rocketraider

Sounds like either the coolant temperature sensor for the computer is leaking or it's the intake manifold gasket at the crossover port. Neither is difficult to fix.

An NOS non-electronic QuadraJet is a rare commodity these days- I went to the Buick-Pontiac dealer today after a Rochester kit, and they no longer stock anything for a Q-jet except fuel filters. And I knew going to the Chev-Cad-Olds dealer would be a wasted trip. They have the most imcompetent parts department I've ever seen.<P>I have heard good things about the Holley and Edelbrock OEM replacement QuadraJets. Most of them seem to be designed for Chevy applications (side fuel inlet) but are brand new, not rebuilt, and not outrageously priced compared to original GM carbs, if you could find one.

Ask the Oldsmobile crowd- they went from being the gadget and advanced engineering division to being the import fighter. Now GM corporate is trying to position Pontiac as the import fighter, and we see what that got Oldsmobile when they couldn't dent Japanese sales. At least Buick Division still have some identity and are being allowed to go after their traditional market, which even though it tends toward geriatric, works well for them.<P>Looks like GM is still having trouble understanding its youth market too- 30 years ago, any kid bagging groceries could buy and insure a sporty, performance oriented GM vehicle. Now, no one can afford a GM performance car that isn't making $30k a year, so most of the Firebirds and Camaros I see are driven by women in their 50s. Around here, the drug dealers and pimps keep the Cadillac dealer in business buying Escalades. The kids have to go import, because they're affordable, have sporty styling and there's beaucoup aftermarket perfomance support for the things- kinda like it was for American cars, not that many years ago!

The 365 hp for 1970 is a gross hp figure measured with a "bare" engine- nothing installed but the alternator. The later 250 hp is a net figure measured at the flywheel with all engine driven accessories installed and operating. The 1974 engine has lower compression pistons (that's how compression ratio is changed on an Olds) but is otherwise very similar to the 1970 engine. <P>My recommendation? Use the 1974 engine with E casting heads (correct for 1970 and still fairly easy to find), a set of cast 9.5:1 cr pistons in smallest oversize needed to clean up the bores (this will allow engine to run happily on 93 octane pump gas), and performance camshaft, your choice. Something in the range of 260-280 degree, .460-.490 lift will do nicely in a street engine with 3.23-3.73 gears. Use a QuadraJet, either original or one of the Holley or Edelbrock OEM replacements, and recurved HEI distributor. Headers give the best bang for the buck and are as cheap or cheaper than the factory dual exhaust manifolds.

The Olds dealer in Greensboro NC ordered a load of R350s after the 1970 dealer introduction meeting- seems the dealer network didn't know what to make of the yellow cars and were reluctant to commit to ordering any. Our esteemed dealer (who shall remain nameless) had had a bit much to drink and stood up in the meeting and announced that if everyone else were afraid to try to sell the yellow cars, his dealership would order and sell 75 of them.<P>The local ad campaign was a takeoff on an X-rated Swedish movie of the time, trying to sell "Curious Yellow" Oldsmobiles in a staid, conservative Southern city. And a bunch of R350 were sold in Greensboro. Toward years' end, there were still a dozen or so unsold, with no prospects. There are still a few Rallye 350s in Greensboro with different paint and chrome bumpers that were put on at the dealer to move them.<P>The ad section in my 1970 high school yearbook shows a Rallye 350 in the showroom of Smith Olds in South Boston VA, with a cheerleader behind the wheel and in the background there is a sign for the W-machines. Caption? "Admiring this sporty new Oldsmobile, ____ wishes she could take it home as her very own".

GM got into this "paint-to-match" thing in the mid 80s. Was cheaper for them to make the plastic replacement service parts in one color (usually gray or black) and let the service end worry about getting it the right color. I bought a 1984 TransAM new that got a nasty scratch on its console, and it was black underneath the medium blue color. Being as the car was only a couple months old, I wanted it right, and went thru all kinds of mess because the selling dealer kept trying to touch it up with a brush and the color was always a shade or two off- enough to be quite noticeable and irritating. Finally had them pull the console out out the car and do an allover respray. And it turned out to be all for naught. About 2 weeks after the console was painted, a 75 Electra ran a redlight and took it out. Totalled with 6200 miles on it. And I haven't owned a "new" car since.

Several companies make disc brake conversion kits for 50s and later cars not originally available with them. They are engineered to fit and work properly, including spindles and the suspension and brake parts. Not for a true restored car, but great for a car used as a driver or tourer.

