Eli's 69 Camaro

[eligould]

I've been needing to start some project threads to keep track of progress, so here it goes.

Back in July I got a call from a long time friend saying that he was finally going to sell his 69. This particular car had belonged to a friend of ours that we lost far too young, and his father had sold it. A year or so later, my buddy tracked the car down and has held onto it since then.

Long story short, I drove up to Oberlin, ks and picked it up a few weeks later with a pile of parts including a disassembled 396, th350, and lots of odds and ends.

The car had developed a knock despite the 'rebuilt' 350 that had been installed a few years ago. He decided he wasn't going to put any more time and effort into it, so up for sale it went.

[eligould]

Of course the car is a little rougher than I remember, but still really solid. Some scratches and a couple bubbles in the paint along with some runs in it. A less than professional repaint, but has lasted very well over the last 14 years. Passenger front fender has a scrape where someone scrubbed it in a parking lot. Sheet metal seems to be really solid.

Interior is in what I would call good shape. Doesn't look new by any means.

It has manual drum brakes, power steering, and a non complete factory ac.

[Russell]

Alsome car! I sure your friend would be want it to be on the road. Get it running and smoke 'em!

[eligould]

I set it on the back burner while my brother and I scrambled to get my trans am running for drag week, which went great. Now I'm trying to get myself back on track. I didn't really buy the car to keep, and I have a lot of money tied up in it. So I need to get it running at least to the point where I could sell it if the opportunity arises.

Got the 350 out of it on Monday before work, and tore into it Tuesday before work. I found the source of the knock immediately. #1 rod cap was sloppy loose and revealed a spun bearing that had been run for a while.

So, I'm considering one of a few options for engines.

A. Build this block with a cheap 383 rotator and the 882 heads that are on it.
B. Pull the carbe'd vortec 350 out of my girlfriends truck and build her a 383.
C. Buy a gmpp crate 350 (the $1500 model)

[eligould]

#1

[68scott385]

C: seems to be the easy way out....nothing wrong with that, just saying it sounds like the least amount of work
B: sounds like the most amount of work possible to get the end results
A: sounds like the "thing" to do



Otherwise;
DROOL
DROOL
DROOL
eh
YIKES

[Russell]

Nothing wrong with a "new crate motor" or get junk yard or CL motor.

[eligould]

my thinking was that the gmpp 350 with the warranty and all might make a good selling point, and the least amount of work. I think the cost would be about the same as an 882 headed 383 and much less fun (for a guy like me) to drive. I think I've all but talked myself out of stealing the vortec motor out of the girlfriends truck. she likes it the way it is and doesn't really care how fast it is. the LT4 hot cam sounds lumpy and goes down the road.

the main reason I was thinking 383 is because I think the crank is too far gone to turn, and i wouldn't want to trust the rod after being beat up that much.

I have scanned the local craigslists for a decent 350. the most decent deal I found was a late 70's pickup motor that I could hear run for 450. I thought that was still a little steep though for what is most likely a very well worn engine.

went racing Saturday with the T/A, bonfire Saturday night, recovery most of the day sunday. got dads tractor that I borrowed and broke back home today.... hopefully back after the Camaro tomorrow!

[DanStokes]

Hard to beat that crate motor for the $$. When the goal is to make the car move under it's own power w/o a blue cloud behind it, that's an excellent choice. Given your likely target audience you might want to put on a set of pretty valve covers and a shiny air cleaner. Maybe something under that air cleaner if you think you can get the money back out of it.

Dan

[eligould]

Dan, that argument Is making sense. I was looking at the headers on it today, which are caved in to clear the ac box and dented to clear the PS box. The only headers I've found to clear the factory ac box are pretty high dollar. Anybody know of some budget headers (under $200) that will clear? I'm not completely opposed to shorties or mid lengths if it winds up getting the crate engine. I did find some dynatech long tubes for around 300

[Scott Liggett]

Feedback from customers who buys engines from the company I work have never complained about Hedman's Street headers for 69 Camaros. The fact that the header is hitting both the AC box at the back and the standard steering box, I am wondering if the previous owner had put the trans crossmember in upside down. A bubble level can tell you that. Put it on the valve cover. The front of the engine should be slightly higher than the back. If the engine is tilted towards the front of the car, then the trans mount is on upside down.

[Shelty]

I have the headman street headers on my car and they clear everything. of course my B-body is wider and I dont have AC

[eligould]

The trans mount has the 2 humps in it for the exhaust to travel under it and appears to be in there correctly. there is still space between the floor and the trans. before I pulled the engine, it did look like it was angled uphill a little like it's supposed to.

from what I've googled, it appears that most of the cheap headers will not work with the factory ac box. I did find those hedman "street" headers that say they will fit, but there are a couple other part numbers for hedman street headers that say they will not work. the #2 primary tube running horizontal behind the #4 and #6 tubes is the problem. that is the cheapest option I have found yet though, $269 at summit. huslers fit, some of the hooker super comps fit, dynatech, doug's. all 480+ though.

I really hate to leave these ones in here, but my wallet is an asshole. they are gonna have to work for now.

I may have found a solution for the motor. a local engine builder has a "street rod" crate motor for 1700 that I'm considering. flat top 350, pm rods, 882 heads, holley intake, melling street performance cam. just add shiny sheet metal. 320hp. idk, we'll see

[Scott Liggett]

the heads are limiting factor on that 350. The 882's are '70's smogger heads with lousy port and chamber design. Upgrading to a decent set of aftermarket aluminum heads will pick up quite a bit of horsepower. But, you can do that later as budget allows.

[eligould]

yeah, I am going to talk to him about that. I know he has sold some flat top short blocks that were budget friendly too. I do have some experience with 882's. I built a flat top 350 with a lightly ported set of 882's years ago that I was pretty impressed with. had a comp 268xe cam and a single plane. ran over 100mph 1/4 in my t/a with a stock converter and 3.08's. had a couple stock style dish piston motors with 882's that were slugs. I think the dish pistons being .035 in the hole explains that though. hard to do anything with 7.5:1 compression.