1978 Oldsmobile 98 LS from North America - Comments

Note - These are all the repaired items from 84,000 miles to 210,000 (and still kicking)

At 126,000 - radiator, timing chain set, master cylinder, rear wheel cylinders.

Idler arm and upper ball joints about 160,000.

Transmission re-build at 174,000.

Water pump.

Alternator at 150,000.

Starter at 140,000.

AC clutch at 150,000.

Rear end at 210,000.

I will miss this car when it finally does die, but I am not sure when that will be. I think the body will rust in half first and I like in Tennessee.

At 210,000 miles the engine is just as strong as it was at 84,000. The car was purchased by my father at 84,000 miles. He gave it to me at 126,000 because he had neglected it and did not want to fix it anymore. I gave it the TLC it needed and proceeded to drive the wheels off.

All of the repairs I listed are pretty typical of ANY car and are VERY reasonable when you consider the mileage figures they occurred at.

The thing starts and runs no matter what the conditions are and I have never been afraid to take it on long trips.

The best part - 403 cubes of V8 power. It sucks down the gas, but moves pretty good for a boat.

The Olds 403 was a destroked version of their 455 which was discontinued in '77 (which is just as well as it was watered down quiet a bit- 400hp in top form in '68, 215hp in '76)

The 403 is not a de-stroked 455. It is a bored out 350/307 block. It has a shorter deck than the 455. It has the largest bore of any V8 to date. The cylinder bores are "siamesed", they are so big.

The horsepower rating is low, but the torque is fair. This is the same engine used in the TransAm 6.6ltr (non T/A version). It was the GM corporate 6.6ltr during 77-78-79.

For information regarding increasing the output, see the website by Joe Mondello regarding modifications to Oldsmobile engines.

In 72 the compression ratios for the 455 and other engines were dropped from 10-11:1 to 8:1. The heads also got hardened seals for unleaded gas. Oil embargo and Greenpeace converged on Detroit at about the same time.

I have a 1988 Olds Custom Cruiser Station Wagon. It is the same body as the 77 and up Olds full size rwd cars. It has a 307 and runs great. One day it will be replaced with a 403 long-block, as a simple direct bolt in replacement. Recon is a rebuilder company which sells the long-block for @$2,200.