455 Buick Olds or Pontiac Which is most desireable, reliable etc

The sand drag guys used caddy 500/472's and buick was a close #2 because of power and parts availability. Anymore it seems more stuff for caddy engines than for mopars.

 

Go with the Buick 455, TA Performance has all the goodies that go with that motor to. My Dad's 1970 Buick Electra that I am working on, will have the motor done next with all the go-fast hardware.

 

I am not particularly fond of Buick engines, I have had some that were pretty stout but they are not my favorite. Of the 3 mentioned the Pontiac is the strongest block wise, the olds has a weakness in the lifter valley it can be overcome by putting a brace in there; Mondello makes them. That is purley race chit though if you are not twisting it up into the OH WOW range it is not necessary.

Anyway all that said all the above mentioned engines are a good choice, but I would lean towards the Olds if it were me. The Pontiac would be my next choice but that has to do with availability the big Olds is easier to find than the Poncho.

 

A buddy has a 455 in his '64 skylark......MAKE YA PEE YOUR PANTS IN ALL GEARS.

 

What I was going to say!

 

Car Craft did a side by side comparison before and after a and budget build with a cam, intake, carb, heads and headers...

What they found was that the Buick had larger bore of the three and allowed them to run larger valves than Pontiac and Olds... (Square Bore to stroke ratio) and they were able to get bigger HP and Torque numbers with Pontiac in second place and Olds in third!

Olds had the longest stroke but the smallest bore which drastically limits the valve size which hurt the HP numbers... however it still had monster torque numbers!

I always liked Car Craft articles because they reported as fairly as anybody when comparing the different manufacturers engines and modifications and more importantly... they kept it believable!

This was another good example of their comparison reporting...

http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/ccrp_0408_500_hp_big_block_engine_combos/index.html

And To Quote Car Craft.......... Feb 2009
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td>
</td><td>
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</td> </tr> </tbody></table>

Buick 455 , Oct. &#8217;01,...

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Buick 455 , Oct. &#8217;01, 570.5 lb-ft @ 4,600 rpm, 555.4 hp @ 5,500 rpm



Chevy 454 , Sept. &#8217;01,...

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Chevy 454, Sept. &#8217;01, 565.1 lb-ft @ 4,200 rpm, 533.2 hp @ 5,600 rpm



Ford 460 , May &#8217;01, 567.4...

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Ford 460, May &#8217;01, 567.4 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm, 528.8 hp @ 5,800 rpm



Mopar 440 , Nov. &#8217;01,...

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Mopar 440, Nov. &#8217;01, 582.9 lb-ft @ 4,100 rpm, 535.5 hp @ 5,300 rpm



Olds 455 , Oct. 2000 & Feb...

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Olds 455, Oct. 2000 & Feb &#8217;01 (update), 558.6 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm, 496.9 hp @ 5,300 rpm



Pontiac 455 , Jan. &#8217;01,...

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Pontiac 455, Jan. &#8217;01, 575.3 lb-ft @ 3,600 rpm, 501.3 hp @ 5,200 rpm



Except for the Buick, we were...

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Except for the Buick, we were able to use Fel-Pro heavy-duty head gaskets on all the engines. Like this Olds version, Fel-Pro&#8217;s heavy-duty line features integral preflattened steel wire O-rings and a steel-core laminate.



Affordable Federal Mogul/Speed-Pro...

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Affordable Federal Mogul/Speed-Pro forged replacement pistons were used in all six engines, but getting about 10.0:1 compression often required severe block milling. For example, these Mopar &#8220;440 Six Pack&#8221; slugs were installed at a &#8211;0.006-inch deck height to achieve 10.23:1 compression.



The baseline carb on all engines...

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The baseline carb on all engines was a Speed Demon 750-cfm double-pumper. Jetting was optimized for each engine combination.



MSD provided its billet distributors...

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MSD provided its billet distributors for all the engines including this Olds unit. Triggering was handled by an MSD HVC high- output coil and Digital 7 ignition.

​

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Back in the classic musclecar era when there was no replacement for raw displacement, octane was high, and fuel was cheap, Buick, Chevy, Mopar, Ford, Olds, and Pontiac each produced large-displacement big-block engines, and benchracers argue endlessly over which one was best.

