Stayin alive! 1978 Olds Omega SX

[Darkrider]

Figured since Weld did bring up the era the car was from...the so called disco era i might as well have a disco song title as part of the thread title :lmao:

Anyways..on to the details of this project. I picked up this car in January and have not had much chance to get more then a few minutes to look it over since then since it was extremely cold the day it was delivered. But what i know so far is this. The Omega SX was the Oldsmobile equivalent to the same year Chevy Nova Rally. The Rally itself a replacement for the Super Sport in '76. So in a way i am saying it is basically an Oldsmobile version of the SS in its own way.

What i know about it so far in terms of specs:

305 LG3 V8 170 HP @4400 255 Ft lbs@2400
Not sure if it has a TH200 or TH350 transmission yet as both are listed for that model year and engine setup.

Already have a lead on an Edelbrock Performer RPM intake and possibly a few qjet carbs to do the 4 barrel upgrade. Which would bump the engine up to LG4 spec. The same friend has a cam that will work in it as well. Currently on the hunt for some heads from an LE9 or L69 305. The LE9 is the High Output 305 found in trucks and vans. My red '86 Sierra has an LE9 and my blue '84 Chevy Custom Deluxe used to have one. The L69 was found in the Monte Carlo SS, Camaro Z28 and Trans Am. The only difference between the LE9 and L69 is the cam. They both use the same carb, heads and have same compression. As the LE9 is the more common one due to being used in all trucks and vans from 81-87 i will more then likely end up with LE9 heads. I have already kicked around the thought of taking advantage of the LG3s lower compression ratio and adding boost in the form of a Turbo or Supercharger. Scary part being the fact that it would be cheaper to add the boost via ebay kits then it would be to rebuild the LG3 to LE9 or L69 spec with higher compression. It remains to be seen what way i go there as i also have a lead on a 4 bolt main 350 block that i could easily build into a 383 for the car later.

Enough rambling..here are the pics!

http://i.imgur.com/vKYAg9e.jpg?1
http://i.imgur.com/GuSuOk5.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/3N7RJ2H.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/2o8AeUi.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/VyqTuvo.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/5bz2Yiw.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/G2wJQr5.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/F1Yi6Tx.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/rvRKGn8.jpg

[ben2go]

The Oldsmobile Nova. :lmao:

My father had a lipstick red '73 Nova drag car with a 396 and four speed. Those Olds kind of remind me of Novas from the 70's.

[Darkrider]

The Oldsmobile Nova. :lmao:

My father had a lipstick red '73 Nova drag car with a 396 and four speed. Those Olds kind of remind me of Novas from the 70's.

Heh nice, This is my second Omega. The first one was a '73 S model that looked a bit like a mini 442.
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[wheelbender6]

The Olds looks like more fun than a Nova.
Pontiac actually produced a GTO based on that Nova body for a year or two.

[Darkrider]

The Olds looks like more fun than a Nova.
Pontiac actually produced a GTO based on that Nova body for a year or two.

Yea i remember seeing a few of them actually. One thing i may do to the Olds is use the big ass air cleaner like what is on my '86 GMC to build a cowl induction set up. The filter in the truck looks like it has gotta be close to 5-6" tall. Granted in a truck it clears the hood fine but it looks pretty close going by its height in relation to the firewall. Now if i am right on this it should be above the hood of the Olds by a good 2", Which puts it in a good position to be a functional cowl induction after adding a cowl scoop to the hood of the car. Gain a bit of power from getting fresh cold air from outside the engine bay.

[dh]

Great cars. I had a faded yellow 1973 Omega 4 door with the inline 6. It wasn't particularly fast but it was a really cool daily driver. I traded it for a bronco, and a buddy who loved the omega later saw it on craigslist for sale; he worked out a deal with the new owner and the night before he was supposed to pick it up it was totaled in a wreck!>:(

[cheesy]

With my past experience with new 1978 GM products:ohno:, my first reaction would be "Kill it! Kill it with fire!". But as that was almost forty years ago, I wish you luck.

(As he slowly turns and walks away, he mutters "Sucker" with a slow and quiet chuckle under his breath)

[Weldangrind]

Dig it! I love the attempt at a ram-air snorkel. :D


I spotted the orange and white plates; do you have any issues with dragging a car across 50th avenue? Do you have to do an out-of-Province inspection? I know that Lloyd has some special provisions, like elimination of PST, but I don't know how it works with cars. My question also applies with dragging cars westward across 50th.


