Thread: Old Oldsmobile trans

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I am looking for an automatic trans from a'57-'61 Oldsmobile full size car. I want to get rid of the slim jim I have now and want something that will hold up to the potetial power of the 394ci engine I have. I live in the southeast but I am not afraid to travel a little if the price is right.
Steve

I have a jetaway from a 57 olds that was supposed to be good,it has been sitting outside but I dont think it got any water in it. The price is good as it is free,come and get it. I am in dayton ohio and a junkyard near here did have a 63 or 64 olds fiesta wagon in it if you need any parts. Jeff

I 'THINK' (not 100% positive) that the late 'corporate' or B-O-P TH350's and TH400's will bolt up to those early v8's just fine.

(corporate or "B-O-P" meaning Buick/Olds/Pontiac. These transmissions were the same inside as a chevy TH350 or TH400 but used different bolt pattern to bolt up to the motors.

I know for a fact that the mid 60's olds 330 and 425 v8s will bolt up to them, so I'm pretty sure the bolt pattern was the same on the early 60's motors too.

A TH400 would be ideal because they are can be built super stout, and they are very cheap to build and get parts for.

You might want to check out http://www.realoldspower.com there are a lot of hard core Oldsmobile racers on there who can tell you 100% weather you can use one of the later trannys or not.

I don't know if you realize it or not, but all of the oldsmobile v8's going back into the 50's 'LOOK' basically the same, so unless you really want to keep a numbers matching engine, you could build up a sweet 455 and it would appear to be stock in the engine bay.

Just a thought... Of course if you have the #s match origonal engine, by all means, build that baby up!


I love Oldsmobiles... i really gotta get me another one.

Thanks for the info but the B.O.P. trans will not bolt up. The 394 engine does not us a torque converter or flex plate. I have never seen another set-up like this one. The engine block is the bellhousing and it uses a piece called a dampner plate to koin the trans to the engine. This dampner plate looks like a clutch disc with no fibre on it and a ring gear out side to start the car. I had the trans built one time and my repair man said it would be difficult to fit a TH350 in the car.
I have heard that the earlier transmissions from about '57-'62 will work but before I go scrounging around in a junkyard looking for a good one I would like to know if it even works.
STeve

Junkyardjeff, I live in Northwest Ga and I am from Ohio but I can,t remeber where Dayton is. Do you go to any of the Goodguys car shows on the east coat? Maybe we could get together. Let me know I like the price of your trans.

Dayton is right on I75 about 50 miles north of cinncinati,the jetaway is a normal trans compared to a slimjim and it has a torque converter and flexplate. The only Goodguys events I attend are indy and columbus but after I get the frontend rebuilt in my country squire I will attend more. Jeff