'78 LeMans Full Swap Onto '85 GP???

[averagewhiteboy]

Hey guys.

I was at a get together with my girlfriend tonight when somehow my GP got brought up. Turns out that her cousins dad (or something like that) is rebuilding a '78 LeMans up. 400 swap or something like that. Regardless, he said that he has the stock motor and everything from the LeMans. Supposedly the 305 (eventhough only a 2bbl supposedly), plus transmission (supposedly a 4 speed auto), crossmember and everything like that. He wants like 150 for everything. I guess the stuff only has like 60k on it. Seems like a damn good deal considering the crossmember is usually like 100 bucks. So as a recap, I've got an 85 GP with a 3.8 and a 3 speed in it. Would that crossmember and stuff work? I sure believe it should...

Thanks!

 

[srercrcr]

You're onto something there.
Undoubtedly it's the Calif 305 V8, since the 301 wasn't offered in the Lemans/Grand Lemans (which seems odd to me). The transmission would have to be a 3 spd auto (THN 200 probably) (metric), could be a THM 350, no 4 spd autos in '78. Can't say for absolute sure, but can't imagine why the crossmember wouldn't just bolt in, unless they deleted the frame holes when they changed engines/trannies in the 80s.

 

[averagewhiteboy]

Since it's just a 2bbl, could it just be the 301??

 

[srercrcr]

No, no 301s in the Lemans series. The 305 only came in a 2 barrel. It was a lower emission engine only out of Calif.

 

[averagewhiteboy]

So it's sort of a rare set-up? And since the 305 is sorta the red-headed step child in the Chevy crew, I'm sure the 301 is even worse? lol.

 

[srercrcr]

The Lemans had always been targeted one notch up from the Malibu...I would back that up by saying in 78-80 that could be seen by a nicer grille and dashboard. The six cylinder would have sufficed for most people in that market, especially in that gas-price conscious period. For those people who wanted a V8, they wouldn't be denied, the 305 could be had.
Why the 301 engine wasn't offered, I don't know. The GP and LM shared so much...the G-body plarform, most of the interior, it would seem a natural to share the 301.
If rare is meant to imply "special" or "more valuable", that wouldn't be the case in the LM...there's very little following. It's like saying power windows in an AMC Gremlin were rare....who cares?
The 301 gets little respect from the Pontiac crowd. The performance/personal luxury crowd of the 60's had already had to deal with a downsized GTO, interdivision engines, bloated A-bodies, and then in '77 the introduction of the "mere" 301 Pontiac engine. But gas prices were very high for the first time ever, so the days of gas guzzlers were numbered. It didn't suffer any unique problems, it's basically the famed Pontiac 400 engine refined for a different time. The 301 didn't hang around too many years, GM was going to front wheel drive and fuel injection...the 301 was put into the crosshairs. Even the Grand Prix model (as well as the Grand Am) were set to be shrunk to a whole new size. The Lemans nameplate was slapped onto some Asian econo-car.

 

[illregal82]

the 84 gp in my back yard had a chevy 305 i heard thats the only year they did that

 

[srercrcr]

I know the 86 GP had it.

 

[averagewhiteboy]

'85 had the 305 definately, but I have an '82 GP-only brochure and there was the 3.8 V6 and diesel 350 only. Even on the SJ's...

It's funny because I wouldn't even care if I had the 305. lol. It's just this damn 231 that's screwing me over. And most people are trying to get rid of the 305 as fast as they can. Damn, I'm not worried about a dragstrip ruler, I just want a daily driver/cruiser. Throw some Flows on it and call it a day. lol.

 

[GP403]

'81 was when they stopped using the 301. After '80 the 301 was history. Then no more Pontiac engines. Think you could still get 301 Firebirds in '81 though (301 turbo?)

From what I can tell, '83 was the 1st year for the 305. '81-'82 you could only get the 267 v8, the 350 diesel or the 231 v6. This'd be for the GP only.