See the state of the art in GM engine manufacturing circa 1963 this original Oldmobile film.
Oldsmobile’s Kettering Engine Plant in Lansing, Michigan is long gone now, of course. Named after Charles F. “Boss” Kettering, head of General Motors Research and one of the leading minds behind the 1949 Olds Rocket V8, the engine plant operated from November of 1948 to June of 1993, turning out its last Olds V8 in 1990. Located a good 100-mile drive west of GM headquarters in Detroit, the Lansing factory complex was an autonomous operation with its own identity—or at least that’s how Olds employees regarded the matter. Part of that spirit of independence was based in in Olds manufacturing its own engines on site.
When the film below was produced in 1963, the first-generation Rocket V8 was nearing the end of its production life. From its initial displacement of 303 cubic inches in 1949, it grew to 324 CID in 1954, 371 CID in 1957, and finally 394 CID in 1959. When it arrived at its ultimate state of tune in 1962-64, the Olds boasted fairly sporty cam timing, a compression ratio of 10.5:1, and was rated at 345 hp. It’s almost a shame that the original Rocket V8 was discontinued in ’64 before it could compete in the ’60s muscle car wars, as it probably would have turned in a respectable performance.
As the 394 Rocket V8s march off the production line in our film, we see the state of the art in GM engine manufacturing in the early ’60s. The basic steps are roughly the same as today, but the manufacturing equipment has evolved considerbly since then, producing major improvements in speed and precision. As the announcer notes, that year the Oldsmobile division marked the production of five million Rocket V8s, and the celebration included the giveaway of a new ’63 Olds with the five-millionth V8. We wonder if the car is still around. Video follows.
I had a Buick Estate wagon with an Olds 350. That thing was indestructible, overheated several times in the Arizona heat and kept on going. A lot of nickel in the mfg process.
The engineering the produced the Rocket V8 is amazing.
But the engineering that produced the machinery that made the Rocket V8 is also amazing.
The first thing that I noticed when watching this was, “Wow, everyone wears glasses.” Then I realized that many of those were probably 1960s safety glasses for eye protection! 😆
I don’t know what Olds did to their engines, but they always seemed smoother and more durable than the Chevy ones that my family owned. Years ago some guys on the Classic Oldsmobile forum did spectrometer testing on some blocks, to dispel the long held belief that Olds blocks had a higher nickel or chromium content. Regardless of whether that’s true, there’s something that made those Olds engines a little better than their lower priced counterparts.
I work at Oldsmobile in Lansing Michigan. We always thought we made the best motors and cars. I remember when the took the motor line out and was also there when the final Olds rolled of the line in building 32. It was A great place to work and we made some classic cars there. The Toronado, the Cutlass, Delta 88 Vista cruiser, 442, broke my heart when the quit making the Oldsmobile. The motor line was very similar to the video in 1990 when they shut it down A few upgrades but not many.