
Just a reminder, if you have not paid your 2014 Club dues yet, please do so before the end of January. Those members not
paid by February 28th, you will be removed from the roster and e-mail list.
CLUB MEETING ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY22
The Club February meeting will take place at the Martin Auto Museum just north of Bell Road off of I-17. We will have lunch at
a nearby restaurant and then tour the museum before the meeting and driving to the Pavilions. More information as the date
gets closer.
CLUB ANNUAL CAR SHOW
The annual car show will be Saturday, March 22nd. Not only do we want club members to bring their cars to insure we get over
100 cars but need volunteers for setup, parking and judging to help the Club generate revenue.
The pre-car show welcome dinner will be held on Friday, March 21st at the Martin Auto Museum and the Club will be asking
all members attending to bring side dishes and desserts to pass. Further details to follow.
17th BOP (Buick-Olds-Pontiac-GMC) ANNUAL CAR SHOW
Sunday, March 30, 2014 is the date of the annual BOP show at the “Rock and Roll McDonalds” at the Scottsdale Pavilions
Shopping Center hosted by the Desert Renegades of Arizona Pontiac Club.
Events are subject to change. When new events are added they will be included on the club’s website and information will appear in email
updates from the club Secretary. www.azoldsclub.com
Oldsmobile Club of Arizona – January, 2014
CLUB FALL PICNIC AT PAPAGO PARK ON NOVEMBER 9, 2013
Ramada #2 – great place for a picnic
Our great cooks: Joe and Debbie
Oldsmobile Club of Arizona – January, 2014
Hamburgers, hot dogs and food to pass
And super looking cars – what a fun day
CLUB CHRISTMAS PARTY AT CANTINA LAREDO ON DECEMBER 14, 2013
Thanks to Tom Ankeny for the photos. Good food, good conversation and Happy Holidays.
Oldsmobile Club of Arizona – January, 2014
Benefiting the Ronald
McDonald House Charities
Annual All Oldsmobile Show
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Show Hours: 9AM—1PM
ROCK ‘N’ ROLL MCDONALD’S
SCOTTSDALE PAVILIONS
9140 E. INDIAN BEND DR.
(LOOP 101 & INDIAN BEND RD.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
PRE-REGISTER TO ASSURE
THAT YOU WILL BE
PARKED WITH YOUR
CLASS! REGISTER EARLY
TO RECEIVE A DASH
PLAQUE!
Open to ALL Oldsmobiles
Pre-Registration Deadline is March 17, 2014
Pre-Registration Fee: $20 1st car, $10 2nd car
Day of Show Registration: $25 1st car, $15 2nd car
The 1st 100 registrants will receive a dash plaque!
Check in: 8:00AM — 9:00AM
50/50 Raffle!
*Club Sponsored Friday Night Welcome Dinner
Awards Presentation: 12:30PM
Trophies Awarded
1st, 2nd, 3rd place in each class
Best of Show
Long Distance Award
Best Memorabilia
Immediately following the All Oldsmobile Show, in the same location, is The World's Largest
Hope you can stay and continue the fun!
Oldsmobile
Club
of Arizona
January, This
2014 show is free!
Weekly
Classic
Car– Show.
CLASS 100
1897—1948 All
CLASS 700
1961—1970, All Others
CLASS 200
1949—1960 All
CLASS 800
1971—2004, All Others
CLASS 300
1961—1967, Cutlass/F85
CLASS 900
Toronado
CLASS 400
1968—1972, Cutlass/F85
CLASS 1000 Station Wagons
CLASS 500
1964—1967, Performance
CLASS 1100 Modified
CLASS 600
1968—1972, Performance
CLASS 1200 Under Construction & Beaters
* Performance cars are: 442, W30, W31, W32, Rallye 350, and Hurst/Olds
** A car is considered modified if it has a non-original G.M. engine or has an increase of
50 CI, any major body modification, custom paint, or is a “phantom” car.
Questions about the show?
www.azoldsclub.com
Art Soucek @ 480-632-1843 or [email protected]
Jens Bruhaug @ 480-888-5686 or [email protected]
Jim Schultz @ 928-636-2405 or [email protected]
Complete Registration Form and mail to:
Art Soucek
2069 E. Sierra Madre Ave.
Gilbert, AZ 85296
Cut here ——————————————————————————————————— Cut here
Name:
Address:
City:
State:
Phone No:
Zip:
Email Address:
Miles travelled to attend show:
(Long Distance Award)
Model:
Year:
Class
Model:
Year:
Class
1st Car:
Entered:
Entered:
$20 pre-registration fee ($25 day of show)
2nd Car:
$10 pre-registration fee ($15 day of show)
TOTAL:
Make check payable to: Oldsmobile Club of Arizona
Will you attend the Friday Night Dinner? Yes
No
_ # Attending
*(Please RSVP for dinner by March 17th.) Out of town guests and club members only.
