The wild rocket hood ornament was technically a $5 option. Although I often wondered why GM needed three mid-level brands, since you already have them, why not preserve them, especially since it is embarrassing and demoralizing to lose one, now two. Would you be willing to share which source cites fuel mileage figures? The present mindset (with which I dont necessarily agree, mind you) is that all brands must either be Youthful or Aspirational or if possible both, so a brand whose name begins with Old and which is best known for decades of middle-of-the-road respectability isnt off to a good start on either front. California residents also have the Right to Opt-Out of the sale of their personal information see the Do Not Sell My Personal Information page. The demise of Olds is yet another dreary episode in the ongoing story of GM losing its way. Some L-head straight-eights were MORE powerful than early OHV V-8s, although they were getting to the limit of their potential, at least in states of tune that were still reasonably streetable. Oldsmobile was basically offering three full-size vehicles in 1949, but the 88 was a little bit special. C. G. 1957 also offered the "J2" option, with three 2-barrel carburetors atop the 371 cubic inch V8; making this a true luxury performance . Call 800.979.0122, 7am-10pm, everyday. Red Hat is a trademark of Red Hat, Inc., registered in the United States and other countries. If anyone at GM had had doubts about offering the big engine in the smaller body, the sales alone would have been enough to convince them. 1955 Oldsmobile Super 88, 324-V8, 4 bbl carburetor, engine free, I have owned this since 1973, good 4-speed hydramatic transmission, interior useable, nice dash. Many of the other listed cookies are associated with the Google Analytics service, the Google AdSense advertising service, and/or other Google advertising and measurement products, which are subject to the Google Privacy Policy; see their "How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services" page, the "Information for Visitors of Sites and Apps Using Google Analytics" section of the Google Analytics "Safeguarding your data" help page, the "Technologies" section of their Google Privacy & Terms site, and the "Our advertising and measurement cookies" section of the Google Business Data Responsibility site (which includes a detailed list of cookies associated with Google advertising and measurement products) for more information. The Oldsmobile engine block formed the basis of the Repco 3-liter engine used by Brabham to win the 1966 and 1967 Formula One world championships. In an OHV engine, by contrast, the valves are a fair distance away from the crankshaft, which makes operating them far more complicated. 4 speed hydromantic transmission. wider bore provides a greater surface area on which the forces of combustion can act, improving power NASCAR held nine Grand National races in 1949, of which stock Rocket 88s won six. 303 Oldsmobile V8 parts in-stock with same-day shipping. I have an interest in the history of Camshaft design tildentechnologies.com. If the payment button is visible, it may set the third-party cookies PYPF (via paypalobjects.com, which is owned by PayPal, Inc.), which appears to check whether or not you are a logged-in PayPal user, possibly to facilitate the PayPal user login process, and/or 01A1 (via abmr.net, which is owned by Akamai Technologies), which stores certain technical information about your device and browser (or other user agent), possibly to facilitate the login and shopping cart functions. (WordPress and the WordPress logos are registered trademarks of the WordPress Foundation in the United States and other countries. (Google, Google Analytics, and other related marks and logos are trademarks of Google LLC. Change Background Color (Note: This option sets cookies on your device to manage your color settings; see the Cookie Notice for details. From 1950 through 1974, the 88 was by far the most lucrative line throughout the division, largely due to the entry-level versions like the 88 and the Dynamic 88. All generation-2 small-block Olds V8s used a stroke of 3.385in (86.0mm). The shape of a flatheads combustion chambers also limits its maximum compression ratio (the amount the fuel mixture is compressed before burning). 2 barrel carburet . The Oldsmobile V8, also referred to as the Rocket, is series of engines that was produced by Oldsmobile from 1949 until 1990. It was the seminal American muscle car, predating Chrysler's Hemi-powered 300-C by . The Cadillac and Oldsmobile V8s represented the start of several major trends in American engine design. The Turbo-Rocket V8 was offered exclusively on the Oldsmobile Jetfire, a special version of the Cutlass compact hardtop coupe, which is noteworthy as it is one of the world's first (in fact the second) turbocharged passenger car ever offered for public sale. Two distinct versions of the 400 CID engine were made: The 1966-1967 4-4-2 400cuin (6.6L) V8 was a short stroke engine which featured B and C cast large-valve cylinder heads and hydraulic lifters of larger diameter, as well as push-rods of different length and diameter than the standard Olds Rocket V8. A tracking pixel, sometimes known as a web beacon, is a tiny image file that loads from a remote server; it's a type of embedded content (as is the button itself, which loads from the same domain). That never happened; by the fifties, the industry was far more interested in advertised horsepower than gas mileage. The 403 is fundamentally the exact same block as an Oldsmobile 350 V8, however it features a larger bore. In short, the flatheads breathing ability is only mediocre. The Buick version was rated at 200hp with an 11:1 compression ratio. [22] This was the first engine to use the smaller Rochester Dualjet two-barrel carburetor, the only carburetor used on the 260. Uniquely in the 1977 Toronado, the 403 engine was fitted with a crank triggered ignition system. The 1955 model upped the compression to 8.5:1 for 185hp (138kW) and 320lbft (430Nm) in the 88 and 202hp (151kW) and 332lbft (450Nm) in the Super 88 and 98. