"Pixel" (Improbcat)
03/26/2015 at 11:25 • Filed to: None
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"Pixel" (Improbcat)
03/26/2015 at 11:25 • Filed to: None | 1
| 13 |
So I am currently obsessing about the '78 Lesabre in !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .
(not the actual car, but similar)
I've been thinking that upgrading the suspension/wheels/brakes(and eventually the drivetrain, where I have some !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ) would result in a really fun car to drive, that just happens to look like grampa's ride.
I've been taking a lot of inspiration from the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! project car over at BangShift. Thing is, I've not been having much luck finding out how many of the sort of parts he is fitting would also work on the Buick. I know the engine/trans are going to be Buick specific, but what about suspension? Steering? Brakes? Because I wouldn't want to start down this road only to discover I've got a car with zero aftermarket support.
Summit & the like don't list much, but I don't know if that is because stuff doesn't fit, or because no one has bothered to figure out the interchange for something as unpopular as the Lesabre.
So, for those of you in the know. Does everything pretty much interchange across all the B-bodies, or am I going to end up with a lot of weird one-off stuff and dead ends?
Tohru
> Pixel
03/26/2015 at 11:31 |
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For '77 and later, many B-bodies use the standard Chevy smallblock V8 and automatic. The engine and transmission in the LeSabre will have a B.O.P. mounting pattern (Buick-Olds-Pontiac), so a Chevrolet trans won't bolt to your engine and vice-versa.
crowmolly
> Pixel
03/26/2015 at 11:33 |
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Looks like they are interchangable.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/upi-gbf0…
At that point in time it will be all corporate parts. Like an HEI, Chevy 305/Olds 307, TH350 trans, 8.5" rear.
Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
> Pixel
03/26/2015 at 11:38 |
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I want a '77 Caprice. I learnt to drive in one of those. Upgrade to an LT or an LS 350 and 9C1 suspension.
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Pixel
> crowmolly
03/26/2015 at 11:39 |
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Thing is, the interchange list has the '78 Regal & Century, but not the Lesabre. That is where my confusion lies.
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crowmolly
> Pixel
03/26/2015 at 11:47 |
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Shit that's the G-Body kit. SORRY.
Let me poke around some more.
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crowmolly
> Pixel
03/26/2015 at 11:48 |
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Here's what UMI has:
http://umiperformance.com/catalog/index.…
sm70- why not Duesenberg?
> Pixel
03/26/2015 at 11:57 |
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I've never cared for them, BUT from what I know they can be fun to hoon, and are comfy, dirt cheap, and indestructible.
505Turbeaux
> Pixel
03/26/2015 at 12:26 |
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it is green on green, just buy it and make me jealous
Rock Bottom
> Pixel
03/26/2015 at 12:27 |
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I've never owned a B-body, but I did spend a lot of time in a 1977 Olds 98 back in the mid-90s (my first car), so take that into consideration when I say what I think:
A) Don't do the Caddy engine. They're kinda weird to find parts for. If you want to be different (and I know you do), a better choice is probably a big block Olds. Maybe a Buick, if only because I like external oil pumps... but the Olds will be just as smooth as the Caddy and parts aren't obnoxious to find. Things like motor mounts will be super simple, and everyone makes the important stuff for them (think about trying to find square-bore-carb intake manifolds, headers, and distributor parts). Don't use a Pontiac engine. Ever. Their blocks are dumb. Like, you can see daylight through them from top-to-bottom when they're disassembled. That just ain't right. How hard would it have been to close up the valley, Pontiac??? Of course, the smart thing to do is put a Chevy engine in it... but you better not do that. Like, seriously, I'll find you and burn your house down on behalf of B.O.P. geeks everywhere. Sorry.
B) To the best of my knowledge, B-body is B-body under the skin. I'm not positive what you have planned... suspension? I bet the hard points are all the same even if the springs and dampers aren't. Have you checked to see if ball joints, sway bar end links, and tie rod ends are the same? If so, there's a fair chance the rest of it is.
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Pixel
> Rock Bottom
03/26/2015 at 12:42 |
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The only Chevy engine I have any interest in is the LS series, but that is a whole 'nother level of either budget or scrounging luck. So I'll look into the other BOP engines.
G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3
> Pixel
03/26/2015 at 12:55 |
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Do it. Yours can be Uncle Lesabre to my Cutlass.
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Rock Bottom
> Pixel
03/26/2015 at 12:55 |
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Yeah, just remember that there is definitely something wrong with me. I'm all about putting the wrong engine in the wrong car, so my opinions might not be the best ones to listen to. I'm currently rebuilding a 1983 Mercedes diesel 5-cylinder for my 91 Cherokee...
ranwhenparked
> Pixel
03/26/2015 at 16:32 |
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I've only owned one B-Body (technically a D-Body, which was the slightly longer wheelbase version used by Buick and Cadillac), and I didn't do any modifications to it, but I'll give you some general takeaways from the ownership experience, if that helps any.
1) The ride quality is unbelievable. That car would be 19 years old today, and I got rid of it 5 years ago, and I still haven't driven or ridden in anything equivalent. It will soak up bumps and imperfections like they aren't even there, everything feels solid, and the interior gives you a cocoon-like sensation.
2) They handle better stock than you might assume. Certainly not sports sedans, but I found it to be a good balance of composure and comfort. Numb, overboosted steering, but you learn to deal with that.
3) If you're looking at one of the earlier, boxier ones, that's to your advantage with parking and maneuvering - good sight lines and you can see all corners from the driver's seat. The '90s Roadmaster and Fleetwood have some annoying blind spots.