I am building a 60' 394 right now at Taylor Engine Rebuilding. Chris Thoenson moved his shop from Whittier to Brea last year and it's been a slow go but it's moving along now. The build is based off Doc Fromhader's Street Rodder recipe. Its got an offset ground crank with BBC rods and 400 Chevy pistons. It will bolt up to a TH400 via Ross Racing's adapter. Not sure where I'm going as far as induction yet but it should be fun. I will post a build thread as I get further along so there won't be too many delays between updates.
junkyardjeff, you must never have lined up beside a 350 should let lay with a 4 bbl. However, olds mills are great for a clone of Stone-Woods-Cook's first Willys gasser.
My dad always talked about a 56 ford Victoria that him and a buddy put a 394 olds in it . That is when the term " ran like a rapped ape " always got used . Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Yes I did and my 371 with a 4 bbl from a 394 whipped them,one was a 57 Belaire with a warmed up 350 and 4 speed and even with a head start could not beat it.
My first car was a '64 Olds with a 394. Stout and torquey, it was. I wish I could afford to build one for my truck.
If they were not so wide I would have one in my 37 Chevy p/u,I would have to remove the inner fenders and I need then for strength since I have fiberglass fenders so if I were to come up with another that has steel fenders hell yes I would power it with a 394 or a 59 or 60 371. The 53 88 with the 59 371 I had 25 years ago that was pieced togather with junkyard parts was one of the quickest vehicles I ever had,one high dollar 57 belaire and a couple almost new corvettes plus a couple mopars could not beat it.
Two items I didn't like about the 394 Olds (at least the one I had in a small car), it has to run on high test gas which leads me to number two reason, I could not drive it all over the place,
A nice old thread but here's a link to another source of adaptors... https://transmissionadapters.com/collections/oldsmobile
The Jalopy Journal