Greg, I wish you luck with this campaign. At one time it was only the knotheads in the California legislature who came up with stuff such as this, but it spreads farther across this country every day and must be stopped. Revolution by night...<P>CA Sen. Henry Waxman (who does not deserve the honorific "Hon.") went on an anti tobacco soapbox several years ago and bears a great deal of the credit for the endless tobacco lawsuits, which have really enriched no one but the trial lawyers who played their games in court. I am not a smoker, but I grew up on a Virginia tobacco farm and the stuff fed, clothed and educated me until I was out on my own. Now, the activists who insist on telling me how to best run my life are not only attacking my legacy, but trying to outlaw my hobby as well.<P>I wrote Sen. Waxman asking how he would view a movement to politically ruin California's citrus crop as he had done for tobacco, since citric acid in large laboratory style doses can definitely cause health problems. Replied he: "California Citrus is a healthful product". Ask my neighbor who has a perforated esophagus from too much juice and other acidic foods.<P>I'd prefer no one to go on a pro or anti tobacco rant here. I never said it was good for you. My point is- governmental meddling never profits anyone but government, and gives them ever more leverage to interfere with your privacy and control your every move.

330 was introduced for the 1964 model year. It shares nothing with the 215 and will not bolt up to the baby SlimJim the 61-63 F85 used. For it to be in there would entail a lot of fabrication I think.<P>The 215 was an idea a bit too far ahead of its time, given the metallurgy and technology of the era. A good idea in theory (and GM hasn't seen the technological and engineering advances of the early 60s since) but out in the real world where people didn't maintain cars right, the AL block had problems. I have some zone correspondence from early 1964 that specifically names Peak brand antifreeze as a cause of 215 engine corrosion and says not to use it.

Rallye 350 was an insurance beater musclecar. Built 1970 only on Olds F85/Cutlass platform, RPO W45 (incidentally same RPO as the Hurst/Olds, which is what R350 concept originally was to be). Came with a 310 horse 350 engine and F41 suspension among other things, and were all painted Sebring Yellow including the Olds Super Stock II wheels and bumpers, with specific Rallye 350 decals and striping. Could be outfitted with all regular production Olds A-body options and most, not all, had the sports mirrors and rear wing spoiler. Check w/ Olds Rallye 350 Club for more info on 4-speed production breakouts, you can link to them at <A HREF="http://www.oldsclub.com" TARGET=_blank>www.oldsclub.com</A> or e-mail me privately and I'll furnish you an e-mail contact.

Not only GS, but Stage 1 also. There were two 73 so equipped at Carlisle All GM last summer. Asked one owner if he ever used it to beat up on Mustangs and the old phart looked at me like I'd lost my sense. "This is a rare show car" he sez. All well and good, but I terrorize them frequently with a 69 W34 Toronado, and that car has been a 900+ point fixture at Olds Nationals for years. Doesn't hurt to blow 'em out once in a while...

I think you have hit the nail on the head- "GM's emphasis was on Cadillac and Chevrolet". I maintain that within ten years, maybe sooner, GM North America is going to be Chevrolet, Cadillac, and GM truck. The Saturn money pit will probably make it, but I don't see Buick or Pontiac surviving (corporate is now positioning Pontiac as the import fighter, and we see what that did for Oldsmobile). They've pretty much had their heads up their collective arse the last 20 years anyway.

Well, Greg, I guess I shouldn't pissandmoan any more about the add'l 4 bucks Virginia is adding onto the yearly registration fee. It's earmarked for local volunteer rescue squads which I have no problem with, but there's already a buck-fifty added every year for that. When they tacked on the original surcharge, donations to the squads went down, so now they want to up it again to make up for that.<P>We are fortunate that Virginia is a very old car-friendly state. At 25 years old, cars can be registered as antique, with choice of "antique" or year of manufacture plates. All for a one time fee of $10, good as long as car is titled in your name. Antique registration exempts the car from annual safety inspections, emissions testing and local tax and license fees. There are usage restrictions, but last year a provision was added to allow driving the car up to 250 miles from your residence strictly for pleasure use, in addition to the usual shows, parades, club functions and test and repair allowances.<P>Friends across the border in NC don't have it near so good. One of our Olds Club dealer sponsors is an NC State Representative and is on the House Transportation Committee. He's been trying to pass legislation similar to Virginia's for old car licensing, but someone in Raleigh DOT is bucking it hard.<P>Glenn Williamson<BR>the Rocketraider

Hmph. Wonder what kind of arrangement GM had with the music publisher who owned the rights to Little GTO? If the publisher had licensed the tune to VW for commercial use, I don't see how GM had a case, but stranger things have happened in the legal world.<P>That's part of the trouble in today's world. Everybody's too damn lawsuit-happy.

Remember the Chevy Beretta? After the car had gone into production Beretta Firearms of Italy hit them with a copyright lawsuit over the name, with result that GM paid out a wad of cash to settle the suit, paid Beretta a royalty on every Chevy Beretta built, and the car itself was discontinued after only a couple years. They paid SCCA a royalty for Pontiac's use of TransAM, but the T/A was way more of an image car than the Beretta and it died a quiet death once it was decided the lawsuit and royalty deal wasn't worth it in Beretta sales.<P>What made it funny was GM had just gone after all the repop parts manufacturers and sellers wanting a royalty and licensing fee for use of their trademarks. Notice how all the repop stuff now carries "Licensed GM Reproduction Parts" on the package? This is where all that came from.

