budget-minded '79 malibu street & strip build

[truckdoug]

I'm not sure if I will need to do a dash bar or front bars, I just don't think I can get enough tire to run into the 8's without cutting the back of the car up...at least with a footbraked car.

Yeah its a pain in the *ss the way it is. I have to reach down and grab my foot to snake it through. Really wish I had spent the time to bend the A bar to follow the dash....but it is what it is...I really dont want to miss race season and there's a lot of stuff left to do

 

[lilbowtie]

You don't need them but your car will have more value with. Here is an idea to keep in your head if you change. Nine inch slicks will easily fit and take you a long way, I'm running 7's with a stock block 350 and know guys in the low 6's. Buy the way, nice fab work

 

[truckdoug]

oh man thats nice! very tidy!


I had considered taking the A pillar bars through the speaker holes in the regal-style dash I have and putting the dash and front bars like that. Deleting the heater box and using one of those mini HVAC things the jeep guys use.

 

[Gonzo1970]

Budget Minded, eh?

I suppose no one told you G-Bodies don't give two sh*ts about Budget, but... Seems you're learnin...

😀

Looking good, man... great work!

-Gonz

 

[truckdoug]

yeah you aint kiddin. I wasnt prepared for how expensive interior parts are

 

[bracketchev1221]

If its not too late, I would run a bar to the top of the rear spring pockets. I had the back bars off the cage tie the upperspring seats to the hoop.

 

[truckdoug]

it's never too late! I have plans to tie in and stiffen the spring & shock perch

gotta couple other paying projects coming due so I need to make this thing a roller again

so I mentioned this car was a v6/250 car that had a 305/350 swap

well all thats gone for a 4.8/80e combo



the 4.8 is from a previous combo I had in my blue '77 SWB that ran 10.99 at 134 with a little 7875 turbo. pump gas, no meth spray



I threw the accessory belt at the track and overheated the motor badly. Ran the rest of the season on it, but it was down on power and it turned out to have spun a cam bearing of all things haha. So I put new bearings in it and wrapped it up for a couple years.



the 80e is a nice junkyard fresh unit from an express van

came home like so



gave it a bath and slapped it in the stand ( I make these transmission holding tools if anyone's interested)




cut of the ears, added an HD2 shift kit and put on a single billet 3400 stall from GMPP I had leftover from another rig



cleaned the engine bay up a bit and stabbed it in to test fit the holley turbo kit



I usually make my own stuff from truck mani's but this thing is so cheap and saves probably a week's work

fits pretty dang nice really



i like the ctsv oil pans for most of my swaps, here I added the turbo oil drain

 

[pagrunt]

Nice work truck you're using.

 

[lilbowtie]

Might reconsider those front bars.

 

[truckdoug]

Nice work truck you're using.

hey thanks, thats my "keeper" currently a baby cam LQ4/80e but I've got something a bit odder for it soon 🙂

the nissan is my next paying job so I have to push the malibu aside for a month or so

Might reconsider those front bars.

I really don't think this set up will go fast enough to require them. The cam, injectors, converter and turbo I have on hand will limit me to about 700 wheel on e85

it's just a baby cast s475 clone with the small 83mm turbine.



But there's always next winter to add them!