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Vintage 1949 Oldsmobile 88 Futuramic Rocket Engine Magazine Print Ad W31 at the best online prices at eBay! The 425cuin (7.0L) big-block was the first tall-deck "big block," produced from 1965 through 1967. Cadillac used a distantly related engine which appeared in three different sizes through to the 1962 model year; though the Oldsmobile and Cadillac motors were not physically related, many lessons learned by one division were incorporated into the other's design, and the result were two engines known for their excellent power-to-weight ratio, fuel economy, and smooth, strong, reliable running. [citation needed] Most 260s were coupled to the Turbo Hydramatic 200 transmission,[citation needed] but a 5-speed manual transmission was also available in some vehicles. Some of the photos in our Avanti article, and those of our story on the Packard One-Twenty, were taken at the same time. A special 1963 10.5:1 version was also produced with 345hp (257kW). They were criticized at the time as being unsafe in city traffic because they picked up their air too close to the tail pipes of cars ahead. The wahFontColor and wahBgColor cookies, which are set if you alter the site's color scheme, normally expire after about 14 days, but you can remove them immediately by clicking the "Restore Defaults" button on the sidebar. From the 1950s through the late 1970s, each GM division had its own V8 engine family. ), If one was trying to tally how many Rocket engines were built in Olds cars in 1949-50, do you have those numbers? . Unfortunately, it also creates more friction and means that the average piston speeds are very high, particularly at high RPM, which is detrimental to engine longevity. Only the center carburetor was mechanically connected to the throttle pedal, and it was the only one equipped with a choke. Like the test mules, the Rocket 88 was, in the parlance of a somewhat later era, a real bomb. The Rocket 88 would see consistent improvements over the next two decades or so. (2,969 cc) six with a compression ratio of 12.5:1, where most contemporary engines had ratios of no more than 7.0:1. Full instrumentation is standard Olds had not yet succumbed to the allure of warning lights. By late 1956, many Olds dealers learned about the problem. That July, Burrell was promoted to chief motor engineer for the division. or is that not an Avanti peeking into the frame on the right side of the last photo? Submitting a comment signifies your acceptance of our. The Cadillac engine and the Chrysler FirePower had more power out of the box and as much or more potential. From 1950 until 1974, the 88 was the division's most profitable line, particularly the entry level models such as the 88 and Dynamic 88. I will let you know soon. The Chevrolet Corvair Spyder Turbo, likewise a forced induction i.e turbo-powered car, predated the Oldsmobile Jetfire Turbo, however by only a few weeks[citation needed], thus being the world's very first turbocharged commercially sold vehicle. However, former Cadillac engineer Harry Barr, who led the development of Cadillacs first OHV V8, later asserted that Charles L. McCuen, then GMs vice president of engineering (and the former general manager of Oldsmobile) had ordered Cadillac chief engineer Jack Gordon to show Cadillacs OHV design to Oldsmobile carburetor engineer Tony Wauters. You make a good point about the L-head lifter. Neither of GMs new OHV V8s had an exceptionally high compression ratio at first Oldsmobiles was 7.25:1, Cadillacs 7.5:1 but that was mostly a reflection of the low octane of the gasoline of the time. It was released one year earlier than the tall deck 425, and debuted the standard 3.385in (86.0mm) stroke; bore was 3.938in (100.0mm). Any interest in better fuel economy was quickly forgotten; gasoline was cheap and speed sold more cars than parsimony. Revisions to the engine for 1986 included roller lifters with a slightly smaller camshaft (.435"/.438" lift and 194/210 duration at .050"), new heads with smaller, swirl-port intake runners, floating piston pins, and larger piston dishes for lower compression (8.0:1 v. 8.4:1). A nominal 360 hp was claimed in 1967 when equipped with a W30 camshaft, 4-barrel, and outside air induction, 502 of which were factory produced. The popularity of the flathead Ford engines depended heavily on the first two qualities. The first generation of Oldsmobile V8s ranged from 1949-1964. This was much flatter than the 23 of the small-block Chevrolet and 20 of the Ford small-block wedge heads. 