79 Chicken

[Chevypoor]

Found this in May of this year for a good price, a 1979 Firebird that someone had done a partial TA clone. Originally a 301 Poncho motor it has a 69 Olds 350 and a Turbo 350 when we bought it. Floor pan, rockers, and trunk are all virtually rust free. Interior needs a little TLC. Planning to start really working on her this winter to get her ready for paint in the spring. Planning on going Satin Black with a .060 over Chevy 350 (I have it and have you seen the cost of Poncho and Olds motors/ and or parts these days!) Want an old school iron headed small block street pounder. Will post some pics of were it is at now- partially dis-assembled!

 

[3500GMC]

Cool! Good color, like the cobalt blue.. Around here all the survivors were scavanged of their front sub-frames for dirt track modifieds, both 2nd gen camaro and firechicken.

 

[btfarm]

Nice project

 

[Chevypoor]

Cool! Good color, like the cobalt blue.. Around here all the survivors were scavanged of their front sub-frames for dirt track modifieds, both 2nd gen camaro and firechicken.

We liked the color as well but after some back and forth we decided to go Satin black. Yep, not alot around here either. Between the circle track, drag strip, and the scrap yard most of the mid to late 70's 2nd gens are gone. There are 2 Camaros and 2 Firebirds that show up regularly at the largest local cruise in which generally sees 250-300+ cars.

Nice project

Thanks!

Here are a few more pics. The motor was running but with an awful noise. I thought maybe I would get lucky and just have a broken rocker arm bridge, a common problem on an Olds motor. Instead I had a far more common and fatal Olds problem- the #7 rod bearing was spun so bad it had eaten the crank journal and the piston was hitting the head!!!! Also found out the po who did the clone forgot one critical element on his shaker scoop- the drain tube! Every time it rained the water would drain on top of the intake and puddle on the intake. Then as it sat it would slowly leak into the motor. Also raised the humidity which did not help. That liquid in the oil is water- this thing was a submarine! Took here down to the firewall for painting and or repair. The suitcase is busted up but no worries, going to run this one with no heat, no power brakes, and possibly no power steering. Old school diet- if it consumes power and or adds weight it has to go!

 

[3500GMC]

Anything but flat black, please. Car ain't no steam-punk! lol

I see a broken piston skirt and a push rod in there.?

 

[SnowDrift]

My bride and I went to the Pontiac Nationals a few years back. There was a 428 unassembled for $11,000 if I recall correctly. Partial 421 had a $6000 price tag, if I recall right.

Had a '78 when I was in high school and sold it off to do a restore on my '81 GP.

If you don't keep an Injun in it, then I'd encourage a 5.3. Those are capable of high HP (+600-700) with little effort and very little cost.

 

[JayTheCPA]

. . . going to run this one with no heat, no power brakes, and possibly no power steering. Old school diet- if it consumes power and or adds weight it has to go!

Well, then the rear-view mirror has gotta go . . . Who needs it anyway?

 

[SnowDrift]

Just to show the capable 5.3 platform. The engine in this car was from a junkyard and cost $200. He didn't have much money in it when it was on the dyno making +800 HP. It's also for sale.

 

[SmithvilleD]

Understand using the 350 if you already have it built. If not, once you play with an LS, it'll convert you. Series started out with great flowing heads with the cathedral ports. Then the next generation L92 heads got even better. I love the aluminum 6.0 in my '09 Pontiac G8 GT. Very easy to make power with. Little spendy to buy the aluminum LS2 & 3 out of the yards, but the iron/truck 6.0's aren't bad, and the iron 5.3's are downright cheap.

 

[Chevypoor]

Anything but flat black, please. Car ain't no steam-punk! lol

I see a broken piston skirt and a push rod in there.?

Satin black looks great if tastefully done- we have ideas that should tie it all together. We will painting it orselves- my wife has always wanted to paint and I bought her a paint gun for her birthday!

When the rod bearing spun he continued the drive it. That is horrible pic, sorry. The piston is fine but he wore the entire crank journal down which allowed the rod to flop around and the piston to hit the cylinder head. Amazingly the motor was fine except for the crank!

My bride and I went to the Pontiac Nationals a few years back. There was a 428 unassembled for $11,000 if I recall correctly. Partial 421 had a $6000 price tag, if I recall right.

Had a '78 when I was in high school and sold it off to do a restore on my '81 GP.

If you don't keep an Injun in it, then I'd encourage a 5.3. Those are capable of high HP (+600-700) with little effort and very little cost.

Since it is not a TA and someone has already hacked her up so to speak I do not feel any loyalty to keeping it numbers matching. I like the LS motors but I am only looking for 400 or so ponies and I have all the ancillary parts to go with a SBC and I know them- been wrenching on SBCs for awhile.

Well, then the rear-view mirror has gotta go . . . Who needs it anyway?

Amen, funning antique tags so who cares!

Just to show the capable 5.3 platform. The engine in this car was from a junkyard and cost $200. He didn't have much money in it when it was on the dyno making +800 HP. It's also for sale.

Wow, nice car, nice run.