But talk is cheap, so over the last year Car Craft sponsored the buildup of engines from each of these manufacturers using, to every extent possible, commonly available off-the-shelf performance parts.
Subject to real-world parts availability, each [COLOR=#029825 ! important][FONT=inherit ! important][COLOR=#029825 ! important][FONT=inherit ! important]motor[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR] was built as identically as possible using modern Edelbrock high-flow aluminum heads (except for the Buick, which used TA Performance heads, since Edelbrock has no Buick offering), approximately 10.0:1 compression ratios, aggressive (yet still streetable) Comp Xtreme Energy XE274H hydraulic flat-tappet cams, Hooker Super Competition headers (2-inch primaries x 3-½-inch collectors), Edelbrock Performer RPM [COLOR=#029825 ! important][FONT=inherit ! important][COLOR=#029825 ! important][FONT=inherit ! important]intakes[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR] (if offered), MSD billet distributors, ARP rod bolts, and a Speed Demon 750-cfm double-pumper carb. The bottom-ends were assembled the same way an average car crafter does it: No exotic parts or niche tricks&#8212;just good machining practice, premium Federal Mogul bearings, Speed-Pro piston rings and forged pistons, and (in most instances) Fel-Pro gaskets.

Each engine appeared in its own detailed buildup, but here we&#8217;ll take a collective look at their similarities and differences.
In terms of raw peak numbers, the Buick 455 performed the best and the Olds 455 the worst. But there&#8217;s more to the story than just numbers.

The Mopar turned in excellent results even though it had the smallest displacement of the bunch. The Chevy and Ford made fairly good numbers, not surprising considering their huge ports and valves. You&#8217;d expect the long-stroke Pontiac to be a torque monster&#8212;and it was&#8212;but the short-stroke Mopar actually came in a few lb-ft higher.

What&#8217;s interesting was that except for the big-block Chevy, these engines in the past have always been cylinder-head limited. However in recent years, modern aluminum heads have become widely available for even niche engines. These lightweight castings pack a heavyweight punch, dramatically increasing output, and&#8212;on typical street engines like these&#8212;eliminating the need for expensive (and not always consistent) head-porting.
When the new heads are combined with modern and aggressive, yet streetable, cam profiles, outputs easily exceed 1 hp/ci on 92-octane [COLOR=#029825 ! important][FONT=inherit ! important][COLOR=#029825 ! important][FONT=inherit ! important]gas[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR].

In fact, given the same compression ratio, cam grind, and similar flowing heads, the engines perform more alike than not. By analyzing the data on these pages, it becomes apparent that any differences in engine output are primarily attributable to variances in cylinder head flow, gross valve lift (caused by different rocker-arm ratios) and cylinder-bore diameter (the Olds and Pontiac are hurt by their relatively small bores). And as good as the power and torque numbers are, most of these engines could really benefit from even more aggressive cam profiles if top-end horsepower is the goal. Moving up to a solid-roller cam with about the same 0.050-inch tappet-lift duration as the hydraulic flat-tappet grinds could bump up power and torque by as much as 50 numbers in some cases without adversely affecting streetability&#8212;although it would burn a hole in many of our wallets.

Off-the-shelf piston selection continues to be a problem. For many of the engines, it proved difficult to achieve compression ratios in the low 10s using available replacement pistons without severe block milling. And every one of these engines used heavy replacement-style forged pistons. Switching to lightweight forgings could reap big benefits: The engines would rev up quicker under load, deeper valve notches would provide ample piston-to-valve clearance, and the weight reduction would aid bottom-end longevity. Unfortunately, lightweight forged pistons in streetable compression ratios for big-block engines must generally be custom-ordered, adding a few hundred dollars or more to the costs of these engines.


Edelbrock has really done its homework on its Performer RPM and RPM Air-Gap series of high-rise, dual-plane [COLOR=#029825 ! important][FONT=inherit ! important][COLOR=#029825 ! important][FONT=inherit ! important]intakes[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR]. Where available, they unfailingly provided the most area under the curve, and computer simulations show they&#8217;d run the best e.t.&#8217;s when installed in a car. Finally, while a 750-cfm carb performed well on our big-blocks, several&#8212;particularly the Buick&#8212;pulled manifold vacuum on the top-end, indicating they&#8217;d benefit from a larger carb. Any of these engines is capable of running quarter-mile e.t.&#8217;s well into the 11s when installed in a 3,600-pound car with a relatively mild torque converter and rearend gears. That&#8217;s in total street trim, except for 10-inch wide drag slicks. Big-blocks forever!


More numbers of interest...

