so iv been gathering parts to go a new direction with my old Nash coupe. Mainly to upgrade the old chassis thats under it with some better materials. In doing so, im considering swapping out the engine. Iv ran chevy motors in this car ever since first building it. Ran SBCs for years before upgrading to a .060 over 454 this past year. Noting special. Oval port heads, comp 280 cam, 2x4 intake, and roughly 8.75 to 1 comp. Wasnt a bad motor, but the oil pump had an issue and i spun a rod bearing on the way back from billetproof. Behind the motor is a saginaw 3 speed and a 7.5 Gm 10 bolt with hurst 15 inch cheaters. Yea, i dont know how any of it survived either. Though some buying and sellling, iv ended up with a ford 9 inch with 3.23 gears, and a rebuilt Olds 394 with the 4 speed hydro behind it. The olds is the hipo 10.25 to 1 engine, and ill probably get a 2x4 intake for it. My question is will i be happy with it? The bbc is a good torquey motor, but the car also doesnt weigh hardly anything, and that big olds just looks so much cooler. any imput?
In stock form the BBC should have been a more powerful motor than the Olds, but the Olds will definitely get more applause from rodders. The Olds was built to move a heavy luxury car so that is the kind of performance you should expect. I am running basically the same 394 Olds in my rpu project and I don't think it will be anywhere as quick as the 331 Ford in my 27, but that is not what I want out of this one.........I want a smooth performing motor and the Olds should do that quite well. It all depends on what you are looking for this motor to do. Don
Wow, will I like it? Loaded question! Although I'm a BBC man, I am totally with you on the Olds swap. The Olds is such a cool engine to look at! Also the BBC made it's debut in 1965 as a 396, right on the edge of what many think is trad. The biggest thing that you mentioned that would affect me is going to the Hydro from a standard gearbox. What does the Nash weigh? The BBCs thrive on compression, camming them up cuts it even more. Don't be surprised if the high compression Olds is snappier down low in street driving situations. Show us a pic of the new powertrain!
I don't how you couldn't be happy. But I don't much care for BBCs. If a 394 Olds could move a full optioned 98 down the road I would think it could do just fine in your car. All depends on how well it's set up. Your call in the end.
I guess it depends on what your motives are for the swap? If it's for the cool factor, then the Olds will be perfect, but it wont be the same power and torque you had before, and the hydro wont have the same snap or shifts even the old manual had. Hydromatics are heavy transmissions, with a fair amount of rotating mass, plus might be tough to find someone who can build or service it if you ever break down out of town. I'd have more concerns about swapping to the hydro, than swapping to the Olds. I personally love the BBC because of the abundance of cheap speed parts (both new and used) so I lean towards it, but understand that more people will be impressed with your choice of the Olds.
You will be happy,I had a 53 Olds powered by a 59 371 which is a smaller bore 394 and it was quick for pieced togather with junkyard parts back in the mid 80s. It would beat up on almost new Corvettes back in 85.
I drove a 64 Olds 4 door Dynamic 88 back in high school. That 394 kicked butt until I toasted the 2nd trans, then it wasn't so fun anymore. Back then, those hydros were easy to find, today, probably not so much. The motor will be fine, but I'd sure be looking into trying something different for a trans. Someone has to make an adapter, even that light 3 speed is probably tougher that the hydro. Gene
If the trans is a 61 to 64 get rid of it instantly but I do see two rubber hoses for the cooler and looks to be a jetaway which is not a bad trans but definately not quite as good as a earlier hydro,my 53 with the 59 371 had the jetaway and it took what I could give it and will shift a little firmer by giving it some more pressure with the throttle rod.
I like your car just fine with the BBC, but that olds would look and sound very good in there! It would be a bit slower in the quarter mile but might end up being a real nice driver that still has enough kick to surprise average joes around town. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I have a 56' olds hydro I saved from another car. It's really too bad that stick shifts are so hard to adapt with the extended bell housing. A 4 speed would be fun! One think I noticed about the tranny is the slip yolk is bolted to the tail shaft. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Not hard to adapt std shift at all..... Have all the parts on the shelf to accomplish this..... Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
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