Yep, I know the LS motors make amazing power but putting that to the ground reliably plus all the ancillary parts that go into making an LS a carbed or an injected motor (in an older chassis) quickly drive the price up!

Understand using the 350 if you already have it built. If not, once you play with an LS, it'll convert you. Series started out with great flowing heads with the cathedral ports. Then the next generation L92 heads got even better. I love the aluminum 6.0 in my '09 Pontiac G8 GT. Very easy to make power with. Little spendy to buy the aluminum LS2 & 3 out of the yards, but the iron/truck 6.0's aren't bad, and the iron 5.3's are downright cheap.

The heads on hand for this project are not LS heads but they flow 242cfm at .500 and .600 with 1.94 valves and only a 170cc runner on only a 4.0 bore. The block is .060 over so figure 245cfm minimum.BTW the exhaust flow 194cfm with a 1.5 valve at .600. Lots of velocity and that is enough cfm to handle 450+ hp and 7000rpm in a SBC 350. I am not running some old camel humps or 441 truck heads on this thing- there is alot of money and time in the heads.

This is the plan I am following with a few mods. The heads are better than those in the story and I will running 10.2:1 compression instead of 9.86 as written.

http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/engine/hrdp-0906-small-block-chevy-build/

 

[SmithvilleD]

Nothing wrong with a classic SBC - tried & true. Suppose there'd be a bunch of OEM parts to support SBC in F-body from the Camaro's.

I'm a big fan of GM's parts interchangeability. My G8's chassis shares the majority of parts with the 2010-12 Camaro's. That greatly increases the number of aftermarket parts as well as salvage yard stuff available.

 

[Chevypoor]

I love gm interchangeability!

Got some cleanup done this weekend on Sunday. Still some more cleanup to go.

 

[Burning oil]

Nice, I had a 79 silver special edition once. Reminded me of Battle Star Galactica when I see them.

 

[SnowDrift]

Nice, Leroy! '79 wasn't my favorite year, but that's still a sharp car!

 

[n8in8or]

Fun project! You should be able to sell at least the heads off the Olds and recoup some money. Since it's a 69 are they #7 heads? It's been a while since I played with Olds so I don't recall off hand. I had a set of 72 #7a heads, I checked them for cracks at the machine shop and sold them bare on Ebay for $300.

 

[Burning oil]

Nice, Leroy! '79 wasn't my favorite year, but that's still a sharp car!

That wasn't my car, but one like it (not as nice).

 

[Chevypoor]

Fun project! You should be able to sell at least the heads off the Olds and recoup some money. Since it's a 69 are they #7 heads? It's been a while since I played with Olds so I don't recall off hand. I had a set of 72 #7a heads, I checked them for cracks at the machine shop and sold them bare on Ebay for $300.

Thanks. The heads were #8 heads- the big chambered one with dished pistons. The thing could probably run on cat pee, compression had to under 8:1. I was considering building the Olds motor and picked up a set of the correct #6 heads for the motor with bigger intake valves. But when I started running the numbers to build the Olds like I wanted the cost was in the $7-8k range. I will using a ton of parts from the engine currently in the 69 C10- heads, accessories, rocker arms, intake, etc. Looking to buy only a crank, rings, pistons, a cam, and a few gaskets. Should easily hit 400 or so hp for less than a grand. Easy decision on Olds 350 vs SBC 350. I am keeping the Olds for possible future use though.

BTW that was a nice looking car you posted Leroy.

I agree on the year thing SnowDrift. The front was better on the very early 70-72 and the 77-78 models. I love the rear on the 79-81 years, GM nailed the tail lights and body lines in the rear in my opinion.

 

[n8in8or]

Thanks. The heads were #8 heads- the big chambered one with dished pistons. The thing could probably run on cat pee, compression had to under 8:1. I was considering building the Olds motor and picked up a set of the correct #6 heads for the motor with bigger intake valves. But when I started running the numbers to build the Olds like I wanted the cost was in the $7-8k range. I will using a ton of parts from the engine currently in the 69 C10- heads, accessories, rocker arms, intake, etc. Looking to buy only a crank, rings, pistons, a cam, and a few gaskets. Should easily hit 400 or so hp for less than a grand. Easy decision on Olds 350 vs SBC 350. I am keeping the Olds for possible future use though.

Yup, an easy engine decision. Same reason I got rid of all my Olds stuff, it was just too expensive to justify. I've hoarded enough SBC stuff that I'm basically going to do what you are doing when I finally start working on my Chevelle. It's just hard to get past the hp/$ ratio when you already have most of the parts. Then someday maybe do a drivetrain upgrade.

 

[Chevypoor]

What year Chevelle do you have? Any pics?

 

[n8in8or]

What year Chevelle do you have? Any pics?

'72. Hmmmm, most of the car isn't at my house and the last time I took pics of it was before digital photography was common. Last time I really worked on it was probably 2000. I'm hoping to get it home next year and then I can have it somewhere that I can work on it when I get a chance. When I do I'll start a thread. I have a few projects waiting in the wings that will have threads started when work starts. I'm glad there's a "Projects" section here to share stuff like this.