Maker..... Size .... Bore.... Stroke .... Mains.... Rods .... Weight

Olds .... 455.... 4.126.... 4.25..... 3.00 .... 2.50 .... 635
Pontiac .... 455.... 4.152 .... 4.21.... 3.00.... 2.25.... 650
Buick .... 455.... 4.312.... 3.90.... 3.250.... 2.25.... 616
Buick .... 430 .... 4.1875.... 3.90.... 3.250.... 2.25.... 616
Caddy.... 500.... 4.300 .... 4.304.... 3.250.... 2.50.... 750
Chevy .... 454 .... 4.251.... 4.00 .... 2.749.... 2.20 .... 775
MOPAR.... 426Hemi.... 4.25.... 3.750.... 2.75 .... 2.375 .... 725
MOPAR .... 426Wedge................................................... 675
MOPAR .... 440.... 4.320.... 3.750.... 2.75.... 2.375.... 670
Ford.... 429.... 4.360.... 3.590.... 3.00.... 2.50.... 665
Chevy.... 350.... 4.000.... 3.48.... 2.449.... 2.10.... 525
Olds .... 350.... 4.057 .... 3.385 .... 2.50.... 2.125.... 560
Pontiac.... 350.... 3.876.... 3.75.... 3.00.... 2.25.... ?
Buick .... 350.... 3.80.... 3.85.... 3.00.... 2.00.... ?
Ford .... 351C.... 4.00.... 3.00.... 2.749.... 2.31.... 647
Ford .... 351W .... 4.00 .... 3.00.... 3.00 .... 2.31.... 647
Olds .... 400E.... 4.00 .... 3.975.... 3.00.... 2.50.... 610
Olds .... 400L.... 3.87.... 4.25.... 3.00.... 2.50.... 610
Olds .... 403.... 4.351.... 3.385.... 2.50.... 2.125.... 610
Pontiac.... 400.... 4.121.... 3.75.... 3.00.... 2.25.... 650
Buick.... 400.... 4.040.... 3.90 .... 3.25.... 2.25.... 600
MOPAR .... 383.... 4.250.... 3.375.... 2.62.... 2.375.... 638
Ford .... 390.... 4.050.... 3.784.... 2.74.... 2.43.... 660

 

I have a 72 Olds 455 in my 57 Buick, its a torque monster, runs great

 

It depends on what you want to do with it.

In [mostly] stock form, the buick will produce the most torque, the pontiac will produce the most HP, and the olds will be the most reliable. The pontiac uses cast rods, and the buick has the weakest block. The olds has a tough-ass block and forged rods.

Once you start building them up, it's about the same story... But you start spending extra money for pontiac SD forged rods, and buick block girdles. The buick will start making more power than the poncho or olds, but you will always have that weak block keeping you up at night. The olds will make *slightly* less power than it's brothers, but it's like insurance with the stronger bottom end. The pontiac will make more HP than the buick, and looks the coolest.

There's nothing set in stone about the above statement tho, since every performance build is different, and everyone drives their car differently... It's just a general "rule of thumb" that the buick makes torque, the poncho makes HP and the olds is tougher than the rest.

Parts availability is another matter to take into consideration... Pontiac made more performance parts and performance engines thru the years, so good 4 bolt blocks, and HO heads are easier to locate. Buick made absolutely ZERO performance parts. All blocks and heads are the same. The GS heads are simply fly-cut for larger valves, and the tooling to cut regular heads to fit the bigger valves still exists. So you can turn any 455 into a GS-spec motor, but there's really nothing special about it. Olds was kind of middle of the road on how many performance parts they installed on the assembly line over the years... They exist, but not as common as the poncho's.

Aftermarket performance parts are again, another consideration.
Buick probably has the most parts available from various suppliers. This is due to a very loyal following of the buick community. Unfortunately, the parts tend to be ludacris expensive. Pontiac parts are more readily available, but they dont have the die-hard following of the buick, so the parts that are available tend to be slightly more mild than the buick. Olds is about like pontiac in this respect.

The 500cid caddy is a real alternative for big inch brutal HP/TQ, but the caddy has it's share of shortcomings as well. The block and crank are massivly strong and well constructed, but the rods are cast and the heads dont flow for shit.
The trick is to use a set of forged rods from a 425 olds, and match them with a set of big bore pistons... 502 BBC, 460 Ford, etc,,, and then deck the block/shave heads for proper quench/compression. The heads can be opened up to flow reasonably well, and there's one [and only one] intake available. The Edelbrock Performer. The good news about the performer is it replaces a stock [~100 lb] intake... HUGE weight savings!

