... but, they sound so much better with all the goodies! I guess I can't really talk. I'm ditching my fancy, tall, cast aluminum valve covers for stock steel. It's all part of the ruse.
Anyone just keeping it stock to cruise around anymore?
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I picked up an absolute junker of a truck this week. It's my third squarebody that's emissions exempt, as in never a cat from the factory, and the second diesel now.
I think it would only weigh in around 3500# on the scale, maybe less - there's THAT much rust. Bedsides flap if you don't tie strap them to each other because bedfloor and sills are gone. But it was also only $200.
I'm seriously contemplating building it - tubular control arms and xmember to save weight, leave the 12 bolt in back, pull the 40 gallons of tanks for a behind seat fuel cell. Make a shorty exhaust with turndown at the rear of cab. Remove bumpers. Remove tailgate, put some mismatched lightweight aluminum rims on painted different colors.
I bet I could get it in weighing less than many gbodies.
Or I could just save the cab in a corner to have another diesel vin build someday if wanted.
So, do sleepers fit in here, or are we still full-on restonerd?
I suppose my car will be considered a sleeper, or maybe just asleep depending on perspective, when it’s done. It’ll wear a set of SuperStock Olds wheels, factory style pin striping and no exterior mods at all. The drivetrain has been gone through and isn’t original to the car, nor will the interior be correct for an ‘80 Supreme, but to the untrained it’ll look believable enough. The drivetrain is just the way I put it away a long time ago and it was very reliable as a daily driver. So while not stock, it’s not heavily modified either. Back in the day it was referred to as Street Machine but I doubt that moniker is still around. 🤷🏻
I'm not opposed to keeping stuff stock,
It's just that I'm too cheap to buy anything that's complete or actually running in order to keep it stock.
It's just that I'm too cheap to buy anything that's complete or actually running in order to keep it stock.
I bought my 81 in 06 with 35k on it. It was grandma stock. I drove it around that way for about a year. I wouldn’t hesitate to drive it anywhere, then the trans started acting funny. I had a good 350 trans, and a 305 so I figured I’d swap them both in. The 305 was tired but, I was going to get a new 350 soon. The 305 would allow me to set up the engine bay I figured. It’s now 2021 and I barely drive the car up until last year because it ran poorly. It still has that same tires 305 in it too.
If I would’ve left it stock, I probably would’ve used it a lot more over the years.
If I would’ve left it stock, I probably would’ve used it a lot more over the years.
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I bought Samantha back in 2007, since then I have managed to raise the mileage to 50K.....everything is mostly stock because it all works perfectly. I have replaced the tires, radiator hoses, drain the antifreeze, tranmission fluid/filter,shocks and headliner!
I am not that mechanically inclined like the rest of you guys are, so I hope that I can continue this way with regular maintenance.
I am not that mechanically inclined like the rest of you guys are, so I hope that I can continue this way with regular maintenance.
I just picked up a all original 83 Cutlass that I'm trying to convince myself to keep stock, but man this 3.8 sucks after driving a car with a little power lol. I'm fine with 80 MPH being my top speed just hate how long it takes to get there.
I drove mine to work 37 miles this morning. I really wish mine was a v8 factory car. I would have put headers and dual exhaust and drove it. The 229 v6 is a slug, but it drives so well I hate to take it apart. I have the 454 to go in it, but keep thinking a stock running 350 swap would be fine as well.
What year Monte? The last few years with the 145HP/225 TQ are pretty decent. The base 305 a few years earlier were around those numbers. Was 88 the only year with the 2004R? Nothing wrong with those numbers, if you are happy with it. Jeff's 80 442 is another example of a stock car, especially for that year with enough power to safely keep up with traffic stock.
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