I, the undersigned do hereby release the Oldsmobile Club of Arizona, it’s officers and members, and McDonald’s from any damages, injuries, losses, judgments, and/or claims
from any causes that may be suffered by anyone participating in the event.
Oldsmobile
Signature:Club of Arizona – January, 2014
Date:
(Event held rain or shine)
17th BUICK - OLDS – PONTIAC-GMC
CAR SHOW
Proceeds to Benefit The Phoenix Ronald McDonald House Charity
Classics, Limited Editions, Sports & Late Models
Awards in 49 classes
SUNDAY, March 30th, 2014
10 AM to 3 PM
At The “Rock and Roll McDonalds”
Scottsdale Pavilions Shopping Center
________________________________________________________________________________
Hosted by The Desert Renegades of Arizona Pontiac Club
________________________________________________________________________________________
Questions about the Show? Call Tom, 602-708-6960 or Bob, 602-228-1030
Show limited to first 200 cars and includes dash plaque and priority parking (with your class) for preregistrants. “Day of Show” entries will park with your brand.
Early Bird entry only $20 per car before March 20, 2014. $25 registration after March 20 and day of show.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Prizes Raffle all day-(Meet Ronald McDonald from 11-1)-Awards at 2:00 PM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name:_____________________________________
Address:___________________________________
City:___________________ State:___ Zip:_______
Phone:___________ email:_____________________
Car 1:Make:_______Model:_____________ Year:____
Stock:__ Modified:__ Un-restored:__ Custom:__
Car 2:Make:_______ Model:_____________ Year:____
Stock:__ Modified:__ Un-restored__ Custom__
Make checks payable to:
Desert Renegades Pontiac Club
Send to: Tom Knecht, 6727 w Corrine dr, Peoria, Az. 85381
Signature Required. I,_________________________ do not hold
Desert Renegades of Arizona Pontiac Car Club or McDonald’s liable
for any damages to vehicles while attending the BOP Show March,
30, 2014.
Oldsmobile Club of Arizona – January, 2014
Entry 1st CarEarly-$20.00, after $25.00.……$
__________
Second Car- $10.00.……………$
__________
Show Tee Shirt__S __M __L __XL-$10.00.…$
__________
__2XL __3XL- $12.00.…….$
__________
Collared Shirt (Pre Order Only)__S__M__L__XL….$20
$____________
__2XL__3XL…. $24
2014 BOP Show Awards
( 1st Place (9x12) and 2nd Place (8x10)
BUICK AWARDS
Pre-50 Buick
50’s Buick
60’s Buick
70’s Buick
80’s Buick
Riviera
GS/GSX/GN/GNX
Modified Buick
Custom Buick
Un-restored Buick
OLDSMOBILE AWARDS
50’s Oldsmobile
60’s Oldsmobile
70’s Oldsmobile
80’s Oldsmobile
64-72 Cutlass
64-72 442
Modified Oldsmobile
Custom Oldsmobile
Un-restored Oldsmobile
PONTIAC AWARDS
Pre-50 Pontiac
50’s Pontiac
60-64 Pontiac
65-69 Pontiac
70’s Pontiac
64-65 GTO
66-67 GTO
68-74 GTO
Judge
2004-2006 GTO
Modified 64-67 GTO
Modified 68-06 GTO
67-69 Firebird/Trans Am
70-74 Firebird/Trans Am
75-78 Firebird/Trans Am
79-81 Firebird/Trans Am
82-02 Firebird/Trans Am
Modified Firebird/Trans Am
61-74 Tempest /Lemans
Fiero
Modified Pontiac
Custom Pontiac
Un-restored Pontiac
GMC Awards
1920-2013 Stock
1920-2013 Semi Modified and Modified
BEST AWARDS
Best
Best
Best
Best
Best
Pontiac
36” Trophy
Oldsmobile 36” Trophy
Buick
36” Trophy
GMC
36” Trophy
of Show
48” Trophy
Oldsmobile Club of Arizona – January, 2014
CLASSIFIEDS
Classified ads are free to Oldsmobile Club of Arizona members, unlimited words within reason. Non-members pay $5.00 per ad, up to 35
words. Please submit your classified advertisement in electronic format by the 20th of the last month of the quarter for the following quarter’s
newsletter to [email protected]. Mail your payment to the Oldsmobile Club of Arizona, P.O. Box 15692, Scottsdale, AZ 85262.
