The next crazy story:
Oh dear, there was a complete, working 1978 UPP Revcon drivetrain in Crystal River, Fl; with transmission and everything, and with just over 100,000 km on the clock, lying around for USD 400. "What to do?" said Zeus.
Simple answer!
I just bought for €381!
A pittance, even if it turns out to be a bad investment. Actions speak louder than words. Why all this?
Because I can.
The entire subframe with the 6.6 Oldsmobile Toronado V8 and 425 transmission – the converter alone is expensive without shipping – has to go on a pallet and into a wooden crate. Transport would again be via the previous owner's Revcon route (just like with the windshield)
on the bed of a pickup truck from Linden, New Jersey to Europe.
So was the original plan.
Storage in Saxony at my mechanic's place there.
The engine and transmission ran perfectly before removal – 62,000 miles.
Basically, I bought this:
When I think about what just the steering knuckles cost, I'm definitely better off with a complete drivetrain as a parts donor, just in case. Of course, I might never need it. Let's hope so.
As a reminder:
To keep the drivetrain compact and avoid excessive weight on the front axle, the transmission was positioned next to the longitudinally mounted engine. The torque converter was mounted directly at the rear of the V8 engine, and power was transferred to the transmission via a chain that was rotated 180 degrees. The system was carefully engineered and proved to be very robust. The entire unit, the so-called "Unitized Power Package," was mounted on a subframe, and the use of torsion bars on the front axle freed up more space in the engine compartment.
Lee, the salesman from the UPP, another FB Revcon-Group contact, is a carpenter.
He built me a sturdy transport crate
according to my specifications within
one week. Another lucky coincidence.
Fancy a little Saturday lesson, ladies and gentlemen?
Then let's get started with a detailed explanation of the UPP, a true revolution in U.S. car manufacturing at the time.
"The new Unitized Power Package – it was the culmination of a long powertrain project at GM!
When the Oldsmobile Toronado was launched in 1966 as the first vehicle with UPP drive, it marked a turning point for the American automotive industry. General Motors took the plunge and introduced a front-wheel-drive coupe – the very first American front-wheel-drive car since the 1930s. The last time America had produced a front-wheel-drive car was in 1937, when the luxury compact car manufacturer Cord went bankrupt for the second time due to massive financial irregularities.
The UPP project underwent a lengthy development phase of nine years, beginning in 1958. GM appointed John Beltz to lead the project. Beltz was considered a rising star at Oldsmobile and, during the development of the UPP project, successfully brought another important project to market: the 1964 Oldsmobile 4-4-2."
It was important that Oldsmobile was equipped with the UPP first for two reasons:
The first reason lay in Oldsmobile's very nature as the GM brand that, with its top engineers, developed and implemented the most innovative ideas.
The second reason was practical. The UPP system had to prove itself in real-world driving conditions, far beyond the capabilities of engineers using test vehicles. Ordinary people needed to drive the UPP-equipped Toronados in real-world conditions to uncover any potential serious flaws. Only then could GM allow its Cadillac brand, the "global benchmark," to introduce the new powertrain.
Originally, the UPP project was intended to be quick and inexpensive. However, the project took longer than planned, and costs skyrocketed. The challenge of fitting a V8 engine, an automatic transmission, and all the other drivetrain components into the space typically reserved for the engine alone presented numerous problems. A longitudinal arrangement was chosen, and the engine was moved to the right in the engine compartment.
The space had to be sufficient to accommodate the transmission, which was split into two halves. The transmission was originally based on the Turbo-Hydramatic 400 (THM400). The front of the transmission was rotated 180 degrees so that it faced forward, while the torque converter remained in its usual position at the rear of the engine. The resulting transmission was designated the THM425.
A major engineering challenge was the power transmission between the torque converter and the transmission input shaft. This had been a problem with Cord's front-wheel-drive vehicles from the 1930s and led to their unreliability. GM's solution was to use a 5 cm wide chain with two 19 cm sprockets. The chain was a steel link chain and was developed by Morse Chain, a division of BorgWarner. The chain design proved to be quiet and reliable.
Steering and suspension were achieved via universal joints connected to the drive shafts. General Motors was so concerned about the reliability of the complex UPP system that it was tested for over 1.5 million miles (2.4 million kilometers). This distance was covered by more than a dozen test vehicles. Assuming an average speed of 55 mph, this resulted in 27,272 test hours.
The over-engineered powertrain was thus ready for use in the Oldsmobile Toronado and the Cadillac Eldorado, with the two expensive coupes helping to spread the costs incurred during the extended development period of the UPP.
The UPP system was so robust that it was famously adapted for use in heavy-duty motorhomes. From 1973 to 1978, GMC produced its motorhome, which used the same drivetrain components as the Toronado and Eldorado. The Class A motorhome, assembled by Pontiac West Assembly, was equipped with either a 7.5-liter Rocket V8 engine (455) or a 6.6-liter Oldsmobile V8 engine (403).
Final development came in the form of downsizing and weight reduction following the 1973 OPEC crisis. The UPP transmission was slimmed down in 1979 for use in the smaller E-body coupes (Riviera, Toronado, Eldorado). The engines were smaller (4.1 to 6.0 liters of displacement), and the Riviera was available with front-wheel drive for the first time. The lighter THM325 replaced the THM425 transmission in these models.
The UPP program ran until 1984. In 1985, in light of the anticipated astronomical fuel prices at the end of the 1980s, GM launched its completely downsized vehicles company-wide. With front-wheel drive, a significantly reduced design, and minimal brand differentiation, GM left its once proud UPP program behind.
As we wrapped up the latest installment in the Rare Rides series on the Cadillac Eldorado, we reached a turning point in the prestigious coupe’s identity: it became front-wheel drive. Underneath the ‘67 Eldorado’s smooth and angular body was the new Unitized Power Package, the UPP. And it was...
www.thetruthaboutcars.com
And there were actually some idiots in the local Austrian U.S. Car scene who had the following "opinion" about the Toronado/Eldorado: "Front-wheel drive in U.S. cars? HIHI!"
A 1973 Olds Toronado would be on my medium-term wish list, but please with driver and passenger airbags.