Getting rid of my 1977 Oldsmobile Delta 88, yanking it's 350 Goodwrench to put in the 1972 Oldsmobile Delta 88 coupe I'm gonna start saving for. I bought this car knowing the 350 could be a ticket to a better car, and now it shall be. I tried to take a right hand turn out of my driveway into a flat left turn so I could go to the bank, my tires where wet and muddy, and the throttle stuck, sending me dukes of hazard through the turn, until I tapped the throttle and got it to stop. I nearly got T boned by another car, who had to go into the neighbors yard, but we settled it privately, no damage was done to his car, but I gave him my number (and he knows where I live) and agreed to pay for an alignment should it be needed. In short, a horse that tries to kill you goes to the glue factory, my car is going to the scrap yard after I part anything of value off it. Tail lights are good, brake lights are good, I'll start stripping it soon enough. I am entirely done with it. I accept that the fix is an easy one, new carburetor, new throttle cable, done and done, but to hell with it. I'd rather have the '72, and my '77 had been eating at my wallet (And sanity) lately, so it's gone. Fortunately most of what I've spent on the '77 can be transferred to the '72. My sanity is unfortunately, non refundable. Wish me luck, this is an undertaking, and it leaves me with a question... The question all people swapping used V8's have... To cam the engine, or to not cam the engine?
#1 just because the throttle cable stuck seems like no reason to scrap a car. An easy fix is to replace or repair the cable, and or, linkage. However since you really don't care for the car anymore and the engine is good an engine swap sounds like a good choice. Apparently the 72 Olds coupe has a worn engine. The real questions are is the 350 Goodwrench a low mileage good running engine? If the answer is yes, why mess around changing the cam? A decent cam, lifters, gaskets, etc. will set you back at least $250+ or more resulting in nothing more than a rump rump sound and more work. Get the 72 running and looking good and enjoy it until you find a nice station wagon.
All good points, the '72 in fact, has no engine or trans, not even sure if it was a big block or small block car, but I know that the frames are so similar I can use chevy motor mounts intended for my '77 to drop the SBC GM Goodrwench crate in the '72. My motor has about 150k miles on it but it's strong, compression is great, insides are clean, it's still got tons of life. And I like the rump-rump sound, but yeah, probably not worth it, the motor has great compression. I'll probably just change the timing chain, front / rear seals, oil pan and valve cover gaskets, and go with that. As for a nice wagon, the Mercedes will do me for now, rides good, great on gas, only 154k (just rolled it over from 153k last week), only had it about a month, but so far so good. I really like the E320, fun on the highway, smooth and docile on the streets, and did I mention how nice those leather power seats are? Anyway, on the note of the '72, it's medium blue, vinyl top, same color interior, great shape, around 130k miles on the body I think. Previous owner yanked the motor and scrapped it, but it has a clean title. I can get it for $600-800 depending, but it's worth it. If I don't buy it before it dries up at the junkyard (Too muddy to get up there) then I'll get some pics. List of things the '72 will need are: Fuel tank dropped and cleaned, it's sat for about 5 years. Suspension, might as well replace the shocks, springs, and steering linkage, was planning on doing it to the '77, so it shouldn't cost more than $400. Brakes, if it had the same lug pattern I'd reuse my drums and rotors, but it has the big pattern and the '77 has the small lug pattern. And exhaust, I'll see if I can take my brand new system off my '77 and stick on the '72, sans the catyletic converter 'cause that isn't required and be damned if I'll keep it. Past that, I'll swap a new intake and carb onto the 350 'cause I don't trust the Q-jet as far as I can throw it, probably re-use my less than 250 mile master cylinder if it fits, re-use the less than 6k mile radiator for now, get a new nice one later, keep my 215/75R15 back tires for the front of the '72, put some decent tires under the back and uh.. Probably throw in a stereo and two 6x9's in the back, rumble down the road.
Hah, they only work when the washer is on. And the pass side one is broken if you can't tell. But it's cool though, heh, even the damn headrests in this thing are power! It weighs 4,900lbs, which is probably more than the '72 Olds I'm getting... Though it did set the standard for the EURO NCAP at the time, and, still is a very safe vehicle, so I can excuse a car the size of a Cutlass Sierra wagon weighing more than my '86 Custom Cruiser did. I don't get why I have to pay a $10 heavy vehicle tax (Vehicles over 4,000lbs get that here in VA, had to pay it on my '86 CC and it only weighed 4,010) when some 300lb McDonalds VIP sitting in a 3,800lb Camry doesn't, it weighs 4,100lbs when the primary driver / owner is in it, so shouldn't he / she have to pay the same tax? Thanks, dunno if I'll go with a cam, it depends on how much my friend who's shop I'll be using nags me about it. Knowing me, I'll probably get talked into it, but I'm as stubborn as I am persistent, so who knows?
some 300lb VIP sitting in a 3,800lb Camry doesn't, it weighs 4,100lbs when the primary driver / owner is in it, so shouldn't he / she have to pay the same tax? There is no law against a person being grossly over weight. In fact there are many on permanent paid handicap disabilty for that.
Perhaps some people, but not all of them. Even still, the weight limit is a bit absurd. Anyway, back on topic, the only plans I had for the '77 Delta 88 where to mad max it, tubular front and rear bumpers, skid plates, fog lights, possibly some sort of roof rack, spray paint special paint job, fatter tires, louder exhaust, possibly cam the engine for laughs, just turn it into a street legal terrormobile. Nothing quite like scaring the locals, they usually glare at me, some of 'em recognize the car from it's days with little to no exhaust. I've lost interest in the car however, this project may happen to another vehicle at some point, or maybe I'll source a junkyard engine, 305 or something and get the '77 running again as a the aforementioned apocalypse themed automobile. Either way, I need it's engine and transmission for a car I actually want, a car which has not been worked over by so many people I keep finding absurd problems.
My Mercedes is a wagon, haven't you noticed? It's part of the reason I traded my truck for it. Wagons are harder and harder to find, especially older ones that are fixable. I'd love to find me a good old box body wagon like the Olds I had, but they just aren't around anymore.
http://s55.photobucket.com/user/Dead-Reckon/library/1994 Mercedes-Benz E320?sort=3&page=1 There ya go, the car has a few blemishes, but it's in really good shape for a 20 year old car. You can kinda see in one of the pics I need to replace the front strut bushings, one is dry rotted and cracked, but they can wait. Right now they're only squeaking, which isn't bad, probably replace them by this time next year if I've still got the car though. Right now my priority is the '72, so this car, save for upkeep and repairs it cannot go without, will just be the daily. But I'll get some better pics of the E320 tomorrow, mostly got pics of the flaws so far. I'm planning on taking the back seat out of my '77 Delta 88, lower portion, I think the build sheet is in the bottom, something is in the middle of the bottom of the back seat. It feels like paper in plastic right under the cloth, who knows, maybe it's drug money?
