I have a 1973 oldsmobile Omega. I'm planning on putting a sbc motor in it. I was wondering if anybody knew if Nova parts would fit on it, like suspension and headers and all that.  

As much as I hate to see a SBC in an Omega, to answer your question, yes all the Nova suspension and frame parts will work.  

I was going to put an Olds 455 in it, but I'm on a rather tight budget, so a SBC is the cheapest alternative for me. Thanks for the info.  

Man - I like Omegas, but I hate to see a Cheb engine in it too.  While I realize you probably want the most bang for the buck, the Olds 350 is no slouch and there is a bunch of advantages to them.  They don't rev real high but make tons of torque at the lower end.  They can be made to rev high, so depending on your budget an Olds engine can be a good choice as well as the Chebby.  

Me and about four other guys on this rag know quite a bit about Olds power, so we could walk you through it (if you want). If you go to a Chev engine you are going to have to change trannies too, unless you have a tranny with the universal bell housing.  Most of those came on 200-4r transmissions - some Turbo 350s.  But if you have an Olds tranny in there, it won't bolt up to a Chev.  Probably not telling you anything you don't already know.  

Just thought I would throw in my two cents.

Bowser    

No Omega ever came with a 200-r4 transmission. The 200-r4 didn't make an appearance until 1982-83 and by then the Omega had become a FWD car.  And '73 I believe was too early for even the TH-200.  If he is going from an Olds engine to a Chevy one he will need a new transmission or an adapter plate.

When walking around car shows or at drag strips I am usually more impressed with cars that are powered by engines of the same lineage, so my vote is still keep an Olds engine in it, there are enough Nova's with Chevy engines.  

Yea - I know they didn't.  I made mention of it because 200-4Rs are the only automatics that I know of made by GM that did come with a universal bolt pattern on the bellhousing.

Agreed that he is going to have to change the tranny or use an adapter.  Also agree that he should keep it all Oldsmobile.

Bowser    

OK  

I was actually thinking of putting a four-speed manual behind it for a bit of fun.
Also, I really wouldn't mind Olds power, but I am fortunate to have actually found a good four bolt main chevy 350 block near where I live.  

I may have access to an Olds 455, the only thing is it's in a '76 or'77 Toronado. Are these motors built any differently than a motor from a rear-drive car? Will a normal tranny bolt up to it, and will all external parts fit. Also, what could I use for headers for it? Oh, another thing, does any aftermarket companies make a cowl hood for my car, or would I have to cut up my original hood?  

There are some Olds people around here that probably know for sure, but the only thing that could be different between the Toronado's 455 and any RWD 455 would be the oil pan and oil pump pick up. If that's the case then all you would need is an Oil Pan and an Oil Pump/pick up. But perhaps they are the same, I just don't know enough about the transaxle's layout under the engine.  

Have you considered going Buick? A 350 Buick will mount fairly well in that car sets factory up,and their almost as light as sbc engines.And with the longer stroke,they make a ton of torq.They rev good too.I had a 68' Buick 350 out of Wildcat rated @ 365 hp/375lbs.torq.You'd have to get heads with new enough to have salyte valves,or have newer style valves and seets installed,but it'd be lesser cost than all the chev convert's.And Buick sb will take way more hard running than sbc will.The crank is beafier as are the rods,and the block is stout enough for BB cubes.Just a thought to consider.  

I still say go Olds. I think you have the Big Block Buick confused with the Small Block Buick in weight. SBB weighs 450lbs vs. SBC 575lbs vs BBB 640 (with Alum heads and Intake ~580lbs) vs. SBOlds 560lbs.  

Unless you had a different engine put in, the '68 Wildcat only came with the 430cid Buick engine (at those spec's) which is a Big Block Buick, and quite stout as you pointed out, but not a Small Block 350

http://carnut.com/specs/engdim.html  

OK,Old's and Buick both had mass in mind for ways of defining BB back then.I had a 350 cid V8 Buick my father bought from a guy he worked with in 83'.HE told me it was a 68'. The MOTOR repair man. covering mid-late 60's thrue early 70's has the specs.IT had a "350 WILDCAT" emblem on the air cleaner from factory.The car was original.It had a 3.80 stroke and 3.685 or sum shyt like that for bore.It was a helofalot heavier than 450 lbs.Yes it was a bit smaller than my Olds 350 Rocket,but the heads were neer 100 by themselves,as to chev 74lbs each assembled.Also,the intake man. was twice as big as chev.The crank in it looked like could b for a BBC by size.And Buick did make at least 1 455cid WILDCAT .I had a conversation with a guy up here @ a cruisin some time back,cause Id never seen 1.Twas one of few made custom to dealer order,as he told the details.I to this day have yet to find literature on one,but he had the factory sales slip from the dealer were he ordered the car.It stated 455cid/wildcat engine package.Cant remember the old farmers name anymore,just that he ordered the thing befor going to war.But its been a few yrs.now since he and I spoke.Any way the 350 I had carried the same package as a 430,and dad always said it was considered a BB,so prob was.Since getting into sbc junk,on account of helping others,I seem to forget time to time a 350 isnt a SB just cause of cid.MY opologies for bad form.I do slip on occasion.  

Buick's actually had the opposite of more mass in-mind (hence the thin wall castings and far lighter big and small blocks).  The smallest Big Block Buick made was the 400.  The "350" on the air cleaner was either placed on there later or was the torque rating which was popular to put on the air cleaner (WildCat 375,410,445,465 Electra 225,445,etc.) Only one year Wildcat came with the 455, 1970.  Unlike the Olds 455 which debuted in 1968, the Buick's was not made until 1970, so 1967-1969 they got the 430.

I have a general automotive book showing the car makes and engines availible in them, but here is a site that covers the Wildcats.
http://silverstone.fortunecity.com/saab/307/
and because I like this one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buick_V8_engine  

I put that engine in my high school car summer of 91',so you can imagine my mem is vaige to some of the details,but what I do know is all the specs for it were same as the 430 dwell timing,firing order,etc.I do remember the 455 was derived from a stroked 430.Something else a guy I know found about 4yrs,In a book or website was that GM opened the floodgates to buick in 67'for 8 months and that was when they stroked the 430 to make the 455,designed a set of hemispherical heads for it(which never made production) and made so much HP(800 or so)that GM cut their nuts on the project.Jason is a huge Buick guru and he knew Ive always prefered Buick-Old's,so you can imagine the adrenaline in the conversation.GM later"ALLOWED" Buick to use the standard head program on the stroker to compete in the BB market.He did enough research,and found a picture of the original built 455 with the alluminum hemisphericals. Supposedly there were 2 built 1 with a forced induct,the other natural asp.But due to HP restrictions back then they never made production.You may well know all this,just food 4 thought!