Oldsmobile Club of Arizona – January, 2014
CLUB MEMBER ARTICLES
Pinky’s 59th Birthday
Jim Schultz
Today Christmas Eve 2013 marks my '55 Olds Super 88 59th birthday. On Christmas Eve 1954 Carl & Bille Kawulok
went to Bukove Motors on Cortez Street in Prescott, AZ to pick up their new Coral & Polar White '55 Olds Super 88
Holiday Coupe. They bought the car off the showroom floor and it was one of the first '55s to arrive in Prescott. By the
VIN# Pinky was the 133rd off the Southgate CA assembly plant, it was a first day of production car. To date we only
know of three Bukove Motor CO signs surviving here locally. Today I picked up one of them in Pinky of coarse that I've
known about for some time. Pictured also is a '57 Chevy Pick-up that was also sold new at Bukove Motors. I'm doing
some work on the truck for a friend that owns it.
Oldsmobile Club of Arizona – January, 2014
Thunder Lizard: The Story of My Olds 442
by Milton Schick
In mid-September, 1963, a few days after my 17th birthday (born 4 Sept. 1946), my Dad took me to the national new
car announcement show for Oldsmobile, held that year at the Kansas City Music hall in Kansas City, Missouri. 1964 was
the first year for GM’s new intermediate size automobile. When I first laid eyes on the new 1964 Olds F-85 upon the
theater’s stage, I immediately fell in love with that particular body style. When the 442 came out for 1964½, I had to
have one.
During the Thanksgiving break in my senior year in college during the Fall of 1968, I found one. My maternal
grandmother lived in Independence. We always had Thanksgiving evening dinner with her. After dinner, I drove over to
Ketchum Olds on 40 Highway to check the used car lot. Sitting in the back was a black 1964 442. It was too dark to tell
anything about her.
Early on Friday morning, I called Ketchum’s used car department. They said the car had just come in on a trade and
hadn’t been cleaned up yet. I asked how much they wanted “as is.” The reply - $800.00. I told them don’t touch it, and
I would be there by 5:30 after a friend of mine returned home from work to drive me up there. I stopped by the bank
and arrived at Ketchum by 5:20. Ketchum was good to their word.
The car was a Cutlass 2-door holiday coupe with the 442 option (police pursuit 320 hp, 330 cube engine, 4-on-the-floor,
dual exhaust). It had 113,000 miles on it. The front end had been wiped out in the near past, because both front
fenders and the hood were new. There was a huge bondo patch in the lower right rear fender. The interior was well
used. I loved her.
In the Spring of 1971, she first hit the streets with a new life and 482 cubes of might. By the Spring of 1975, with her
third engine, second rear axle housing, and fourth suspension system, she was in her basic final configuration. Only
minor changes have been made since 1975. I will own her forever. She will be my coffin. The following is her vital
statistics.
The first two engines were 482 cube 455's. They didn’t work. The cylinder walls were too thin. The third engine, built
October 1974 to May 1975, is the final form and the absolute best.
BLOCK - Olds 455 bored and align honed with deck torque plate 0.060 over to 468 cubes. Block deck trued and crank
mains align bored. Inside of block deburred and all surfaces smoothed.
CRANKSHAFT - The crank is a forged steel 455 unit from the Olds R&D division, left over from the CroSal all-aluminum
455 road racing engine and sold to the CrankShaft Company as a core by Olds. The 455 crank has the early 1964-1967
flywheel bolt pattern. The crank has the Dyna-Rev two center counter weights added (8 counter weights total) and is
Tufftrided. Rod bearing clearance is 0.0025" and main bearing clearance is 0.0035".
