By 1952, the 88 was growing inexorably bigger and although Oldsmobile engineers had little trouble getting more power out of the Rocket engine by 1955, it boasted 202 gross horsepower (151 kW) newer, lighter cars soon surpassed its performance. Lets briefly examine each of them. The 324 was shared with GMC trucks. Any interest in better fuel economy was quickly forgotten; gasoline was cheap and speed sold more cars than parsimony. Additionally, the 403 had windowed main webs, which reduced the internal strength of the block in the crankcase area. I have read several histories of the 1949 Oldsmobile and Cadillac V-8s, but never seen Bouvy mentioned. The first second-generation Oldmobile V8 330cuin (5.4L) "Jetfire Rocket" introduced in 1964 and produced through 1967. Apart from the Oldsmobile Aurora, the Aurora V8 was also used in the Shelby Series 1. Rocket Racing & Performance is a custom engine building facility that specializes in Oldsmobile Performance.We offer a full machine shop, in house engine dyno, and parts supplier serving the local Wisconsin area and worldwide. Required fields are marked *. If you change certain aspects of the site's appearance using the accessibility sidebar, it may set these cookies to manage and remember your settings. From the 1950s through the late 1970s, each GM division had its own V8 engine family. An outstanding 350 Oldsmobile engine for sale would be perfect in a Cutlass convertible. There may be more than one of these cookies, particularly if you access several password-protected posts with different passwords. As the diagram below illustrates, an L-head engine has its valves in the side(s) of the block. For sale 1967 Oldsmobile Delta 88 custom, 2 door hardtop. in. Note the quadrant for the Hydra-Matic atop the steering column. Yes, the Hydra-Matic had a parking pawl, which was engaged by selecting reverse with the engine off. Neither of GMs new OHV V8s had an exceptionally high compression ratio at first Oldsmobiles was 7.25:1, Cadillacs 7.5:1 but that was mostly a reflection of the low octane of the gasoline of the time. 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. The Rocket 88 would vacuum the chrome off V8 Fords (unless the Fords owner had made a substantial investment in aftermarket parts) and it took a semi-exotic like the new Jaguar XK-120 to soundly beat the Olds. These a11y cookies normally expire after about seven days, but are removed immediately if you restore the applicable settings to their default values. Original revolutionary Hydra-Matic SUPER DRIVE 3-speed automatic transmission, spare tire, and a couple of extra chrome wheel covers. Plus, there is a cool mix of a preserved chrome cruiser with the right upgrades to make it more enjoyable for modern times. The engine was designed by Charles L. McCuen, who later had a hand in approving the Rocket engine for production. 4th Edition (Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2002); Maurice Hendry, Hillbilly Genius: The Great Boss Ket,' Special Interest Autos #51 (June 1979), pp. Phone: 480-285-1600. & Tm. Like the test mules, the Rocket 88 was, in the parlance of a somewhat later era, a real bomb. They normally expire in just under one year, but you can delete the cookies in your browser (or other user agent) at any time. 1750 Enterprise Way Suite 109 Marietta, GA 30067. An Ultra High Compression Toronado Rocket version of the 425cuin (7.0L) V8 was made for the 1966 Toronado. It didnt have an actual Park position until the advent of the controlled-coupling Hydra-Matic in MY1956. The engine is also known for its reliability, smoothness and quietness. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Vintage 1949 Oldsmobile 88 Futuramic Rocket Engine Magazine Print Ad W31 at the best online prices at eBay! Two-barrel carburetion was standard; all high performance 324s came with four-barrel carburetors. . The effective dates of the current versions are: Paid advertisements and/or sponsored links on Ate Up With Motor will be identified with words such as "Sponsor," "Sponsors," "Sponsored Link(s)," "Sponsored Content," "Ad," "Advertisement," "Advertisement(s)," or "Paid Promotion" (and/or by images or icons containing such words). The Super Eighty-Eight wasnt particularly rare when it was new Olds sold about 150,000 of them in 1951. As an aside, the Oldsmobile was bought by doctors, lawyers, bank managers, shop owners, construction entrepreneurs and the like. The final 1990 configuration was rated at 140hp (100kW) at 3200 rpm and 255lbft (346Nm) of torque at 2000 rpm. 