'78 Regal project "Thumper"

[SonOfRDgear]

About a day after i got my new plates, I was changing the oil and noticed something very bad... the oil looked like coffee creamer.

It ended up being a blown head gasket on the driver's side, right around the rear water port, and was pissing about half the radiator into the crankcase. Somehow it happened while the car sat.

sad part is the motor ran excellent, and seemed to be really clean inside otherwise. It does still run, and if all the bearings are good I think I might rebuild it and use it for something other than a boat anchor.

luckily a friend had this laying around

nothing too special, but it is a gen-1 4-bolt 350. (and yes we started it up on the picker )

some pics from the swap:

same intake, carb, waterpump, fuel pump, dizzy etc... all painted up nice

new exhaust
You may also take this opportunity to marvel at my very clean floorboards 8)

 

[86 maroon gp 2+2]

wish I could have went the same route you did, your car looks spectacular! 😀

 

[SonOfRDgear]

Thank you! I still need to do some frame repairs, the body mounts directly behind the rear end are rotted. Right now i'm looking for the trunk frame sections so I can replace them.

Also, the bumper fillers have proven themselves a little difficult to find. I definitely want to get them before I paint it.
I've been considering doing a rear bumper tuck also.

Unfortunately for right now I spend most of my time in PA, and the car is in MA, so until i get some more time the project is on hold.

 

[1979ratrod]

sick ride man!

 

[bigtmoney]

Someone put a 78 at the Pull a Part in Nashville last weekend, the body was in great shape looked like an older person must've had it forever or something. It had good bumper fillers and everything but mines an 82 so they were different.....If they're still there when I go this weekend I'll snag them for you if possible.

 

[SonOfRDgear]

Well i ran the car for a while last summer but the engine developed a couple leaks.... so i pulled it back out this weekend. I'm going to redo every seal and gasket, and i've even got some mods in store...

Lunati Voodoo cam, .500 lift, 268/276 dur
double roller timing chain
hardened steel pushrods
edelbrock 64cc aluminum heads
"proper" g body headers
and a couple more odds 'n' ends

You can see from the pic that the headers I had didn't seal up too well... haha.

by July it should be all together again B)

 

[SonOfRDgear]

Not really much progress to the car itself, but I have g00dies!! 8)

 

[Bar50]

You might be a car guy if you have ever laid new parts on the bed to take photos...


You might be a car guy if you ever had a set of aluminum heads on or under your bed....


Looks great!