RODS - Olds rods are forged alloy steel. The rods are from an Olds 425 cube engine. 425 rods (7.0" c-c length) are
0.265" longer than 455 rods (6.735" c-c length). This change brings my 468 much closer to the ideal 1.7 to 1 rod length
to stroke ratio with a new ratio of 1.647 to 1. The stock 455 ratio is 1.585 to 1. The 425 rods are deburred and the
sides ground smooth. After shotpeening, the center-to-centers were matched, rod ends resized, piston end weights
matched, rod end weights matched, and bronze bushings installed in the piston ends for full-floating smaller diameter
0.927" piston pins. Rod side clearance is 0.018". The longer rods make an unbelievable difference.
PISTONS - The forged pistons are from Brooks Racing Components and weigh only 660 grams with pin. The tapered
pin is only 3" long at 0.927" diameter (same pin as a small block Chevy from BRC). The piston pins are retained by
double Tru-Arc snap rings. Piston rings are Sealed Power double moly, 1/16" top and second compression and 1/8" oil.
The compression ratio is exactly 11 to 1 with a totally smooth flat top polished surface. There are no valve reliefs. None
are needed.
HEADS - The heads are the same with all three engines. These were the first Olds heads ever modified by Air Flow
Research. Several spare test heads at AFR had to be R&Ded before my heads were touched. These heads do not follow
conventional Olds wisdom. Small block Chevy 2.02" stainless steel intake valves (Manley) and 1.75" stainless steel
exhaust valves (Ansen) are used, with hard chromed stems. The valves are very highly polished. The Olds “C” head
intake passage flowed more than enough air for a 2.02" valve, but it has trouble getting it out, particularly when a 1.75"
valve is installed. Regardless, AFR determined larger exhaust valves were really the way to go.
The exact same situation was experienced with my first high-performance engine I built when I was 16 (in 1962). This
engine was a 394 Olds. I left the stock 1.875" intakes alone and jumped the exhaust from 1.625" to 1.75", the largest
valve that could be fitted. It worked like gangbusters! The 455 2nd generation Olds heads and engine liked the same
Oldsmobile Club of Arizona – January, 2014
treatment. According to AFR, my standard 455 modified heads with 2.02" and 1.75" valves flowed 25% more air/fuel
mass mixture than a similarly modified set of 442/W30 455 heads with 2.0625" and 1.625" valves.
The intake ports were purposely not exactly matched to the intake manifold. The bottom edge and one vertical edge
matches the manifold, but the top edge and the other vertical edge are slightly wider than the manifold. In that way,
when the fuel mass passes the two mismatched edges, it’s like falling off a cliff. The fuel tumbles and swirls in
maximum turbulence, enhancing atomization. From the reverse direction, the protruding edge of the intake manifold
can prevent fuel reversion. In addition, the intake passage between the smoothed port lip and the valve pocket is left
rough as cast. The rough surface should add to turbulence and fuel atomization. The intake valve pocket and the entire
exhaust passage is so highly polished it reflects. Those areas need smooth flow.
The combustion chamber is also highly polished. The chamber volumes have been matched to 70 cc. The round smooth
chamber shape now looked almost like a Chrysler poly-sphere. The smooth tops of the pistons are also highly polished.
There are no sharp points in the entire combustion area. Piston deck height is 0.100". I know, not much quench. The
engine does not appear to need it or want it.
One minor point. Most people will tell one to remove the small hump inside the exhaust passages in an Olds head when
porting. The small hump is a boss for threaded-in air pump fittings for a California smog engine. AFR said don’t do it.
Without the small humps, the exhaust gas flow hits the side of the exhaust passage. With the small humps, the air flow
goes in the right direction and accelerates toward the center of the exhaust port to interface precisely with the opening
to the header tube. Apparently, Olds engineers knew what they were doing when the humps were cast in for the air
pump fittings.
The rocker arms are Crane 1.6 to 1 needle bearing forged aluminum for 7/16" screw-in studs for a small block Chevy.
Pushrod guide plates are Mondello. 3/8" pushrods are from Smith Brothers. Valve guides use phosphor bronze spiral
inserts. Valve seals are 289 Ford rubber umbrella seals. Valve covers are Mickey Thompson.
CAMSHAFT - The cam is a hydraulic grind from Crower. Timing specs are as follows, but was before the 0.050" lift
convention:
Intake and Exhaust valve total lift = 0.495"
Heavy single springs and anti-pump-up lifters are also Crower. By the dyno and observed actual use on the street,
recommended engine redline appears to be 6800 rpm. However, valve float doesn’t occur until 8300 rpm.
