BUILD THREAD It Has Begun!
- Thread starter YoDaMic
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That's a great looking car for the most part, and I see a ton of potential. I don't really recommend mixing poly engine mounts with a rubber trans mount though: I broke a th350 bellhousing that way behind a straight 6. Two actually, and to be fair the engine mounts were also old, but it's still not recommended to mix them even when new.
As for front brakes you can upgrade the discs, pads, and even the calipers/ hoses individually with stock or aftermarket parts or just buy a kit of some kind. Camaro, Corvette, etc. parts fit just fine. Go making a ton of changes and you might need a different master cylinder or booster though.
The rears can be upgraded with stock or aftermarket parts as well. Axles can be upgraded to 28 splines with stock parts or more with aftermarket and it's possible to do so cheaply. Torsen Posi units from F bodies or a Powertrax unit are an excellent fit alongside C-Clip eliminators. Girdle covers can be utilized for additional strength. The drum brakes can be modified or simply swapped out in place of discs.
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As for front brakes you can upgrade the discs, pads, and even the calipers/ hoses individually with stock or aftermarket parts or just buy a kit of some kind. Camaro, Corvette, etc. parts fit just fine. Go making a ton of changes and you might need a different master cylinder or booster though.
The rears can be upgraded with stock or aftermarket parts as well. Axles can be upgraded to 28 splines with stock parts or more with aftermarket and it's possible to do so cheaply. Torsen Posi units from F bodies or a Powertrax unit are an excellent fit alongside C-Clip eliminators. Girdle covers can be utilized for additional strength. The drum brakes can be modified or simply swapped out in place of discs.
First thing to break in these GM 7.5 rear end?
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BULLET PROOF 10 BOLT? You be the judge! - Third Generation F-Body Message Boards
Transmissions and Drivetrain - BULLET PROOF 10 BOLT? You be the judge! - http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/12/web/2496000-2496999/2496232_10_full.jpg I like everybody else has distroyed my fair share of 10 bolt differentials! So like everybody else, I optioned to purchase a 12 bolt...
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10 bolt faq
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Thanks doood for the input. Just over 68K. Huge thanks to Sweet_Johnny too! That's a helluva lot of good info you shared and thanks for the compliment and input.
Makes a lot of sense to match the mount materials as to dissipate any movement to a more central location rather than multiple places. Then just be real gentle to her until I can do something about the rear.
steer clear of the solid mount in the transmission department,its notorious for breaking cases.everything else is ok.
Your HP rating is not crazy and won't cause issues with your chassis unless you smash your foot to the floor every time you drive it. I put a BluePrint 383/TH400 in mine with stock chassis and brakes and it's fine and I have a 7.5 rear end with 2.29 posi gears. However, I don't tromp on the pedal from a stop. (A QP 9" will eventually replace the stock rear end.)
As far as your brakes, Blazer brakes are a fairly cheap upgrade. (I will do this to mine with a PowerStop kit) PowerStop makes a good kit with drilled and slotted rotors, but if money is a concern at the moment, then simply making sure your stock calipers, pads and rotors are in good shape.
There is nothing wrong with rubber bushings if all you're gonna do is drive your car and enjoy it. If you plan on autocross or hard cornering then rubber is not an option. I rebuilt my entire front end with all rubber and it works just fine for me. I figure the original set lasted about 100k then this set will last plenty long enough. All I do is enjoy my car. I do get on it some but keep in mind I don't want to break stuff.
Good Luck with your build.
As far as your brakes, Blazer brakes are a fairly cheap upgrade. (I will do this to mine with a PowerStop kit) PowerStop makes a good kit with drilled and slotted rotors, but if money is a concern at the moment, then simply making sure your stock calipers, pads and rotors are in good shape.
There is nothing wrong with rubber bushings if all you're gonna do is drive your car and enjoy it. If you plan on autocross or hard cornering then rubber is not an option. I rebuilt my entire front end with all rubber and it works just fine for me. I figure the original set lasted about 100k then this set will last plenty long enough. All I do is enjoy my car. I do get on it some but keep in mind I don't want to break stuff.
Good Luck with your build.
Thanks SS_Malibu! I'm glad to know the old hindsight thing isn't going to bite me too hard.
Out with the old. Now time for some cleaning.
Time for heart transplant! Any chance you can re-stock that TH400 and get a 4L80e? Or will you put 2.73 or 3.08 gear?
My personal preference is like 2200 RPM at 75 MPH.
My personal preference is like 2200 RPM at 75 MPH.
For brakes I used SSBC on my 79 Cutlass. They have a front caliper upgrade and a rear disc conversion kit. I looked at Wilwood, but I would have had to change spindles up front and drill out my wheels. Plus, of course SSBC is less expensive. For suspension, we used BMI G Body Stage 2 kit, and it fit great, looks great and rides great.
Just do Blazer brakes. You can get the spindles from JAMCAR223 for like $150 shipped. You can get flashy drilled and slotted discs and bright red calipers on RockAuto if you want. It will stop hard and the supply chain should be good for years to come. I have a 1975 Cadillac Seville rear disc setup ready to bolt on. Got that from inlinetube for $450 shipped... came with new ebrake cables.
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