What did you do to your "other" car (aka musclecar) today

[CadillacLuke24]

And they say there's no such thing as inflation....

 

 

Got another control arm for my Cadillac. The seller included the strut rod this time, and it is very sound for a WI car. Will work great.

 

Got black window trim for the Chevy too. Thinking that will greatly improve the looks.

[KARNUT]

I saw mustangs gts selling for low 30s, saw a challenger for 29k yes it had a Hemi. You could get a program car. Must remember the masses are spoiled now the cars back in the day didn't have ac etc. In 74 I bought a barracuda for 29k, striped, I already had the 340 4speed built waiting for it. It was a 318 3speed. I was just wanting a low 14 second daily driver. You can buy them easy now days off the rack and cheep I think. I thing low 30s is cheap for muscle don't care what engine, seat of the pants thrill, I guess I'm out of touch.

[Jsdirt]

Sounds like you've just got a different perspective of money than I do. To me, $10k is a PILE of money for a vehicle ... so when I paid 3x that for my truck, well, now you all know why I was so pissed off when it broke (more than once, I might add).

 

You paid 29K in '74 ?? Did I read that right? Houses were selling for that back then!!

[KARNUT]

2900$ it's early and I'm old. I was talking new verses new. Now if we're talking used I bought my custom truck on eBay for 7500$ it would be easer to say what it doesn't have than does. Just the engine 383, dart, whipple, MSD. I bought it 5 years ago just routine maintenance. Cheap muscle out there just have to look. My first house in NJ was 28k FHA loan in 1977. My car at that time 74 nova custom ss package used in 76 was 3k. My ford work truck 70 240 6, 3 on the tree 800$, no air on both fm in the nova. Good old days no, I'll take now.

 

 

 

Sounds like you've just got a different perspective of money than I do. To me, $10k is a PILE of money for a vehicle ... so when I paid 3x that for my truck, well, now you all know why I was so pissed off when it broke (more than once, I might add).

 

You paid 29K in '74 ?? Did I read that right? Houses were selling for that back then!!

[Jsdirt]

Ahh, 10-4 - I sort of figured that, unless you owned an oil company or something. You're only as old as you feel. Some days I'm 106 ....

 

 

I had A/C in my '72 El Camino, but it was put in by the previous owner a couple decades prior - an aftermarket AMA (Arizona Mobile Air) unit. Had an indestructible Sanden compressor, and a thermal TXV ... so could run BBQ propane in it for just about free, and it would literally freeze you out. I ran Freeze 12 back when that was big ('99-'00) - worked pretty damn good for a 134a based refrigerant, but I had a good sized, modern parallel-flow condenser in there. Would blow in the 50's in 107° heat - 30's and below on propane. Would freeze the evaporator solid if I forgot to turn the t-stat on the unit up.

 

Gotta have A/C in Phoenix. I managed to live a year there without it, so getting that system back up and running was just friggin awesome.

 

 

[KARNUT]

I've been in Texas since 79 everything is air now. Just before the old truck I had an elcamino 64, 327 4 speed factory air black. Original 250 hp just repainted bought for 12k drove a few years on wk ends sold for 16k. When I say original drum brakes drove like a school bus compared to today's cars. Brought back memories.

Ahh, 10-4 - I sort of figured that, unless you owned an oil company or something. You're only as old as you feel. Some days I'm 106 ....

 

 

I had A/C in my '72 El Camino, but it was put in by the previous owner a couple decades prior - an aftermarket AMA (Arizona Mobile Air) unit. Had an indestructible Sanden compressor, and a thermal TXV ... so could run BBQ propane in it for just about free, and it would literally freeze you out. I ran Freeze 12 back when that was big ('99-'00) - worked pretty damn good for a 134a based refrigerant, but I had a good sized, modern parallel-flow condenser in there. Would blow in the 50's in 107° heat - 30's and below on propane. Would freeze the evaporator solid if I forgot to turn the t-stat on the unit up.

 

Gotta have A/C in Phoenix. I managed to live a year there without it, so getting that system back up and running was just friggin awesome.

 

 

[Jsdirt]

Not a bad deal there! Would love to have one now. I liked my '72, since it had front disc already. I had alot of modern suspension upgrades, like KYB shocks and polygraphite bushings all over - that thing rode and handled better than anything I've been in since, aside from the '10 Camaro my buddy owns.

