I'm going to make a serious effort to drive my '69 GS California to Bowling Green in the Spring. The bodywork was done in 1993 and I drove it to Bowling Green in '93 and '96. I then built another 350 engine for it in '99 and drove it to the GS Nats in Columbus and also a couple years later to the BPG Nats. I've driven and raced it hard since then and the engine is leaking oil from the front and back and I've lost half a second in 1/4 mile performance from 13.6s down to 14.2s. I'm still running the stock iron intake with a self-tuned quadrajet, points ignition, a TA 290-94H cam, and TA headers. A local machine shop ported the heads for me way back when and I don't have flow sheets. The T-350 trans will need to be resealed and the 3.23 posi should hold up though a fluid change and fresh posi additive is a must. I'd really like to try the new SP3 and a little hotter cam, I doubt I can't afford the aluminum heads right now. I'd need a different converter for sure as I'm one step above stock right now. I have a good 2 1/2" exhuast with X-pipe so I shouldn't need any changes there. The body is also showing signs of being a Minnesota vehicle with rust bubbles on both quarters, doors, and fender bottoms. I do have a passenger quarter, two solid post doors, and two NOS front fenders that I can install. I don't have a drivers side quarter panel though. My brother paints so there would only be material costs to respray. I could install the fenders, doors, and quarter panel then primer and seal them and not worry about showing the car. Though it would fit in the possible "under construction" class if that happens. If you only had a $6000-$7000 budget where would you spend it?
first of all don't worry about what it looks like or if it fast or not. The point IS to make it to BG. Yes, it's be nice to get her running real strong but remember you said you were driving it. make it real reliable so you can get there and back. Probably won't hurt to add the new panels since you have them, and worry about paint later on. "under construction" is exactly what others will see, enjoy the journey is what I kept telling myself the 3 years it took me to finish a project. If I were you, I reseal the tranny, change rear end fluid, change does bolt-on panels and not worry about the cam,intake etc. Do that when you freshen up the motor. Do a leak down test and compare it to when it was fresh and compare. Most likely it will need a rehone for straight cylinders which means a complete freshen up, then do your upgrades. Don't slack thou , because May will be here before you know it!
Since your driving it there, mechanicals in tip top shape are much more important than what it looks like. Doesn't have to be fast, does have to be reliable, so focus the money there. If you ignore an oil leak, and drive it 1500 miles straight on the highway, a little leak could turn into a big one, causing at the very least embarrassment at leaving puddles wherever you park the car that week, or something much worst if you start a fire on the exhaust.. Spend what's left over on body work. JW
I brought my car down a few years ago. Has a couple of rust holes, nothing major though. I was working getting her driving better vs looking better. I will probably try to bring her down the next show. Might have mis matched fenders but oh well.
Finally getting time to get going on the Buick, pulled the engine and transmission yesterday and will be bringing them to different shops to have them gone through. No major changes planned, just freshening up things and making sure they're good to go. The shell will go to another local shop to have the front suspension gone through and have the rear end checked out as well. Fingers crossed there's no major issues with anything and it all goes back together in time, hotel reservations are already made!
I’m learning change can be a good thing. I have a line on a low mile 700R4 Monster Super Duty transmission with a 1650 stall converter for $1500 ready to bolt in. I think my T350 crossmember will work and I just have to shorten the driveshaft. Sound like a decent deal? That of course makes me wonder if I should change out my 3.23 rear gears for 3.73s? More change is good, right?
don't change gears until you drive it. I had 3.08 with a 200r4 and made the best highway car I ever drove, and it was not a pig around town. 22 mpg on the highway at around 1600 rpm. The perfect "cruiser"
I know Ken is planning on driving it to BG this year w/a newly built drivetrain. Sounds like it should be a pretty stout 350 from what he told me.
I'm thinking more like 4.33 or 4.56 w/a 350 & 200-4R. 350's can handle the RPM & really it still wouldn't be that much. Those 455's are a bit more fragile, lol. I'll let Ken divulge the details of his build if he wishes. It sure would be nice if they had an "under construction" class (I don't think there is) or at least a special parking area for ppl who bring their cars that aren't show worthy per se.
