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Sometimes when I start my car I hear a knocking sound coming from the engine. My car has been doing this for years & I avg driving a few thousand miles + annually.
My car is a boat but is not a slug. I did recently change the plugs & wires but the cap & rotor are fine so I did not change them. The last tune up was about 26k miles ago. I just have to live with the poor mpg until I can someday afford a smaller & more fuel efficient car.
The Olds 307 V8 (all had 4-barrel carbs) were rated at just 140 horsepower, which wasn't horrible for the era, but not great either. But they made up to 255lb-ft of torque at just 2000rpm (varying slightly by year), which made them excellent for most Olds drivers. They 'felt' powerful from a stop but full-throttle acceleration was nothing to write home about.
I took my driving test (in 1991) in my mom's '86 Cutlass Supreme (with the 307 V8). It was fine in 'regular' driving conditions, but to a 16-year-old kid it was pretty dang slow. The '88 Honda Accord that I got when I was 17 (with a 2.0L 120hp 4cyl) would blow it off the road. But the one thing I loved about the Olds was the sound of the 4-barrel when you floored it....like a jet taking off. You could also watch the fuel gauge drop at the same time. =)
A 3-speed automatic was standard and 4-speed optional, which improved performance and fuel economy. With the 3-speed automatic, my mom's averaged 16-17mpg overall. By the late 80s and early 90s, no one paid any attention to fuel economy because gas was so cheap.
The Olds V8 was very durable, but the transmissions were another story.
The Olds 307 V8 (all had 4-barrel carbs) were rated at just 140 horsepower, which wasn't horrible for the era, but not great either. But they made up to 255lb-ft of torque at just 2000rpm (varying slightly by year), which made them excellent for most Olds drivers. They 'felt' powerful from a stop but full-throttle acceleration was nothing to write home about.
I took my driving test (in 1991) in my mom's '86 Cutlass Supreme (with the 307 V8). It was fine in 'regular' driving conditions, but to a 16-year-old kid it was pretty dang slow. The '88 Honda Accord that I got when I was 17 (with a 2.0L 120hp 4cyl) would blow it off the road. But the one thing I loved about the Olds was the sound of the 4-barrel when you floored it....like a jet taking off. You could also watch the fuel gauge drop at the same time. =)
A 3-speed automatic was standard and 4-speed optional, which improved performance and fuel economy. With the 3-speed automatic, my mom's averaged 16-17mpg overall. By the late 80s and early 90s, no one paid any attention to fuel economy because gas was so cheap.
The Olds V8 was very durable, but the transmissions were another story.
Ain't that the truth.
I had a '77 Cutlass and a '78 Delta 88, both 350s. The Cutlass lost reverse and the Delta lost 3rd within a short time after I bought them (used). But, as you say, the Olds V-8s were solid.
I had a '77 Cutlass and a '78 Delta 88, both 350s. The Cutlass lost reverse and the Delta lost 3rd within a short time after I bought them (used). But, as you say, the Olds V-8s were solid.
Very solid, overbuilt in most aspects. It showed in their weightiness.
Very solid, overbuilt in most aspects. It showed in their weightiness.
I mentioned in my earlier post that my mom had a 1986 Cutlass Supreme when I was a teenager. Before that, she had a '77 Cutlass Supreme Brougham and a '73 Cutlass Supreme (all 2-doors). I barely remember the '73 (I was five when she sold it) but the '77 felt 'over-built' (as you put it)...if not for the dang transmission issues, the thing felt like it would last forever! It was 9yrs old when she traded it in on the '86 and it still looked and drove like new!
The transmission in the '77 went around 50k miles. The '86 transmission failed just over 40k miles and again near 90k miles! In all three cases, it was Reverse that went out. We had a fairly steep driveway and it was impossible to turn around and drive forward up it. So the car had to be backed up a hill into the road every time we left the house. That probably contributed to the 'Reverse' issue.
I had a '77 Cutlass and a '78 Delta 88, both 350s. The Cutlass lost reverse and the Delta lost 3rd within a short time after I bought them (used). But, as you say, the Olds V-8s were solid.
My mom had a '77 Cutlass Supreme Brougham 2-door (I think the color was called Buckskin Brown). It also had the 350 (and 8-track player, but that's another story) and the Olds 'Rallye' wheels with body-color painted insets and Raised White Letter tires. It was sharp! I was only 11 when she traded it in for her '86 Cutlass, but I always wished she had kept it for me!
My mom had a '77 Cutlass Supreme Brougham 2-door (I think the color was called Buckskin Brown). It also had the 350 (and 8-track player, but that's another story) and the Olds 'Rallye' wheels with body-color painted insets and Raised White Letter tires. It was sharp! I was only 11 when she traded it in for her '86 Cutlass, but I always wished she had kept it for me!
Mine was a Cutlass Salon in light blue metallic - also with the Rally wheels, bucket seats, console with floor shifter. Overall, the nicest car I've ever owned. Loved the ride and handling - cruised like a luxury car on the highway, yet had a sporty look and feel. Gorgeous cars they were - in an age when we still took for granted being able to own and drive cars that render anything made today a joke by comparison.
I had a 77 cutlass supreme two door, 350 "rocket",dark red/maroon. Rally wheels , bucketa, etc. It got a transmission and a valve job along the way.
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