Stayin alive! 1978 Olds Omega SX

[Darkrider]

Figured since Weld did bring up the era the car was from...the so called disco era i might as well have a disco song title as part of the thread title

Anyways..on to the details of this project. I picked up this car in January and have not had much chance to get more then a few minutes to look it over since then since it was extremely cold the day it was delivered. But what i know so far is this. The Omega SX was the Oldsmobile equivalent to the same year Chevy Nova Rally. The Rally itself a replacement for the Super Sport in '76. So in a way i am saying it is basically an Oldsmobile version of the SS in its own way.

What i know about it so far in terms of specs:

305 LG3 V8 170 HP @4400 255 Ft lbs@2400
Not sure if it has a TH200 or TH350 transmission yet as both are listed for that model year and engine setup.

Already have a lead on an Edelbrock Performer RPM intake and possibly a few qjet carbs to do the 4 barrel upgrade. Which would bump the engine up to LG4 spec. The same friend has a cam that will work in it as well. Currently on the hunt for some heads from an LE9 or L69 305. The LE9 is the High Output 305 found in trucks and vans. My red '86 Sierra has an LE9 and my blue '84 Chevy Custom Deluxe used to have one. The L69 was found in the Monte Carlo SS, Camaro Z28 and Trans Am. The only difference between the LE9 and L69 is the cam. They both use the same carb, heads and have same compression. As the LE9 is the more common one due to being used in all trucks and vans from 81-87 i will more then likely end up with LE9 heads. I have already kicked around the thought of taking advantage of the LG3s lower compression ratio and adding boost in the form of a Turbo or Supercharger. Scary part being the fact that it would be cheaper to add the boost via ebay kits then it would be to rebuild the LG3 to LE9 or L69 spec with higher compression. It remains to be seen what way i go there as i also have a lead on a 4 bolt main 350 block that i could easily build into a 383 for the car later.

Enough rambling..here are the pics!

[ben2go]

The Oldsmobile Nova.

My father had a lipstick red '73 Nova drag car with a 396 and four speed. Those Olds kind of remind me of Novas from the 70's.

[Darkrider]

Originally Posted by ben2go

The Oldsmobile Nova.

My father had a lipstick red '73 Nova drag car with a 396 and four speed. Those Olds kind of remind me of Novas from the 70's.

Heh nice, This is my second Omega. The first one was a '73 S model that looked a bit like a mini 442.

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[wheelbender6]

The Olds looks like more fun than a Nova.
Pontiac actually produced a GTO based on that Nova body for a year or two.

[Darkrider]

Originally Posted by wheelbender6

The Olds looks like more fun than a Nova.
Pontiac actually produced a GTO based on that Nova body for a year or two.

Yea i remember seeing a few of them actually. One thing i may do to the Olds is use the big ass air cleaner like what is on my '86 GMC to build a cowl induction set up. The filter in the truck looks like it has gotta be close to 5-6" tall. Granted in a truck it clears the hood fine but it looks pretty close going by its height in relation to the firewall. Now if i am right on this it should be above the hood of the Olds by a good 2", Which puts it in a good position to be a functional cowl induction after adding a cowl scoop to the hood of the car. Gain a bit of power from getting fresh cold air from outside the engine bay.

[dh]

Great cars. I had a faded yellow 1973 Omega 4 door with the inline 6. It wasn't particularly fast but it was a really cool daily driver. I traded it for a bronco, and a buddy who loved the omega later saw it on craigslist for sale; he worked out a deal with the new owner and the night before he was supposed to pick it up it was totaled in a wreck!

[cheesy]

With my past experience with new 1978 GM products, my first reaction would be "Kill it! Kill it with fire!". But as that was almost forty years ago, I wish you luck.

(As he slowly turns and walks away, he mutters "Sucker" with a slow and quiet chuckle under his breath)

[Weldangrind]

Dig it! I love the attempt at a ram-air snorkel.


I spotted the orange and white plates; do you have any issues with dragging a car across 50th avenue? Do you have to do an out-of-Province inspection? I know that Lloyd has some special provisions, like elimination of PST, but I don't know how it works with cars. My question also applies with dragging cars westward across 50th.


If I were to do an engine swap, I might be inclined to use an old Rocket, just for nostalgia. Another attractive option is to find a wasted '99 Silverado and use the engine, trans, computer, etc to go LS. Even the 4.8 would stomp on a 305.

[Bruce's]

I am with Weld on this one ,but would think even just a any of the Chevy fuelly engines would be a huge improvement , the olds engines were awesome ,but they cost so much more than a Chevy to play with it's just not worth it ,although ,I do think I still have an extra 455 w30 from my 442 days in the back of the garage .I would find a good runner truck complete ,and strip it like the Indians did to the buffalo ,and end up with a fairly inexpensive car when finished .