Idle rpm in neutral is 1100. Idle rpm drops to 900 in gear. The idle is a little lopey but smooth. There are no problems
with the idle in street driving.
CAM/CRANK TIMING - Timing is handled by a Pete Jackson double idler gear drive made exclusively for Mondello.
IGNITION - From 1971 to 1993, the ignition was a Ronco Vertex magneto. In 1993, the mag was pulled and a MSD
7AL-2 ignition unit with Blaster 2 coil was installed. An Olds point distributer was sent to Stinger Electronic Ignitions and
crank
distributor for the ignition wires. But now, I have returned to the original Ronco Vertex tachmechanical advance at 2500 rpm wi
OIL SYSTEM - A stock Olds Toronado oil pump is used with a Milodon extended pickup, attached to the bottom of the
oil pump. Oil pressure runs between 40 and 55 pounds. Add-on top-end oil restrictors are not used, as is the case with
some racers. The Olds engine does not have an oil problem. The oil pan has an extended sump, increasing oil capacity
to 7 quarts. A 442 W-30 windage tray is attached to the main caps to control oil slosh. An external engine oil cooler is
used.
INTAKE SYSTEM -Flow single quad high rise manifold. In my past
experience, an Offy 360 manifold always seemed to work better throughout an Olds engine’s power range than any
Edelbrock manifold. I know this sounds politically incorrect, but that is my experience. The carb is an 850 cfm Holley
double pumper with front and rear jets increased 0.010". Two Carter high performance 100 gph electric pumps are
mounted at the gas tank. Each pump, with its own separate 1/2" fuel line, feeds one bowl of the Holley carb.
Oldsmobile Club of Arizona – January, 2014
EXHAUST SYSTEM - Headers are by ED. Each tube is 1 3/4" o.d. by 36" long, with a 3" collector by 18" long. Exhaust
and tail pipe are 2 ½". Mufflers are 2 ½" inlet and outlet turbo mufflers. A tailpipe exits in front of each rear wheel,
with the outlet pointed at the tire tread, 10" away.
DYNO RESULTS - The third engine was pulled and put on a dyno after it had accumulated 1000 miles. It produced
573 HP at 6300 rpm with the Ronco Vertex magneto. Torque is 600 foot pounds at 4000 rpm and the curve is very flat.
Torque effects are attributed to the long rod setup with the ultra-light weight pistons and the CrankShaft Company
Dyna-Rev 8 counter weight option on the crank.
TRANSMISSION - The transmission has always been a B&M unblown competition, manual shift only Turbo 400, with
an 11" fully furnace brazed torque converter with needle bearings. The trans has an aluminum deep pan and a separate
external oil cooler.
REAR AXLE - At first, she used a 1959 Olds rear axle with a Detroit Locker and 3:90 gears. However, the left wheel
bearing failed at 2000 miles. At 5500 miles, coinciding with the beginning of the build of engine number three, the
bearing was dead again. It was discovered the left side of the housing had warped when the suspension brackets,
which were removed from the original 10 bolt axle housing, were welded onto the 1959 axle housing. There was only
one logical cure. A brand new Chevelle 12 bolt housing was purchased. The housing ends were cut off and housing
ends from another 1959 Olds housing were welded on. That was necessary for mounting the rear disc brakes. At the
same time, the housing overall length was shortened 1 ½" on each side to allow the rear wheels and tires to finally fit
under the rear fenders. The inside sidewall of the rear tires clear the outside of the frame by ½", the closest point. I
had absolutely no desire of tubbing the floor pan for the rear tires.
The rear axles are street capable (circle track/road racing rated) from Summers Brothers. Another Detroit Locker is used
for the differential, holding 4:10 gears.
TIRES & WHEELS - Current tires are BFG HR4 Comp T/A radials, rated temperature A and traction A. The fronts are
P225/70R15 (27.0" diameter). The rears are P275/60R15 (27.5" diameter). The Mud & Snow tread will handle
submersion in water, for her safety. The extreme cornering ability of the Comp T/As is also for her safety.
