1988 monte build begins

[StumpyG]

Hello all, awhile ago I picked an 88 monte carlo ss that had sat neglected for quite some time and then abused. The original 305 and 2004r are long gone and in its place is a generic truck 350 sbc and th350. The person I purchased it from doesnt know where the original engine/trans ended up and he claimed is was just used a burnout car. Without the original engine I guess an LS swap is in order. I have a gen IV all aluminum 6.0 being built and thats pretty much the only decision I have commited to so far. I am going to stay with an automatic transmission and it will most likely be a 4l80. I would like to lower it 2 ish inches using drop spindles and a tall lower ball joint. The new springs will be a difficult choice as the weight of the ls will be greatly lower than the outgoing sbc. I would like the car to remain as much GM products as possible so most likely doing the blazer brake upgrade. I have been reading many of the threads here about front springs and I think I may need to wait until I have then engine and trans in place before cutting coils to get the ride height I would like. So for starters I would appreciate some input as to what springs should I get to start with? Would the cutting Moog 5660 springs down a bit result in a harsher ride?

 

[SupremeSpeed]

Hello all, awhile ago I picked an 88 monte carlo ss that had sat neglected for quite some time and then abused. The original 305 and 2004r are long gone and in its place is a generic truck 350 sbc and th350. The person I purchased it from doesnt know where the original engine/trans ended up and he claimed is was just used a burnout car. Without the original engine I guess an LS swap is in order. I have a gen IV all aluminum 6.0 being built and thats pretty much the only decision I have commited to so far. I am going to stay with an automatic transmission and it will most likely be a 4l80. I would like to lower it 2 ish inches using drop spindles and a tall lower ball joint. The new springs will be a difficult choice as the weight of the ls will be greatly lower than the outgoing sbc. I would like the car to remain as much GM products as possible so most likely doing the blazer brake upgrade. I have been reading many of the threads here about front springs and I think I may need to wait until I have then engine and trans in place before cutting coils to get the ride height I would like. So for starters I would appreciate some input as to what springs should I get to start with? Would the citting Moog 5660 springs down a bit result in a harsher ride?

Nice score, I will be watching your thread. I'm no pro, but there are some very knowledgeable guys here, that I'm sure will chime in.

 

[88AZSS]

Youre on the right track with the Blazer brake upgrade, one of the best things I did to my MC. There is a kit for sale from JAMCAR223 in the for sale section right now I believe. Very reputable seller and stand up guy. He is who I purchased my setup from. I cut half a coil on my 5660 moog springs when installing and have about 100 miles on them and cant say theyre very harsh. Thats from replacing original sagging springs though so my baseline was very low as it is. How you will enjoy the ride is subjective though so its mostly a trial and error type of thing. I have the stock 305 and 2004R trans too so with you going LS and 4L80 it will make a difference in weight.

Lots of knowledge here on the site. Dont be afraid to ask questions and appreciate the feedback for best results. We also love pictures too, post up as many as you can! Good luck and welcome.

 

[StumpyG]

Youre on the right track with the Blazer brake upgrade, one of the best things I did to my MC. There is a kit for sale from JAMCAR223 in the for sale section right now I believe. Very reputable seller and stand up guy. He is who I purchased my setup from. I cut half a coil on my 5660 moog springs when installing and have about 100 miles on them and cant say theyre very harsh. Thats from replacing original sagging springs though so my baseline was very low as it is. How you will enjoy the ride is subjective though so its mostly a trial and error type of thing. I have the stock 305 and 2004R trans too so with you going LS and 4L80 it will make a difference in weight.

Lots of knowledge here on the site. Dont be afraid to ask questions and appreciate the feedback for best results. We also love pictures too, post up as many as you can! Good luck and welcome.

Thank you very much 🙂 I would like to do things once so making the right decisions and getting to right parts the first time is what I am aiming for. I will take a look for the brake set up you mentioned. Thanks again!

I took a look at the spindles you mention and while they are beautifully prepare I will be using drop spindles I wont be able to use those ones. Thank you for the lead. 🙂

 

[StumpyG]

I have read many threads about blazer spindle/brake swaps as well as ls brake swap upgrades and I cant see a definitive "winner" between the two choices. Most likely I will be going the ls brake route mainly because there arent any 2 wheel drive blazers with 500 miles of here lol Do I need to replace my master cylinder and proportioning valve when switching over to the ls brake set?

 

[mclellan83]

Also looking forward to seeing this come together