Yes, Centurion, the RotoHydraMatic is the infamous "Slim Jim"- so named because of its very low profile. From 1961-64 Olds used it across the board and had beaucoup trouble as in owner complaints as a result. Pontiac used it in the Catalina/Grand Prix series, but retained the Dual-Range 4-speed HydraMatic for the Star Chief and Bonneville. Cadillac would have nothing to do with the RHM.<P>I have one of these quirky beasts in a 1964 Starfire. When it's working right it's beautiful- but it rarely works right, or what _I_ would consider right. It does however work like most of them I've known. Wind up hard in 1st gear, shudder-clunk-lurch into 2nd with enough RPM drop to make you think the engine has died, and then an almost undetectable shift into 3rd. Actually, once the silly things get out of 1st gear they aren't too bad to live with.<P>Now if Olds had only made their engines lie Pontiac and had a detachable bellhousing to adapt transmission to engine, instead of having a shroud over the fluid coupling to bolt up the trans- I could go for a THM in that Starfire. My buddy's 64 GP has had a 200-4R overdrive installed that is a real good fit for that car, and has no trouble handling its 389 Tripower.

The condenser is strictly for radio noise suppression.<P>I'm not following the reasoning behind 45kv toasting the Pertronix module. All the module does is switch the coil on and off. The high voltage never goes thru it; the high voltage goes thru the coil high tension lead to the center terminal of distributor cap, then the rotor conveys it to the individual spark plug wires. But if the manufacturer says that's what happened...

After the Beretta firearms debacle GM went thru in the early 90s (hot on the heels of their own copyright infringement lawsuits against certain reproduction parts companies), I doubt you'll see the General go after a minor player car company with a copyright infringement suit.

Am I right that the Triple Turbine Dynaflow was the genesis of the Turbo HydraMatic? Seems like I read that somewhere. Real HydraMatics thru 1964 were excellent units, but that miserable RotoHydraMatic that 1961-64 Olds and junior Pontiacs used, well, I can understand why corporate thought they needed something better.<P>A 58 with FlightPitch shows up at the Charlotte AutoFair Buick show most years. Can't say the same for Chev Turboglides. I had always thought they were the same transmission.

F85 is the standard Oldsmobile nomenclature for A-bodied cars 1961-1972. The Cutlass was a higher line trim option on the F85 body. The F85 trim level was plain upholstery, rubber floor mats instead of carpet, little if any bright trim outside. If you look thru the sales and parts manuals, you will see frequent references to F85 for all A-cars. Starting 1973, F85 was the bottom line Omega and was a cheap as an Oldsmobile got.

The front fenders are different, esp around the headlight doors.

Is your "check engine" warning light on? If it is, one or more sensors or devices has failed and set a trouble code in the computer. Some that come to mind are: oxygen sensor, coolant temp sensor, idle speed motor, mass airflow sensor... any of these could fool the computer into thinking the engine isn't warmed up and cause it to stay in open loop mode- meaning the engine will run, and probably run ok, just not at its peak efficiency. This will cause the high smog readings.<P>And then again, it could be faulty test equipment. I've heard the things are programmed to fail a certain random percentage of cars tested, though the mfg and the state will deny it to high heaven.

Yes, if you connect the Pertronix power lead to the original resistor wire for the points at the coil. The wait-to-start gives the Pertronix time to charge itself up. If you try to start the engine without waiting, it will spin over several times before firing. Some folks like that because oil pressure builds up before starting. I'd rather the engine started and got the oil pump turning faster than cranking speed myself. <P>Sometimes you'll notice a slight spark rattle when the engine first fires too. Nothing to worry about, the Pertronix is advancing the timing for quicker starting.

The Pertronix II should be a lobe sensor type that eliminates the need to shim the distributor gear to set the air gap. On a Buick, with distributor in front, I would think installing the PII would be very easy without having to remove the distributor. Remove the cap and rotor, then the existing points/condenser. Disconnect the coil wire at the coil and pull it thru the grommet in distributor body. Then run the red and black PII wires thru the grommet, leaving enough slack to work with the PII module. Mount it in place of the existing point set, connect the wires at the coil, button everything up and you should be ready to start the engine.<P>You will probably have to play with initial timing and idle speed to get them set where you want them. Also- if the red 12v lead is connected to existing resistance wire coil (+) connection, you will have to turn the ignition on, count five, and then start the engine. It's an aggravating characteristic of these units. It can supposedly be eliminated by connecting the red lead to a constant 12v source.<P>On a 1974 Olds 350, installing the PII allowed me to set basic timing back to factory specs, and gas mileage increased from 12 mpg on 93 octane to 16-17 on 87. It was a miserable car to live with before, having to run retarded timing and having to use the higher octane fuel to eliminate pinging.

The best I'll be able to do for you would be to xerox the airconditioning section outof the 1960 shop manual. It shows the flow path and how the stuff bolts into the body, but gives no part numbers. My 1962 parts book is the body parts and doesn't have any a/c info, though it does have some exploded drawings of the dash and other things.<P>Be glad to copy the stuff for ya if you want. E-mail me privately and we'll discuss what I have.