I have posted in both the Newbies and Engine BB Forum and am now going to create a broader thread for a car that I recently acquired that used to be my Brothers (see Newbie thread if interested). I am wanting to do a frame off restomod and will be trying to do a bit of work each week. The intent is to build it out as a tribute to my Bro.

Play along with me if interested.....will likely have a ton of questions, as this is my first kick at this. May also post in the more specific parts of the forum that focus on each bit of the overall project.

Got a 455 with that car that was installed, but has some significant issues plus the 350 that was pulled out of the car when the 455 went in.

The car finding a home in my newly heated shop!


Oh CRAP!....Frame toast...


350 on the stand before pulling the 455


Pulling the 455


Block Boo Boo - Been told that it is still usable


YUK!


More YUK!!


OUCHY!


Got her tore down!


Bare Block

 

Drove over a thousand kilometers to get a new frame (was going 600 hundred of that for work anyway....just brought a trailer with me and went another 300).

The Trip Home with the new frame - Longest crappy winter drive I have ever experienced....and I grew up in Northern BC where roads are generally crappy all winter. I have 6 minutes of video of nothing but cars and trucks that were backed up going the other way on the Trans Canada Highway due to an accident



Frame Home and Cleaned Up

 

High Level Next Steps:
- Get the 455 dipped and cleaned and magnafluxed
- Assuming the block is viable, lube the shyte out of everything and store in prep for a full build
- Clean up the 350 and get it running as an "interim" engine
- Remove body from pooched frame and get it onto a rotisserie
- Bring Frame into shop and tear it down, get it blasted and "box" it and strengthen it as much as possible
- Install aftermarket suspension and steering components and add disc brakes all around
- Build up rear end and tranny
- Bodywork and paint
- Redo interior
- Run 350 until 455 is built
- Sounds system and wheels and tires
- 455 install – Hoping to be able to push near 5 and 5 but at the same time have it nicely drivable

 

Man thats some drive in those conditions, new frame looks great, what rear did you get with it? Looking forward to your build

 

Cool project. I plan to follow your progress. I see where you said you plan to box the frame. I did that to the '69 I'm building. Their are pics in this thread if you want to see some ideas:


https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...car-build.html

 

Thanks Eddie.....the frame is from a GTO. The fellow I bought it from bought an Art Morrison thing of beauty to stuff under his Goat....VERY nice setup, but seriously spendy......anyway, near as I can tell based on some readable numbers.....Rear end is a Pontiac 10 bolt with 273's, but I have not looked closer as of yet.

 

NICE work Chadman! Looking really nice, but I am not sure I am up for chopping my frame in half!

Have a small Jeep project in the shop right now (WHY do they put CV's in a bloody drive shaft??!!) But as soon as that is done, the old frame is going in to get stripped and cleaned up.

 

Great post, great pics. Thanks for posting.

 

Were in BC are you?
I'm in Vancouver.
Cool build big fan of the 68/69 body line.
I here you about interior winter hwy driving loads of fun.

 

I am in Salmon Arm.....really nice part of "The Best Place On Earth"

 

Its a beautiful part of the country

 

"NICE work Chadman! Looking really nice, but I am not sure I am up for chopping my frame in half!"

I think he meant just the BOXING part, along the sides.

 

Umm....yeah....OK....got it......heading over to the Engine/BB forum for a bit...

 

Back from the 455 removal and full tear-down. As expected, looking at a full build of the engine, which really I wanted to do anyway. I can't afford that just now, but also have a perfectly good 350 Rocket (the original engine) which I will likely run until the 455 can be built. Will have plenty of questions on that subject, but will take that to the SB Engine Forum to discuss further.

Waiting for some pictures to upload for a look at my "new" frame.

In the meantime, I am really looking for any and all information and/or debate on the relationship between tire size, rear end gear ratio, torque converter, cam/compression, heads, intake/carb and exhaust. I get that they all work together as a system, but what I am really missing is the relationship end-to-end between each component. For example, what I wish to have a near 5 and 5 (500 HP and 500 ft-lbs of torque "ish") build out of the 455. Further, I would like to be in the running to kick the local guys *** in short non-competition races. But at the same time, I would like to "drive" the car for the pure pleasure of it. That is to say, take it around some tight corners at speed, but also just "cruise the strip", as it were.

So, have been looking at various carb/intake/head/header/cam/piston combinations, but am really at a loss to "put it all together". Unsure if this is the right part of the forum for this, but if not, I am happy to take it to another part of the forum.

OK....Pics uploaded.......for your viewing pleasure.

Frame in shop, but still on trailer.


Good to have some Search And Rescue Rope Skills!


Just "hangin' loose" after removal from the trailer....doing stuff by yourself can be a bitch.....but Imagination Is The Mother Of Invention


Touchdown!


"I'm tore down, almost level with the ground"...Eric Clapton reference for all you old fans...anyway, bare frame...whew! Off to the blasters, I am hoping this week sometime.