The engine under the roof is the 394 Rocket V8 installed by Oldsmobile before the car rolled off the assembly lines. ... The 394 was the only engine available on the 1964 Starfire.

That Olds Feeling. There were no lowly six-cylinder engines for the 1959 Oldsmobiles— leave those to Communists and bargain hunters! ... and the Super 88s got a 394 good for 315 horsepower.

Both engines were built to Oldsmobile specifications that dictated "production architecture." In other words, they had to maintain the stock 100mm bore centers plus the valve spacing and angles of ...

The carmaker also refreshed the engine lineup, upgrading the output of the standard engine to 280 horsepower. The Sky Rocket unit, which came as a 394 (6.5-liter) offered standard on the Super 88 ...