The wheels are Cragar Screamers, 15x7 front and 15x8.5 rear. This wheel was only made between Spring 1973 and Fall
1974. It looks like a dull polished Ansen Sprint but with a sloping outward center cone.
BRAKES - Hurst/Airheart 175x2-06 Formula 1 type dual spot (4 piston, 4 puck, with a 3/8" thick disc rotor) disc brakes
on all 4 wheels. The dual 1" piston master cylinder is manual. Braking action allows the tires to just come to the point
before brake lockup, utilizing the maximum traction capability of the rubber compound. The tires just barely pull
through the brakes on high speed solid stops, preserving maximum controllability of the suspension. Braking
deceleration is rapid and firm.
SUSPENSION - Steering is manual. She is set up more like a road racer than anything else. (I can’t put her on the
dragstrip, because I refuse to ruin the interior with a rollbar.) The first three suspension arrangements tried during the
first 5500 miles of her life were not satisfactory. Coinciding with the third engine building and the replacement of the
rear axle, the fourth suspension system was installed. 26 years and 14,000 miles later, the system components were
replaced due to age. The basic system still works and will now work better.
Starting in October 2000, all OEM rubber bushings were replaced with black polyurethane bushings. The front 1965 F85 air conditioning springs # 5272 were replaced with new springs of the same type (333 lbs. per inch). The rear 1964
to 1966 Chevelle station wagon springs # 5235 were replaced with new springs of the same type (143 lbs. per inch).
The front Gabriel Strider shocks and the rear Gabriel Adjustable E shocks (both set on extra-firm) were replaced by
Edelbrock IAS shocks. The rear Lakewood lower control arms and boxed original upper control arms were replaced by a
full set of very heavy duty control arms with black polyurethane bushings and side braces from Edelbrock. The front 442
1 1/8" sway bar was replaced by a 1 5/16" sway bar from Helwig. The 442 7/8" rear sway bar was replaced by a 1 1/8"
sway bar from Performance Suspension. Cornering performance is only limited by the traction of the tires.
BODY - Her body is dechromed and painted with white IMRON. The front wheel openings are radiused in the front for
tire clearance. The top of the rear wheel openings were raised 3" for additional vertical tire clearance in 1972. The front
inner fender panels were removed. There is no heater system, and the firewall is clean. The stock dash was completely
removed and replaced with a clear anodized 1/8" thick aluminum panel, which carries all the switches and Stewart
Warner gauges. Almost all of the original wiring was removed and replaced with only what was needed. The arm rests
are removed. Interior floor pan sound deadening is completely removed. The rear seat is removed, and the package
Oldsmobile Club of Arizona – January, 2014
area is completely cut out. The Optima battery is located in the trunk. Any item that is not needed has been removed.
The interior has a black headliner, black vinyl rolled and pleated seats and door panels, and a black carpet. A black
cushion fits into the rear seat/package area space and isolates the trunk noise from the passenger compartment. She
weighs 3200 pounds with a full tank of gas and no one in her.
FUTURE MODIFICATIONS - When the current brake pucks wear down, instead of rebuilding the disc brakes, the dual
spot calipers will be replaced with a set of Hurst/Airheart 175x2-QC quick change calipers. The two brake pads for each
of these new calipers have double the surface area of the four pucks in each double spot caliper.
-Flow high rise dual quad manifold using
a 2" Offy carb spacer under each Carter/Edelbrock 750 cfm AFB. An oval 10" x 21" by 3" high aluminum air cleaner will
be built for the new system. This induction system will look and run better for an early 1970s street machine. A true
dinosaur when compared to some of the current hardware. With the change in induction, could the HP climb toward
600?
The hood will be retired and replaced with a hinged and stiffened fiberglass composite hood. A central air scoop will
cover the new air cleaner as it sticks through the hood.
As I said before, Thunder Lizard will live as long as I do. And, as a tribute to the thunder lizards of 60 to 100 million
years ago, She is one of the very last of her breed, a fire breathing street machine from the golden age of factory
produced and owner modified muscle cars.
Oldsmobile Club of Arizona – January, 2014
Not Every Car Counts
Art Soucek
Years ago during a conversation over lunch with one of my close friends he indicated that his wife questioned the
number of collector cars he owned, which at the time was six, a nice even number. After a couple of drinks and some
discussion we determined that not all the cars a collector may posses count as owned cars. So we categorized cars by
their intended purpose. We started with cars intended for use, restored cars (completed by the collector) and cars not
requiring restoration (original or cars purchased already restored) and agreed those cars do indeed count. But many
collectors buy cars for other reasons, such as parts, for restoration, for a little fun than resale, or a car that you just
know won’t be kept very long for a number of possible reasons. Those cars all come under the heading of cars which
“Do not count”. We also thought it obvious that late model vehicles used for daily transportation also fell into this
category.