If I were to do an engine swap, I might be inclined to use an old Rocket, just for nostalgia. Another attractive option is to find a wasted '99 Silverado and use the engine, trans, computer, etc to go LS. Even the 4.8 would stomp on a 305.

[Bruce's]

I am with Weld on this one ,but would think even just a any of the Chevy fuelly engines would be a huge improvement , the olds engines were awesome ,but they cost so much more than a Chevy to play with it's just not worth it ,although ,I do think I still have an extra 455 w30 from my 442 days in the back of the garage .I would find a good runner truck complete ,and strip it like the Indians did to the buffalo ,and end up with a fairly inexpensive car when finished .

[ben2go]

Dig it! I love the attempt at a ram-air snorkel. :D


I spotted the orange and white plates; do you have any issues with dragging a car across 50th avenue? Do you have to do an out-of-Province inspection? I know that Lloyd has some special provisions, like elimination of PST, but I don't know how it works with cars. My question also applies with dragging cars westward across 50th.


If I were to do an engine swap, I might be inclined to use an old Rocket, just for nostalgia. Another attractive option is to find a wasted '99 Silverado and use the engine, trans, computer, etc to go LS. Even the 4.8 would stomp on a 305.

6.0L LS from an Express van. It's 345HP and less BS to tune out of the computer. That's my plan for my '71 Skylark. The original Skylark driveline, Buick 350 with TH350 trans, is going into a Model A station wagon.

[2LZ]

Look down on the bell housing and see if there's two ears that stick up in the middle that bolt to nothing. If so, it's called a "Detroit case". They're like gold to rebuilders because they bolt to most any GM engine.

I had the Buick equivalent (Skylark) with a (Chevy) 350 4bbl and a t-350. Got it for free because of a bad trans. When I walked the bad trans into the tranny guy as a core, he almost had kittens when he saw it. He discounted the one I bought from him because of it. Thought that was nice of the guy. He could have said nothing and I would have been none the wiser.

[ben2go]

Look down on the bell housing and see if there's two ears that stick up in the middle that bolt to nothing. If so, it's called a "Detroit case". They're like gold to rebuilders because they bolt to most any GM engine.

I had the Buick equivalent (Skylark) with a (Chevy) 350 4bbl and a t-350. Got it for free because of a bad trans. When I walked the bad trans into the tranny guy as a core, he almost had kittens when he saw it. He discounted the one I bought from him because of it. Thought that was nice of the guy. He could have said nothing and I would have been none the wiser.

Nope. When I pulled mine for a rebuild back in '98, I found it's a standard Buick TH350 trans. I had a complete wrecked Chevy 1500 SS 454 sitting in our lot just waiting to be a donor for the old Skylark. Unfortunately, the insurance writer let the owner buy it back. The owner's kid was out showing off in it. He didn't know how to deal with a full posi lock rear. He sent the truck sideways out of a curve straight sideways into a 30-inch diameter oak tree. The kid walked through the rest of high school.:lmao:

[dh]

I also like Weld's 4.8 idea. I was talking to someone recently who was doing a 5.3 swap in a Nova. The 4.8 and 4.2 vortec are two of my favorite motors.

I have had my eye on a 1986 Firebird 5 speed with a 350 vortec swap. The seller says it runs great but he can't figure out how to get it to pass California Smog check, and he says he has 30 years experience as a mechanic.

[Darkrider]

Dig it! I love the attempt at a ram-air snorkel. :D


I spotted the orange and white plates; do you have any issues with dragging a car across 50th avenue? Do you have to do an out-of-Province inspection? I know that Lloyd has some special provisions, like elimination of PST, but I don't know how it works with cars. My question also applies with dragging cars westward across 50th.


If I were to do an engine swap, I might be inclined to use an old Rocket, just for nostalgia. Another attractive option is to find a wasted '99 Silverado and use the engine, trans, computer, etc to go LS. Even the 4.8 would stomp on a 305.


