29th Mar 2005, 13:29
Ya, GM really could've made better decisions like keeping some Olds V-8s they were far better than Chevy V-8s on many occasions.
1st May 2006, 17:15
The 307, the 350, the 403 and the original 330 all had 3.385" strokes. The 307 was a DE-BORED 350.
The interesting thing about a 1979 88 Royale is that a 455 should basically bolt in. The external pickup points of the smaller engine series and the larger series were the same, the real difference was the deck height of the engines. So a 400, 425, 455 looked a lot wider, but was not any longer.
R.
4th Oct 2009, 21:13
My mom recently got in a car accident, her 95 grand am was written off, but today she just purchased a 79 Olds Delta 88 350 4barrel. Mint condition, 19000 original miles, all original documentation and customer invoice. And get this, 800 bucks, the sweet elderly woman had no idea what it was worth, she just knew it was old. Everything works, no rust, good paint, and starts without even touching the pedal, rides like a dream.
16th May 2004, 11:02
As I look around on the net, which has now become the nation's marketplace, I see a lot of 70's models with 350 or larger engines for sale, usually by someone who has inherited the car from a deceased relative, or bought it from an older person who is often the original owner.
Not everything that G.M. built in the 70's is worth owning, but a great many of the Buicks, Oldsmobiles, and Chevrolets, with 350's, 403's, and 455's, were excellent, durable, reliable cars that were comfortable, roadworthy, and stylish. If you only drive a few thousand miles a year, the poor gas mileage typical of these engines will not penalize you, since you will save substantially over the cost of a new car, lower your insurance rates for the older models, and sacrifice only an airbag, and the bragging rights that go with owning a new model.
It is style, usually, and the desire for the latest model that drive us in the showrooms, but as you grow older and more practical you realize that the real bargains are in the 70's models. The 50's and 60's models are collectible and now command high prices, but the 70's car are affordable, and worth owning. Before G.M. went astray trying to copy Japanese designs and abandoned the basic rear wheel drive, v-8 concept that made it a standard of excellence around the world, these were the best cars built, and the best value for the dollar. Still are.
Find one, love it and keep it, and it will reward you with long years of service. I have two GM models, one a '67 and one a '79, with less than two hundred thousand collective miles on them, and both perform flawlessly, with only routine maintenance. Good hunting.