Winter 2018 mods discussion

[brucebanner]

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•What do you drive?
1968 ChevyII

•What mods do you have planned over winter for next season?
I've been toying with the idea of an LS Swap and maybe a turbo set up as well. Haven't found the right motor yet though.

Definitely didn't get around to doing anything major to the car. Bought a house instead and that are up a lot of the toy money as well.

[SKR]

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Figure I'd start a convo to see what everybody's up to this winter with their rides...

•What do you drive?
•What mods do you have planned over winter for next season?
•Is your ride parked for winter or is it daily driven?
•Are we all getting old on here that nobody is really doing this anymore? Haha
•Any plans for a new vehicle?

Time to bump this up again?

I made some progress on my 81 GMC this year, but it insists that all its oil belongs on the outside, not the inside and I put it away broken for the winter because I was tired of fucking with it. By spring I want to have the motor and transmission sorted out. It's an old 454 and a TH350 now. I'd like to stay big block I think, for simplicity's sake and because I don't want to join the LS cult if I don't have to. I went to Davenport the other day just to ask them what they thought about building another big block or going to a big inch LS. I have no goals other than 500lb-ft at 2500rpm. Their suggestion was an LSX454, which would cost ~$15,000, plus headers and accessories and everything. They didn't think you could build a big block cheaper than that. So that's one option.

The other option is a 502 from GM. I can have one sitting at the parts counter at the dealership for $8400. The old 454 comes out, and the 502 goes in. It'll be heavier than an LSX, but no heavier than the 454 that's in it now. I could probably get better mileage with an LSX, but you can buy a lot of gas with $7000 and it burns regular where the LSX needs premium. And I think the 502 puts up better horsepower/torque than the LSX at low rpm. I don't think there's a real good case for going to an LS when I'm already set up for a big block.

[never]

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Time to bump this up again?

I made some progress on my 81 GMC this year, but it insists that all its oil belongs on the outside, not the inside and I put it away broken for the winter because I was tired of fucking with it. By spring I want to have the motor and transmission sorted out. It's an old 454 and a TH350 now. I'd like to stay big block I think, for simplicity's sake and because I don't want to join the LS cult if I don't have to. I went to Davenport the other day just to ask them what they thought about building another big block or going to a big inch LS. I have no goals other than 500lb-ft at 2500rpm. Their suggestion was an LSX454, which would cost ~$15,000, plus headers and accessories and everything. They didn't think you could build a big block cheaper than that. So that's one option.

The other option is a 502 from GM. I can have one sitting at the parts counter at the dealership for $8400. The old 454 comes out, and the 502 goes in. It'll be heavier than an LSX, but no heavier than the 454 that's in it now. I could probably get better mileage with an LSX, but you can buy a lot of gas with $7000 and it burns regular where the LSX needs premium. And I think the 502 puts up better horsepower/torque than the LSX at low rpm. I don't think there's a real good case for going to an LS when I'm already set up for a big block.

Would you do the work yourself or pay someone?

[infamous]

hmmm so for this winter the mod list is as follows;

-finish up stereo
-put rear hatch area interior trim back on
-powdercoat the brake calipers and valve cover
-fix rear fenders so it stops rubbing
-get new lug nuts for summer wheels
-get new rear wiper assembly from honda odyssey
-finish wiring heated seats in
-properly wire in cruise control so i can have my lower cover for the steering column back on

i'm almost done with the car, super happy with it (for a daily driver) and for a cheap honda. but have another car i am looking at right now, so this wagon may end up for sale early in the spring

[Sentry]

If you want to boil tires at 2500rpm and be actually fast my recommendation would be LS with a whipple. But if you just want to pull stuff and do burnouts staying big block wouldn't be terrible. Why not just refresh the old 454? Could buy a lot of speed parts for it instead of just 50 extra cubes. Could get some damn nice heads for it and a full rebuild.

My projects update:
Sold turbo BMW wagon about 3 weeks ago.

Mustang is running great on microsquirt now but I never work on cars in November/December. No motivation with stupid winter, and too busy in December with holidays coming. In January I'll be starting the turbo setup. Aiming for 350-400whp and into the whole car under 3 grand. Enough to be quick and fun without going through T5s like candy.

Picked up an 02 Impreza about a month ago, going to do a simple parallel microsquirt install and turbo setup, shooting for 200-240whp and daily drivable in all seasons. And into the whole car for under 2 grand.

Also fortune favoured me and granted me a brand new Borg Warner S475, although I have nothing to put it on yet. Maybe some time in 2020 if I get the need to go actually fast.

[Hallowed_point]

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If you want to boil tires at 2500rpm and be actually fast my recommendation would be LS with a whipple. But if you just want to pull stuff and do burnouts staying big block wouldn't be terrible. Why not just refresh the old 454? Could buy a lot of speed parts for it instead of just 50 extra cubes. Could get some damn nice heads for it and a full rebuild.

My projects update:
Sold turbo BMW wagon about 3 weeks ago.

Mustang is running great on microsquirt now but I never work on cars in November/December. No motivation with stupid winter, and too busy in December with holidays coming. In January I'll be starting the turbo setup. Aiming for 350-400whp and into the whole car under 3 grand. Enough to be quick and fun without going through T5s like candy.

Picked up an 02 Impreza about a month ago, going to do a simple parallel microsquirt install and turbo setup, shooting for 200-240whp and daily drivable in all seasons. And into the whole car for under 2 grand.

Also fortune favoured me and granted me a brand new Borg Warner S475, although I have nothing to put it on yet. Maybe some time in 2020 if I get the need to go actually fast.

I broke a "world class" T5 on a 95 mustang GT on near stock power about 220 rwhp on a good day (ORX, catback, intake, tune.) Pathetic transmissions

[Sentry]

Yup! Gonna shift it like this with the turbo

[SKR]

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Would you do the work yourself or pay someone?

I would send it somewhere to have it done. I don't have the tools or setup to do it myself. I could if I took it out to the farm, but then if I'm going to do that I might as well just have it done in town. I think that would make a stronger case for the BBC swap than if I was going to do the work myself.

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If you want to boil tires at 2500rpm and be actually fast my recommendation would be LS with a whipple. But if you just want to pull stuff and do burnouts staying big block wouldn't be terrible. Why not just refresh the old 454? Could buy a lot of speed parts for it instead of just 50 extra cubes. Could get some damn nice heads for it and a full rebuild.

I might be able to find a junkyard LS, and a takeoff ZL1 supercharger and have it come in cheaper than a 502, but I think by the time it was installed and running it would be so close the same cost I don't think I'd be any further ahead. It won't be a race car so it'll spend most of its life between 1000 and 4000rpm just toodling around town and up and down the highway, right in the range where BBCs are built to run. Plus there's something to be said for not doing things the same way as everyone else. Everybody goes LS these days.

I thought about just doing heads and an intake on my motor, but after last summer I don't want to try to force old parts and new parts to work together anymore. I want to pull a running motor out and stick a running motor back in.

[cars5431]

I put at 383 (gm crate) in my truck and then bolted up a Vortech supercharger running fitech fuel injection system and backed up by 4l80e tranny. Makes it fun to drive and probably around 600 ish hp. That’s in a 89 gmc short box reg cab. I would recommend setup

[Shlade]

Guess we could update the thread title to 2018/2019 now!

I have pretty much everything done to my truck I want right now. Bought a 2018 F150 and did quite a few things to it. Going to likely upgrade to a set of 33’ tires in the spring.

Also bought another Dyna. Has quite a bit done to it but plan on getting a Conley’s T-Sport fairing, and some bags to do some touring with it this upcoming summer.