July G-body of the month (Project in Progress)

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85Supreme

Royal Smart Person
Aug 25, 2009
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As most of you requested the same or similar topic for G-body of the month for july, i decided to go with it. The topic is Projects in Progress. Now i know all of our cars would fit in this month lol, so there are some little restrictions:

-Your project should be in progress now, not one that happened years ago.

-Your project should be going through some or all of the following: Paint/Body work, Engine/Drivetrain work, Interior/Audio work, Wheel/tire/suspension work, and any of your customization work.

-The car should be under so much construction that it is off the road for Engine/Body work..ect, or is barely drive able.
(if your submitting your ride it should be a mess and have a lot of work in store for it, not a car that going through minor work...b/c again then all of our cars could be considered. :wink:




When Submitting:

-You should post a description of your ride, some background info, as well as a description of the work that has been done and the plans for it (work that is not yet completed).

-You should post multiple pics of your project, showing progress, work done, and modifications.

-***If you have a build thread, post the link to it :!:




---Again, i will try to be lenient about submissions, just make sure that what you are submitting is a Project, not just another G-body :blam: :rofl: .


Im excited to see how this will turn out, so lets try and have another great month!






-Mike
 
:bump: :bump: anyone...i know there are alot of crazy projects going on out there. :wtf:
 
Ok I will kick this one off. My project is my 79 Cutlass. I bought it a couple years ago from my cousins girlfriend for $1000. It ran but she had put it in a ditch on drivers side. It smashed up the header panel, bumper, and fender. It had a 260 and I believe a 350 trans which is now powering my 83 Cutlass for the time being. When I bought it I planed on dropping a SBC in it. So I started collecting body parts and looking for a motor. I found all my body parts and motor within 6 months. I got the header panel and rear decklid from a junkyard for $30, the fender and bumpers both from different people on craigslist. I found a motor but my truck spun a bearing so I had to use the 350 in it. So I started looking again and found a 454 from a construction company my cousin worked for. Worked out a deal and got the whole truck. Bought some hooker headers new off of craigslist for $300, and a th400 crossmember new from summit. I found some new Monte seats and center console off of craigslist for $150. I also got a floor shift tilt column from a guy off of maliburacing.com for $75. I recently got a set of solid motor mounts and thats about where I am at now. Oh but I am in the process of buying another cutlass for $300 with a ford 9 inch rear off of craigslist. And last Saturday I picked up a blazer roof console with the navigation and temp in it. (Thanks for the idea guys) Here are a few pictures of my car from the beginning to now.

Before the girl got it.
79cutlass1.jpg


After the girl when I got it but I took the bumper off.
2011-05-10_18-07-09_468.jpg

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2011-05-10_18-07-45_422.jpg


Now for some of the parts.
craigslist2.jpg

craigslist.jpg

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2011-07-03_18-58-39_424.jpg

154.jpg

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166.jpg

2011-07-03_11-32-59_106.jpg


This is how she looks right now.
2011-07-03_18-59-52_531.jpg

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2011-07-03_18-58-24_351.jpg

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2011-07-03_18-59-52_531.jpg
 
Well I will give this a try and summit my 2nd and current g-body project...

For my project i started off with a neglected 1981 Monte Carlo with the 3.8 v6 and bench seat interior. The car had been parked for 13 year and was originally owned by an elderly man. I picked this one up for $100 with no plans on doing anything with it. The windshield had leaked and therefor rotted out the floor from the inside 🙁 Also the car needed the typical rear frame rail replacement. Despite those issues the car was very solid and well undercoated, with only surface rust on the outside. I could not bring myself to scrap the car so decided another frame off would be the only way to go!

My plans for it:

The direction for this build is to make a street strip car powered by either a 383 or 406 small block. The rear end will be upgraded to a ford 9" with boxed lowers and adjustable uppers. I will also be using a 200 4r trans which will be built up to handle the increased hp. Also I purchased a very rotten but untouched 87 Monte Carlo SS for parts so the nose and tail will be changed to SS and the interior will be changed to bucket seat with some sort of roll cage. This projet will be another frame off resto like the previous 82 Monte I built.

Whats been done so far:

- Lame 3.8 v6 removed.
- Body removed from frame.
- Frame stripped and blasted with new rear rails installed
-frame painted.
-lower control arms boxed
-polyurethane bushings installed
-solid motor mounts installed
-all new lines and brakes
-SS F41 suspension installed
-competition engineering 3-way adjustable drag shocks front and rear.

The day I brought it home
IMG_0239.jpg


IMG_0580.jpg


006.jpg


020.jpg


006-5.jpg


007-4.jpg

SS parts car
IMG_0133.jpg


Build thread:
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=22421
 
Oh, hey! I can play in this one! Here's my project. I bought a 74,000 mile car last September and have done a frame off resto since then. I scrapped everything except the frame and spindles. It has a Ford 9" with 3.50 gears, 31 spine alloy axles and a Detroit True-Trac. I put in a 408hp/440ft-lb sbc and a crate 200-4r trans. It has tubular upper and lower control arms front and rear, lowered 2" front and rear, big aftermarket sway bars, bilsteins, frame boxing, etc, etc, etc... Look at the photo album for the build up. I put about 20 miles on it before the lockup torque converter circuitry in the trans went bad, so I'm waiting for trans parts and SSII rims and tires for the front end to arrive this week. Then I'm gonna drive it like I stole it till I'm ready to tear it down for paint!

Rob
 

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My 79 monte build,

Fully boxed frame
13" c5 front brakes w/blazer spindles, 12" wilwood rear

355 sbc / 700r4
-aluminum heads
-forged pistons
-edelbrock airgap intake

12 bolt
-shortened to g-body width and brackets
- custom dutchman axles
-3.42 gear ratio

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Still lots to do, plan to cruise spring 2012
 
Well now that my first cutlass has neared completion that it doesnt qualify, I will enter my cutlass II.

The car was a 75K mile 85 Salon. Rust free and good body. Owned by a granny, gave to her grandson in the mid 90's, 307 was swapped for a SBC, and the SBC blew. It also hit a deer in the same time. For some reason instead of just replacing the motor and fender, they took the whole nose off, took out the driveline, threw away the doors (why?), cut off the rockers (why?) and stripped the paint. This was all on a 12 year old cutlass with a blown motor and a bad fender with 75K miles....

So I needed parts and found it cheap, so it lost its interior for my cutlass I and then I started looking at it and realized I had enough parts to put it together. Body was straight, and I only needed a door, and windshield right! Well sorta. I picked up a door and epoxy primed the car. Its now waiting for me to either find a rusty 442, or H/O, that needs a body. Motor is currently sitting loose, headers are half built, the car is full of parts, theres not a wire in the car, but its too nice to scrap or dirt track.

So it needs-
Paint and body
Interior
Engine work
Engine installed
Exhaust
Wiring
Wheels and tire
Suspension
Everything. 😀

It has-
Good body
Rust free
Most of the sheet metal
Good 455 Olds
TH375
Butt Load of parts

As purchased
picture578.jpg



Current Stage
picture838.jpg

picture925.jpg
 
The Story

I purchased the car from a close friend for $350 back in December after a nice financial windfall... thank you full grown buck! I immediately set out to get it running. They were told by a mechanic that it had slung a rod... and I told them never to go back to that person. That motor turned over even though I couldn't start it because of a fully dead battery but that was ok as I knew it wasn't locked up. Later that evening, myself and my best friend got it running... albeit while freezing our asses off in 35 degree weather for two hours.

That poor motor... had this screech to it. Sounded like the power steering pump at first but continued after replacing it. While trying to get it running again one day, clunk went the motor - click went the starter. Locked up tighter than the ladies room at a convent.

Sadly to tow this thing over to my best friend's house, we had to use a tow bar and required removing the grill, headlight housing, and the brackets that held it all in place. I got it over there and that month I began breaking it down. I went ahead and pulled the front end to make any additional modifications for another motor easier, and it gave us a lot more room for pulling that slap worn out 231. Sadly I was right about the motor though - ceased bearing but most if not all of the oil ports in that motor were completely clogged. How oil was able to drain from the heads into the crank case, I'll never know. There was so much carbon build up inside the engine, I can't believe it was able to run at all.

So then I hear that my best friend's sister has a 305 crate motor pulled out of a 76 Nova. They junked the car (4 door) but pulled the motor and transmission since both were nearly new. After inquiring about the price, I knew I'm on my way... $200 for a nearly new motor with not even a years worth of mileage. Can't beat that sh*t.

That's just the start for now though. Right now our schedules don't meet up good enough for us to be able to work on the car together and I don't get a chance to get out there regularly either by myself due to work. Hopefully soon, I can start hammering on it and get it prepped for more work.

I'm still looking for basically everything else to get it swapped over to the V8. I just haven't had time to go after everything. Great guides for telling you what you need over in the Engine and Drive train forums for anyone doing the same thing btw!

The Goal:

I fell in love the first time I saw a picture of a GP 2+2. That's what I'm shooting for for the exterior. If funds allow, I'll do the back window but initially I'll just go with the 2+2 nose with the notchback. I'll probably get a custom spoiler but I may also be shooting for a custom hood scoop too that follows the hood lines more. Over all I want to update the look for the car to feel more modern but not change it so much that it no longer feels like a GBody Grand Prix.

The engine will be the 305 with a good after market MPFI system. If anyone has any beef about a 305, you need to read Popular Hotrodding's article about beefing up a 305. Dyno tests went from a paltry 221 HP out of the car to a whopping 372 HP and that was just with a budget build of under $1000, including a smaller 650 CFM Edelbrock carb. Imagine the power out of MPFI? Anyway, I'm shooting for a good balance of efficiency and power. **** emissions LOL! If I can squeeze about 275HP or more and retain hwy mileage in the mid to high 20s, that's good enough. This will be bolted to a good 200 4R transmission.

I haven't completed decided on the interior just yet. Do I want to go with something custom built? Do I want to stick with the stock? The only change that definitely will occur is the switch to a console and floor shifter with bucket seats. That WILL happen... 🙂

Beginning:
Grand_Prix_002.jpg

Middle:
008.JPG

End (well close to what I want it to look like):
grang_prixx_22.jpg

And what's going in!
019.JPG
 
jasonreid said:
The Story

I purchased the car from a close friend for $350 back in December after a nice financial windfall... thank you full grown buck! I immediately set out to get it running. They were told by a mechanic that it had slung a rod... and I told them never to go back to that person. That motor turned over even though I couldn't start it because of a fully dead battery but that was ok as I knew it wasn't locked up. Later that evening, myself and my best friend got it running... albeit while freezing our asses off in 35 degree weather for two hours.

That poor motor... had this screech to it. Sounded like the power steering pump at first but continued after replacing it. While trying to get it running again one day, clunk went the motor - click went the starter. Locked up tighter than the ladies room at a convent.

Sadly to tow this thing over to my best friend's house, we had to use a tow bar and required removing the grill, headlight housing, and the brackets that held it all in place. I got it over there and that month I began breaking it down. I went ahead and pulled the front end to make any additional modifications for another motor easier, and it gave us a lot more room for pulling that slap worn out 231. Sadly I was right about the motor though - ceased bearing but most if not all of the oil ports in that motor were completely clogged. How oil was able to drain from the heads into the crank case, I'll never know. There was so much carbon build up inside the engine, I can't believe it was able to run at all.

So then I hear that my best friend's sister has a 305 crate motor pulled out of a 76 Nova. They junked the car (4 door) but pulled the motor and transmission since both were nearly new. After inquiring about the price, I knew I'm on my way... $200 for a nearly new motor with not even a years worth of mileage. Can't beat that sh*t.

That's just the start for now though. Right now our schedules don't meet up good enough for us to be able to work on the car together and I don't get a chance to get out there regularly either by myself due to work. Hopefully soon, I can start hammering on it and get it prepped for more work.

I'm still looking for basically everything else to get it swapped over to the V8. I just haven't had time to go after everything. Great guides for telling you what you need over in the Engine and Drive train forums for anyone doing the same thing btw!

The Goal:

I fell in love the first time I saw a picture of a GP 2+2. That's what I'm shooting for for the exterior. If funds allow, I'll do the back window but initially I'll just go with the 2+2 nose with the notchback. I'll probably get a custom spoiler but I may also be shooting for a custom hood scoop too that follows the hood lines more. Over all I want to update the look for the car to feel more modern but not change it so much that it no longer feels like a GBody Grand Prix.

The engine will be the 305 with a good after market MPFI system. If anyone has any beef about a 305, you need to read Popular Hotrodding's article about beefing up a 305. Dyno tests went from a paltry 221 HP out of the car to a whopping 372 HP and that was just with a budget build of under $1000, including a smaller 650 CFM Edelbrock carb. Imagine the power out of MPFI? Anyway, I'm shooting for a good balance of efficiency and power. **** emissions LOL! If I can squeeze about 275HP or more and retain hwy mileage in the mid to high 20s, that's good enough. This will be bolted to a good 200 4R transmission.

I haven't completed decided on the interior just yet. Do I want to go with something custom built? Do I want to stick with the stock? The only change that definitely will occur is the switch to a console and floor shifter with bucket seats. That WILL happen... 🙂

Beginning:
Grand_Prix_002.jpg

Middle:
008.JPG

End (well close to what I want it to look like):
grang_prixx_22.jpg

And what's going in!
019.JPG




cool story and nice looking project, i loved the look of the 2+2 aswell...why the f*** are your pictures so big lmao
 
you all should know me and my build in progress lol me is HOUNDIN_101 THE 1 AND ONLY :rofl: ..........
downsized_0428001745.jpg
STARTED WITH A CARB...
137-1.jpg
.....
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.....
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...then a cam,intake,dizzy,headers and dress up....
198316_178000542246761_100001104492422_383512_2793065_n.jpg
......
enginebuild011.jpg
....
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.....
039-1.jpg
....right after engine work started bodywork....
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...
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....
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....
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