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  • B-Body Unconventional Build

    Hello,

    I own a 1984 Olds Delta 88 Royale Brougham. It has the 307 with auto tranny. This car is amazingly clean for being a rust belt car. I am wanting to start an extremely unconventional build with this vehicle. Does anyone have any advice on Interchangeable parts, performance upgrade suggestions, things and parts to stay away from, ETc......

    It is a four door and yes i know it was intended to be a cruiser but i am a working man with 5 kids and do not have the money for the Pro Tour Chevelle of my dreams. This build will be slow and on a budget so any advice will help greatly.

    Thanks guys.

  • #2
    4 door is good for that year. My brother had the coupe, 307.. same year.
    big bouncing flexing rubber ball...all the way to b-pillar cracks at the roof.

    BOP mounts need to go over to chevy engine version by a hack.
    the tranny crossmember is a long diagonal one, does not think of dual exhaust.. that has to go custom.
    the lower arms in back, boxed in.

    the front goes through balljoints.. camber/caster.

    Should be lots of stuff for suspension, in the hot rod world.

    sounds like fun. the a/c area takes up a lot of room.. I never want to hack that out. Hope you keep it too.
    Previously boxer3main
    the death rate and fairy tales cannot kill the nature left behind.

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    • #3
      Welcome! Always fun to have new folks on the forum.

      My advice would be to keep it all Olds. I'd love to see it with a 455 (Mondello still makes all sorts of goodies for them and as budget allows there are aluminum heads (Edelbrock?). If you have a cam grind in mind Delta Cams in Washington state can make it and they're VERY reasonable in price. From my point of view the ideal trans would be a switch-pitch TH400 (I know that's Buick but close enough).

      I don't have many ideas on suspension and brakes other than the stock stuff isn't bad if everything is up to snuff and working properly so you'll want to go thru them and make sure all is good.

      Most important - HAVE FUN with it!

      Dan

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      • #4
        Check out Impala SS builds (the 94-96 cars). Most everything from those B-bodies works on the earlier units as well. If your car has the 7.5in 10-bolt, usually they have 5x4.75in bolt pattern wheels and brakes, find an 8.5 and redo the front brakes to match. There are all sorts of interchange, adapter kits, etc out there for the B-body to put other stuff on there to make it a drag car, a pro-touring car, or shudder a box (bubbles, boxes, and donk silliness).

        First place to start for handling is shocks and tires. Get those right and start figuring out what's the next limiting factor.
        Central TEXAS Sleeper
        USAF Physicist

        ROA# 9790

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by timreese83 View Post
          I am a working man with 5 kids and do not have the money for the Pro Tour Chevelle of my dreams.
          Speaking from a kids perspective, get a 1973 Oldsmobile VistaCruiser station wagon ... the vintage SUV !

          Comment


          • #6
            While I'm known more for 3rd gen TransAms and 4th gen Vetts but when I was raising 4 kinds with the wife,I was driving 82 thru 87 caprices . So.....I love these cars . On the cheap the first thing I always did was put the f41 rear sway bar on the back . Same as cop cars . Then stick the fattest tires under it that will fit . These cars can hold a 295 width tire on the back without jacking it up .The biggest bang for the buck in the handling department will be wider tires .
            Last edited by Dan Barlow; March 5, 2017, 03:41 PM.
            Previously HoosierL98GTA

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            • #7
              Wider tires, new sway bar links (be it rubber or poly)
              The Olds 307 was popular with a few demo derby drivers here in the PNW.. Ran well without water, but best not to..
              Exhaust would be next..
              Then make youe intake-carb work the best you can get it.. No need for a 500 cfm Helley 2 barrel altho it will be fun..
              I set one up for a derby guy and really had the smallest jets in it..
              Then get a good RV-2 type of cam.. Small motor needs torque to move the car..
              Oughta get you started.

              Do not go big.. You will be disapointed..