Now, applying this seemingly reasonable categorization to the six cars in my friend’s possession, the number of cars
which count was reduced to a very reasonable four. Of course we were extremely confident this explanation would be
happily embraced by his wife and all other spouses of car collectors putting their mind at ease regarding cars in the
yard. A few weeks later during another lunch with my friend I asked him if the explanation we had devised satisfied his
wife’s concerns about the number of cars he possessed. He indicated she shook her head, and then made some sort of
unkind remark about the combination of lunching with me and the effects of alcohol on our judgment. He did say they
were still sleeping in the same bed, so we just chalked it up to not understanding reasonable logic, and ordered another
drink.
So, depending on how understanding your spouse is, or how good a salesman you are, there may be hope of increasing
your stable of collector cars without spousal resistance.
Oldsmobile Club of Arizona – January, 2014
N REPLACING A 350 OR 400 TURBO WITH A
TECH CORNER
Technical Tips
TIPS ON REPLACING A 350 or 400 TURBO WITH A
200-4R OVERDRIVE TRANSMISSION ON A-BODY CARS
A quick internet search will show there are many custom transmission builders that sell modified 200-4R 4 speed
w/overdrive transmissions that are more than capable of handling even the stoutest 455 Olds engine. The 200-4R has a
dual bell housing bolt pattern and will bolt up without adaptors behind any big or small block Olds engine. In my case I
used Bowtie Overdrives in California.
In most cases, when buying a beefed up rebuilt 200-4R transmission it will come with a universal dipstick/fill tube that
will need to be calibrated. This is easily done by marking the dipstick so that the full mark on the stick is equal to the
bottom edge of the transmission case. Put a quart of ATF in the lockup torque converter before installing it and then
take your time indexing it fully into the transmission. It has to engage the front pump properly. If you find that the
transmission won’t bolt up all the way to the block, take it back out and re-check to see if the converter is fully seated
and engaged with the front pump tabs. Do not force it or you will break the front pump assembly! After the
transmission is bolted up, measure the free play distance of the torque converter bolt pads to the flex plate. The torque
converter might need to be shimmed to get the proper distance in relation to the flex plate. The maximum distance that
the converter can be is 1/4” away from the flex plate. Do not use ordinary washers for spacers without checking them
first with a micrometer to make sure they are all equal in thickness. This ensures that the converter will run true. Do
not eliminate all the back and forth movement, 1/8th to ¼ inch is ideal . Also under no circumstance should the torque
converter bolts touch the converter shell after they are tightened down! Have about three gallons of Dexron on hand
before you start the conversion as a dry transmission will take around 11 quarts of fluid to fill it.
The cross member will have to be moved back if a Turbo 350 is being replaced, (a Turbo 400 replacement will have the
cross member already in the proper location). No big deal, the holes are already there in the frame. I also recommend
notching the cross member a bit because the very farthest back pan bolt of the 200-4R transmission is very difficult to
get a socket on to r&r the pan because the bolt is right under the cross member lip. By making a u-shaped notch in the
cross member, it makes it easier to get to the pan bolt.
A bit of parking brake cable work is also needed only if a 350 Turbo is being replaced to make up for the extra slack
that comes with moving the crossmember back. I drilled a new hole in the cross member so I could move the hook
(that holds one side of the intermediate cable) farther to the outside to take up most of the slack, alternatively using
intermediate parking brake cables made for the 400turbo trans will work fine.
The cooling lines seem to line up fairly well with the new transmission, the top outlet is the pressure fitting, bottom is
the return. No driveshaft work is normally needed. There is also a floor shifter kit readily available (Bowtie # SC2312)
that allows the manual use of all four gears. It requires the removal of the console assembly. This kit includes a new
shifter index plate, cable and a new shift gear indicator plate. The new indicator plate is marked; P R N (D) D 2 1. The
new index plate is needed to properly hold the shifter in the new added position of the overdrive gear. The kit also
comes with a new needed transmission end cable bracket. Do not forget to re-adjust the backup light/neutral safety
switch while the console is out. I forgot and had to remove the console assembly twice. Not a huge job, the console
work, but time consuming. It all seemed to fit nicely, though the cable seems like it should have been a few inches
shorter, but then again the stock cable seemed that way also. It’s very important that the click stops for the various
gear positions inside the transmission, match the stops of the new console shifter index plate. It requires a bit of
fiddling and adjusting to get the trans click stops, shift indicator plate position and shift lever index plate stops to all
match up.
