777-80 TA

Which is a better motor- 455 or the 403. Can a 350 turbo tranny be used with these motors.
Has anyone heard of an original 429 in a 80TA?
Which model year is the most valuable to restore?
Thanks  

The 455 is the better engine.
As far as I know they never had a 429 in any of the 1980 TA's or any Ta for that matter.  
professional hi-performance engine builder

Horsepower sells engines and torque wins races

All of GM's 455's (Buick,Olds and Pontiac all had a 455 of their own) are better than the 403 Olds. It's not a bad engine, just consider that it was a light weight casting designed in the smogger years. It was never available in any HP above 185 although it can be modified for considerably more power.
With the possible exception of Cadillac, I don't believe GM ever produced a 429 cubic inch V8. The largest engine available in a 1980 TA/Firebird was a Chevy 305, the highest HP was the Turbo 301 at 210HP.
Yes the TH350 trans can be used behind all of the 455's and the 403. They all used the same bellhousing pattern, however you need a TH350 that has either the dual-pattern bell or a BOP (Buick/Olds/Pontiac) pattern. The next issue is strength, a well built Th350 will last for some time behind the big motors if you respect it and don't abuse it constantly. Otherwise look for a TH400.
Steve  
A little help... 'cause we don't all have to learn the hard way!

A 403 will kick ass.....It's just a bored out Olds 350. The 403 bore and stroke are 4.351 x 3.385 inches for a bore/stroke relationship of 1.285-to-1. It has high rev potential when equipped with good breathing and exhaust components. Their major weakness is the cast aluminum pistons and should be replaced with forged versions. They will fail if pushed to the limit.

Without going into a lot of detail, let me just offer this. Oldsmobile had some hot muscle cars in the late sixties and early seventies. My '79 silver Anniversary with a 403 is still one of my favorite Trans Am's. I gave it to my daughter.

With a proper cam and everything set right, it screams. One night she and I were on a long deserted road. She in her '79 403 Trans Am, and me in My '78 400 Trans Am - they were both cammed and tweaked.

We obviously had the same thought considering the long length of bare road and got right next to each other and floored it.

She was instantly out in front of me with the 403's shear torque and really crisp shifting turbo 350, then we stayed side by side with this maniacal look on our face as we were obviously holding it to the floor. The 400 pulled pretty far ahead when it got down to serious speed though. But I really think she backed off out of a sense of wanting to live and not get a ticket.

Bottom line, I love that Old's 403 as much as any Pontiac engine I've had - and that includes a 455HO 4 speed, Turbo 301's, Pontiac 350's, and several well built 400's. It has a lot to do with a well built 350 tranny, a well thought out cam and a very non-restrictive exhaust. I have wondered if the Silver Anniversary may have actually had a modified 403 from the factory. It had other unusual items like two factory installed 12 inch speakers built into the wall vertically between the back seats and the trunk.

Brazil