              Comment


              • #8
                Assuming you have a TH200R4, A/C and P/S. How many of those are you wanting to keep?
                You need to think about your budget and what you want out of the car.
                Any money spent on the 307 is lost money.
                The 200R4 probably won't bolt to a SBC.
                An Olds 455 will bolt to the motor mounts and trans, but none of the short deck 307 accessories will bolt to the tall deck 455. Also rebuilding/modifying the 455 costs twice as much as any Chevy.
                A decent running 403 Olds (which is a short deck engine) may actually be the best starting point.

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                • #9
                  I like the idea of keeping it all olds but the chance of finding a good running 403 is slim for low dollars . When it all about money , a chevy engine is the way to go . And if it make everyone feel better the best bang for the buck , the LS series is really a corporate motor the chevy just uses more than gmc trucks ( really chevies ) and cadillac ( not to be confused with a chevy in any manner. )
                  Previously HoosierL98GTA

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Dan Barlow View Post
                    The best bang for the buck , the LS series
                    Irrefutable.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      For suspenion mods, as others have said, Caprice cop car bits should be bolt on, there is a thread on here regarding Brian's Caprice that should help. Regarding the motor, that engine was in later model 442s and H/Os. I would call Mondello and ask for advice that doesnt requiring pulling the motor. Their website shows performance parts for the 307
                      nom de guerre - arrowhead from joysey

                      "They're no good for you. all they ever think about are cars" (GTO/Warren Oates) - Two Lane Blacktop

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                      • #12
                        I love the big land yachts. As has been pointed out, it's damn hard to beat the LS for bang for your buck, and SBC's are actually getting harder to find (who would have thought anyone would be saying that 15 years ago?). WHat do you have in mind? Keeping the engine? Swapping it out?
                        Last edited by tedly; March 4, 2017, 10:22 PM.
                        I'm probably wrong

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by timreese83 View Post
                          Hello,

                          I own a 1984 Olds Delta 88 Royale Brougham. It has the 307 with auto tranny. This car is amazingly clean for being a rust belt car. I am wanting to start an extremely unconventional build with this vehicle. Does anyone have any advice on Interchangeable parts, performance upgrade suggestions, things and parts to stay away from, ETc......

                          It is a four door and yes i know it was intended to be a cruiser but i am a working man with 5 kids and do not have the money for the Pro Tour Chevelle of my dreams. This build will be slow and on a budget so any advice will help greatly.

                          Thanks guys.
                          Welcome fellow Ohioan. Glad too see someone building a land yacht. (y)

                          I'm gonna go out on a limb and suggest a Caddy 472-500 motor w/TH400 trans.
                          They're still out there, and if you can find a good runner plop it in and you're gold.
                          368/425/472/500 motors will drop into a B body with a few minor modifications.
                          A stock 500 has plenty of power and would push that barge around no problem.

                          A stock-ish (70's) Olds 350 would be an upgrade over a wheezy 307.
                          You could go the SBC route, they're cheap and plentiful.
                          I bought good runner for $100.


                          Originally posted by Aircooled View Post
                          The 200R4 probably won't bolt to a SBC.
                          A fair amount of 200R's had multi-fit cases especially in GM big cars.

                          Check the bell for an extra set of bolt holes. I wouldn't be surprised if his trans has a multi-fit case.
                          A stock 200R would be toast in no time if you put anything with more power than a 307 in front of it.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by tardis454 View Post


                            A fair amount of 200R's had multi-fit cases especially in GM big cars.
                            Check the bell for an extra set of bolt holes. I wouldn't be surprised if his trans has a multi-fit case.
                            If his car did have the multi-fit 200R4, that would seal the deal on a SBC swap in my opinion.
                            Low cost power, factory motor mounts, off-the-shelf headers and no need for trans adaptor or trans swap.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              I think we scared Tim off with our great love of these cars . I think we put him into shock . These cars really didn't weigh much more than a 2nd gen F body . And I this that was what the parts Brian put on his car were actually for ( arms and such).
                              Previously HoosierL98GTA

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