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. Now heres the rub vis-a-vis this article: granted that the Rocket 88 gained a reputation as something of a factory hot rod in its day (helped, no doubt, by Ike Turner aka Jackie Brenston and the Delta Cats little ditty of the same name), nonetheless in my research I have been hard-pressed to find anyone who used it as a performance powerplant. Raising an engines compression ratio allows the engine to extract more energy from the fuel it burns, improving both power and fuel economy. Runs great. 7-27; Michael Lamm, Two Very Important Cars! Total Oldsmobile sales for the 1949 model year, including exports and Canadian production, were almost 294,000, a 64% improvement from the year before. Even modest restorations can quickly get out of control, cost-wise, so be careful that a $2,000 bargain doesnt become a money pit. (We should note, however, that Packards final L-head eight of 1954 used an 8.7:1 compression ratio with no apparent loss of refinement, although the fact that the 359 cu. 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. Some competitors were a bit faster all-out and a few could beat the Olds off the line, but the 88 was one of the fastest cars in America in 1949. But it DID have a fairly illustrious season on the track and in road racing. The 1955 model upped the compression to 8.5:1 for 185hp (138kW) and 320lbft (430Nm) in the 88 and 202hp (151kW) and 332lbft (450Nm) in the Super 88 and 98. Submitting a comment signifies your acceptance of our Comment Policy please read it first! Im not sure where you stop4 more new engines in 1958 (Chevy W, Mopar B, FoMoCo FE, Lincoln M.E.L. In the mid-1950s, American automakers were engaged in a ferocious horsepower race. Power was 81 hp at 3000 rpm. Larry Young. I am almost 79 now and remember that like it was yesterday. The cookies normally expire in about 10 days, and are not set at all if you do not access any password-protected content. This setting is stored in your browser (or other user agent) in the gdpr[consent_types] cookie described in "Privacy and Cookie Preferences" above, so if you delete that cookie or access the Ate Up With Motor website from a different device, browser, or user agent, you will need to adjust this setting again if you still wish to hide the box. It used a 4.126in (104.8mm) bore and 3.975in (101.0mm) stroke. Around the end of that year, the project nearly ground to a halt due to objections from Cadillac. 10-17, 56; Richard M. Langworth, 1954 Packard Pacific: Last of the Great Straight Eights, Special Interest Autos #51 (May-June 1979), reprinted in The Hemmings Book of Postwar American Independents: driveReports from Special Interest Autos Magazine, ed. 1999), pp. You must be at least 18 to comment. These taller-deck models are commonly called "big-blocks", and are 1in (2.5cm) taller and 1.5in (3.8cm) wider than their "small-block" counterparts.[1]. The _ga and _gid cookies, which were only placed if you clicked "Accept/Enable" in the notification banner, enabled the Google Analytics service to track your activity on the site. The OHV V8 would dominate the American industry well into the 1980s, resulting in some staggeringly powerful engines whose output has only recently been surpassed. Akamai is a registered trademark or service mark of Akamai Technologies, Inc. in the United States (Reg. It was generally paired with the Turbo Hydramatic 350 3-speed automatic or the Turbo Hydramatic 400 3-speed ustomatic in rear wheel drive vehicles, in the case of front-wheel drive vehicles, the Turbo Hydramatic 425 FWD 3-speed automatic. In shape and size, the Oldsmobile Rocket 88 is not much different from the Pontiac Streamline and Chevrolet Fleetline whose body shell it shares. Can you point me to any information on GM camshaft design methodology? The image file itself contains no personally identifiable information, but the loading of that file may be used to help identify and/or track you. Biggest mistake I still think about that automobile. (Vimeo and the Vimeo logos are trademarks of Vimeo.com, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. An engines static compression ratio is the ratio of the swept volume of each cylinder to the volume of the combustion chamber; the higher the ratio, the more the engine compresses its fuel mixture before combustion. in. In 1962 and 1963 Oldsmobile built a turbocharged version of the 215, designated Turbo-Rocket. . All of this was occurring from about 1948 thru the first half of the 50s. All other trademarks and/or service marks are the property of their respective owners. 