[fencepost]

I got to looking around the house the other day and I haven't had any spare change to put towards the Nova. So here's my question. I have a 455 Olds with 400 Turbo attached and have thought about putting into my Nova with the addition of a cam and converter (unknown size). Let me here some feed back the nova is the one in the avitar.

 

[Kenny Brant]

455

Your going to probably get slammed on this one as it is not a Chevy engine. They have been putting Olds 455's and caddy 500's in 80 Chevelle's for some time now and it is a easy install with the right motor mounts. I don't see any reason it wouldn't be a easy install in a 68 and up Nova. I have a 425 Olds which is just like the 455 and I thought of putting it in a fiberglass Cobra some day.

 

[dave's 62]

paint it chevy orange,and all good.......

 

[1quik69]

You would probably just have to get the v8 engine mounts for an Omega and you would be home free. Heck, just put it in there, paint it orange and see if anyone realizes it's not a chevy. Olds 455's are very strong engines with a lot of torque. I had a W30 car back in the 80's and it was a great car.

 

[fencepost]

You would probably just have to get the v8 engine mounts for an Omega and you would be home free. Heck, just put it in there, paint it orange and see if anyone realizes it's not a chevy. Olds 455's are very strong engines with a lot of torque. I had a W30 car back in the 80's and it was a great car.

Thats really why I was thinking about it.
1. I have it
2. Their torque monsters, add mods and it should be pretty bad.


but then you also have a Nova with a Olds engine, it's all fun until you raise the hood. I just need some incouragement.

 

[bowtie0069]

I looked at putting a 455 Buick in mine at one time--with headers and an aluminum intake, they don't weigh much more than a small block. But, the price of parts was too much for me.

 

[73TurboNova]

Go for it, I'd put a 460 Ford in a Nova if that was what I had laying around. Like bowtie said above, just make sure headers, etc arent going to kill the low cost of the transplant!

 

[74 hatchback]

Id do it in a Heartbeat! You'll be able to pull a house with that engine. I had a friend that i raced and his nova had a poncho 455 out of a T/A and it ran strong. let me know if you need to convert that th400 to a shorty, i have the parts. Good luck.

 

[tnblkc230wz]

I've read where a guy used 68 - 72 Cutlass engine stands in a C10 truck. He only had to redrill one hole in the engine stands. I would also think the engine stands for a 1st gen Firebird would bolt right in. You would only need to cut off the extension tabs welded on your frame.

I wouldn't worry about the headers. Just use the exhaust manifolds. If you just got to have headers, I would think a set of 1st gen Firebird would bolt right in.

We put a 455 into a 58 Ford pickup. That thing was scarey fast.

 

[WILMASBOYL78]

455 in Nova...

Don't worry about the cost...you can make it back in one weekend pulling out tree stumps for the neighbors.

it sounds like a cool idea...and the Olds bolt on items like, cam, intake and carbs are available...exhaust might be tricky with headers...but, it would be a fun car.

Start buying extra sets of rear tires now

wilma:yes:

 

[fencepost]

I've been saving it for a rat rod some day but that doesn't look like it's going to happen any time soon. With the current small block I was going to go with a charcole motor and M/T glossy blck valve covers and black accents on the engine. Don't know if the Olds will look cool setting in there. I know it'll run like a scolded ape though. Wondering about hood clearance too. I want to run my factory hood.

 

[1quik69]

If I remember right the 455 is the same physical size as the 350 in the olds engines. Do some measuring and compare it width wise to the sbc. Olds Omegas came with 350's in a lot of them so a 455 would be a bolt in.

 

[tpinovaII]

Thats really why I was thinking about it.
1. I have it
2. Their torque monsters, add mods and it should be pretty bad.


but then you also have a Nova with a Olds engine, it's all fun until you raise the hood. I just need some incouragement.

You could always keep the hood shut around large crowds. You will be surprised at how many people cannot tell the difference between a Chevy and an Olds engine. (Never under estimate the stupidity of the general public.) If anyone does take issue with your choice of engine, remind them that it is reversible. A Chevy engine could still bolt back in later.

Be prepared though. When I open my hood, there are always questions like, "What is that?" or "Is that what came in the car?" And there are always several that just have a bewildered look (deer in the headlights). It just goes with the territory of doing something different. A guy back home dropped a 455 in a third gen Nova years ago. It would really hunt some ground. 500 lbs ft of torque is no joke.

http://www.442.com/oldsfaq/ofe455.htm

http://www.mondellotwister.com/index.htm

http://www.realoldspower.com/phpBB2/index.php

 

[Manford]

keep the olds motor stock, they have horrible oiling systems.If you were to put a cam in it, oil restrictors from the main bearing are required.whne they go over 4500 rpms all the oil pumps up to the top of the engine and cant makes its way back down.

 

[fencepost]

Thanks tbinovaII for all the info.:yes: These engines are more expensive than I thought but seem to make great power with little effort. I think I know where 3 more are laying around i can get for free. All out of land yatches though. I'll have to study on the money side. I have everything to do the swap, motor mount purches and such. Never here much about them though did they not have more power than the big block chevys back in the muscle car days?

 

[Novajay]

If I remember right the 455 is the same physical size as the 350 in the olds engines. Do some measuring and compare it width wise to the sbc. Olds Omegas came with 350's in a lot of them so a 455 would be a bolt in.

IIRC, Olds 350 were the same size as the 455s. An aunt had a 73/74 Omega w/a 350. It was a hideous shade of yellow but the sheetmetal was excellent and it had the Olds 350. She sold it before I could ask for it. Ah, another one that got away.

From the 12/1985 issue of HRM, for GM X-body engine mounts for 68-74 require (2) P/N 22501573 mounts. The part numbers are the same for small and big V8. It says the bracket is "Junkyard 73-75 Olds V8 frame brackets." For the trans, it says for 68-74 TH411 (M40) the trans crossmember P/N is 3912573 and trans mount is 3895831. The TH400 crossmember and mount do not share the same part number as the smaller transmissions.

I didn't look into whether these parts are still available from GM or the aftermarket.

Go for it. You can always go back to a Chevy engine when funds permit.

 

[fencepost]

If I do it I'll use solid mounts, homemade probably. I'll have to start looking on e-bay at parts prices and look at cam profiles. Wether 350 sb or olds bc I want a very lumpy cam. i plan on swapping to hydraboost brake setup.