Due to the car being older then 30 years old i can plate it on antique plates. Cost about $23/month unless i have it on autopac then it drops to $13/month. The car does not require an inspection or anything. I could literally take a road trip to your part of the country. Haul a car back from there and plate it on my way through town to the storage yard :yay:

As for engine swaps...i did bat a few ideas around including the 350 Rocket from my '84 C10 but i kinda realized that engine is what gives that truck its personality. Now if i were to stumble upon a decent one on Kijiji that is an entirely different matter....I have also kicked around the idea of a 454 Big block.

I am with Weld on this one ,but would think even just a any of the Chevy fuelly engines would be a huge improvement , the olds engines were awesome ,but they cost so much more than a Chevy to play with it's just not worth it ,although ,I do think I still have an extra 455 w30 from my 442 days in the back of the garage .I would find a good runner truck complete ,and strip it like the Indians did to the buffalo ,and end up with a fairly inexpensive car when finished .

Eh...not so much into the whole "Must LS Swap Everything!" trend that exists now...Give me a good old basic SBC with a QJet or a Holley and i am content. I like being able to fix something on the side of the road with nothing more then a couple wrenches and maybe some bailing wire and/or Duct tape :p
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[wheelbender6]

"Give me a good old basic SBC with a QJet or a Holley and i am content."
Same goes for a Ford Windsor and Plymouth wedge.
Electronic engine controls can do amazing things, but I don't like to tinker with them.

[ben2go]

Eh...not so much into the whole "Must LS Swap Everything!" trend that exists now...Give me a good old basic SBC with a QJet or a Holley and i am content. I like being able to fix something on the side of the road with nothing more then a couple wrenches and maybe some bailing wire and/or Duct tape :p
Save


This used to be the way I thought until I tried to kill a 5.3L LS in a 2000 Suburban 2500. Damn thing is still running as good as new and being used as a company work truck with over 350,000 miles.

There's enough DIY info that an LS swap can be done cheaper than a mild SBC build. More reliable too.

[Weldangrind]

Agreed. If you get a good runner, you don't need to open it up. Like Bruce says, find an old pickup and cannibalize it for everything.


That said, I do appreciate your point about a Q-Jet and an HEI distributor.

[Darkrider]

This used to be the way I thought until I tried to kill a 5.3L LS in a 2000 Suburban 2500. Damn thing is still running as good as new and being used as a company work truck with over 350,000 miles.

There's enough DIY info that an LS swap can be done cheaper than a mild SBC build. More reliable too.

Don't get me wrong, the LS is a great engine. But it is getting to the point that damn near everybody and his dog and/or cat are swapping LS engines into something....They have basically become the cookie cutter engine for easy power. Same could be said about the SBC long ago but now they are starting to become a thing of the past. Pretty much the moment i see LS listed as part of a project be it in an X body like my Omega or a Square body chevy truck. I tune out of that project pretty quick.

Agreed. If you get a good runner, you don't need to open it up. Like Bruce says, find an old pickup and cannibalize it for everything.


That said, I do appreciate your point about a Q-Jet and an HEI distributor.

I know where i can lay hands on a '99 Sierra with a 4.8 in it for $300. That said...i would rather leave the LS right where it is..in the engine bay of that Sierra. I like the more raw feel of the older carbed and EFI engines. If EFI were to find its way into the Omega it would be in the form of a Crossfire or TPI set up with standalone electronics.

[wheelbender6]

"There's enough DIY info that an LS swap can be done cheaper than a mild SBC build."
The Omega is a 1978 model, so it has no fuel return line to the tank and some of the other stuff that EFI requires. Seems like a lot of extra work. Crossfire EFI, as mentioned above, from an 82 vette would look cool, though.
-You are right that it is cheaper to swap in a healthy used motor than rebuild one.

[ben2go]

"There's enough DIY info that an LS swap can be done cheaper than a mild SBC build."
The Omega is a 1978 model, so it has no fuel return line to the tank and some of the other stuff that EFI requires. Seems like a lot of extra work. Crossfire EFI, as mentioned above, from an 82 vette would look cool, though.
-You are right that it is cheaper to swap in a healthy used motor than rebuild one.

It can be set up to have an intank fuel pressure regulator and negate the need for a return line. That is how most modern vehicles are done. My '01 Ranger is that way and so is my GF's '15 Kia Soul.

