"tetsu_no_usagi" (tetsunousagi)
03/31/2015 at 14:32 • Filed to: None
3
11|
"tetsu_no_usagi" (tetsunousagi)
03/31/2015 at 14:32 • Filed to: None | 3
| 11 |
Did you ever have that moment of clarity of seeing what the future could hold, when you see the pieces for an awesome project just line up so neatly that you know what materials you'll need, what merchants you're going to use to acquire them, and even what you're going to name the project after it's complete? There's something to love about them, but also to dread when they appear, especially when you're pretty sure that if you just had a little bit more time, you'd have the time and money to complete the project... if you just had a little bit more money. And garage space. And a trailer. And a truck to tow the trailer. And tools. And a wife that won't cut your nuts off in your sleep 'cause it'd easier than divorce.
That last part was an exaggeration. My wife, lovely lady that she is, puts up with many of my foibles, and wouldn't cut off my nuts. She likes playing with Mr Happy, or so she says, so she would take her revenge out on some other part of my anatomy. But I digress.
For those of you who remember my last rant about great finds on Craig's List way back on the 4th day of the New Year, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Yeah, that one.
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Imagine my surprise to find the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! !
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Okay, so new plan: I tell you all the dominoes and all you have to do is knock them over. Someone has to make this project happen, and it doesn't look like it's going to be me, so here's hoping it's one of you out there.
Step 1: go buy the damn Swinger. It's the flat nosed '70 model that avoided the crappy '71 and later "Camaros made pointy-noses popular, so we've got one too" pointy nose. And it's the Swinger model, which doesn't mean a whole lot as we're pulling all the original running gear and replacing it with modern stuff, but hey, at least the badge will be honest.
Step 2: get yourself some horsepower. Now, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (great article, btw, Bozi), !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , strip out the LS1 and T56 Tremec for the Swinger, and sell the rest of it (front clip, interior, wheels, tires, any piece that wasn't smashed up) for some extra pocket change.
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Why not just buy the SS and fix it up? Because, no. The modern Camaros are not good looking, especially when you could have a sleeper that looks like this:
And runs like a scalded cat. Trust me, no one at your place of work or your town, unless you already happen to live by that one other guy in the county who has a Swinger, will be driving past with anything that looks like this.
And yes, I am being horribly blasphemous and telling you to outright strip out the Dodge running gear and slap in bowtie running gear. Why? Cheap (relatively), easy to find, plenty of aftermarket parts, and trust me, you want a turn-key classic car as much as I do. No rebalancing jets in the carbs on the weekend, or getting 7 gallons to the mile fuel inefficiency, just jump in, crank the key, and enjoy. Plus, I'm far from the first person !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , much less !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .
Step 3: Ford 8.8 IRS rear end, find one in your local junkyard out of the '97 and later Expedition. Or get a solid axle one, if you want to make a drag car. I like the IRS, because I like carving corners, but that's just me.
Step 4: Speaking of carving corners, modern suspension, it's a must. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , plus a bunch of other shops, shouldn't be hard to find the bits you need.
Step 5: All the other bits and paint. I'd leave the A/C in, work up some cruise control, and some comfy seats. This car, even in mild build, will make plenty of power to do track days and autocross events, plus be your daily commuter. Don't skimp on the creature comforts, but be real - your phone is your entertainment center and GPS, so nothing fancy, just a mount and a bluetooth head unit to connect to. Seats - how seriously you're going to hoon it equates to how fancy (and uncomfortable) of race seats you'll want. And if you're driving it any distance anywhere with an appreciable summer temp, you'll want the A/C and the cruise control. Beyond that, the rest is just fripperies you're not going to notice or care about not having, so forget them.
Step 6: be the coolest person you know. You may already be that, but now everyone else will know it too, not just you.
RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
> tetsu_no_usagi
03/31/2015 at 14:35 |
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Counterpoint - the Ford SUV IRS has some fiddly points. Seek instead the rear suspension from a Mark VIII or Thunderbird, or if you're radical, a Mustang Cobra IRS or Jag.
Twism
> tetsu_no_usagi
03/31/2015 at 14:49 |
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I'd replace the LS drivetrain with a 5.7 or 6.1 or even 6.4 Hemi with a six-speed from a wrecked Challenger, if only to keep it in the same family.
LS Swap is overdone, in my opinion. When everything from minivans to japanese econobox to drift cars to swedish wagon to miatas to motorcycles to fucking TESLAS have been LS swapped, you want something else to set yourself apart.
Apart from that, solid plan.
crowmolly
> tetsu_no_usagi
03/31/2015 at 14:52 |
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Counterpoint:
That car needs $10,000 of bodywork unless you are very skilled in that regard.
Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast.
> tetsu_no_usagi
03/31/2015 at 15:00 |
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My grandfather had a gold Dodge Dart Swinger. Fond memories ride with that particular model.
wheelhop
> tetsu_no_usagi
03/31/2015 at 15:13 |
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Have you been spying in my garage for the last year?
70 dart swinger getting a 5.7 magnum swap.
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tetsu_no_usagi
> crowmolly
03/31/2015 at 18:10 |
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That's part of the deal - the seller is throwing in body panels and floor pans and all kinds of things he got to restore it. So yes, lots of bodywork, but only on the elbow grease side of things, since it sounds like he's got all the supplies.
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tetsu_no_usagi
> RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
03/31/2015 at 18:11 |
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Also good options. It's just there are so many Expedition IRSs out there that it's usually easier to find than an unpicked VIII or Thunderchicken.
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tetsu_no_usagi
> Twism
03/31/2015 at 18:13 |
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Yeah, I know. But I have to admit to liking the LS1s - very low height thanks to the classic pushrod architecture, very lightweight, and so ubiquitous, I'm surprised I didn't get one when I bought my house. As in "and there's the keys to your house, sir, and here's your complimentary LS1. we had it lying around the office, and you look like you know how to turn a wrench."
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tetsu_no_usagi
> wheelhop
03/31/2015 at 18:15 |
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Very nice. I like the blue, just need to darken the hood and the roof/c-pillars in the classic Swinger paintjob. But other than that, I like their simplicity, how very unassuming they look.
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RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
> tetsu_no_usagi
03/31/2015 at 18:20 |
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I'm going with a Rover V8 in my project, because it's basically the LS1: Hard Mode. Aluminum, pushrod, ubiquitous... and risks being total crap if you don't do it right. Still, it's the classic and/or Extremely British alternative to an LS1 swap. IOW, a suspiciously similar thing to me putting Jag suspension in my project...
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crowmolly
> tetsu_no_usagi
03/31/2015 at 19:48 |
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The parts are not most of the expense. Chances are the quarters are skins, and they are like $150 each.