The problem with the caddy is that the oil pump and filter is external, and it sits on the front of the engine at a VERY bizarre angle that does not lend itself well to swaps. You can use the pump from a later [smogger] 425 cad motor that's slightly less bizarre and also use a remote filter to overcome these issues somewhat... On the plus side, I've seen several times on the net where people have discovered they can turn their stock SBC motor pads upside down, and the stock cad motor mounts will bolt up to them. Not always, and probably useless info for your custom swap, but worth knowing.

As a final note, dont count out the buick 350. It's the lightest of all small blocks, and it has a big-block sized stroke... Infact, a garden variety '70 350 buick with a 4V makes the same torque as a corvette 396!
The guys over on V8Buick.com are doing some amazing things with the 350 buick. Even if your not nterested in going with a SBB, it's worth it to see what their doing... One guy built one up to over 1000 hp. Another guy built one for $1000, and put dual turbo's on it, and he's running 11's in a stock steel body skylark with A/C, P/S, P/B, etc... Very cool stuff!

 

you can have all 3 makes in 1,,,use a Vortec V8,,,it will be chaeper, run better, makes 400 HP, has aluminum heads with Big valves, aluminum block, roller lifters,,,plus a six speed auto trans

more at

http://archives.media.gm.com/us/pow.../Stories/Gen IV/Gen IV Truck/10_PWT_L94_n.doc

and

http://archives.media.gm.com/us/powertrain/en/product_services/2010/gmna/10truck_us.htm

The 6.2.L is the most powerful of GM&#8217;s Gen IV Vortec V-8s; indeed, it is the most powerful small-block truck engine ever, with the most torque. It delivers new levels of refinement to go with brute strength, and industry exclusive technologies such as cam-in-block variable valve timing. fficeffice" /><O></O>
<O></O>
Gen IV Cylinder Block<O></O>
The Gen IV cylinder block shares two key design elements with GM&#8217;s original small block V-8: a 90-degree cylinder angle with 4.400-inch bore centers. Beyond that, the latest small block applies design, casting and machining technologies that were unfathomable in the 1950s.<O></O>
<O></O>
The Gen IV block debuted in 2005 as the foundation for the 400-hp LS2 V-8 in the Chevrolet Corvette, and Pontiac GTO, and in 2006 for the Cadillac CTS-v . The Vortec truck block applies all the improvements in the LS2, tailored for the demands of truck application. <O></O>
<O></O>


http://archives.media.gm.com/us/powertrain/en/product_services/2010/gmna/10truck_us.htm<O></O>

 

Olds problems with the lifter valley? Talk to Olds engine builders and they have never seen that problem once. That broomshaft Mondello wants you to put in there is just a way of trying to get your $$.

 

I think they are all good engines. I personally love the Olds, I have experience with them and havr rode in some fast cars with them in them. I have not rode in anything with a Buick 455 but the big bore is a good thing. I rode in a 70;s Caddy with an Olds 455 and it was surprisingly powerful and it was a smog engine with a Performer intake.

 

All three are good engines that make tons of torque in stock form. One nice thing about the Buick is the front mounted distributor, extra firewall clearance when swapping into something old. Note all Buicks, big & small, have a couple of oiling issues that need to be dealt with if you start to make serious power. Pontiacs use a oiling system similar to a SBC, so its a bit more foolproof. Not sure on the Olds.

I'd go Pontiac...but I'm a Pontiac guy. Forget about a Pontiac 455 unless you already have one. Get a way cheaper 400, throw an inexpensive stroker crank into it, and you'll be off to the races...Plus the fact that all Pontiac V8's look pretty much the same makes it eaisier to take a cheap smog era engine & make it look like something more HAMB worthy. Like a '62 SD 421 with long branch cast headers and dual quads...sorry, I'm drooling a little.

 

I don't know about the cost savings... Horse Power costs money!

I started with a $400 dollar 455 with a rebuilt turbo 400... ran 12 flat at108 mph!

Next year I found a fresh 468 for a $1000 with "G" heads and upped the mph to 115 in the quarter!

then I found another 462 with the aluminum heads and the right cam for $1,800 and bolted those parts on my 468 and ran a 123 mph!

That's a lot of performance for $3,300... not to mention that I was able to recover every single penny of it by selling off my remaining engine parts.

I don't think I can find those deals with the Vortech, Gen IV or any other Modern Engine!