Nothing too exciting on the engine, better flowing iron heads, roller rockers, bigger cam, but going to stay with the iron intake, quadrajet, and points ignition for now. Old forged pistons will be coated to resolve wear issues from the previous 20 years of pounding on them. Already had TA headers and a 2 1/2" exhaust with x-pipe which will stay, I did have the headers jet coated in a cast iron color so they look fresh. Converting over from a T350 to a 200-4R with lock up and new JW converter. I also had a 4.10 gear set installed in place of the 3.23s in the 8.5 rear with a fresh posi unit. I've got the rear end back in the car and finished up the brake lines over the weekend. Brake shoes and a few other tidbits will be arriving tomorrow so I can finish the rear brakes and get tires back on. Didn't realize you can't walk into the auto parts store and get riveted brake shoes on the spot, had to order those! Finish cleaning up the wiring in the engine compartment and start planning what I need for the 200-4R install. I'm leaving it column shift and have been reading some of the other swap threads so I know I'll need a new NSS and will have to figure out how I want to handle the lockup. There are quite a few different ways to accomplish that, not sure which way I'm going yet and will continue to read old threads on how others have put theirs together. I'll also have to get new trans lines, it sounds like the braided lines with AN fittings run inside the frame rail are the way to go. Bought new Anchor motor mounts, a mini-starter from knucklebusted's 350 refresh thread, and still have to get a new trans mount and a few other odds and ends. Hoping to get the engine and transmission back in mid April so I can get it all installed and somewhat dialed before I start the drive to Bowling Green! It's been over a year since the GS has moved on it's own. I have to put 500 easy miles on the rear then take it back to the shop that built it to have the fluid changed and the pattern checked. The bodywork can wait, it's got a 29 year old paint job on it and the layers of bondo are popping. It was driven year round in MN and WI in it's earlier life and I found out it had been totaled at one point as well. I've got NOS front fenders, two really solid post doors that I picked up at the BPG Nats years ago, and an NOS passenger side quarter for it. Still need to find a drivers side quarter panel, and Dano is helping out getting the trunk section I bought from him back to MN. Still haven't decided what I'm going to do for tires. I have a set of 15" ralleyes with a 29" tall rear tire and 27" fronts, whitewalls of course, that I could run (shown below). I also have a set of really nice 14" ralleyes that need new tires, and the original 14" painted rims with trim rings that need new tires. I've never owned specific tires for the track, I've always just run my street tires. Let me know what you think about lock up options, I'm leaning towards the cable running to the gas pedal rather than carb, a brake switch disengage, and not sure if I want to have a time or speed relay on the lock up. I hope to see you all at Bowling Green! If everything falls into place I'll rip off some 12s and drive it the 1000 miles back home!
I do my lockup with a switch on the shifter, this lets me put TQ in lockup in 3rd gear when you are going around 50 mph and not fast enough to go into 4th gear.
Maybe I’m reading this wrong however I got the impression you were confusing the TV cable with the lockup? I normally use the carb bracket from a 1988 caddy with 307,2004R. Jim Weise has a method of using the gas pedal to control the TV cable. I normally verify the line pressures to ensure the TV cable operates properly. For wiring the lockup what I do is run a toggle switch on the dash and also a vacuum switch as well as a brake switch. Then the lockup only engages when cruising AND when I have the switch activated. Without the brake switch I almost rear ended a guy when pan in stopping as the engine stalled as it was locked up when I hit the brakes, was a EFI engine so I know it was the lockup that caused the issue. I lost the power brakes and steering at 60 mph during the panic stop when the engine stalled. I actually started to the engine and was able to stop before crashing into the guy, close call.
Sean, sorry if I wasn't clear earlier. Yes, I want to use the gas pedal to control the TV cable rather than a bracket on the carb. And yes, I want to add a brake switch in the lockup wiring but haven't decided on the rest of that circuit yet. So with your setup you can flip the dash toggle switch to on and when the vacuum drops at cruising speed the converter locks up. Then if you hit the brakes the converter unlocks, and when you get back to cruising speed it will lock again on it's own?
yes that’s right, when I leave the switch turned on then the converter will lock based on the vacuum signal. I used a TCI lockup kit, but I didn’t instal it as the directions state (they suggested internal trans wiring mods) I only used the vacuum switch so you could likely buy a vacuum switch for way less $. I like the toggle switch because when it’s turned off the converter won’t lock at all. I shut it off when beating on the car and only activate it when on the highway. The factory style lockup converters aren’t meant to handle much power so I avoid using the lockup when applying full throttle and racing. When cruising I activate the switch and then it is controlled by the vacuum. I think it’s set at 10 inches of vacuum, then when you floor it and the vacuum drops off it un-locks. Normally people use a brake switch on the ground side but I don’t think it really matters. On my other car I’m using a high $ 2004R with billet parts and a triple disk lockup converter. That one I can leave it locked up and do full throttle blasts with the turbocharged 350, a stock style converter would burn right up.
