cutlass 442

[garrett]

I just bought a 1987 Cutlass 442 with the 200R4 tranny and the G-80 posi rear. I'm going to keep it stock for about a year. Then I plan on stuffing a mild 87 turbo 3.8. I have done this conversion before with a normally aspirated Regal. I was wondering; does the 442 have the same torque converter as a stock GN? If I use a 87 engine harness and computer, can I match it up to the Cutlass dash? I don't really want to change the dash. The wiring harness that runs to the rear for the electric fuel fump, do I really need it? Can't I run one or two wires back and splice in the appropriate plug for the fuel pump? Can I re-use the 442 gas tank and only add the fuel pump and hanger in to the N/A gas tank?

 

[olds443]

Hey Garret, got your PM. So you already did this so it would be the same. Not much different between the two.
I would use the GN engine harness and mate it up to the Cutlass dash wiring.
I initially did mine with the Cutlass dash harness and used the GN engine harness so I had to move two or three plugs at the bulkhead connector and at the ecm connector.
Later I pulled the dash and put in a GN dash harness but that was really unnecessary and took a lot of time. The check engine light is a separate bulb on the Regal dash with it's own dedicated wires, so I dremeled out the back of one of the Cutlass gauge cluster spots and installed it there. The Cutlass one worked fine before that.
Other than that, you have to add power for the injectors, fan and fuel pump.
I don't know for sure but I don't think the torque converters are the same, but I think it would work ok.

Gas tank is different and so are fuel lines.
When I did the fuel pump I spliced into the wiring at the ecm and ran it back to the tank/pump and then ran a hot wire kit like everyone elses. The wire you splice into is the prime wire (?) I believe you want to use this as without it the car won't run or your pump won't turn off. Doesn't the ecm reference off this too? I don't know.
The plugs for the fuel tank are the same on tbi El Camino and Monte Carlo, so is the pump/hanger. I'm not sure if the tank has the same baffles.

 

[olds443]

Hey Garret, did you intentially save this post for post #442 ? I just saw that at the top, too cool.
btw, where are the pics? What color is it?

 

[charlief1]

Interesting idea and lol.

 

[garrett]

pictures

here are some pictures of the car.

 

[garrett]

another

another

 

[garrett]

some more

more

 

[charlief1]

http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/hybrids/265347-82-83-hot-air-cutlass.html
Hope this helps.

 

[artrenee10]

Hey garret good luck with your swap..I am building the same car just not a 442...just an olds cutlass (87) that was already prewired for an LC2....

Listen to Olds 443...helped me a bit as well...'

Good luck...BTW To save some time and coin I would find a low mileage complete stock intercooled engine...I got a good deal on mine..and start the swap...

 

[22lbChevelle]

SICK car if swapped, show some pics if u get it done

 

[garrett]

swap

It will be done. I probably won't make the swap until next winter. It sucks to work on anythng in the summer in SW Florida. It's too hot and it rains almost everyday. I'll have to live with the slow and terribly inefficient gas guzzling 307 until November.:frown: At least it has the GN drivetrain in it already. Until then, I can get started repairing some of the rust. Apparently it was a New Jersey car. I have a non rusted driver's door , the other one can be saved. Then I'll get a $500 Maaco paint job.

 

[WH1_T-Type]

I was just looking at an add for that car on 'another' t-type forum!! lol

 

[olds443]

Awww come on... do better than the $500 Maaco paint job . Even though they made record numbers of Cutlass they only made a few thousand 442's.

On the other hand, if your Regal T clone was a Maaco job then I say go for it! And maybe I should drive cross country to get mine done too:smile:

 

[garrett]

paint job

I bought this car with the intention of having a daily driver. Therefore, I am building on a budget. This car will be staying outside and be parked in parking lots. My Turbo T snowballed away from me until I ended up having a show car. This isn't going to happen again. Some might say that Maaco top of the line paint job is just as good as what came on the car anyways. Orange peel and all

 

[garrett]

fuel pump

I was considering using a external electric fuel pump instead of the standard pump in the tank. I don't want to get a new tank with the plastic baffles if I don't have to. Also, the float and sending unit works well now. That being said, is there any obstacles to using an external pump with a N/A gas tank and fuel pick-up? What pump should I use for a GN engine making 300-315 hp? (36lb injectors)

 

[charlief1]

Good idea but...

I was considering using a external electric fuel pump instead of the standard pump in the tank. I don't want to get a new tank with the plastic baffles if I don't have to. Also, the float and sending unit works well now. That being said, is there any obstacles to using an external pump with a N/A gas tank and fuel pick-up? What pump should I use for a GN engine making 300-315 hp? (36lb injectors)

I agree with the external pump for sure but the tank I would change and use your sending unit. You also might want to change the pick up to a larger size so you don't starve the engine. The baffle will keep the fuel pump from starving durring hard acceleration.

 

[olds443]

I was considering using a external electric fuel pump instead of the standard pump in the tank. I don't want to get a new tank with the plastic baffles if I don't have to. Also, the float and sending unit works well now. That being said, is there any obstacles to using an external pump with a N/A gas tank and fuel pick-up? What pump should I use for a GN engine making 300-315 hp? (36lb injectors)

If the outside of the car is rusty I am sure your tank is rusty as well so you will probably need to replace it too. If that is the case it would cost the same as getting a GN tank, then you just need to do something about the inlet line.

When I did my car, I didn't want to pull the body off the frame so I bought braided line and adapters for the fuel rail. I thought about sumping the stock tank but nobody would weld on a used tank, just a new one (risk of fire). In addition I found a used GN tank for $50 so I jumped on it.
I think when you add up the costs of tank, pump, lines you will see that the GN factory set up is cheaper and a bit easier.

New tank is $165 plus. Recently I tried to find a used tank but some of the people who contacted me wanted $125 and I couldn't see that when for $40 more I could just get new.

Also, I read someone else had used the carb'd inlet fuel line as the return line and fabbed up a new feed line. The feed line is larger than the feed in a carbd car.

 

[garrett]

tank

I don't think my tank is rusted. I used the inlet feed line on the N/A aspirated V-6 car for the feed line, and the vent line for the return. Then I just fabricated a short vent line . This has worked well for my Turbo T clone, so I don't see why it wouldn't work here. As fas as the internal baffling, is it really neccessary unless you run the tank below a quarter of a tank of gas? I really don't know.

 

[88 CuttyClassic]

turbo sfi seems to be catching on amoungst the olds crowd. I too am in the collecting parts/planning stage of converting my 84 Hurst Olds. nice 442

 

[olds443]

I don't think my tank is rusted. I used the inlet feed line on the N/A aspirated V-6 car for the feed line, and the vent line for the return. Then I just fabricated a short vent line . This has worked well for my Turbo T clone, so I don't see why it wouldn't work here. As fas as the internal baffling, is it really neccessary unless you run the tank below a quarter of a tank of gas? I really don't know.

As far as the baffling go I can see your thinking but I had another car that the baffle broke loose on and anytime it was below a certain point (less than a 1/4 tank) it would buck when you accelerated as the gas sloshed around.
I do know that the local GN Buick tuner here doesn't suggest it.

When I did my fuel lines I read a lot and found that the general consensus was that the lines were too small for the feed. If you had success with the clone then I would go ahead and repeat it. Why not?