What have I gotten myself into?!!! 1960 Apache

[JesseSimon]

Well, I was searching for a parts truck for my '77 and ACCIDENTALLY bought this 1960 Apache short stepper. Drove 2 hours to it and drove it back 2 hours, no issues. Body is all rotted up and cut up. Someone added a sunroof...yep a sun roof haha. At some point it looks like someone had a high rise carb or something and cut a hole in the hood...sheet metal screwed on now as a patch. Rot everywhere, even a bunch above the windshield thanks to the sunroof. Oh yeah and the passenger side rear fender appears to have the word "GAY" sanded into it....I mean hey the truck is rad no matter his sexual preference happens to be.

But...there is some good stuff here. This truck absolutely burns up the asphalt. Oldsmobile engine. Haven't checked the block code yet to see what it is. Previous owner said it is a Big Block 350 haha...right on dude. B&M slap shifter. Dude has 2003 Silverado buckets and console in it which I ripped out today and put a good bench in. It has been lowered some, rides nice. Dude said he was told it has a posi rear end....anyone here able to tell by the picture?

Been fun driving it around today......$600

[jonzcustomshop]

probably long gone, but sometimes there is a posi plaque,screwed on behind the drivers seat, some times a sticker too...

[JesseSimon]

Ran the block casting code...apparently a Olds 350 made between 68-70. Never actually taken time to notice how different this is from a Chevy 350! Man this thing has some balls. Since I know nothing about Olds motors I just saw how wide is was and though it was gonna be like a 400 Big Block. It acts like a big block.

[JesseSimon]

Oh some of these had Posi's from the factory?

[lakeroadster]

Originally Posted by JesseSimon

But...there is some good stuff here. This truck absolutely burns up the asphalt.

Well then.... Back it out in the street and do a long smokey burnout.

When the smoke clears look and see if there are two long black streaks or one.

2 streaks = posi

1 streak = non-posi or poorly adjusted posi



Looks like a good buy for $600. Have fun, life is short.

PS: shoot some primer over the "Gay" rear fender lettering.... you don't want that as a nickname from all your buddies.

[losthope]

cant beat a $600 driver!

[60apache]

good score Ill give you 100.00 profit ha

[jonzcustomshop]

If I remember right the 403 olds and 350 olds shared the same block/heads, just the bore was different...
403's were common in automatic trans ams 78-81

[JesseSimon]

Guess thats a very simple scientific experiment huh?

Man I need like an Old's expert haha I thought I had it figured out....

[JesseSimon]

Oh and the funny thing is I didnt even realize the fender had GAY sanded into it until i posted the pics....It has been primer'd now haha

[62 Longbed]

Nice score !!! I've been thinking about finding a stepside ..
Oldsmobile ... What do you want to know ??? Drivers side on the head by the first plug you will see a letter or number stamped on the head ... Letter = Big Block .. Number = Small Block ... Tell me what you have and I should be able to tell you year of motor and size ...

[JesseSimon]

Thats why i am so confused! There is a big B on the head, to the front side of the first plug on the driver's side. But the code stamped on the front of the block is 395558 2 which supposedly means 350. There is a code 411929 on the passenger side head.....???What is it!

[62 Longbed]

Are you sure that is a B ... or could it be an 8 ???

[62 Longbed]

Olds small block engine ... Here is your head info :

(#8 ) = '73 - '76 350 79 411929

Smog heads. Have huge bb-sized 79cc
chambers yielding poor compression
ratios without extremes of
compensation.

(#8 ) = 411929 79cc 1.875 1.622

Hope this helps .. Jeff

[fryer1979]

Originally Posted by jonzcustomshop

If I remember right the 403 olds and 350 olds shared the same block/heads, just the bore was different...
403's were common in automatic trans ams 78-81

So did the 455s. They are all the same block. Different bore, stroke, and heads, but the same block. I've got a 70 Olds 350 waiting to go in mine, pretty stout motors really. Cool score on the truck, really hard to beat $600 for something you get to drive and play with.

