Saw this add from a dealer out in Arkansas for a Olds coupe with a experimental 287 ci engine. The add states that GM produced these and gave the vehicles to petroleum companies to test drive for fuel economy. The engines came with three different compression ratios. In all the years that I have messed with early Olds engines I have never come across this before. So I am throwing this out here to see if anyone has ever come across this before. Here is the Oodle add: 1950 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 Club Coupe | 1950 Coupe in Fayetteville AR | 6154191049 | Used Cars on Oodle Classifieds
The aftermarket speed equipment says "fake" to me. Why would they put dual carbs on an Edmunds manifold on a vehicle intended for fuel economy? This reminds me of the guy that was trying to pass off a McCullough blown '48 Ford pickup as a factory vehicle a couple of years ago.
12:1 compression sounds a little high for 1949, even an ‘experimental’ engine. Text of ad says 3 speed LaSalle transmission while listing says automatic transmission. Something not right.
Tub I got the impression that someone had added the alterations in later years. Don't know just saying. Doubt the factory would have sent it out with a 37 Lasalle tranny. I have never heard of a 287 ci Olds. That is the part I am really curious about.
Dual carb intake properly tuned with small carbs gives better fuel distribution than one central mounted carb.. Not that the story is true but Kettering was known for advocating high compression for power and fuel mileage if higher octane fuels were available. The wedge head with tight squish was designed for this..
True, but you must realize that the Edmunds dual manifold was designed to run the stock type carburetors, not something smaller, and I will bet my next week's salary that it has two stock carbs on it..
Walt, Yes, I have come across this car and claim before. I could not get the link to open but from my recollection of the prior article i saw, the 287 engine was removed from the car and a 303 (or ?) installed to make it a driver. Further, I believe the 287 experimental engine was retained and offered with the car. I am not saying my comments are complete or 100% accurate, just what my memory offers up. In any case, I do standby having encountered a story about this car that generally matches your representation. Ray
Walt, surprised that you have not seen this before. Builder's name is Eddie Rezac and car was previously featured in Rod And Custom. Google his name and you will find more info about the coupe but not much on the engine. Must be a very old ad or some kind of gimmick. No way in H... that car can be bought for 12 grand. Eddie Edit- March 94 Rod & Custom
Eddie, yes the 12 g's was a flag for sure but not of interest to me as I had only been intrigued by the 287 which I have never heard of. Have not seen any publication on the 287 to date. Ray, thanks for the observations. It is a mystery at the moment and may just be a hoax at 12g's.
Looks like a scam. It was bid to $36,500 (but didn't sell) on Bring A Trailer in 2019. The text is a cut and paste from BaT's longer description.
I have read about these, apparently they were test driven across the US & the only place they could get the high octane gas was at country airports.
I just done some research & have found that GM engineers did in fact build 287 cubic inch motors, less than 30 were known to have been built with compression ratios of 7.25:1, 8.o:1, 10.0:1 & 12.0:1 all in the interest of economy & not Performance, it was chiefly the work of the late Gilbert Burrell & Elliott Estes who became GM President in 1974.
This picture just raises my suspicions that this is a fake. The aftermarket headers and intake, the "bat-wing" air cleaner 4 years before they were even thought of, and the spark plug wire guides with the information all emblazoned on them are all clear indications of someone trying to pull a fast one. The wire guides seem particularly anomalous to me. The General did not advertise their experimental engines to the public like this. Remember the first 427's were referred to as "mystery motors"? In addition, the whole mess surrounding this offer (the $12,000 vs. $36,500 prices) raises my doubt level even higher. Sorry, I ain't buying it. Short of original factory documentation, I wouldn't believe a thing about it.
@tubman You may be correct, but I don't agree with your conclusions about the engine featured. I finally got the link supplied by the OP to open. I don't disagree with the notion the ad pricing is very suspicious, but that does NOT support the contention that the content is also suspect. It has become commonplace in this electronic age for photos, text, etc., to be pirated and misappropriated. It DOES become a fake ad because a scammer has placed if for dishonest purposes, but the pirated content is often as accurate as the original placement stated it. Cases in point....1) the ad text clearly states.... "modifications includes dual carburetors on an Edmunds manifold, batwing air cleaner and Belond headers have been fitted" It goes on to describe additional chassis/running gear mods to the vehicle. 2) Both myself and Dago 88 have seen this vehicle featured in other publications, with the same basic back story. Each of us can weigh the various elements and decide for ourselves whether any of it matters at all, or what we choose to believe at all or in whole or in part. Ray
Ray, I see you have the word "modifications" in bold. Is that because you consider those pieces (the Edmunds manifold, the bat-wing air cleaner, and the Belond headers) to be non-original to the vehicle? Someone mentioned that the original 287 engine was removed, but comes with the car; has anyone ever seen it? I am still skeptical.
Denny, Yes, I think the use of the word 'modifications' pertain to exactly those items, and a bit more of the chassis and driveline. To me, the statement about modifications totally negates the idea the car/engine(s) were produced as shown. I am the one who mentioned the possibility that the 287 had been removed and replaced with a 303. That comment was stated in my post, admittedly a questionable recollection of some details of the article/ad, whatever it was that I saw at the time. What I am absolutely certain of is the story of the 287" experimental engines built in some small quantity being the main feature of the story. Ray
The plug wire guides are enough of an indicator for me that the limited production research 287 V8 was legit. While it may be true that the 287 is not in this car someone would have to go to a lot of trouble and expense to duplicate those wire guides. The letters and the R GM logo are stamped in, not simply lettered on. That large R was used BITD and stood for GM Research.
@Fordors I agree. "test mule" vehicles often have some cobbled looking bits, but in my observation when a major mfg publishes photos of experimental vehicles or assemblies, they are finished to very high standards of appearance. In this case, the story is these units were distributed to entities for testing in 'public' hands. They would be almost certainly be well presented. Ray
I know Eddie Rezac and always stop in to see him in his shop in Wahoo, Nebraska. He's been the 40-51 Olds expert for many years and has built many, many Oldsmobile's. Has a GREAT Oldsmobile dealers neon sign in the shop. Eddie's Black coupe had one of the 287 engines and the hood was one of the Oldsmobile made see-through units. Actually, it was a dealer installed hood with a clear panel on each side. Eddie's had a manual trans and I don't know if the Hydramatic was ever bolted up to the 287. He sold the black coupe some years back. I went to his sale when he decided to retire from building Olds cars. Lots of really cool stuff for sale cheap. Eddie is a great guy.
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