Thread: 57 Olds J2

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Hi room - about to buy an advertised 1957 J2 olds. I am told that the outside carbs are blocked off with plates. Is this for Gas miliage or carb problems, or a phony tri-power put on a lesser camed motor of that year?or? - any help would be greatly appreciated. Also, is there a way I can identify the proper engine combination for this car? I have a 57 olds factory repair manual. Many thanks guys - hope i can help you out with something someday.

Of course anything we guess at here is just that, a guess, but multicarb setups, with progressive linkage and such, were always more troublesome than a single two barrel. I would assume that somebody disabled the secondary carbs for conveience.

An older motor manuel should give you some stamped engine codes identifying the horsepower rating and special options. All of the Chevy blocks were stamped on the top edge of the block, in front of the head. I would imagine the Olds would be similar.

BTW, A friend and I, in Illinois, put a J-2 in a glass Fiat coupe, just out of high school. It would have been about '66. It was a street rod, with slicks, and would pick up the front tires an inch or two on a good day!

From what I have been told no single two bbl was available in 57 so if a 2 bbl was wanted a J-2 intake with the outboard carb holes blocked off,if it still has the outboard carbs and there is a plate between them and the intake someone did it for gas mileage or other reasons, If its missing the two other carbs I have a J-2 intake with correct carbs with aftermarket linkage I will sell. Jeff

many thanks for the reply guys - by the time I got there it was sold - thanks again for the reply -