Classic Car Rebuild?

[brchixwing]

Always got a soft spot for GM trucks late 80's into the 90's, they always make me think Beretta 92. They are duallies but 2 GM truck scenes I always liked from the era -- Lethal Weapon and Replacement Killers

Since you mentioned a truck (putting flame suit on) a nice mid 90's C1500 shortbed would make a sweet ride. Lots of cool go fast goodies, AC, Cruise, PS, PB, Etc. Etc. Etc. Drop it down a couple of inches, nice wheels and tires, good exhaust and then drive it like that until you score a sweet deal on an LS swap and don't look back!

The ex had one I tried to buy back about a week to late from the guy that wrecked it two owners later.

Almost identical to hers and available in Flint.

This one's in Augusta

 

[gregkl]

Since you mentioned a truck (putting flame suit on) a nice mid 90's C1500 shortbed would make a sweet ride. Lots of cool go fast goodies, AC, Cruise, PS, PB, Etc. Etc. Etc. Drop it down a couple of inches, nice wheels and tires, good exhaust and then drive it like that until you score a sweet deal on an LS swap and don't look back!

The ex had one I tried to buy back about a week to late from the guy that wrecked it two owners later.

Almost identical to hers and available in Flint.

Flint. lol. That is where I grew up.

I'd have to drop back at least into the 70's for a Chevy truck. If I did a late 70's there is a possibility I put the original paint on it!

 

[gregkl]

Completely understand your love for GM, my dream car is a properly restomodded 67-69 Camaro, preferably with an LS swap. To this day there has never been another production car I like more than the first gen Camaro! Not sure if you're into C2's as much as C1's but this auction is live! https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1964-chevrolet-corvette-25/

Truck is certainly the most practical & anything with a 454 is going to put a huge grin on your face every time you're in front at a red light!

A '69 Camaro may be my most favorite older car. I know everyone has one, but that never bothered me about anything.

But I am also partial to Buick's as I grew up in Buick Town (Flint)

 

[churchmouse]

Completely understand your love for GM, my dream car is a properly restomodded 67-69 Camaro, preferably with an LS swap. To this day there has never been another production car I like more than the first gen Camaro! Not sure if you're into C2's as much as C1's but this auction is live! https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1964-chevrolet-corvette-25/

Truck is certainly the most practical & anything with a 454 is going to put a huge grin on your face every time you're in front at a red light!

1st gen Camaros rule.
This was going to be a Resto-Mod in our way of seeing these things. That was the original plans. Drug the body out from behind a barn in Missouri. No dog house, interior, drive train. Just the shell and front clip. It had taken a heller hit drivers front as the frame was tweaked badly. Put it on the trailer and home. On the Roto. only to find it was a serious mess underneath.

Ok. Regroup. Draw up new plans. Lets go drag racing again. We back halfed the car. Put the frame clip on the rack and pout it back in spec. All after market suspension up front. Narrowed 9" on 3 bar and coil overs in the rear.
T-400 with a brake and serious converter.
The flaws in the pic are the pic not the car.....

496 stroker. Merlin block/heads. Ohio crankshaft rotating assembly. Huge balls....

Huge balls.....

Plans change. Budgets are ruined. Follow your heart.

 

[thunderchicken]

Oh great..now I'm trying to keep up with two hot rod threads

 

[brchixwing]

Damn that Camaro is a masterpiece!! That block is beautiful and I just spent 5 minutes examining how you clean you guys laid out all your hoses & wires. Stupid detail but really like how you mounted the ignition coil perpendicular to the distributor & it is color matched to your spark wires. Do many drag cars run the cluster in front of the windshield?

1st gen Camaros rule.
This was going to be a Resto-Mod in our way of seeing these things. That was the original plans. Drug the body out from behind a barn in Missouri. No dog house, interior, drive train. Just the shell and front clip. It had taken a heller hit drivers front as the frame was tweaked badly. Put it on the trailer and home. On the Roto. only to find it was a serious mess underneath.

Ok. Regroup. Draw up new plans. Lets go drag racing again. We back halfed the car. Put the frame clip on the rack and pout it back in spec. All after market suspension up front. Narrowed 9" on 3 bar and coil overs in the rear.
T-400 with a brake and serious converter.
The flaws in the pic are the pic not the car.....

496 stroker. Merlin block/heads. Ohio crankshaft rotating assembly. Huge balls....

Huge balls.....

Plans change. Budgets are ruined. Follow your heart.

 

[maxwelhse]

I've been lurking on this one for awhile... As a guy with a bit less experience than a couple of the automotive legends we've got on INGO (I've worked on a couple of restorations, but not 20), but has been spinning wrenches for 20 years now, I suggest you move your timeline up into the 80s or 90s. It may not be the ideal car you want, but something like the OBS Chevy trucks posted above are absolutely perfect for a first timer in the game, IMO. Find a clean one from out west, drop an LS in it, ride out for a year or two, and sell it at a profit as the market for those is on the way up since square bodies are getting priced to the moon (ex. the last NOS grill I saw for our square body GMC was $1500 on eBay and it's not reproduced... want the matching "GMC" too? Another $800... NOS dash pad? $1200... and on and on... crazy prices).

IMO, G bodies and 3rd gen Cammies are in that list too. Easy to get parts, easy to work on, and decent cars aren't priced to the moon... yet. Honest Carlo SS cars with low miles are bringing what used to be GN money not too long ago. A decent SS "clone" build should be within mortal budget and talent and still be a bucket of fun without the guilt of cutting your teeth on a much more expensive car. You could also drop into the world of BOP kink and save yourself some upfront cost on the car. I've always had a soft spot for late '80s Cutlasses, personally. Same bits drop on to them as any other G body.