6 (July 1962), pp. ), Diagram of a typical pushrod/rocker-arm layout of an overhead-valve engine. (The basic Eighty-Eight was rarer, accounting for only about 35,000.) R.M. The placement of the valves also means that the combustion chamber has a smaller surface area and thus greater thermal efficiency some 20% better than a comparable flathead. By 1952, the 88 was growing inexorably bigger and although Oldsmobile engineers had little trouble getting more power out of the Rocket engine by 1955, it boasted 202 gross horsepower (151 kW) newer, lighter cars soon surpassed its performance. When you submit a comment, you may have the option save your information for future comments, storing the info in these cookies. In 1949, your main alternative new car choices were the bug-ridden 49 Ford and Mercury, whose engines would need a lot of hopping up to get anywhere near the level of the 88. The 303 was produced from 1949-1953. You are correct its even a Studebaker Avanti, not the later Avanti II. There were 64 1st Gen sold in the last 5 years. Power increased the final Rocket was rated at 345 gross horsepower (257 kW) but fuel economy eroded. Complete Engines for Oldsmobile Delta 88, Motor Mounts for Oldsmobile 88, Fuel Injectors for Oldsmobile 88; Additional site navigation. The grilles under the headlights of this 1950 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 are for the ventilation system, replacing the traditional pop-up cowl vent. The turbocharger fitted to the V8 engine was a small-diameter Garrett T5 model with integral wastegate, manufactured by Garrett AiResearch, and produced a maximum of 5psi (34kPa) boost at 2200rpm. Bore was up to 4.125in (104.8mm) for the largest first-generation Rocket, the 394cuin (6.5L). Total Oldsmobile sales for the 1949 model year, including exports and Canadian production, were almost 294,000, a 64% improvement from the year before. Simplified diagram of the cylinder of a flathead (L-head) engine. Some people fit these motors into a modified classic car or muscle car because of Oldsmobile GM reliability and performance horsepower advantages. R. V. Hutchinson, who was an Oldsmobile engineer prior to transferring to Product Studies #5 when C. L. McCuen was appointed 1st Vice President in charge of engineering, designed and build a heavy in-line 6-cylinder (850 lbs.) After logging in, the wp-settings-UID cookies store the logged-in user's configuration settings, while the wp-settings-time-UID cookies record the time those configuration settings were last set; again, there may be multiple iterations of each of these cookies, which normally expire after about one year. FOLLOW MARKET. Sunday - Closed. (Author diagram). The "Rocket" name disappeared from the air cleaner decal in 1975, the same year that the catalytic converter was added to the emissions control system. Coincidentally, Cadillac had been working since 1936 on a very similar OHV engine to replace its familiar monoblock flathead V8. As the diagram below illustrates, an L-head engine has its valves in the side(s) of the block. 26-33. As is the case with all pre-1972 American passenger car engines, published horsepower and torque figures for those years were SAE "Gross," as opposed to 1972 and later SAE Net ratings (which are indicative of what actual production engines produce in their "as installed" state - with all engine accessories, full air cleaner assembly, and complete production exhaust system in place). Im wondering how many weeks of informative evening reading I can enjoy from your articles. Clarke (Cobham, England: Brooklands Books Ltd., ca. Its true Oldsmobile didnt really maintain that position for long and didnt try again to go for the performance market until the 60s, but having a short season isnt the same as being overhyped. They call mine the black ace and they have a club division in the oldsmobile club of america. It was the only GM engine to meet US emission standards using a carburetor all the way up to 1990. To learn more about what information the Vimeo platform collects and how that information may be used, see the Vimeo Privacy Policy. You can hide the "Support Ate Up With Motor" box and prevent the loading of its embedded content by going to the "Consent Management" tab and switching the "Allow PayPal Button" toggle to "OFF." Using the 5 liter Rover block and crankshaft, a maximum displacement of 317.8cuin (5,208cc) is theoretically possible.[14]. If you use the buttons to make a payment or donation, the PayPal services will set additional cookies (not listed here) to manage your PayPal login and transaction data (and potentially also for various other purposes, e.g., user analytics and/or advertising). Its output of 0.45 hp per cubic inch was 7% better than the 0.42 hp per cubic inch of the popular and widely produced 100hp (75kW) 1949 Ford Flathead V8. The Nash was driven by Roy Graham a wrestling referee at Dallas Sportatorium who also had the Nash dealership in Corsicana TX. A slightly larger 307cuin (5.0L) version was introduced in 1980. All full-size 1962 Oldsmobiles had the 394. Oldsmobiles reign as the hottest performer in the land proved to be short-lived. The real standard of the world. Most 394s used 2-barrel carburetors, but special high-compression 4-barrel versions were available starting in 1961. In 1985, roller lifters, floating piston wrist pins, and swirl port intake runners were added. Even with the standard Hydra-Matic transmission, the 88 was capable of 0-60 mph (0-97 km/h) in a bit over 12 seconds and could reach an absolute top speed of 97 mph (156 km/h). As part of this I ran across a very interesting 1934 paper by a GM engineer Chris H. Bouvy and would like to know more about him and whether his design method was used within GM. More Oldsmobile Classics 44. Based on the Cadillac Northstar engine, this 4.0-liter engine, called Aurora, was a DOHC design with four valves per cylinder. The Olds 403 was used by Buick and Pontiac in addition to Oldsmobile until its discontinuation after 1979. 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 The Oldsmobile 88 was introduced in 1949 as a replacement for the 70 series.

St George Spectrum Obituaries, American Baptist Association Directory, Articles O