1959 and 1960 371s used green painted valve covers. The icing on the cake was that fuel consumption was reduced by about 10% compared to the old L-head engine. The big-block engines initially used a forged crankshaft with a stroke of 3.975" for the 1965-1967 425 and 400 CID versions; starting in 1968, both the 400cuin (6.6L) and the 455cuin (7.5L) big blocks used a stroke of 4.25in (108mm), with crankshaft material changed to cast iron except in a few rare cases. 4-barrel models used 9.25:1 compression in 1957 and 10:1 in 1958 for 277hp (207kW) and 400lbft (540Nm) and 305hp (227kW) and 410lbft (560Nm) respectively. As far as I know, the transmission was not harmed. It kept the retired 425's 4.126in (104.8mm) bore to produce between 275 and 400hp (205 and 298kW; 279 and 406PS). These cookies manage your cookie and privacy preferences. It was offered in the Hurst/Olds version of the Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais and in the 4-4-2 version of the Oldsmobile Cutlass Salon. Have a 47 98 custom cruiser. This car has the pushbutton radio, which cost about $96. Each engine in this generation is quite similar with the same size block and heads. We'll start with Olds and return to Caddy in another article. It was rated at 215hp (160kW) at 4600rpm and 300lbft (410Nm) at 3200rpm. During that period, Oldsmobile Motor Group draftsman Gilbert Burrell began working privately on concepts for new cars and new engines. 1950 Oldsmobile Rocket 88. [22] This was the first engine to use the smaller Rochester Dualjet two-barrel carburetor, the only carburetor used on the 260. in. The Olds engine performed well and was very smooth running but didnt have as much scat as the modified flat head. Make: Oldsmobile Model: 88 Year: 1956 Engine: 455 Rocket Engine - Turbo 400 - Foose Mags - Airbags Suspension. I forgot this on one occasion when I was attempting to jump start my 55 Olds; after getting the car rolling backwards, I was rewarded with nothing more than a ratcheting sound when I shifted from N to R. The engine did not rotate and the car did not start. By late 1956, many Olds dealers learned about the problem. Did G M make a 1949-50 olds 88 or 98 4 door fastback ? The engine proved so popular, the division's 88 models were popularly called Rocket 88s. Maybe. ), Diagram of a typical pushrod/rocker-arm layout of an overhead-valve engine. To learn more about the specific cookies used and/or to fine-tune your available choices, click "Privacy Preferences" at the right. For 1957, the basic 88 was officially named Golden Rocket 88, taken from Olds' 1956 Motorama two-passenger show car. Oh, and lets not forget the Bonneville speed merchants. Collectible Motor Car of Atlanta. The immediate prewar Compound Carburetion cars were legitimately quick for 1941 you might get that kind of performance out of a flathead Ford, but not without a lot of non-factory help. A slightly larger 307cuin (5.0L) version was introduced in 1980. Oldsmobiles reign as the hottest performer in the land proved to be short-lived. 1951 Oldsmobile Rocket 88. 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. The 403 Oldsmobile was generally painted "Corporate GM Blue" on every model line it was equipped in. Model: 1949 - 1960 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 Engine/Motor: V8 Horsepower: 135 Torque: 283 Pros Cons Design Let's try and forget the full-size Oldsmobile 88 models that were produced all the. 1967 Oldsmobile Delta 88. (Valve spring, spring seat / retainer placement too? This was not an official assignment; he was simply exploring ideas for his own interest and amusement. Bore was up to 4.125in (104.8mm) for the largest first-generation Rocket, the 394cuin (6.5L). Unfortunately, they were also thirsty and a pain to tune, which was not at all what wartime buyers wanted, and after the war there was a gradually increasing array of cheaper alternatives. 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. (WordPress and the WordPress logos are registered trademarks of the WordPress Foundation in the United States and other countries. More-or-less stock Rocket 88s continued winning their classes at the drag strip well into the 1950s. 