BUILD THREAD 78 Malibu "#DtoxBu/Caged Beast"

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Geo's66

Master Mechanic
Oct 7, 2014
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Man this is awesome... Can you pm me exactly what and how you rebuilt the 7.5? I'm doing my monte right now.. Gonna have around 425hp and if possible I'd like to beef up what I've got vs buying new... I don't know much so so any help would be appreciated... I don't even know if you can put a strong posi into our 7.5 rear ends... Thanks!!
 

Bumpin1ohmSS

Royal Smart Person
Jun 17, 2008
1,643
113
63
Cali to Az
Man this is awesome... Can you pm me exactly what and how you rebuilt the 7.5? I'm doing my monte right now.. Gonna have around 425hp and if possible I'd like to beef up what I've got vs buying new... I don't know much so so any help would be appreciated... I don't even know if you can put a strong posi into our 7.5 rear ends... Thanks!!

Thanks for checking the thread out bro! To be honest, I wouldn't waste any time on a 7.5. I lucked out and got this one from a club bro for dirt cheap. He had just dropped a new posi and 373 gears in it($700+ right there) and then did the disc swap ($250 into that plus the time/energy to do the swap). I got it for such a low price that I couldn't pass it up. Id look around for an 8.5 and put the money into that. This car is on "cruising" duty so the 7.5 works great for it. It will see an occasional burn out but no track time. When im ready for that, the 8.5 I have in my SS will swap into the Bu. Peeps say the 8.5's are pricey but look at all the cash that's into my 7.5.. Then add in what I put on top of that. That all adds up to a nice 8.5. I probably put another $600 into it with the ARP kit, bars, rear girdle, primer, paint, rear ear bushings and Kore3 brake lines. Some peeps have had great luck beefing up the 7.5 with no probs. Others have had the worst of luck. Id just wait it out and get a 8.5. Here's a thread with some cleanup info I did on the 7.5 and both 8.5's I have...

Click photo below



Keep me posted bro!

LsWarren
80UP!!
 
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Bumpin1ohmSS

Royal Smart Person
Jun 17, 2008
1,643
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Cali to Az
Got further along on my pillar pod remix. These things NEVER fit correctly. I used an old beat up stock pillar and cut the lip that hugs anto the pinched area on the pillar. Without that factory lip, the wires running to the gauges are ecposed. Ive had em from a couple different makers and they all never fit great. This is far from perfect, but a lot better than before...

test fit on my TTop. This style isnt made for a ttop, but if it fits nicely here, it will fit in the Bu just fine...

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Gave it a bath and with some SEM soap and then used some SEM adhesion promoter and landau black. Its wet here so its a lil shiny..

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Dropped in some gauges. Not sure if i wanna run this style of gauge in the Bu. I have a couple in the dash. I was hoping Dakota Digi would have made a VHX line with the sweeping needle for the individual gauges by now. I'll have to look. If I run this style, I'll get the trim in black and then add these clea drilled out trim rings to em for some detail..

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Comp cams push rods and lube came in. I just need one plug for the oil pan and we can button the motor u[. Shes all wrapped up and in Az waiting.....

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Just 3 more days and the fun begins!! Cant wait! Thanks for checking back!

LsWarren
80zUP!!
 
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Bumpin1ohmSS

Royal Smart Person
Jun 17, 2008
1,643
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Cali to Az
Ok. Man we ran into some probs. Back when I got the car painted, we had to cut out some rusted out panels on the passengers side. This had me worried about the frame bolts breaking loose when we tried to remove em. Used a ratchet and on the first small turn, crack crack snap!. The driver side bolts came out with no probs. I think the last bolt towards the rear (driver side) bolt head broke off. With no power at the storage, Im gonna have to take her to a shop to fix the prob(and im in cali). Did a little tail light mocking up..

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Bay cage looks sweet along with the Wilwood master cylinder and custom top..

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Also grabbed a bump steer kit from Spohn. This is strictly for looks. Saw the anodized red bars and loved it. It goes well with the other bars and endlinks I have. Mocked it up on my SS..

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Our club prez is looking around for a spot that can handle cutting the floor to gain access to the busted bolts. Im gonna clean the frame up and replace the front arear bushing and keep it moving. Unless the shop can work around my cage, no frame off for now. Thanks for checking back!

LsWarren
80zUP!!
 

Bumpin1ohmSS

Royal Smart Person
Jun 17, 2008
1,643
113
63
Cali to Az
Clean nice work

Thanks bro!!!


Been a lil while since my last update. Finally got out to Arizona and 80z got it crackin on the Bu once again! Thanks to Elco Mel the Prez and DmonChIld Jerry, we got the old girl back up to the shop for the fix. My painter Dana quickly got to work on getting her right. Mel and J will pick the Bu up for me this saturday and its headed back to storage. I'll be planning a trip out there so we can yank the frame and start the mods on it. I want the rear section notched a lil more so i can run a 12" wide wheel or some meaty slicks. Recent pics of her from the day we dropped her off...

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In the mean time, Ive been messing around with my 87 SS firewall..

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Should have some Malibu updates soon! Once the frame is done, its just a matter of slapping all the goodies on. I'll be swapping cars once we get the bu together-Bu comes to cali and the SS goes to Az. Thanks for checking back!!
 
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liquidh8

Comic Book Super Hero
Glad to see some progress!
 

Bumpin1ohmSS

Royal Smart Person
Jun 17, 2008
1,643
113
63
Cali to Az
So much clean work!!! I've followed a lot of your builds on youtube, love your work man!! keep it up!

Thanks bro!!

Glad to see some progress!
Preciate' you checking back. Sucks the old girl is 500 miles away but ill get her done soon. Thanks

Total Beast!!

You have inspired my own build, staggered by your calibre of work sir!

From one 78 Malibu owner to another, amazed.

Following your build for sure. Excellent work!


WOW!!! Man I really appreciate the love on the project brother! Hoping to have some updates soon. Im planning a trip out to Az next week so I can start the frame pull. Ill have some new updates soon..

The club prez and fellow member headed out to snatch the Bu from the painter. He got all the bolts taken care of and Mel got the bu back to the storage for me. They are gonna turn the car around so the frame pull will be easier. No real updates other than the bolts are fixed and its back in the storage unit. Im headed out there next tuesday morning after work (3am) and should arrive in AZ by 7-8am ish and the fun begins!!

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MAN!! I love that front bumper!!

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Thanks for checking back fellas!!

Warren
 
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