'78 LeMans Safari- "The Rotten Banana"

[Caustic Frog]

Quick back story, Picked this up about a year ago off craigslist, guy needed quick cash and the car off his property, apparently it was his Bro-in-laws, BIL went to jail, bla bla anyway, got it for, (no foolin) $500, yes Five Hun-der-ed, you read it right. Trans went, he thought it was scrap!!!

Specs:

305 2bbl w/AC
Turbo 350
Orig. Bench seat (replaced with buckets and console out of a Cutlass (I got lucky in the Junkyard)
Roughly 175K on the odo.

It must have been sitting outside for a bit with a leaky rear wing window and the usual leak at the heater box, pass. side floors need minor patching but all in all not that bad, drivers side is perfect.

So that's where I am right now, I just got the carpet from ACC, sometime this week I'll cut the rust out of the floor-pan and have my buddy weld in the patch, then I can start putting the int. back together.

I also just received my Flow-tech Shorty headers, so once the floor is done its off to get the exhaust done, I'm gonna go single 2.5' all the way back w/ a cat and a Cherry Bomb Vortex, should sound good, just a spring/summer cruiser, not looking to break any records.

Wheels:
Got the car with 14' Ralley IIs, meh? So again got lucky in the JY found a Formula 350 Firebird with the 16" Formula wheels (you can tell the Formula wheels apart from "regular" wheels by the faux allen head/beadlock around the perimeter of the wheel) tires are 255/55/16
Turns out though, that all 4 wheels don't fit on the G-Body, The rear wheels are wayyyy deep as far as backspacing, and don't even make the studs before tire hits frame, BUT The front ones fit almost perfectly all the way around, I say almost because the rear could use a .5" spacer due to tire size, but it doesn't rub, damn close tho.
That left me with another dilemma, where to find 2 more front Formula 350 wheels, I searched all over for them, no luck, so I stopped looking, went to the local stop on the Super Chevy Show tour, Got there super early to see if there were any good deals, and whatta ya know! right inside the gate first stand I go to, dude has a complete set of FORM350 wheels W/WS6 center caps!! $100 SOLD!!

on to the pics.........

[Caustic Frog]

Day I got it:



Recent:




Interior:



Metal Flake steering wheel (car club signature) SPARKLY!!!!!

[67pete300]

I dig it. Not your typical Malibu of this vintage. Two tone and all.

[antmnte]

Looks good ! I like the two tone. You need a 455 now.

[Caustic Frog]

I dig it. Not your typical Malibu of this vintage. Two tone and all.

First car I ever drove was my dads 78 LeMans Safari wagon, took my test in it and everything, His car was pretty much a clone of this one, except it was only yellow no brown, that is the reason I am so drawn to this car.

[Caustic Frog]

Looks good ! I like the two tone. You need a 455 now.

Yes. YES I DO! but I'm sticking with the 305, if anything I'll try the Vortec head swap, already have the intake, need a resonably priced set of heads, I'm lookin'.

[BOOOGHAR]

that 2 tone paint is flippin awsum

[Caustic Frog]

you should see it when its cleaned up and in the sun, It's a Metallic Brown, yes it's "flippin awsum" BOOG' it really is. lol

[Impalarod]

Nice!!! Love the longroofs. Should make a great driver.

[milner351]

I'm a Ford guy but I really like those wagons. Two tone may be old fashioned to some - but I've always and will always like it - it agrees with the lines of the car instead of arguing with them as so many over done stripping and custom jobs do. It just looks "right".

Vortecs would be a great upgrade while still keeping the package easy to deal with fuel economy wise - if you can't afford to drive 'em - why have 'em?!

Great work. I dig the steering wheel - where do you get those? An aqua / green / blue one would look bitchin in the falcon.

[BOOOGHAR]

speedway motors and mooneyes sells them, those 2 are ones off the top of my head

[Scott Liggett]

Remember when we were totally embarrassed to have to ride in the back seat one of these? Insisting Mom drop you a block from the Jr High.

Nice car. Looks like a smoking deal. I'd only get a shifter for the console.

[Huskinhano]

Nice wagon. I'll bet you could get that 305 to run pretty well.

[1931s/x]

i know where there is a real clean one, just like it. same whacky color combo. there was another one around too, an old lady drove it, i think it had wood grain, i saw the lady at home depot and i told her i liked her car, she kept it real clean all those years. i knew she wouldnt sell it but told her if she ever wanted too, id be interested. she laughed and told me if she thought that one was nice i should see her vega and camaro! coolest old lady i ever ran into. there was anothe rold lady by me that had a brown 2 door lemans i was really after that when i noticed she stopped driving it, i talked to her daughter and she asked what the heck i wanted that ugly car for. i told her to "restore" it. she liekd the idea took my number, but never called. it took a few years but it eventually dissapeered. i like those cars.