Yeah mine is kind turning out to be a pre G FEX inspired car.
Yeah mine is kind turning out to be a pre G FEX inspired car.
Well thanks to me being a complete freakin idiot this may very well turn into a 79 build instead (though still get the 80 nose). I cannot seem to find the title for the 80 and had not transfered it over yet due to laziness on my part. I am still holding out hope but today we will be pushing the 79 in the shop to begin stripping her down. This also means I will be needing to get a leading kit to fill a crap ton of trim holes especially since I only have 110 out in my shop so I can't run a decent welder.
This has also caused me to re think the interior for the car as the one in the 79 is getting completely stripped out. I think aluminum panels are calling my name. Possibly a roll bar as well because I have a friend convincing me the car should hit the drag strip from time to time and it will help stiffen the chassis as well. The question there is do I build my own or buy a kit. Whatever I do I will have to weld it up somewhere else.
A 110 mig is pleanty strong to fill trim holes. You don't really want that much heat or you risk warpping the panel. As far as the roll bar there are so many G bodys being raced that any kit should fit better than a bar you bend yourself unless you've done a lot of them. I've made a few into circle track cars and never bent my own bar or top hoop.
The Olds Delta pace car was a rare unit.
403's have very good potential. They are overlooked.
Yeah the Delta guys were mad about it being in the yard.
Also today I was told there was "one of my cars" on a trailer by the railroad tracks. I went it was another 80 in great shape but the interior. It still has the factory diesel 350 that can be turned into a bomb proof gas motor that can take big boost. It will be coming home friday the old 80 will be the parts car now. 
I've heard if you put gas heads on a diesel 350 it gives you like 12:1 compression, and a stronger bottom end. However, high compression and boost, cannot get along. One has a restraining order against the other.
In reply to BoostedBrandon:
True but you can change the internals to lower the compression of course. Hehe could make an intersting beast considering I have an Olds 350 in the shop as well 
I just had my second evil thought of the day. I have been wanting to build a twin turbo V8 GNX clone and I think this diesel block will be the perfect starting point for this build and not going down the Chevy based motor route. I will have to completely change the internals for a lower compression and find a Seville intake that fits the Olds motor.
One person did mention adding the turbos but leaving it diesel and going that route.
Well I have been working on stripping down the car and today I got the paint ordered. I will give you a hint...
rebelgtp wrote: I just had my second evil thought of the day. I have been wanting to build a twin turbo V8 GNX clone and I think this diesel block will be the perfect starting point for this build and not going down the Chevy based motor route. I will have to completely change the internals for a lower compression and find a Seville intake that fits the Olds motor. One person did mention adding the turbos but leaving it diesel and going that route.
Dude, a twin-turbo V8 DIESEL would be freaking EPIC! 
Please do that to one of your cars! (I kinda lost count of how many G-Bodies you had...)
Which one are you painting?
Can we get a picture and a short update description of each car with the plans for it? Maybe a list of the motors you have as well? Just trying to help as I a following this (these) builds with interest!
I had a oil pump drive shaft snap on the 403 in 79 T/A once. Don't know if it's a common problem but something to think about if your gonna use the 403.
Yeah I am still looking into the idea of building an evil diesel out of the DX block or also keeping my eyes out for a Duramax on the cheap.
As requested here is an updated run down of the cars and engines I have.
First up the engines:
Now for the cars:
First up the original '80 pulled from a back yard for free, this is now going to be a parts car for the most recent car. The remaining chassis may end up going into service as a dirt track car as they opened up a new track not to far from where I live.
Second car is the '79 I drug home last summer. This has the F Body steering column in it that will be going into the project and then its fate is undetermined. I have several people interested in buying it from me or it may end up getting built as another project (possibly get the diesel turbo and a GN front end).
The third car is the most recent car this is the '80 that currently has the DX block in it and will be getting the 403, a TH350 (with Hurst shifter) and 7.5 posi rear with 3.08 gear for its first stage this summer. This is the car that will be getting painted the Blitz black.
They do seem to be getting cleaner! 
I'd like to hear about your chassis and suspension plans if/when you care to share. I picked up a G-body rolling chassis a while back that is NOT rusted in the rear rails.
I was thinking...heck, I might as well start building up this chassis as I KNOW I will own a G-body at some point and as long as I don't get a 'mino or wagon, anything will sit right down on it.
I know b-body spindles are popular and 12" brakes up front. I'm curious about what chassis bracing you are implementing, what sort of bushings you'll do, bars, springs, etc.
Also...what resources (web forums, books, etc) are you using for your g-body info? I want to do some more reading about what folks are doing to make these cars handle well.
Thanks!
