My 383 T56 Cutlass Build - Now With Pics !!!

[dogsht]

Had my Gbody GN since Nov of 86 as I bought it new. Have had others that I built, restified, saved, come and go most notably my 509ci 442. Check out my album. It does get in your blood. I am 44 and have also been through life and dramatic income change which is why in part the 442 is gone. "Daily driven Pro Tour" style build. I flat love this and wish more enthusiasts would wake up to this type build. Both my GN & my 442 were losely built on this premise. Its a machure (as hot rodders go) useable actually worthwhile type build. I have a few friends that have built drag cars that wish they had done this. Its always lets take Vern's car while theirs sets in the garage. I also think the G is one of the best & most affordable platforms on which to do it.

One parts choice thought from what you have written. A 10-1 AFR headed nicely cammed 383 with decent converter & gears and 245/45/17s will put you skateing around on black ice everytime you really want to enjoy the fruits of your labors. Well at least they would on my GN & 442. I appreciate wanting to have the same size to rotate but its not worth that on this build IMO. In fact my advice get the 275/40/17 drag radials and you will be glad you did. (I have 275/50/15s on 15x8s) Nitto has some that actually wear decent and are safe in the rain when new. If you don't have to do smoke shows aren't barking them at intersections and or have really rough road (I don't mean potholes) in your area you can get about 20,000 out of them. Oh yea I would nix the vinal top also. 8)

 

[Jman]

awesome. love the shifter

 

[mr evil]

Had my Gbody GN since Nov of 86 as I bought it new. Have had others that I built, restified, saved, come and go most notably my 509ci 442. Check out my album. It does get in your blood. I am 44 and have also been through life and dramatic income change which is why in part the 442 is gone. "Daily driven Pro Tour" style build. I flat love this and wish more enthusiasts would wake up to this type build. Both my GN & my 442 were losely built on this premise. Its a machure (as hot rodders go) useable actually worthwhile type build. I have a few friends that have built drag cars that wish they had done this. Its always lets take Vern's car while theres sets in the garage. I also think the G is one of the best & most affordable platforms on which to do it.

Wish I had done more the pro-tour type build with my previous car. It was too built toward flat out and wasn't a whole lot of fun to cruise in. Alas, I was impatient that time, but this time I will be slower, more through neccessity as I'll have to save coin and scavenge the parts I need. This will include efi, as carbs + me = intense frustration.

 

[dogsht]

Minion, "I get a lot of sh*t from dickheads at school and people outside about my car, even my friends rip on me about my car, unless its a mustang, corvette or a rice celica with a fart can muffler I wont get the admiration of "Nice Car."

fwiw in my opinion (not that you asked 🙂) Tint the windows, (it does not have to be real dark) and lose the trim ie door ding guard, door edge guard, SS on bottom taking off the plastic clips & carefully grind off the tabs, all emblems except Olds just clean up on all the tacked on crap. Lose the vinal top if you can and definately the white walls. Get meaty white letter (at least with those rims) tires. If all you have is those little 14s (not a bad lookin rim) get 205/70s (25.4" tall) and 245/60s (25.6 tall) in the rear. Stock original btw was 25.5 tall. (I prefer Firestone Firehawk Indys) Also get dual exhaust. It can be cheap Jegs or Summit brand "straight thru type" muffs & tail pipes for a good sound but not excessive or drone. Now the same car has a different stance look and sound. You immediately start to get more looks, admiration, thumbs ups, you wanna sell its, and even some; "you know"s you have done well with this from your friends as they start to look at her in a different light. You have a great looking car to start with. Buckets a console and a ralley guage pack would also do wonders for the interior if you don't already have it. With a gbody and some time these are things you can still pick up reasonably cheap. And the simple exhaust will have that 307 sounding better than any 4 cylinder no matter what they do to it. Even the died in the wool rice heads will admit to this.

I bought a white walled 442 when the tires tint & sound changed it was night and day the difference in attention the car got. Another cheap great upgrade would be the factory "F41" thicker sway bar and rear sway bar with replacement poly end links, so she would especially with the tires actually go around a corner. Makeing it fast even just a mid 12 car takes her repspect and admiration to a whole "nother level" but you can't fix that so quick cheap and eazy like what I have outlined for you. Good luck and have fun with her.

BTW anybody agree with my ideas for Minion or am I just mean & twisted.

EDIT Mr Evil I love EFI but good proper conversion takes some serious time and coin. My experience is skip the frustration and hire a Qjet pro to set one up for your car. A well done 800cfm electric choke q-jet leaves little to actually be gained by efi. Again I love & prefer efi. Not sure of the winters there. One big shop that ships abroad would be "The Carb Shop" in Ontario California. They have a web site. Check out the info sheet as to the info they want about your motor & car. It will come about as drop in ready and tuned as can be.

