Been on the forum for a minute, I guess it's time to start a build thread. Scroll down for pics.
Dad had built this car up about 20 years ago, engine, trans, rear end, suspension work, body and paint were all done. gave it to his wife, they divorced a few years ago and she didn't want it. It sat for most of the 20 years and had some mechanical issues when it was parked the last time about 5 or 6 years ago. Dad gave it to me this past August.
1980 Cutlass, originally diesel. Dad swapped a hot 455 into it and something wasn't right so the first engine was cooked after a few 1/4 mile passes. It was running mid 12's. 2nd engine is something of a Frankenstein monster, I think '75 block, crank, and rods with earlier or TA performance replacement pistons. Bottom end was completely rebuilt, doesn't have any more than about 5000 miles on it. I got a 2nd set of heads with the car from a '71 engine. Had the '71 heads milled .02 and machined for the stage 1 valves and aftermarket springs, also a nice performance grind on the exhaust bowls. Replaced cam and lifters (TA 413), timing cover / oil pump assembly (TA Performance), distributor gear, and installed the '71 heads with the original aluminum rockers that had come off them.
It's been back on the road part-time since about September or October, I've been working gremlins out of it a little at a time.
Installed an electric fan.
Recently re-plumbed the fuel lines from the fuel pump to the carb, rebuilt the carb and adjusted floats and choke, found heat-soak from manifold causing fuel to boil in the float bowls when I shut the car down causing fuel to leak out at the throttle shaft. Insulator / spacer plate will be installed this weekend.
Next on the list will be fixing the driver seat bracket setup, it has a couple brackets broken
Once I see a decent run of nice weather I will be working on the wiring. The turn signals quit working, power from the fuse box to the HVAC went bad (bypassed to battery with in-line fuse for now), I believe the electrical issues to be due to corrosion from sitting for so long, also I'm planning to re-pin the connectors in the dash and install the correct sending units to swap out the granny sweep gauge cluster for the rally pack cluster.
Going to try to get the hood fixed this Summer.
More posts to come as I make progress.
- Steve
Dad had built this car up about 20 years ago, engine, trans, rear end, suspension work, body and paint were all done. gave it to his wife, they divorced a few years ago and she didn't want it. It sat for most of the 20 years and had some mechanical issues when it was parked the last time about 5 or 6 years ago. Dad gave it to me this past August.
1980 Cutlass, originally diesel. Dad swapped a hot 455 into it and something wasn't right so the first engine was cooked after a few 1/4 mile passes. It was running mid 12's. 2nd engine is something of a Frankenstein monster, I think '75 block, crank, and rods with earlier or TA performance replacement pistons. Bottom end was completely rebuilt, doesn't have any more than about 5000 miles on it. I got a 2nd set of heads with the car from a '71 engine. Had the '71 heads milled .02 and machined for the stage 1 valves and aftermarket springs, also a nice performance grind on the exhaust bowls. Replaced cam and lifters (TA 413), timing cover / oil pump assembly (TA Performance), distributor gear, and installed the '71 heads with the original aluminum rockers that had come off them.
It's been back on the road part-time since about September or October, I've been working gremlins out of it a little at a time.
Installed an electric fan.
Recently re-plumbed the fuel lines from the fuel pump to the carb, rebuilt the carb and adjusted floats and choke, found heat-soak from manifold causing fuel to boil in the float bowls when I shut the car down causing fuel to leak out at the throttle shaft. Insulator / spacer plate will be installed this weekend.
Next on the list will be fixing the driver seat bracket setup, it has a couple brackets broken
Once I see a decent run of nice weather I will be working on the wiring. The turn signals quit working, power from the fuse box to the HVAC went bad (bypassed to battery with in-line fuse for now), I believe the electrical issues to be due to corrosion from sitting for so long, also I'm planning to re-pin the connectors in the dash and install the correct sending units to swap out the granny sweep gauge cluster for the rally pack cluster.
Going to try to get the hood fixed this Summer.
More posts to come as I make progress.
- Steve
