Learn me L98 350 Caprice circa 1992

Edit: I have bought a 92 Caprice wagon with the 350 for cheap, wondering if anyone would like to share firsthand knowledge of the engine, trans, and possible handling upgrades for Challenge use.  I know, I could have picked alot better platforms for a racecar, but it's wagon year right?  Thanks to Daylan and Patrick for the correction, its an L05 TBI not L98 TPI

I've never seen an L98 TPI caprice. It probably exists because it would be a pretty simple swap. It's probably either LT1 or TBI. Unless It's a 4.3 liter L99.

Never said TPI

In reply to Justjim75 :

What else did you mean by L98? L98 was the code for the TPI 350. Did you mean L05 or LT1? 

91-93 are l05 or l03 engine codes.  Saying l98 makes people assume tpi.

you can use takeoffs from impala or police car for beefier springs and sway bars.  Once upon a time people were using 78-81 ws6 trans am  front sway bars but those are not easy or cheap anymore.

My mistake, it must be the L05, I was misinformed.  Sorry Daylan

Thanks Patrick

In reply to Patrick :

Does that mean I'm looking for a needle in a haystack?  Can you recommend a forum specific to the mentioned cars?

L05 is 350.  

Impalassforum.com used to be the go-to but they got bought out by one of the conglomerates in the great forum buyout of the  early teens.  They still have an active for sale area.  

I’m considering selling my 95 SS as a roller but keep waffling. 

Yay new wagon sub-class Challenger! I brought an LT1-powered Roadie 2 years ago and it finished solid mid-pack. They're heavy beasts but I definitely had the most comfortable drive to the Challenge that year.

Nothing useful to add to this, but we saw a Caprice Woody Wagon of this era the other day.  I was (in typical GRM geek fashion) waxing poetic about it, especially a it appeared pretty mint here in rust land.  SWMBO looked at me as if I was even more nuts than usual and said 'Those things were old fashioned before retro was cool' and quietly shook her head in sorrow or disbelief.

Not a wagon but here is some motivation.  Sleeper Caprice 

The 350 the caprice came with was the throttle body version,the cop cars got a more powerful version which is probably just the truck version. They aren’t the most powerful but they can move along very well and have lots of torque. My dad had a 94 gmc k1500 ext cab long box with the tbi 350 and 5 speed and it always felt like it had more power then the 200 to 210 it was rated at.

Justjim75 said:

My mistake, it must be the L03, I was misinformed.  Sorry Daylan

No need to apologize, if anything I'm sorry if I came off a bit snarky with my response to your response. 

I have one much needed skill for Challenge glory, not sure about the building and driving part but I bought the El Camino that Ashykun built from SVreX for $500 with a SWEET 355 in it

then today I finalized the details for this bad boy with a trans problem but smooth running and ice cold AC for.....wait for it.....

$200!

That puts me with 2 cars, 2 running engines and 2 questionable transmissions for $700. The wagon even has 4 BRAND NEW tires one it.  Time to get busy on recoup and putting the best engine, best tranny, and best car together, then add stiffness (chassis and suspension) and lightness and NOS.

PS. This wagon already added some stiffness to my life, I love a good battlewagon

A big block will solve all the problems.

John Welsh said:

Not a wagon but here is some motivation.  Sleeper Caprice 

I really dig that one.

Justjim75 said:

I have one much needed skill for Challenge glory, not sure about the building and driving part but I bought the El Camino that Ashykun built from SVreX for $500 with a SWEET 355 in it

then today I finalized the details for this bad boy with a trans problem but smooth running and ice cold AC for.....wait for it.....

$200!

That puts me with 2 cars, 2 running engines and 2 questionable transmissions for $700. The wagon even has 4 BRAND NEW tires one it.  Time to get busy on recoup and putting the best engine, best tranny, and best car together, then add stiffness (chassis and suspension) and lightness and NOS.

PS. This wagon already added some stiffness to my life, I love a good battlewagon

Really good deal on both of those. The wagon class this year is going to be so cool.  Want to sell me that Bimmer wagon (you have listed) for under challenge money to fund this endeavor? I promise to bring it to the challenge too 

In reply to Indy-Barely Functional-Guy :

I'd love to but I'd take a loss to do it, and what kind of Challenge racer would I be to go backwards?!?  I've never even seen a Challenge so i have to at least field a legal car to see what it's like.  I already know that y'all are my brethren

In reply to Justjim75 :

Yep, I respect that.

Why didn't i buy the elky?????

That's a perfect donor engine. 

If you decide to keep the wagaon engine in the wagon, ill help you with some recoup......

Also check out the s10 blazer front sway bars. Something tells me itll fit, and its like 33mm

Read up on the Wagon on a Whim build. Different engine, but the rest will be of interest for a challenge attempt.

Justjim75 said:

In reply to Patrick :

Does that mean I'm looking for a needle in a haystack?  Can you recommend a forum specific to the mentioned cars?

For the sway Trans Am Sway Bars Patrick mentioned try transamcountry.com   firebirdnation.com   http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/forums/index.php and  http://www.pro-touring.com   The big 1-1/4" sway bar only came on the Trans Ams not Camaros so no need to look on those forums. There's actually starting to be more of them available now as a lot of the guys building Pro-Touring Trans Ams are switching the big GM sway bar for an adjustable bar. Stay away from the Hotchkis 1-3/8" hollow bar as it's not as stiff although bigger diameter and you'll often see them for sale used.  Mid 90's police car brake pads is what you'll want.

If you don't find a sway bar contact me. I make frame/ suspension parts for 2nd gen F bodies. Can ask customers I know are swapping off their stock WS-6 stuff.  laboratoryfourteen@gmail.com

Thanks for all the info guys!

Being a wagon, it'll already have the 9C1 sway bars and front springs, so that easy button is already done. The heads and cam on this engine are absolutely atrocious. vortec heads and ANY cam will make a crap ton of usable power. 

Just swapping in the engine from the Elco (355 from 89 pick up with worked Vortec heads, GMPP Hot Cam Package with 1.6 roller tip and trunion rockers Victor Jr mani and Edelbrock 750 carb) and selling the factory 300k mile engine to a friend who will refresh it for his truck