 

The Buick motors do have some oiling issues, BUT it is an easy fix, just drilling out the oil passages, not a big deal. Once you do that, they are golden.

The Small Buick, by the way, has the strongest block of all, they can hold 1,000 horsepower with not girdles or any of that.

 

12 flat with a 400 buck engine? Tell us more about the engine and the vehicle it was in.

 

I have a rebuilt 455 Olds in my 1931 Olds 5 window. I will let you know when I actually get the car on the road.

BC

 

That's worth pointing out...
The buick 350 "grew out of" the 215 aluminum V8. As an aluminum engine, it was made with axtra thick castings, extra ribbing, and rediculously deep and reinforced crank area. When it was enlarged and made into iron, they retained all the reinforcements.

It's kinda odd too. It's the lightest of all the GM "350" engines, and yet the block is the strongest of any small block, regardless of brand. The cranks are brutally strong as well.

But it does suffer from cast rods, oiling problems, and no performance heads.

The guys over on V8Buick have figured out a way to fit aftermarket chevy 350 rods, and you can bore the buick out to use standard size 283 chevy pistons. The heads are actually a very efficent design with lots of meat, and can be ported to impressive numbers, and the oiling problems can be overcome by drilling out the passages.

T/A Performance has been promising aluminum heads for the 350 buick for some time now. They will be based on the buick V6 turbo "indy" heads, and are supposed to flow crazy numbers.

On the down side, only a dual plane aftermarket intake is available that doesn't offer much improvement over the stock intake... I'd think when/if T/A introduces the heads, there will be a killer single plane intake that would be comming out along with it.

 

Light car... and zero traction!!!

I forgot to add that the dual quad and the Mallory dual point were super scores on ebay... I had $300 for the whole "Kit and Kabootal" and I transferred those from on engine to another over the years.

First couple of photo's are with the stock long block... and the last photo was with the 468 and aluminum heads...

 

Great scores, and well done,,, I too race Olds's on Oval track using Olds 350 and 403 v8s,,,and on a 1/4 mile ashplt oval,,,i beat alot of chvys.

but most folks do not get such good deals and most folks have to send the engine out to be rebuilt,,,and with scrap iron pirces being so high lots of guys have sent them old engines to the junk man.

what was available 2 to 3 years ago are now GONE to the junk man and sent off to china as scrap metal.

For most guys to build what you have would be closer to $6,000 or more.

You can get Vortec V8's 5.3 to 6.2 with a 4 or 6 speed auto for less money and it will be a better drivertrain by a LOT,,,Corvettes which are the same weight as a hot rod are getting ~30 MPG on the highway! and they have 400 hP!

I love olds v8's but they can't do that.

In this century the best hot rod V8 engine is GM 6.2 Votec that comes in station wagons ( escalde ).

Why did guys in 1954 put Cads and Olds V8's in there fords??? Why did the get rid of that 1930's tech Flat head V8? and go for 1950's OHV V8's??

by using a Vortec your are being TRADITIONAL RODDER,,,hot rodders always went for the best engine that had the best value,,,and today that is the 6.2 liter V8 Vortec.

AND It runs on 85% Alky ( e-85)!!

the aluminum heads have Intake valves that are bigger than 2 1/8 ""

High-Flow Cylinder Heads<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
The Vortec 6.2L is equipped with high-flow cylinder heads based on those developed for the high-performance LS2 and LS6 car V-8s. These heads have offset rockers, like those in the LS7. They also have larger valves than other Vortec V-8 heads, and increase airflow in and out of the engine for higher horsepower. The cylinder heads feature special valve seat inserts to accommodate the engine’s use of for E85 fuel. A special high-lift cam, with 12.7-mm maximum lift, was further refined to take full advantage of the improved flow characteristics and optimize idle quality. In conjunction with unique pistons, the high-flow heads give the Vortec 6.2L a 10.5:1 compression ratio. They are the single biggest contributor to the 6.2Ls increased horsepower, compared to other Vortec V-8s. <o></o>

 

X3!

Learn all you need to know about building a Buick 455 here.
http://www.v8buick.com/index.php

 

You seriously do not get this place...

 

Think I'll have popcorn for dinner...

 

Originally Posted by Tricknology
by using a Vortec your are being TRADITIONAL RODDER,,,hot rodders always went for the best engine that had the best value,,,and today that is the 6.2 liter V8 Vortec.