[ben2go]

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

Dig it! I love the attempt at a ram-air snorkel.


I spotted the orange and white plates; do you have any issues with dragging a car across 50th avenue? Do you have to do an out-of-Province inspection? I know that Lloyd has some special provisions, like elimination of PST, but I don't know how it works with cars. My question also applies with dragging cars westward across 50th.


If I were to do an engine swap, I might be inclined to use an old Rocket, just for nostalgia. Another attractive option is to find a wasted '99 Silverado and use the engine, trans, computer, etc to go LS. Even the 4.8 would stomp on a 305.

6.0L LS from an Express van. It's 345HP and less BS to tune out of the computer. That's my plan for my '71 Skylark. The original Skylark driveline, Buick 350 with TH350 trans, is going into a Model A station wagon.

[2LZ]

Look down on the bell housing and see if there's two ears that stick up in the middle that bolt to nothing. If so, it's called a "Detroit case". They're like gold to rebuilders because they bolt to most any GM engine.

I had the Buick equivalent (Skylark) with a (Chevy) 350 4bbl and a t-350. Got it for free because of a bad trans. When I walked the bad trans into the tranny guy as a core, he almost had kittens when he saw it. He discounted the one I bought from him because of it. Thought that was nice of the guy. He could have said nothing and I would have been none the wiser.

[ben2go]

Originally Posted by 2LZ

Look down on the bell housing and see if there's two ears that stick up in the middle that bolt to nothing. If so, it's called a "Detroit case". They're like gold to rebuilders because they bolt to most any GM engine.

I had the Buick equivalent (Skylark) with a (Chevy) 350 4bbl and a t-350. Got it for free because of a bad trans. When I walked the bad trans into the tranny guy as a core, he almost had kittens when he saw it. He discounted the one I bought from him because of it. Thought that was nice of the guy. He could have said nothing and I would have been none the wiser.

Nope. When I pulled mine for a rebuild back in '98, I found it's a standard Buick TH350 trans. I had a complete wrecked Chevy 1500 SS 454 sitting in our lot just waiting to be a donor for the old Skylark. Unfortunately, the insurance writer let the owner buy it back. The owner's kid was out showing off in it. He didn't know how to deal with a full posi lock rear. He sent the truck sideways out of a curve straight sideways into a 30-inch diameter oak tree. The kid walked through the rest of high school.

[dh]

I also like Weld's 4.8 idea. I was talking to someone recently who was doing a 5.3 swap in a Nova. The 4.8 and 4.2 vortec are two of my favorite motors.

I have had my eye on a 1986 Firebird 5 speed with a 350 vortec swap. The seller says it runs great but he can't figure out how to get it to pass California Smog check, and he says he has 30 years experience as a mechanic.

[Darkrider]

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

Dig it! I love the attempt at a ram-air snorkel.


I spotted the orange and white plates; do you have any issues with dragging a car across 50th avenue? Do you have to do an out-of-Province inspection? I know that Lloyd has some special provisions, like elimination of PST, but I don't know how it works with cars. My question also applies with dragging cars westward across 50th.


If I were to do an engine swap, I might be inclined to use an old Rocket, just for nostalgia. Another attractive option is to find a wasted '99 Silverado and use the engine, trans, computer, etc to go LS. Even the 4.8 would stomp on a 305.

Due to the car being older then 30 years old i can plate it on antique plates. Cost about $23/month unless i have it on autopac then it drops to $13/month. The car does not require an inspection or anything. I could literally take a road trip to your part of the country. Haul a car back from there and plate it on my way through town to the storage yard

As for engine swaps...i did bat a few ideas around including the 350 Rocket from my '84 C10 but i kinda realized that engine is what gives that truck its personality. Now if i were to stumble upon a decent one on Kijiji that is an entirely different matter....I have also kicked around the idea of a 454 Big block.

Originally Posted by Bruce's

I am with Weld on this one ,but would think even just a any of the Chevy fuelly engines would be a huge improvement , the olds engines were awesome ,but they cost so much more than a Chevy to play with it's just not worth it ,although ,I do think I still have an extra 455 w30 from my 442 days in the back of the garage .I would find a good runner truck complete ,and strip it like the Indians did to the buffalo ,and end up with a fairly inexpensive car when finished .

Eh...not so much into the whole "Must LS Swap Everything!" trend that exists now...Give me a good old basic SBC with a QJet or a Holley and i am content. I like being able to fix something on the side of the road with nothing more then a couple wrenches and maybe some bailing wire and/or Duct tape

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[wheelbender6]

"Give me a good old basic SBC with a QJet or a Holley and i am content."
Same goes for a Ford Windsor and Plymouth wedge.
Electronic engine controls can do amazing things, but I don't like to tinker with them.