 

I never minded drums too much. When adjusted and lubed correctly, they worked pretty damn good.

[KARNUT]

Took my 92 GMC for ride yesterday, the gauge was flashing yellow for the Supercharger and was off on power. Iv been expecting this for a couple years, the cats must have finally clog from oil burn. The good news is I can lose the cats, the truck is old enough don't have to do emissions testing any more. As little as I drive it I should get a year or two more out of the old 383 that's in it. I am looking foward to dropping an LS in and losing the whipple, would make it a lot easier to work on and still have the high HP.

[Jsdirt]

I went thru that with the '00 Jimmy engine I carbed and installed in our '89 S10 Blazer. Got about 20k out of the cat before it plugged solid. Wife barely made it up the hill here, lol. Once I hogged it out, the thing gained 2 mpg and ran better than ever.

 

Was having ignition issues right from the get-go, thanks to a chinese eBay HEI distributor. Surprised the cat lasted as long as it did!

 

Even the old cats were built better then. I'd bet a modern cat wouldn't last 2k miles being carb fed with an ignition misfire.

 

Was nice being able to unbolt the thing. Everything today is welded.

 

 

 

Edited August 4, 2016 by Jsdirt

[KARNUT]

I had the same problem with a 94 Z28 I had years ago it burned a qt every 2500 miles. At 60k the cat clogged we cut it off. If it wasn't for that experiance I would think I have a fuel issue. My pillar gauge would show lean, it doesn't. That and this engine uses a qt of oil every 500 miles. That really shocked me when I bough the truck 5 years ago I thought a rebuild was right around the corner. There were receipt for a rebuilt and stroke to 383 in the glove box so I decided to see how long it would go and perform. Now that it's made it passes emissions I can put any thing in it. I've even thought off going back to carberator and 350 trans. But thouse LS engine are easy to build to run and be cheap speed than mess with my set up.

[Jsdirt]

I've never owned a forced induction vehicle, aside from a '79 Mercury Capri 2.3 Turbo, but that doesn't count.

 

I'd imagine that supercharger makes getting to the distributor a pain in the ass, and also complicates and carb or intake work.

 

I like the way the LS makes power, but I like familiarity. Not sure what I'd do for my next hot rod. I'd rather the simplicity of the 350 than having to learn all the new parts of the LS.

 

I just recently discovered they put the oil pump in the timing cover, like the 4-cylinders - I had no idea, and I've been driving the thing for 9 years now. Strange driving something that I don't know inside and out. Guess I'd better get a book on this thing, or watch some Youtube teardowns.

[kstruckcountry]

LS based motors are a lot easier to get familiar with. Easier to track down misfires, dry independent intakes, stuff is a lot easier to get to. AFM motors are a whole other story, and I have no intention of getting familiar any time soon.

 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

[KARNUT]

I watch a few guys that work for me with camaros get in the 11s with bolt ons without pulling the engine. With all the stuff my 350-383 has done to it I don't think it would do that in a camaro even with 10lbs of boost. Not to mention the cost of the whipple, dart roller heads, MSD. LS much cheaper. At the time that truck was built that was it. I bought it done on eBay for the price of a whipple.Definitly old school. But fun till she blows, I'll get some money on eBay when I up grade the engine and trans.

[Jsdirt]

From the sound of things (from reading all over the net), I think I may have to get familiar with the inner workings of the AFM system at some point in the future. At that time, I'll either convert it to a conventional lifter/cam, or just throw a long block in there. Hopefully that's many, many years down the road.

 

I'm getting better at the OBD-II crap. Still don't like it. Understanding it or not, it's stil expensive. Going to cost me close to $2,500 just for a damn tool to peek inside the magic box. Back in the day, that could've bought an entire car ... and a damn good one at that! Or, could've brought the car into the 12's. I'm a cheap bastard - that will never change. It's a tough pill to swallow, but these first OBD-II systems are 20 years old now, and are showing up here regularly.

 

I'm learning, but I don't have to like it.

[SnakeEyeSS]

Well I finally decided to try to get the Z28 ac just right. After it ran for a few minutes it stabilized at 42 PSI low side at 90 degrees ambient. Put a little freon in, not sure how much, don't care anymore, it takes what it takes, until it was steady around 45-46. Vent Air temps were hovering around 40 so I said good enough.

Edited August 5, 2016 by SnakeEyes