Pulled her out of the garage. Tow truck is coming in the morning to take her to Mom and Dad's. More work space and better tools.
BUILD THREAD It Has Begun!
- Thread starter YoDaMic
- Start date
Pulled her out of the garage. Tow truck is coming in the morning to take her to Mom and Dad's. More work space and better tools.
I want to keep it as original as possible. Interior is about 85% immaculate. Swapping the blown 301 out for an SBC 350 and the THM200 for a TH350. I've got a NOS header panel and a much better fender than the one on there lol. I'd still like to find a NOS fender though as the one I've got is not cherry. Found one on ebay about 2000 miles away, but the dude refuses to ship. Maybe posi rear at some point in the future.
Just an observation, and no offense intended, but why not source a Pontiac 350 and keep it all Pontiac? And original looking under the hood as well. As far as I know the Pontiac blocks are all the same and one can go in place of the other with no issues. Chevy 350’s, while great engines, are like belly buttons, everybody has one and you’ll have to cobble the engine wiring and accessories to get it going. A Poncho 350 is way up there on the Cool scale! IMHO
Loooking forward to your progress, I knew a few people with that Gran Prix back when they were new, nice cars!
Loooking forward to your progress, I knew a few people with that Gran Prix back when they were new, nice cars!
It's cool man, none taken. Biggest goal right now is getting her running, and I don't really have the time to rebuild (covered in my slightly long introduction post). For me, right now it's easier to spend the money and do some conversion work than taking the time, if that makes any sense. A Pontiac 400 is the way to go, but a lot harder to find in my neck of the woods. If I could find a fully built Pontiac motor in the same price range as a crate from Summit, I'd be on it. Still maybe a future dream though. Plus, the SBC and transmission have already been ordered lol.
Radiator, fan, and shroud pulled. Electric, vacuums, and A/C disconnected and labeled.
Asking questions in my own thread. Hopefully someone can chime in.
So without putting any thought about chassis/body, brakes, rear end strength when ordering my engine and transmission, I'm hoping I'm not in too big of a pickle. I know I'm gonna have to spend some money. Car is 100% stock everything.
First, what I ordered and currently have ready to install:
Blueprint 350 SBC 341 HP 371 TQ
TCI Super StreetFigher TH350
TCI Torque Converter Stall 1,600-2,000
UMI Poly Motor Mounts
Anchor Rubber Transmission Mount (like $7?)
I know there's a lot of differing opinions on keeping everything poly, rubber, steel, or mixing. I'd like to keep the bushings, and transmission mount rubber. (opinions welcome)
Big question time: Any suggestions so I don't turn my car into a pretzel? I know a different rear end is in order. How long can I last as long as long as I don't give her hell? BRAKES?!?! I DIDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT BRAKES!!!
I know anyone reading this is probably shaking their head. Please pardon my ignorance. Thanks for any help. 🤦
So without putting any thought about chassis/body, brakes, rear end strength when ordering my engine and transmission, I'm hoping I'm not in too big of a pickle. I know I'm gonna have to spend some money. Car is 100% stock everything.
First, what I ordered and currently have ready to install:
Blueprint 350 SBC 341 HP 371 TQ
TCI Super StreetFigher TH350
TCI Torque Converter Stall 1,600-2,000
UMI Poly Motor Mounts
Anchor Rubber Transmission Mount (like $7?)
I know there's a lot of differing opinions on keeping everything poly, rubber, steel, or mixing. I'd like to keep the bushings, and transmission mount rubber. (opinions welcome)
Big question time: Any suggestions so I don't turn my car into a pretzel? I know a different rear end is in order. How long can I last as long as long as I don't give her hell? BRAKES?!?! I DIDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT BRAKES!!!
I know anyone reading this is probably shaking their head. Please pardon my ignorance. Thanks for any help. 🤦
For brakes that are inexpensive, maybe blazer spindle and caliper upgrade. For the rear end, I don't think there's a cheap upgrade, except be nice to the skinny pedal.
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