INTRO Took the Olds out of hibernation…

RocketRoundel

New member
Sep 19, 2022
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To drag it 200 miles away to serve as my station car when working.

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I needed to swap it with my ‘84 GMC (which itself was swapped for my ‘70 VW back in April). I’m sliding a new chassis under the body of the VW, and I’ve been trying to get the Weber carb swap working on the truck a few hours every few weeks since October, so I finally decided to just drag it back home to my shop for a thorough list of “might as wells.”

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I had a membership back in the noughts and had no idea the forum was revived. Still the same Olds, though.

The Olds will be happy seeing 50 miles a weekend when I’m down for duty. Other than the timing set and gaskets, the ‘76 SBO 350 is stock (from what I know). During COVID, I had plenty of time, so I put the car in the air, finally installed Thornton headers and “fabricated” an exhaust from a generic (and ill fitting) Jegs G body exhaust. It is on the computer, with a rebuilt E4ME and a hypertech chip.

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Swapping the Cloyes chain and sprockets; they only had 8-10k miles on them. Fun way to spend a Saturday!
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My shop helper! He loves to help (even if it’s with a ball pean hammer on the fender )
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Another COVID project: strip and refinish the trunk, and install “Grand Prix” bars.
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And dechromed the rear light trim. I’ve had the car since ‘99 and have always hated it.
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Short clip of the new (now nearly 3 years old) exhaust).


I got off work at midnight tonight (0000 on 1.1.23…an hour ago) and drove the Olds home through rain-soaked 2 lane streets at 55 mph in a rain storm. For all the Nannie’s of my newer cars, I’d forgotten how comfortable and confidence-inspiring a G body is in bad weather. Despite 600 more lbs and very intelligent AWD, my BMW would have definitely felt the deep water more than the Olds. Two years ago, the VW brought me home at the advent of a hurricane and through a few winter squalls; there’s something to be said for the old stuff. It isn’t handling balance, it isn’t weight and it sure isn’t traction (except the VW) so I can’t explain why; maybe just the sense of comfort brought on by childhood memories in the passenger seat, when the car felt safe no matter what (because someone else bore the white knuckled burden)? Whatever the reason, I love that the decades old stuff continues to prove themselves when they need to.

Happy New Year!


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RocketRoundel

New member
Thread starter
Sep 19, 2022
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The other old classic. I replaced the stock 85mm P&Cs with 87.5mm units in 2021, rebuilt the carb, upgraded the suspension, reupholstered all the seats, and made it a fun reliable piece of daily transportation.
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Olds 307 and 403

Well-known member
Oct 4, 2018
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Melville, Saskatchewan
Sounds great! Yeah, OP is back. Look foward to more updates.
 

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