G3GM
Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.

Hello from Nebraska

+3
thatfnthing
Laguna Budman
Hillbilly
7 posters

Go down

Hello from Nebraska Empty Hello from Nebraska

Post by Hillbilly Thu Apr 07, 2016 4:54 pm

So I guess I married into this group a few years ago when I married my wife.  She still has her '74 Malibu Classic 2 door from her high school days.  It was a low mileage survivor in 1996 when her dad bought it for her but 4 years of high school and a couple of years of college did age it a little.  After developing a major oil usage issue it was parked in the shed on the farm and sits there today hopefully to be rescued and repaired/improved as soon as I can get a shop finally build.  Nothing too exciting just a 2bbl 350/th350 and what I am guessing is a set of 2.73 gears.

I have always been a camaro guy not has a choice but more because of economics.  In high school I bought a 81 z28 camaro and spent most of my time and money for the next 4+ years attempting to make it quick.  Life slowed me down a bit and when deciding how to bring it back to like new condition I took the easy way out and bought a low mileage 80 z28 and swapped most of my good parts from my HS car into it.  It was a 350/st10/3.42 car but that has all changed now and it has a .060 over 427 with ported Brodix heads, 10 to 1 compression, solid roller, with a Dominator topped Victor 4500 oval port intake with a 2 stage plate system adding 350 or so HP.  The transmission is a transbraked th400 with a 4500 nitrous converter and it has a 69 camaro 12 bolt with 4.10 gears.  In 2011 I got 3rd in the big block power adder class at Hotrod's Drag week.  It recently went 6.20 in the 1/8th at a local track in dire need of suspension work.  

I tend to do things just a bit different and so at age 36 I decided my life wasn't complicated enough and I needed to return to school after a 17 year hiatus.  In less than a month I will graduate with my degree in mechanical engineering.  Then to add to the fun a little over 7 months ago my first child was born, a little girl.

So in the past 6 months I have been looking for something that will fit all the needs of a dad but also be fun to DD.  It can't be as wild as my camaro but must be cool and have reasonable power.  Knowing the less I spent on a car the more I could spend on the drivetrain.  Recently one of my buddies was given a '74 malibu 4 door with 18k original miles. His wife hates it and for some reason she thinks 5 cars are too many for one family, that is just silly talk.  I have arranged to buy it once I have a income coming in again.  It has the same drivetrain as my wifes car.  Really very clean but since it is a 4 door I am hoping you guys won't hate me for a few simple mods.  The plan is to build what i would call a "Dad Hot Rod".  You know what you would have ordered from GM when your wife finally convinced you the '70 Chevelle ss 454 wasn't cutting it as the family car any longer.  Knowing with a kid in a car seat if you come home with another 2 door you won't have to worry about having another kid, so you look at the 4 doors.  Even so you just can't live without the power of that big block and you sure can't keep any of your dignity with a slush-o-matic handling the gear changes.  This forces you to order a 454 4 speed 4 door.   Ok in reality I plan on first getting it tuned up, adding a radio, getting the suspension tuned up and adding the 3.08 posi I have from my first camaro.  The long term is to build a 489-505 big block with a hydraulic roller, 265 AFR heads, 10 to 1 compression, a performer rpm qjet and a 800 cfm Q jet.  I want to make this engine look as close to a stock 454 by grinding off the identification marks and painting the heads and intake, adding a stock air cleaner and doing anything I reasonably can to make it look gm fresh with all the PCV plumbing and emission vac plumbing.  I have a pretty hard time using the stock pancake intake and exhaust manifolds because they limit power so much but that is still up in the air.  The ultimate goal is 600-650 lb-ft of torque and 580-600hp all done at 5500 rpm.  To handle the power the plan is to follow it with a TKO600.  I plan on keeping the 10 bolt but the gears will end up in the 3.23 to 3.42 range.  I am hoping that even with it weighing close to 4400lbs I can get it to the 12.00s and using the overdrive and qjet get into the low to mid 20s with mpg.  This may be overly optimistic but I have to have a goal and why not aim high.  I want the engine to have enough low speed tq that it will be possible to gear it to turn 1500 or so rpm at 65 and not struggle.

I hope you guys and help me with the 4 door as well as my wifes car.  
Thanks for listening


Hello from Nebraska Hrdp-2011-drag-week-big-block-pa-f-1841
This is my beater camaro on drag week

Hillbilly
G3GM Member
G3GM Member

Street Cred : 0

Back to top Go down

Hello from Nebraska Empty Re: Hello from Nebraska

Post by Laguna Budman Thu Apr 07, 2016 6:34 pm

Welcome neighbor! I'm in Rapid City SD
Laguna Budman
Laguna Budman
G3GM Enthusiast
G3GM Enthusiast

Street Cred : 9

Back to top Go down

Hello from Nebraska Empty Re: Hello from Nebraska

Post by thatfnthing Fri Apr 08, 2016 8:40 am

Welcome! Happy to help in whatever way we can!
thatfnthing
thatfnthing
Donating Member
Donating Member

Street Cred : 65

Back to top Go down

Hello from Nebraska Empty Re: Hello from Nebraska

Post by Dinomyte Fri Apr 08, 2016 10:28 am

Welcome . . . .
Dinomyte
Dinomyte
Donating Member
Donating Member

Street Cred : 11

Back to top Go down

Hello from Nebraska Empty Re: Hello from Nebraska

Post by 77mali Sat Apr 09, 2016 8:40 am

Welcome (we like Camaros too...well most of us but don't tell anyone).
77mali
77mali
Donating Member
Donating Member

Street Cred : 62

Back to top Go down

Hello from Nebraska Empty Re: Hello from Nebraska

Post by Oldschool454 Sat Apr 09, 2016 8:51 am

Welcome to the board. Sounds like that would be pretty much the coolest 4 door build I would ever see. lol I'm from Omaha and have a green and white 76 laguna and an all silver 76 laguna. Looking forward to seeing your progress. Maybe I'll see ya around town.
Oldschool454
Oldschool454
G3GM Member
G3GM Member

Street Cred : 5

Back to top Go down

Hello from Nebraska Empty Re: Hello from Nebraska

Post by knightfan26917 Sun Apr 10, 2016 6:23 pm

WELCOME!


Cort > www.oldcarsstronghearts.com
pigValve.paceMaker.cowValve | 79 CC to 1995 Mercury Grand Marquis?!
"Things have changed since you've been gone" __ Pam Tillis __ 'Land Of The Living'
knightfan26917
knightfan26917
G3GM Senior Member
G3GM Senior Member

Street Cred : 8

Back to top Go down

Hello from Nebraska Empty Re: Hello from Nebraska

Post by Sponsored content


Sponsored content


Back to top Go down

Back to top


 
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum