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rebelgtp
rebelgtp HalfDork
3/3/09 11:48 p.m.

I went down to the Legion to listen to my uncles band play and grab a burger. They had just gotten back from Vegas and the NASCAR race.

Anyway his brother was there and we got talking. He use to be a stock car driver racing on the dirt tracks around here. Well he has an '80 Olds Cutlass thats been sitting in his backyard that he had gotten for spares for the race car but never tore down. I mentioned my idea for the project using that body GM and asked him if he wanted to sell and how much. He said just come haul it away it was mine .

So in a couple weeks on Spring break I'll rent a trailer and go lug it home.

It started off life as a diesel but at some point before he got it some Pontiac V8 was swapped in, he isn't sure what one it is. Said it was mostly complete so we will see what I need to do. Nice thing is out here in Eastern Oregon, things are very slow to get any sort of rust so that will be a bonus.

I'm thinking manual trans, build a nice little 350, upgrade the suspension and brakes, give it some decent power and the ability to handle and stop well. We will see what happens with it.

Anyway I'm stoked, this will be my first V8 project car since I was a teenager.

neon4891
neon4891 SuperDork
3/4/09 12:03 a.m.

congrats and good luck

thatsnowinnebago
thatsnowinnebago GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
3/4/09 2:29 a.m.

are diesel cars smog exempt in Oregon?

rebelgtp
rebelgtp HalfDork
3/4/09 8:52 a.m.
thatsnowinnebago wrote: are diesel cars smog exempt in Oregon?

Not sure never owning one before. However where I live right now there is no smog check at all. You just pay your registration a get your tags and away you go. Where I'm at now you could run any engine you want. Quite a few people will get an address for out here to register their cars, that way they can run import and race engines in their street cars.

rebelgtp
rebelgtp HalfDork
3/4/09 10:45 a.m.

Hmmm I just had the weird idea of if the car is a little on the rough side building it into a "Mad Max" style runner. Could make for an interesting project.

Leave the metal bumpers on just paint them black to go with the rest of the car, reinforce the frame, make sure any upgrade parts are easily scrounged (also makes for cheap parts), figure out how to build the engine to run on gas or alcohol or a combination of the two,, maybe a second fuel tank, cargo provisions and a good sold passenger seat for The Dude to ride shot gun. Maybe more I just can't think of it at the moment.

MitchellC
MitchellC HalfDork
3/5/09 2:03 a.m.

An '80's GM coupe with a manual would be awesome.

Spinout007
Spinout007 GRM+ Memberand New Reader
3/5/09 1:41 p.m.
MitchellC wrote: An '80's GM coupe with a manual would be awesome.

+1 on that, my "first" car was an old Grand Prix with the BOP 3.8 motor. That car handled quite well with stock sized wheels and tiger paws, I aways wondered what it would be like with a bit of work to the suspension and a manual trans. Alas me being a novice wrench at the time and my old man being stretched out with work and getting ready to be deployed over seas, I fixed a heater line that broke and forgot to put antifreeze back in it, combine that with Arkansas winters and u have a crack the size of the San Andreas on both sides of the block. I kinda miss that car.

EastCoastMojo
EastCoastMojo GRM+ Memberand Dork
3/5/09 2:00 p.m.

Sweet. Congrats on the score!

I second the Road Warrior theme. Next to primer, flat black is my second favorite color.

ClemSparks
ClemSparks SuperDork
3/5/09 2:48 p.m.

I'd love an old cutlass or malibu. If I had a cutlass it would be really hard for me NOT to put a 455 Olds engine in it. Of course, that would make a manual trans a little tougher...so maybe it wouldn't be that hard.

With the recent talk of the LS type Truck engine and its tall stock manifold...I think that would be a perfect cheap(ish) engine for one of these as I bet they might have room under the hood for the stock truck intake.

Anyway, just think Grand National (the road racing cars, not necessarily the buick...though the buick's are cool too) and you'll be on a good track.

I'd like one lowered a bit with a V8 and manual trans. Steel stock car wheels in silver, black, or even chrome, about 10" wide.

You could have a LOT of fun with one of these!

Sell the Diesel block to a dragracer (they're based off a 350 Olds gas engine and can be used for a gas engine build) or olds purist and send the proceeds to your buddy for goodwill!

Clem

Cotton
Cotton Reader
3/5/09 3:12 p.m.

If it has the pontiac 400 or 455 you just need to install a pilot bushing in the crank to add the manual. Even if the engine came with an auto the crank was drilled from the factory to accept the bushing. The pontiac motors make good power too. I'm currently swapping the from a 400 to 455 in my 72 Firebird, but it was nice and quick with the mild 400.

rebelgtp
rebelgtp HalfDork
3/5/09 3:33 p.m.

Yeah I'm kinda curious as to what Pontiac lump is currently under the hood, I pick the car up in about a week and a half (no time until then). Until then I have loads of time to ponder what direction I want to go with the thing.

I was definitely looking at going with just standard old steel wheels that are wider then stock of course. Nothing else just seems "right". However size will get dictated by the brakes I put in. Anyone have suggestions for rear discs to go in? I'd like to get rid of the drums that will be hanging back there, however I would prefer to not have to cough up for one of the spendy aftermarket kits if I don't have to.

The other thing I was thinking of is what would be some good seats to look at for a rig like this? I was thinking of maybe some old Camaro or Trans Am seats but I need some that will be comfy and still hold me a bit in case I decided to autocross the beast.

I love planning a new car project hehe. I think I'll have to put together a build site for this thing as well.

rebelgtp
rebelgtp HalfDork
3/5/09 9:15 p.m.

just found this....it has really made me want to try to autocross this beast once I finish it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu4pNsCrrU0&feature=related

Appleseed
Appleseed Reader
3/6/09 12:25 a.m.

If I recall correctly, in the late 90s when CarCraft was JunkyardCraft, they said that people can convert a Diesel 350 to gas. I guess there stout. Don't 455 heads fit a 350 as well?

ClemSparks
ClemSparks SuperDork
3/6/09 8:34 a.m.

Quoting myself because it's fun

ClemSparks wrote: With the recent talk of the LS type Truck engine and its tall stock manifold...I think that would be a perfect cheap(ish) engine for one of these as I bet they might have room under the hood for the stock truck intake.

I talked to a guy at the local parts store last night who has a Regal with an LS truck engine in it. I asked him how it fit and he said, "barely." (We were talking about top-end-to-hood clearance.) He had to grind on the alternator or something, but it all clears. I saw the car but didn't look under the hood.

On the subject of the Olds 5.7 Diesel. Apparently they took the gas 350 and did some upgrades (I have since forgotten the particulars but one would presume it was 'beefed up' for the rigors of hich compression diesel duty) to the block and used it for the 5.7 diesel. The diesel was a dismal, short lived, diesel-reputation-killer of an engine but the blocks were stronger than the 350 gas engine blocks...and apparently interchangeable. So, to the right person, it has some small amount of value.

Clem

Spinout007
Spinout007 GRM+ Memberand New Reader
3/6/09 9:12 a.m.
Appleseed wrote: If I recall correctly, in the late 90s when CarCraft was JunkyardCraft, they said that people can convert a Diesel 350 to gas. I guess there stout. Don't 455 heads fit a 350 as well?

ummm last time a looked at a 455 side by side with a 350..... I don't think they'll swap parts...could be wrong, but uh hmmm what's the polite way to say this.....size matters??? Would love to row a 4 or 5spd behind a built 455. my old boss had a 72 cutlass with a well worked 455, with street gears, 3:55's it ran 12 flat. 4:11's and a higher stall converter turned it into a 10 sec machine, through a power sucking th400.

Cotton
Cotton Reader
3/6/09 9:36 a.m.
Spinout007 wrote:
Appleseed wrote: If I recall correctly, in the late 90s when CarCraft was JunkyardCraft, they said that people can convert a Diesel 350 to gas. I guess there stout. Don't 455 heads fit a 350 as well?
ummm last time a looked at a 455 side by side with a 350..... I don't think they'll swap parts...could be wrong, but uh hmmm what's the polite way to say this.....size matters??? Would love to row a 4 or 5spd behind a built 455. my old boss had a 72 cutlass with a well worked 455, with street gears, 3:55's it ran 12 flat. 4:11's and a higher stall converter turned it into a 10 sec machine, through a power sucking th400.

The pontiac 350/400/455 are externally the same size and the heads are interchangeable.

rebelgtp
rebelgtp HalfDork
3/6/09 9:48 a.m.

I do have to say I've been playing with the idea of digging up an old 455 more and more...In fact I have been imagining what the car would look like with a Trans Ams shaker sticking out of the hood.

Granted I seem to be taking the "Mad Max" idea for the car a bit to the extreme and found this in the Jegs catalog and couldn't help but imagine what it would look like sticking out of the hood as well. Granted I think at that point a big block would be mandatory.

skruffy
skruffy Dork
3/6/09 12:45 p.m.

Install lift kit + ugly 26" chrome rims. Drive to the "darkest" part of town. Sell car for $7k. Use profit to buy miata.

rebelgtp
rebelgtp Dork
3/6/09 2:17 p.m.
skruffy wrote: Install lift kit + ugly 26" chrome rims. Drive to the "darkest" part of town. Sell car for $7k. Use profit to buy miata.

lol where I live there is no "dark" side of town. However yeah doing image searches on google comes back with loads of these things exactly as you described ugh

rebelgtp
rebelgtp Dork
3/7/09 12:56 a.m.

Found a couple of pics that have gotten the idea of the flat black Cutty in a Max style really rattling around my head

This would be the type of nose the car has. It would have the metal bumper that would get painted black along with blacking out the grills.

However I'm really digging the more "aero" look of the later body which would require a full front end swap. But oh man the results.

thatsnowinnebago
thatsnowinnebago GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
3/7/09 3:03 a.m.

you guys are making me think an old g-body with a big motor and some sort of suspension to make it handle is a good idea. stop it.

rebelgtp
rebelgtp Dork
3/7/09 8:23 a.m.
thatsnowinnebago wrote: you guys are making me think an old g-body with a big motor and some sort of suspension to make it handle is a good idea. stop it.

come on...you know you want to...dirt cheap...loads of power possible pokes with stick oh just don't forget to upgrade the brakes as well, you want to be able to stop the thing as well.

thatsnowinnebago
thatsnowinnebago GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
3/8/09 12:39 a.m.

you're evil

ignorant
ignorant SuperDork
3/8/09 8:02 a.m.

Guy I knew in college did it. It was a fun old beast, but never super fast.

http://www.no-bling.com/panda_image_gallery/index.php?a=vg&g=schiff_Cutlass_Buildup&r=1&gp=1

rebelgtp
rebelgtp Dork
3/8/09 10:20 a.m.
thatsnowinnebago wrote: you're evil

Why thank you.

I've also seen one of these that had the exhaust dumping out in front of the rear wheels, kind of an interesting look.

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