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Opinions on what to do with my classic muscle car

Russell

Russell

Well-known member
Joined
May 21, 2020
Member Number
837
Messages
138
Loc
Rocky View County, AB
Ever since I was a teenager I've always coveted the GM A bodies - Specifically the 70-72 Chevelles. I bought a 71 SS clone in 2019 after years of watching the local market. The body looks good, interior is okay but it had an engine problem. 454 / 4 speed which had obviously been swapped into an auto car. Lots of new suspension, steering and brake parts on the chassis.

Winds up that the engine had a dead cylinder. Rather than repair the engine I decided to install a modern engine instead so I picked up an 8.1L for it, which I've modified with a Dart intake, holley MPFI and a bunch of other stuff. I also bought an SS style repo dash with Dakota Digital HDX gauges, a tilt manual trans steering column, a Classic Auto air setup to replace the HVAC and a retro sound head unit. I also picked up a set of BMW seats to replace the worn out bucket seats that were in the car.

I started taking the car apart this fall to install all the new stuff and I started finding hidden problems. A lot of them. I'm now to the point where the interior is more or less completely gutted less the back seat and headliner, the engine compartment is gutted, the transmission is on the shop floor, the brake booster and pedals are out, the steering box is off etc. I don't know who assembled this car, but they messed up absolutely everything they touched. It's FUBAR. With all the mechanical issues I've found that need to be fixed, plus hacked up sheet metal on the firewall converting an AC car to non-AC plus the mess they made of the transmission tunnel to cut the manual trans shifter in I can only guess what is hidden under the paint on the rest of the body. I'm very hesitant to spend the time and money to right all the wrongs I've found and put all these new parts into a car that I know will need a full re-work of the body at some point as well.

My options as I see it:

1. Buy a virgin car that isn't all hacked up and swap all my stuff into it, then put all the stuff from that new car into the old body and sell it to try and re-coup my costs. This is a big expense up front. Plus it's nearly impossible to find one of these cars that isn't all scabbed up at this point.
2. Buy a new aftermarket tub for the car and spend the money to have it's body worked and re-painted. Put it on my current chassis and install all my parts. This is a multi-year project all of a sudden.
3. Install all my parts and run the car until the bondo starts falling out in a couple years then sell it.
4. Leave it sit in my garage on the lift for the next 30 years and look at it longingly every time I walk by. Tell people who ask to buy it that I'm going to fix it up one day. Eventually put it into the pasture to rot and be scrapped by my children after I die. Find a new hobby in the meantime.

Work that has to be done for option 3:

1. Replace the firewall. They glued dis-similar metal patches in to fill the factory A/C holes then cut out a new hole for the non-AC air box they put into the car. There is no repairing that mess short of replacement. The holes are all in the wrong spot, so the classic auto air setup I bought doesn't fit properly.
2. Replace the transmission tunnel. I think he cut the hole out with a set of side cutters, a chisel and a hammer. I'd put a bigger aftermarket one in right away so I can put a modern 5 or 6 speed in at some point.
3. Replace the brake booster and all brake lines on the chassis. I think the booster is from another car entirely It was booger welded together with a home-made bracket on the firewall at a funny angle. I suspect the car had manual brakes and they did a power steering swap on it. The rod for the brake master is wrong, the clutch linkage is all home-made and doesn't work properly. They put un-sealed limit switches on the linkage down on the chassis for reverse lights and the neutral safety switch that were both flakey at best.
4. Replace the steering box as it has an f-body box with travel stops while the a-body needs a full 87 degrees of steering angle. The car needs a wal-mart parking lot to turn around in.
5. Replace the engine mounts as it has 73+ truck engine mounts with only 2 out of 4 bolts run into the engine cradle, half the mounts are hanging free-air.
6. Replace the entire wiring harness. I've never seen such a rat's nest before. Amazing this poor car didn't burn to the ground at some point.
7. Replace the steering column. They just took the shift arm off the auto trans and ran with it.

It's the firewall replacement that I'm really hung up on. The rest I can deal with, but cutting all the spot welds and welding in a new panel is not something I am capable of. Plus that means re-painting stuff as well which I really want to avoid. That could get ugly really quick.

Thoughts?

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Been down the same rabbit hole with my 69 Camaro. Opened up a can that cost me well over 60k to make right.

If I could do it all over again, I’d bolt it all back together, make it a driver and sell it. Take my cash and add it to the cost of one already built with quality.
 
Stix said:
Fix dead hole in motor. Sell extras. Drive and enjoy. And ditch the faggy wheels:flipoff2:
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Wheels are on the list of things to be replaced. Why anyone would want bigger than 15" wheels on a classic car is beyond me.

I should also mention that I already sold a bunch of the original parts from the car. The 454 is gone, same with the old dash, seats and heater box.
 
What you're finding is standard for old, modified cars. Every street rod I've ever worked on was a hacked up turd with an okay paint job. The ones that aren't that way are expensive as fuck for a reason, it's because someone else already went through what you're doing now. Old cars were wired like shit when they were new and they don't get better with age or people start adding onto them.
 