 

[86Cutlass383SR]

Vern, if you can remeber the name of those drag radial than wear like that I'd appreciate it. Part of the reason I was willing to stay 245/45 all around was so I could put people in the back seat without rubbing issues. So it can be done with the 275's I probbly will go that route. Good points about the traction :wink:

I think you're right on the money with ideas for Chris' car. I, too, will probably lose the vinyl top. I think it was Herb Adams *yearsssss agooo* noticed for a STREET car that a 200hp car through the twisty's is always more fun than a 400-500hp car in a straight line.

"Call me Vern. When you turn your car on does she return the favor?" I like this Vern, I've noticed it for awhile. And yes, I have lookedat your car.

JMan - thanks!

Rick, after I bolted on EFI I would NEVER go back to a carby. Even poorly tuned, it was still better than a carb. I'm not a carb tuner, never have been and now will never be. I've been through Holley's, q-Jets (which CAN be an excellant carb!), and Carter AFB's. I will never go back to one!

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

I disagree about losing the lower trim, but I do agree that the ding strips and door edge guards are extraneous and break up the lines of the car. The lower trim can be good or bad, it depends on the car's overall theme and the hood used. With a stock hood, no spoilers, etc. I tend to like the trim. Add on anything extra, and the trim and top need to go.

 

[dogsht]

Doug air bags in the coils will solve your rubbing issue if there is an issue when you want to haul passengers or a heavy load in the trunk. A smaller spacer might also do it if its really a backspaceing issue. This is most likely. Nitto's seem to last longer than BFGs M&Ts & M&Hs. I actually liked my M&Hs the best and they did well in the rain but they are more money. If you are not in a true competition car the traction difference is undeterminable. Can't remember the name but M&Hs biggest dealer and best price is in Texas. I would consider the Nittos and the M&H if they have it in your size. I think Hoosier also now has a drag radial but I have not checked them out.

85 Cutty, I agree with your trim ideas.

I follow Herbs point. Although I bet he would agree that a 400-500 HP car with good street suspension and good traction is far more fun than either. 8) In fact I think he made a few bucks from that idea/pursuit well in addition to the hard core suspension parts.Oh yea the line is from a performance Cadillac commerical from a year or two ago.

 

[mr evil]

Dogshit, if I may call you that, :lol: How often does one get to call another 'Dogshit' without getting a mouth full of knuckles?
Love it!
Anyways, the efi plan is mainly in response for my need to 'start and go'. As a DD this car needs to perform when I want it to. This means I have no time to sit and twiddle while the carb decides whether it would like to stop or go, lol.

The thing I like about efi is once you DO plan and implement right, you don't need to screw with it anymore....unless you want to 😀

 

[mr evil]

85 Cutty, I agree with your trim ideas.

I follow Herbs point. Although I bet he would agree that a 400-500 HP car with good street suspension and good traction is far more fun than either. 8)

I agree, I would invite 85 to critique my paint/trim ideas anytime.

Although I don't intend to build to 4-500hp, that sure sounds like lots of ummmm....fun

 

[86Cutlass383SR]

Just a small update today. Went over to my bosses house yesterday and got a little done to my car...finally. Pulled the passenger fender back off and pulled the passenger side suspension back off. I know. That's not much but at least it's a step in the positive. A few days back I was putting it all back together again. Jeez, sometimes progress is so slow...will it ever get done? Is the light at the end of the tunnel really a freight train?

I have the next 3 days off so maybe I can get something major accomplished. Hopefully, (fingers and toes crossed) Sunday and Monday is a camping trip with a couple friends. I'm ready for some time off, some time *away*!!!

In mid-September I've put in for some vacation. Hopefully I get it. I think I will. 11 days off. I'm hoping to get a bunch done then. If all goes well, it'll be ready for Mr. 383 T56. Frame, firewall, and suspension cleaned and painted, re-installed (how many times is that now...???), fenders on permanently (until paint time), custom gauges installed in dash, Oh yeah...install dash back in car, ummm...after I install the fuel injection harness, put gas tank back in car...after cleaning and painting underbody where tank sits, run new fuel ines (maybe I should do that before I put the tank in ), HOW DO YOU KEEP IT ALL ORGANIZED!!!!

And that still isn't all. Get all the mechanical clutch linkage ready, measure for my wheel spacers, mount my C5 brakes, cut hole in floor for shifter.......

It's gonna be Dec 21, 2012 and I'll still be working on this -----...thing! :shock: Oh well, it gives me something to think about, and something to do.