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. Its a super 88 sedan 4 door. Made of diecast with some plastic parts. A BRILLIANTLY written article! It was the only GM engine to meet US emission standards using a carburetor all the way up to 1990. In any case, the early postwar period saw the emergence of the California customizing/hot rod scene; the advent of the fiberglass kit car body manufacturers such as Bill Tritts Glaspar (Tritt was retained briefly by GM as a consultant in 1951 when they were considering building a lightweight fiberglass-bodied sports car); and the birth of modern motorsport in the US with the founding of the SCCA and the advent of road racing as the most popular form of competition. SPECIFICATIONS Engine: OHV 90-degree V-8, cast-iron block and heads Displacement: 303-cu.in. R.M. I would have said, Your Father knew cars and I would have played up that heritage. These cookies expire in about 15 days if the user clicks "Remember Me" when logging in; if not, the cookies normally expire when the user closes their browser (or other user agent), or, failing that, within about two days. in. The wild rocket hood ornament was technically a $5 option. In an OHV engine, by contrast, the valves are a fair distance away from the crankshaft, which makes operating them far more complicated. This very open and flat chamber was fuel efficient and had lower than average emissions output. Presumably this says something about the cars place in the culture. However not practical to drive around pittsburgh, pa. To many hills for that single chamber master cylinder. 442 . The Olds FAQ (www.442.com) has info on where to find and how to decode the engine and body plates for different model years. 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. 78-79; and Josiah Work, 1949 Rocket 88: This Is Not Your Grandpas Oldsmobile, Special Interest Autos #139 (January-February 1994), reprinted in The Hemmings Book of Oldsmobiles, pp. Get a Oldsmobile crate engine for cars like the cutlass, 88, 98, or the 442.GTO. 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. A diagram of where the hydraulic or solid lifter fits in a flathead might be helpful to readers. In an OHV engine, the valves are placed directly above the combustion chamber, which greatly improves breathing. I have a 62 olds super 88. 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. This cars turn signals may be an aftermarket addition turn signals were originally a $15 option on this car. Still, the same quandary exists that faced Gordon Burrell and Jack Gordon in the late forties: New technologies in this case, direct injection, turbocharging, and even hybrid powertrains can benefit both performance or fuel economy and emissions, but one still almost always wins out over the other. If you delete or disable these cookies, your existing preferences will be lost and you may not be able to save your privacy settings for this website. Skinner liked the idea, but it had to be approved by corporate management, which brought a new round of objection from Cadillac the 98 was already a close match for Cadillac in performance and a V8-powered B-body Oldsmobile would undoubtedly be faster. It was optional on 1964 98s and Super 88s. One by one, every other American manufacturer brought out its own OHV V8 engine: Chrysler and Studebaker in 1951; Lincoln in 1952; Buick and Dodge in 1953; Ford and Mercury in 1954; Chevrolet, Pontiac, Plymouth, and Packard in 1955; and AMC in 1956. It was the first mass-produced OHV V8, in 1949. Even "modest" restorations can quickly get out of control, cost-wise, so be careful that a $2,000 bargain doesnt become a money pit. Embedded video players for content hosted on the YouTube video platform (which is owned by Google LLC) may set these third-party cookies and/or use similar technologies to store data in your browser (or other user agent) for purposes such as (without limitation) managing video settings (e.g., tailoring the playback to your connection speed), storing video preferences, providing certain functionality (e.g., allowing you to pause a video at a particular point), showing you advertisements, associating your video viewing and other activity with your Google account (if any), ensuring proper functioning of the service, preventing abuse, and/or compiling user analytics data. I have a pretty good handle on Ford Design evolution, but not so much on GM, especially OHV.
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