Nothing to add but I’ve had three 71 chevelles. I absolutely love the 70-72 years also. Can’t afford them now ...figure out how bad the rest of the body is first. Get full info for an informed decision. Tap it and get some magnets
 
It's a 50 year old car. It is going to need a lot of work, and any car you can find that is similar is also going to need a lot of work unless you spend stupid money to get one that has had all the work done.
 
I’d personally go with #3. Get it put together and drive the shit out of it.
 
Mecum Kissimmee is in a week start looking dump this car. Don't put any effort if you have 40k to throw at this throw it at another one. In my opinion this is a 25 to 28k car TOPS to the right buyer.

https://www.mecum.com/collector-cars/

The Rick Treyworgy collection is very clean and has mostly chevelle Camaro and corvettes. most of those cars sat in the museum for past 20 years. Ive been to the location in person. I didn't find alot of junk in that pile.
 
Shave the firewall and build brackets to mount HVAC inside. Rewire it and have fun with it. I have yet to see any muscle car era cars that weren't hack as fuck. If you want perfect expect to pay for it. I've stopped warning customers about opening cans of worm, its barrels of rattlesnakes generally. Car looks like a good driver which is the best way to have one. Fix the cobbled up shit and drive the piss out of it. Address the body when things start popping, or unload it and get something else
 
Out of all the "problems" you listed, none look to be that bad and could be buried except for the firewall.

From your list:
1. Replace the firewall. They glued dis-similar metal patches in to fill the factory A/C holes then cut out a new hole for the non-AC air box they put into the car. There is no repairing that mess short of replacement. The holes are all in the wrong spot, so the classic auto air setup I bought doesn't fit properly.
>>>LJ says: by replacement, I assume you mean just find that section of the firewall and weld in. Doesn't sound "bad" other than a shit load of body work.
2. Replace the transmission tunnel. I think he cut the hole out with a set of side cutters, a chisel and a hammer. I'd put a bigger aftermarket one in right away so I can put a modern 5 or 6 speed in at some point.
>>LJ says: can you provide a better picture? It looks like it gets covered with a boot so to me, a little die grinder work to make it not sharp and cover it.
3. Replace the brake booster and all brake lines on the chassis. I think the booster is from another car entirely It was booger welded together with a home-made bracket on the firewall at a funny angle. I suspect the car had manual brakes and they did a power steering swap on it. The rod for the brake master is wrong, the clutch linkage is all home-made and doesn't work properly. They put un-sealed limit switches on the linkage down on the chassis for reverse lights and the neutral safety switch that were both flakey at best.
>>LJ says: why replace the brake lines? OTOH, is a full body kit ~$150? Does anyone make a kit for the booster?
4. Replace the steering box as it has an f-body box with travel stops while the a-body needs a full 87 degrees of steering angle. The car needs a wal-mart parking lot to turn around in.
>>LJ says: Replace it as needed.
5. Replace the engine mounts as it has 73+ truck engine mounts with only 2 out of 4 bolts run into the engine cradle, half the mounts are hanging free-air.
>>LJ says: This has what to do with what? I didn't think the 8.1L engine had common block mounting with old 454s.
7. Replace the steering column. They just took the shift arm off the auto trans and ran with it.
>>LJ says: aside from an eye sore and potentially having the collar move, not a big deal. I did that on my old cruiser. It only became an issue when the collar moved and wouldn't let me pull the key:homer: On the other hand, the manual tranny column has a funky lever to pull the key.

Since the car isn't a virgin, I wouldn't feel bad about "butchering" it with an 8.1 and a bunch of non-stock parts. I have opposite issue; numbers matching fastback Mustang that I can't butcher to get manual trans in:rolleyes:
 
Throw it back togeather and drive it... or list it for sell "no low bailers". There are a lot of nice cars out there for 1/2 what's invested. If you dont have all the skills or time dont be that guy.
 
Rockbuggy84 said:
Been down the same rabbit hole with my 69 Camaro. Opened up a can that cost me well over 60k to make right.

If I could do it all over again, I’d bolt it all back together, make it a driver and sell it. Take my cash and add it to the cost of one already built with quality.
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this
 
Make it driveable and enjoy it ...who cares that it's not perfect. You're not taking it to Barrett Jackson are you? As long as it won't kill you driving down the road, fuckin send it!
 
I have a 70 Elcamino that I bought 14 years ago. running and driving, I sold the 350/turbo 400 12 years ago. it hasn't moved since. I have a 454/turbo 400 in a suburban I was going to swap in. then I decided to build a 496 with the 4 bolt main block I have in the shop, even have a factory aluminum set of square ports for it. now I have a 4.8/4l80 that I'm thinking about dropping in it. but it just seems to make more sense to drop in the 2012 6.0 6l90 I have sitting out side my shop in in. yea I have issues, might need some Ritalin.
 