If a column shift is used manual position of first gear is lost and “D” will be overdrive 4th gear, “2” will 3rd and “1” will be
2nd gear.
One of the most important steps is the TV (throttle valve ) cable setup, Unlike a downshift cable, besides controlling
the downshifting, the TV cable controls the shift points, transmission pump pressure and how soft or solid the shifting of
the gears will be. The transmission pressure rise must always be “ahead” of the engine torque, so proper adjustment of
the TV cable is critical. If you are using the stock Olds Qjet, here’s the problem, the stock Olds intake manifold has the
Qjet carb sitting rather low, thus the bottom part of the throttle arm does not extend down far enough, in other words,
it’s to short for a proper TV cable hook up with an Olds carb, the radius is not long enough. I tinkered with it the better
Oldsmobile Club of Arizona – January, 2014
part of a day before I realized the stock Olds carb linkage wasn’t going to work with the TV cable adapter and universal
cable that was supplied by Bowtie Overdrive Transmissions. To cure the problem, I purchased a junk Chevy Qjet from
the mid 80’s (E-bay) and used its throttle arm by grinding off the swedged on arm, off both the stock carb and Chevy
carb and swapping them. Then by using one of the two available custom adapter kits from Bowtie Overdrives for the
Qjet which includes a carb spacer plate, that has the extra cable bracket built into it, and a matching TV cable, I was
able to be set up the TV system without any problems. The TV cable has to be set up so there never is any slack in the
cable at slow idle and there should be an instant transmission pressure rise with any movement of the throttle arm. Also
the spool valve in the valve body of the transmission, that the TV cable controls, has to be buried all the way in the
valve body at the full throttle position to allow for proper downshifting.
The last hurdle was hooking up the torque converter lock up /dis-connect switch. A Bowtie “TCC Relay Kit” has a key
on hot terminal wired thru a relay controlled by the brake switch and then run to the transmission and that allows
control of the lockup feature in high gear. In normal operation the transmission will allow the converter to lockup
immediately after 4th gear engages, but by having an on/off switch the lockup can be engaged or turned off at will
when it’s in 4th gear. It’s like a fifth gear when the converter locks up, RPMs drop about 200 with it locked.
With the overdrive transmission, 3.42 rear end gears, 235/60-15 tires, and at 70 mph cruising speed in fourth gear, I
saw a big difference from the 3000 rpm previously down to 2000 rpm. At 2000 RPM the engine is just loafing along in
overdrive. The fourth gear in a 200-4R is a .67 ratio, so RPMs drop by a third, another plus is that first gear is also a bit
lower, 2.74 compared to the 350 turbo 2.52 low gear. I would also recommend running the fluid through a large
external cooler after it leaves the stock radiator cooler. This is especially important here in the Phoenix area with our
summer temperatures. This transmission from Bowtie Overdrives shift nice and smooth at easy part throttle driving and
shifts get progressively firmer under heavy throttle. Is this conversion cost effective? Probably not, but it sure saves
wear and tear on the engine and keeps it a lot quieter inside the car on the freeway. If you can keep a heavy foot off
the gas pedal, mileage improves quite a bit also.
Is this a job for a do-it-your-selfer? That depends, If you can’t get your Olds up off the floor about two feet or more,
and do not have a tranny jack, then it’s a bear of a job, I could only get my car lifted high enough on car stands, to
slide the transmission on the floor to under the transmission hump, then I had to get creative to the get tranny up and
balanced on a modified car jack, using two other screw jacks and wood blocks, then install the dipstick tube before
lifting it up to connect to the engine. Do not let the transmission tilt down at the front or the converter could slip out of
position and not be indexed on the pump anymore. My way of doing the installation wasn’t the safest or quickest way
to go, but it is doable. I did save about $1500 doing this job myself and only ended up with a few skinned knuckles.
Total costs can be held under $2000 if you do your own labor, which to me, is part of the enjoyment of owning and
driving a classic Oldsmobile.
Harold Visser
Oldsmobile Club of Arizona – January, 2014