So... If you're serious that this is something you want to do, do it! Just, maybe, start with a smaller appetizer before you get on to your eventual main course. That's how I ended up with a Fox Mustang... Budget I could afford, easy to get parts, not bad to work on, and super fun. Plus, time is on my side as that car is actually coming UP in value from where I bought it (IMO... some guys will claim any clean Fox is still only a $500 car)...

Anyhow... Good luck!

 

[churchmouse]

Damn that Camaro is a masterpiece!! That block is beautiful and I just spent 5 minutes examining how you clean you guys laid out all your hoses & wires. Stupid detail but really like how you mounted the ignition coil perpendicular to the distributor & it is color matched to your spark wires. Do many drag cars run the cluster in front of the windshield?

Gauge clusters are all over the place depending on the owner/driver/builder. I have always believed if you have to take your eyes off what you are doing then you are doing it wrong.
We checked gauges just before staging and coming back the return road. If you hurt the engine it will tell you before you turn off at the longer tracks where you have the time to look.

This is the interior of the 65 Biscayne we ran with the Camaro. All Bracket Racing all the time. This car had plates on it. Saw a lot of time at cruise nights and its share of street racing.

 

[churchmouse]

OP......There are deals out there if you look. I was in the right place at the right time and scored this 65 Biscayne 2 door post car with 71K on the clock. Arizona car. It was in really good shape. 350 4 speed that was tired but for $3500 who cared.

Yes it had plates. Street car....
This is after 6 months of intense work and many many dollars.

Look around. Be patient. Something will pop up. Just be ready. If you wait you might loose.

 

[brchixwing]

Very cool, you guys nailed it with analog "heads up displays" way before the dashboard projectors. Theres a series on Netflix, "Fastest Car", you'd enjoy if you haven't seen it. Lots of the old school vs. new school, with quite a few old school drag cars that smoke super cars (straight line).

Anyone here ever go out to Cars & Coffee? OP, might be a fun time for you to meet other guys in the hobby! I usually learn a thing or 2 whenever I go.

https://www.facebook.com/IndyCarsandCoffee/

Gauge clusters are all over the place depending on the owner/driver/builder. I have always believed if you have to take your eyes off what you are doing then you are doing it wrong.
We checked gauges just before staging and coming back the return road. If you hurt the engine it will tell you before you turn off at the longer tracks where you have the time to look.

This is the interior of the 65 Biscayne we ran with the Camaro. All Bracket Racing all the time. This car had plates on it. Saw a lot of time at cruise nights and its share of street racing.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Okay, so I've got this 2011 Hyundai Elantra Touring... looks like a little station wagon and it's front wheel drive. If I want to do wheel standers, I put the fat tires on the front, the skinny tires on the rear, and take off in reverse, right?

 

[brchixwing]

Don't forget the speed holes! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3ja6Hn8ps4

Okay, so I've got this 2011 Hyundai Elantra Touring... looks like a little station wagon and it's front wheel drive. If I want to do wheel standers, I put the fat tires on the front, the skinny tires on the rear, and take off in reverse, right?

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Don't forget the speed holes! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3ja6Hn8ps4

But do I put them in the front or the back? I'm leaning towards back since I'll be going in reverse and all.

 

[maxwelhse]

Okay, so I've got this 2011 Hyundai Elantra Touring... looks like a little station wagon and it's front wheel drive. If I want to do wheel standers, I put the fat tires on the front, the skinny tires on the rear, and take off in reverse, right?

You just need a second one... and forget the wheel stands...

[video=youtube;1fQUCUGwX5I]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fQUCUGwX5I[/video]

 

[churchmouse]

You just need a second one... and forget the wheel stands...

[video=youtube;1fQUCUGwX5I]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fQUCUGwX5I[/video]

Wow

 

[DoggyDaddy]

You just need a second one... and forget the wheel stands...

[video=youtube;1fQUCUGwX5I]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fQUCUGwX5I[/video]

600+ HP?? Yeah, I'm gonna need something else. I think my Hyundai and John Deere lawn tractor are pretty close in HP.

 

[maxwelhse]

600+ HP?? Yeah, I'm gonna need something else. I think my Hyundai and John Deere lawn tractor are pretty close in HP.

I've been tempted more than once to zetec swap my Escort wagon, and then boost it. 88hp to 350hp, with the same grandma clothes...

We can start with your tractor if you want!

In defense of all of this silliness in this more and more hijacked thread... My Escort technically is "a classic".

 

[femurphy77]

The older Hyundai and Mitsubishi products shared an engine at least for awhile I believe. I had a laser for a couple of years with the 2 liter turbo. The cast aluminum valve cover was cracked and leaking so while walking thru a salvage yard one day I spied on one a Hyundai of all things and it was the same engine less turbo.

On a side note I had looked into buying a second mitsu and doing a mid engine conversion on it. All the measurements looked good and I seriously considered it but as always I already had plenty of projects.

 

[churchmouse]

The older Hyundai and Mitsubishi products shared an engine at least for awhile I believe. I had a laser for a couple of years with the 2 liter turbo. The cast aluminum valve cover was cracked and leaking so while walking thru a salvage yard one day I spied on one a Hyundai of all things and it was the same engine less turbo.

On a side note I had looked into buying a second mitsu and doing a mid engine conversion on it. All the measurements looked good and I seriously considered it but as always I already had plenty of projects.

I helped a racing buddy do a mid engine in a corvair. It never got finished. I helped build the frame and set the engine. After I stopped it languished. Sad. It would have been a neat car.

 

[femurphy77]

I helped a racing buddy do a mid engine in a corvair. It never got finished. I helped build the frame and set the engine. After I stopped it languished. Sad. It would have been a neat car.

Hey maybe I need to get you to "Help" me on my projects!!! Maybe some of them would start winding up.