Are you wanting a show car? If not throw it back together fixing anything that could leave you stranded and drive the piss out of it. Fuck working on it more than driving it
 
Get the brakes up to snuff, get the engine in properly.
As to the firewall and tunnel, I would patch what's wrong and put the holes in the right place. Not sure if you can get a repop or firewall patch panels for a chevel, but that would be the best.

At least there is a lot of aftermarket for Chevels, my 71 Buick has almost no support.

Get it presentable and drive it. If you want to get it concourse perfect you will be years in the process and will never get your investment back out of it.

Painless wiring makes full harnesses for a bodies.

It's not like it is a numbers matching limited production full option car. Drive it and have fun. It's 50 years old at this point and is going to have issues. You fix it too nice, you don't ever want to take it out and drive it, because it will invariably get dirty and rock chips.
 
Tooheysmax said:
Mecum Kissimmee is in a week start looking dump this car. Don't put any effort if you have 40k to throw at this throw it at another one. In my opinion this is a 25 to 28k car TOPS to the right buyer.

https://www.mecum.com/collector-cars/

The Rick Treyworgy collection is very clean and has mostly chevelle Camaro and corvettes. most of those cars sat in the museum for past 20 years. Ive been to the location in person. I didn't find alot of junk in that pile.
Click to expand...

Not this ^. Your hacked-up muscle car with the wrong engine and trans and FI and :mr-t: wheels has nothing to do with pinkie-tea-sipping "collectors". Your OP seems kind of schitzo- "I swapped in a 2015 drivetrain, but these holes in the dash are not completly OEM, so I'm gonna have to replace the whole firewall."

Put your car together and drive it fast, and don't worry about number-matching concours whatever.

It's a car, not a 401k.
 
Me I would ignore all of the non saftey related issues and flog the hell out of it. A car is meant to be driven and enjoyed not obsessed over. If you would see my summer dd fleet you would need a extra heavy dose of Ritalin to calm down. I have more fun flogging that junk around than a pristine version of it.
 
you should toss up some pics of your chevelle for him to shit his pants over the rust holes and such
 
This is better than what I thought it was going to be . I figured from the title it was going to be a Garage Journal type thread where some dipshit yuppie with the pristine tile floored garage asks everyone what color he should paint his man cave or how he should build his dream muscle car. That site has gone to shit with all the hipster faggots and douchey safety nazis.

I agree. Put it together and drive the balls off it.
 
I agree with the "fix it and drive it" crowd.

I got to the point with my 55 that I was obsessing over the stupidest little things and the car was constantly in pieces. Then, if the car was together enough to drive, I wouldn't drive it if my driveway was muddy (which is easily 9 months out of the year), or if there was the threat of rain, or if I was going somewhere with a tight parking lot, or if the sun wasn't shining just right............you get my point. I always had an excuse not to drive the car.

Now, I'm back to focusing on making it a fun/reliable driver.

Side story: I found my love for the tri-five Chevy's (mainly the 55) through my Dad. He always had at least 1 of them when I was growing up and tinkered with them on the weekends. The one thing he did do was drive the hell out of them. I would love going on "test drives" with him after he got done wrenching because we would always end up 40-50 miles from home at some podunk ice cream shop or diner. Fast forward 35 years, and I finally have one of my own that I worked on constantly. My son would come out to the garage and ask me when we were going for a ride, and I would always tell him "Not today, its going to rain" or "I didn't get the passenger door panel back on, so we can't take it out" or something dumb like that. I finally realized I was robbing my son (and mainly myself) of the awesome memories I got to have with my Dad of cruising around and having fun in his 55.

Side story V2.0: My Dad still has a 55 Chevy 4 door station wagon that he keeps at his beach house. Its turd brown, 6 cylinder/3 on the tree, manual brakes and steering, with an overdrive unit. Its super solid/reliable, literally nothing special, but he and I both LOVE that car. He uses it as his truck when he's down there working on the house. He's always shoving lumber in the back and cruising home with it sticking out the back window like a surfboard, throwing gas cans in the back for the lawn mower, or piling brush in it to go to the dump. It serves its purpose, and looks cool as shit while doing its job.

Back in their day, these cars were just cars. Disposable cars, at that. Just put the thing back together and enjoy it.
 
This is exactly why I got into rock crawlers. I bought a 65 El Camino a couple of years ago for $1500.00 it still had the 327 and power glide but it had been sitting for 20 or so years. I got it running and driving and then I started finding that barrel of rattlesnakes and said fuck it. Sold it for 3 k and bought Yota parts.
 
Option 3 it is. I'll cut out the mess on the firewall and replace it. Cut it out to fit the HVAC unit and build internal bracketry as mentioned above and do my best to paint the firewall up nice to match. I am definitely too much of a perfectionist for my own good with this stuff, but I'm not looking for a show car. I want something that drives well and is reliable. Scratches and dirt don't bother me much. The other stuff is just a matter of getting more parts ordered up and installed.
 
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