Clem
Clem one of the biggest factors is going to be stiffening out the chassis considering they are a bit flexy. One of the interesting things is if you look at the various makes and models of G Bodies produced over the years there were various bracing bars placed here and there haphazardly that you can dig up originals or make/buy new ones. The early Cutlass (like the 3 I have) all had a set of triangulation bars on the front frame. I found a set of the core support braces (creates an X across the radiator) in a '81 Regal V6. I then had someone send me a set of the fender to core support braces for under the hood from I believe a GP. There are also firewall to fender underhood bars that can be found in early Montes. The GP had a bar that connected the ends of the frame rails together. These can be easily made for the front and rear using box steel tubing. The GNX had a large boxed brace that fit behind the back seat that tied both sides and the floor together. There are reproductions available and there were also some regular cross braces available in various models that you can easily reproduce.
Adding all of those braces into the car can actually stiffen things up quite nicely, it just might take you awhile to find originals. The other option of course is to make your own out of steel tubing.
Bushings are of course another "regular" thing to look at. However unique to these chassis' there is also the GNX body bushing that fits between the frame and the body to ensure a better fit between the two.
Another popular swap aside from the B body spindles and brakes are ones from certain models of S10 that can be easier to find in some areas. There are of course various aftermarket kits that you can buy to give you way more brake than you will ever need.
Another thing to look at is these cars can weight quite a bit so figure out what model you are going to build and then figure out what parts there are available to drop weight. On my Olds there are aluminum hoods, bumper cores, core supports and rear brake drums. My car currently has all of these parts, diesels are the easiest to find these on from the factory. Also if you plan on using an Olds engine ditch the stock iron intake they weight in the neighborhood of 80 lbs ! I picked up a used Edelbrock unit that weights about a quarter of that. Other places to drop weight are the old heavy seats and the usual other places that you would on any car.
As for suspension to start I will be using a set of racing springs I found in the trunk of my first Cutlass while I save up for a later revision of the car. I am still hoping to get the build in to qualify for the Challenge. More than likely I will go with a good set of Koni or Bilsteins, just depends on the funds and what I can find readily available. From the factory there were cars that had uprated suspension parts including heavy duty front and rear sway bars, heavy front springs, some got a quick ratio steering box as well (this can also be sourced from F Bodies). I have the heavier front sway bar on one of my cars but I do not have a rear sway bar yet. These parts will improve the regular handling of the G Body, though they will not reach the levels of some of the aftermarket parts. I will more than likely be running the racing springs, Bilsteins and the Spohn rear sway bar at least to start.
For aftermarket UMI, Moog, HR and Spohn all make some great stuff for the G body, however you can also find complete suspension systems from some of those sources or even Edelbrock though be prepared to spend in the neighborhood of $1500 or so. UMI also makes a very good set of rear control arms for placing an A body 12 bolt into a G Body.
As for websites these are some of the ones I have been reading up at for some good info:
Hint hint: http://appleton.craigslist.org/pts/2491560103.html
(not mine)
Well this morning for giggles I decided to toss the GTP seats in and see how they fit...and they didn't they are far to wide to even think about modifying them to fit. That is of course for the front seats the rear I am sure I can work with. Guess that will teach me to double check my measurements.
Any way so it looks like I am going to be looking for some new seats for the Cutlass. I would prefer something more performance oriented yet still at least semi comfortable. Something I could easily use with a harness would be good as well in case I decide to take the car around some cones for fun. Looks like I have some digging to do to find what others have done.
damn it those seats were comfortable to.
I still haven't sold that Olds small block EFI intake that you were interested in last year. 
Very cool. My parents had a '73 Cutlass coupe. Kinda like the predecessor, I guess.
Hmmm that is still tempting. I should be getting some money in here in about a week or so let me think it over but we just maybe doing a deal on it after all.
I was thinking about selling the diesel block but I suppose a twin turbo injected 434 could be fun...Then I just need to find a Regal body to stick it in or at least a later G Body Cutlass. 
I also have a 1970 Olds 455 that I'd be willing to part with... too bad you are on the wrong side of the country. 
Oh man that would be awesome to bad shipping would be so terrible on that. I haven't even found a 455 anywhere near me. Well I take that back there was one in some huge old boat of an Olds where the car was selling cheap enough it would have been worth it to get it just for the motor and send the rest to scrap but I didn't call on it soon enough.
OK I have seats again! Went to the yard and found a set of '86 Camaro Z28 seats. They need to be recovered but they seamed to be in good shape. I also found another set of wheels and 2 of them had good Radial T/A's on them.
I was going to suggest that Javelin is selling a set of 944 Sport seats in tan or ivory. Probably worth more than the car, but they look niiiiice and with the relatively flat mounting solution, could be fairly easily adapted to another car.
but, you found seats, so I don't need to say any of that.
'grats on the seatage. I wonder if there are ready-made seat kits for those seats?
rebelgtp wrote: The wheels on the car I might use these...
Those look a lot like Lincoln "Turbine" wheels, are they? Same bolt pattern?
Dan
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