AND It runs on 85% Alky ( e-85)!!\

And zman says;

I always heard those engines called LS,Chevy calls then LS.a Vortec is a later design SBC with Vortec heads,one piece rear main seal etc last seen around 2000
I think a carbed LS is as traditional as any later OHV pushrod V-8.If a guy had a hot ord in 150 and used a then new OHV engine instead of a Ford Flat 8,was that car not traditional?

 

WHOA! The OP was the big three motor's not carb'd late model drive train's. Period. Spin it anyway you want, it (topic) is the 455's.

 

AND COKE...for me please.

 

The heads on my OT Buick (71 Buick GS350) have been hogged out to flow 30% more than stock with stock valve sizes. its and NA motor, makes 400 hp, 414 ft lbs with iron heads, stock rods and a dual-plane intake. Not bad for stock parts. You can get 500+ out of the same combo with larger valves and a custom intake.

 

I would vote for the Buick. Favorable bore/stroke ratio, Light weight, decent aftermarket support, much easier and cheaper to put your hands on than the Pontiac.

 

You asked about reliable....not too many have given you cold hard facts about reliability. I've got a '70 Olds 455 in my '47 Oldsmobile convertible. I've put over 114,000 miles on that engine in 9 summers with no issues. The engined was pulled from a streetrod with I have no clue how many miles and before that it was in it original 1970 automobile. Reliable?? You got that right.

 

Did ya ever notice:
Nova
Omega
Ventura
Apollo

And that is one thing nice about GM...massive interchange...I used to live in salt lake and all those mormons bought diesels. I was replacing motors before they made it out of warranty...every one of them...and after they got out of warranty me and a buddy were doing side jobs converting back to gas.....I was buying decent cars...50-75k mi...every option..all in good shape except for junk diesel... never paid more than $400...the little station wagons were best..buy a junkyard olds...350-455.....$100..rings bearings gaskets.. $175...2 guys, 2 days, done deal $750 each...those were the days!

 

Blown 455 olds? I bet all the actual olds parts blew up long ago. lol.
455 is a solid motor, as long as you understand....500 hp/550tq. and they will last as long as ya don't spin them hard

Never rev past 5K rpm without spending $5k on the motor. They have a bit of an oil drain back issue, easily solved with a 1/2" drill bit..stock oil pan with extra qt. oil helps.
Big cam won't help much cause ya can't rev it but it will run/idle/rev fine with a tunnel ram and 2 660's....Ran a few stockers years ago in diesel conversions..turns a little cutlass wagon into a cool guy sleeper....

They do run them in boats ya know...jet boats...little more than a lifelong 4400 rpm dyno pull..lol ....
about 50# lighter than a bbc...many seem to last..they do have an issue with the 4 center cylinders running cold in marine applications....
Here is one i run in a v-drive hydro...t/r 2 660's stock hei..40 gears(1.40 ratio...considered to be like a 2.60 diff. gear in a car....that only has high gear).almost 4 mpg...

That motor is a $600 short block set up loose..003 rods/.0035+ mains..stock cast pistons @ .004..drilled drain backs..some old school moon equ. cam..mondello marine head gaskets..10.5:1..10qt pan with 7-8 qts...Motor will idle for hours @650 in gear....and pull those gears like a freekin tractor ....It will put 3 boat lengths on the exact same boat with a 427 full roller chevmotor with a dart/domi....out of the hole...1-200 yards...as soon as it hits 5k....the 427 blows on by....

And tunnel ram 2 660's is worth 212-15 hp over a single 4bbl...And pull right from idle...ie tight converter and freeway gears..will work fine with proper tune

Took the 455 apart @ 50 hrs..just to look..everything cherry pie...even flat tappet cam...8 qts valvo racing..2 bottles GM EOS for break in..1 bottle every oil change. And i ran that poor motor one day with to much prop...
I had the throttle pinned @ 5000-5100 for about 4 min.
Fastest olds @ 91mph..on the lake...and slowest hydro...@91...


Blown Olds in a Willys?...Stone/Woods/Cook used to run olds...but way older deal .....i'm surprised the main caps manage to keep the crank from falling into the pan...must take some kind of magic if ya add any kind of boost
I am mostly into boats...
Here is one of the more serious 455 deals i know of..

'Jet Mad' about half way down the page
http://www.performanceboats.com/jet-boats/57346-455-olds.html
Gher

And for 455 olds parts..... 805 300 0012ask for Ray...in bullhead city
"moneypit" on performance boats webite


az..and he will ship....might want to get a hold of him if you are in need
I think he said he is getting out of the olds business....