[lakeroadster]

So you guys are saying, when talking about Oldsmobiles, that they used the same block for "big blocks & small blocks"?

Being an a Chevy guy I am so confused... if the block is the same how can it be called a big block?

I guess maybe they should be called factory stroker motors instead?

[OLDIRON69]

I had an Olds 350 in a '66 stepper and that thing was 100% stock with a factory aluminum water pump and would roast the tires till the wire showed! Have no idea what year the motor was but it had the power.

[jonzcustomshop]

Originally Posted by lakeroadster

So you guys are saying, when talking about Oldsmobiles, that they used the same block for "big blocks & small blocks"?

Being an a Chevy guy I am so confused... if the block is the same how can it be called a big block?

I guess maybe they should be called factory stroker motors instead?

basically what the guy told him was correct..350 big block..all the olds' were bb's we are so used to a 350 sbc being a small block that we think small block when talking 350...

looks like bore and heads made a big difference in these blocks

[REDNOSE65]

Originally Posted by lakeroadster

Well then.... Back it out in the street and do a long smokey burnout.

When the smoke clears look and see if there are two long black streaks or one.

2 streaks = posi

1 streak = non-posi or poorly adjusted posi



Looks like a good buy for $600. Have fun, life is short.

PS: shoot some primer over the "Gay" rear fender lettering.... you don't want that as a nickname from all your buddies.

x2

[JesseSimon]

Scrapped away some grit and oil and yeah its an 8 hahah

[62 Longbed]

I'll finish up the Oldsmobile info and we can move on here :

It is typically considered a Small Block. Though with the Olds engines the main difference between the small block and big block is deck height of the block. The heads are interchangeable between the big and small blocks.

The 350 is a small block :

They have more, but here is a taste:

"There are three ways:

1. A big block measures 14" between the heads at the manifold base, while a small block measure 12" between the heads at the manifold base.
2. Facing the front of the engine, at the top surface of the timing chain area, to the right of the oil fill tube, there is a code about 1.5" high followed by the casting number. A letter indicates a big block, a number indicates a small block.
3. A tell-tell sign is that the big blocks have a little hump in that area, whereas the small blocks are flat the whole way ..
4. Also, small block heads are denoted with a number, big block heads are denoted with a letter. You can find this on the driver's side cylinder head towards the front of the engine, or on the passenger side towards the back of the engine.

Class Dismissed ...

[GRX]

Right on. Nice truck for $600. Looks like a fun project.

Looked all around for an early 60's Chevy but couldn't find one in my area that wasn't all chopped up or commanded huge $$$. Finally settled on a nice pretty much original '69 long bed stepper.

Originally Posted by lakeroadster

So you guys are saying, when talking about Oldsmobiles, that they used the same block for "big blocks & small blocks"?

Being an a Chevy guy I am so confused... if the block is the same how can it be called a big block?

I guess maybe they should be called factory stroker motors instead?

Keep in mind 'big block' and 'small block' are layman's terms for the most part. When confined to one maker like Chevy the terms make sense because we have two style blocks- 283/350 and 396/454. But when we add other GM divisions, or even Ford, Chrysler, and AMC the definition is clouded significantly.

One which always cracks me up is "Pontiac Big Block". All Pontiac V-8's, from 287 to 455 are essentially the same block. True they are bigger than a SBC. But they are smaller than a BBC. So does that make a Pontiac a 'mid-block"? Or is a 350 a big block because it's so much larger than a Ford 302? ..... You see what I'm getting at.

[REDNOSE65]

All in all...I think she's a keeper!!!

[JesseSimon]

Tried to change out the steering wheel today for a bigger wheel and was denied! The wheel I had was the wrong knurl size. Thought it was an old chevy wheel but guess not....this tiny wheel + no power steering = hard on the wrists

[JesseSimon]

2 STREAKS!!!!!!!!!!! Its a posi!