[Darkrider]

"There's enough DIY info that an LS swap can be done cheaper than a mild SBC build."
The Omega is a 1978 model, so it has no fuel return line to the tank and some of the other stuff that EFI requires. Seems like a lot of extra work. Crossfire EFI, as mentioned above, from an 82 vette would look cool, though.
-You are right that it is cheaper to swap in a healthy used motor than rebuild one.

I have always kinda liked the looks of the Crossfire set up as it was basically an EFI version of the old Crossram carb set up used in the 1st gen Camaro Z28s

It can be set up to have an intank fuel pressure regulator and negate the need for a return line. That is how most modern vehicles are done. My '01 Ranger is that way and so is my GF's '15 Kia Soul.

It can be but i guess the point that is not getting across is that i am not interested in doing an LS swap in this car. It has become too common and frankly boring. Damn near everyone on the nova site i am on is usually tossing in an LS into their cars. To put it on another point of view..if i wanted an LS powered muscle car i would just go looking for a 4th gen Fbody...which would be cheaper still then doing an LS swap to my Xbody. If i do go through the idea of an engine swap in this car it will either be to a LE9 305, L69 305, 305 TPI, 350, 350 TPI, 350 Crossfire or to a 454 big block with a Fitech EFI system. All the above engines are literally drop in and go. The LS requires special engine mounts, spacers to run the old transmission. Standalone wiring if i want to use an electronic transmission. In some cars it even requires changing out all the front engine accessories to clear the chassis. Hell even a twisted part of my mentality has me wanting to go looking for a 327 to build a nice high RPM street brawler. Granted i could easily get there with the TPI set ups as well.

I would rather pop my hood and see this...
https://xgoogx.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/dscn32901.jpg

Or this

http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/1/2103/561/5255280006_large.jpg

Instead of this..

http://www.onallcylinders.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/sucp_0907_04_z+1969_chevy_nova_ls1_convertible+ls1 _engine.jpg?w=640

[wheelbender6]

Agreed. The LS revs higher and the intake fits under almost any hood, but they don't appeal to me visually. The. low intake and coils. mounted on the valive covers look too efficient.

[goat67]

Just a piece of trivia for ya all

N ova Chevy
O mega Olds
V entura Pontiac
A pollo Buick

[ben2go]

Just a piece of trivia for ya all

N ova Chevy
O mega Olds
V entura Pontiac
A pollo Buick
All are considered to be GM X body cars.

[Darkrider]

Just a piece of trivia for ya all

N ova Chevy
O mega Olds
V entura Pontiac
A pollo Buick

And to add to the Trivia. The earlier Xbody cars shared parts with the 1st gen F bodies. Even the 4th gen Xbodies like my '78 used the front suspension from a 1st gen Camaro. The rear suspension is the same as the 2nd gen F body cars. Makes it interesting to try to sort out full suspension systems as it requires some mix and matching lol. Sound familiar to everyone on here dealing with Hondoids? :yay:

[Weldangrind]

I like the Tuned Port pic; I wanted to drop one in a pickup in the worst way, back in the '90's.

[ben2go]

I liked the GM crate Ram Jet 502. That's what I planned for in my '71 Skylark until I found the 6.0LS van info.

[Darkrider]

I like the Tuned Port pic; I wanted to drop one in a pickup in the worst way, back in the '90's.

Same here with a couple of my GMT400 pickups. Hell i even kicked it around a couple times for the squarebodies. Since the LS engine is so popular lately it may make it easier to find a TPI donor for the Omega.

[Darkrider]

So this car heads to its new home on Friday. It has been reunited with the family that has owned it since 1980.

[Weldangrind]

Wow! What am I gonna do now? I made popcorn and everything.

[Darkrider]

Wow! What am I gonna do now? I made popcorn and everything.

Enjoy it while watching the trucks be built? :D But in all seriousness once i got talking to the guy who is buying it i felt more like the cars caretaker vs being its owner. His grandfather bought it in 1980 from the local fire chief for his uncle to drive to university. His uncle then sold it back to his grandfather when he bought a new car in 1985. His grandmother then drove it from 1985 to 1996 when it was replaced with a brand new Olds. So this was literally a case of running fine when parked, Just parked due to new car. This guy also learned how to drive in this car and he will be rebuilding it for his sons first car. When he offered me what he did i did not even bother trying to get more. It just felt right that he was getting the car either way.