Well I finally found a decent car for my street sleeper project. It is a 70 2dr Electra Limited with 58K miles all original untouched. For now Im going to install heads and cam on the original motor and run it until I have a chance to build or buy the final motor for the car. Trying to make a decision with what heads to go with. Stage 2 seems like the ex ports would make more room for headers? It would be nice to know if anyone has successfully installed headers or slightly modified headers on this application. Thanks for any help in advance. Dennis
The stage 2 will be much easier for header fitment. Use the T/A 64-67 Skylark 2" and you will have to modify one pipe on each side much easier than building a set from scratch. Also the trans crossmember will need to be re-worked as the factory humps are a little to close together compared to the "A' body. Also get rid of the factory driveshaft with the rubber dampner insert if your going to get serious with HP. Also forget the rare and overpriced factory 9 3/8 rear, although the ring and pinion are very strong the spyder gears and side gears are pretty weak, and when they fail they can trash your precious gear set. Just fab up a 9" ford or a dana 60 and be done with it. The Buick brackets fit those rears nicely.
Just the type of advise I was looking for. Thank you! When you say the for and Dana go in nicely. Is this a direct bolt in or you mean the mounting brackets can be welded to them? Where can I source the brackets if so? What size (width) rear will I need? Or any certain dinar rears that work well? Thanks for the help Dennis
Just cut the brackets of a 9 3/8 Buick rear as nobody makes aftermarket brackets for this application. You will have to fab up the upper brackets from scratch as they where cast into the orginal housing. I used the ford housing from a mid 70's ford f-250 pick-up as the ford is stamped steel and is easier to weld to for the top ears. the ford pick-up is a little wider than the Buick and has much more side offset about 4" compared to the Buick of about 1.5". So one side I cut 1" of the housing the other side about 2.5" keep the orginal housing ends and weld them back on so you can have axle seals. the after market ends don"t have provisions for seals. Just make a duplicate of the Buick rear with the ford 9". Do use some side offset for needle bearing rotation in the U joints. Order axles from Moser or Strange and your axle will be different lenthes do to the Ford design. You will have many options making your own housing such as norrowing and pinion angle. I run 31 spline moser with a strange center section and a Detroit locker 3.5 in. driveshaft w/1350 u joints on the foot brake low 11's for over 20 years with no drive line failures period. I know it sounds like a pain in the neck but it's not that difficult if you hook up with a good fab shop, once you build a rear end the sky the limit fo HP.
Thanks for the advice... Ok well with a stroke of luck I stumbled across a 9" from a lincoln and has discs...The width is within 1" of the Electra rear. it is a peg leg and I will find a center housing with a posi.. that is easy. Picked it up for $250 from a buddy... so at least its a start. Have a fab shop that has build alot of drag cars that will put it in. Any advice on what or how to position the rear to help the Big boat hook on the street with Drag radial?
Make sure the axle tubes are the same diameter as the buick axle tubes. I set mine up as a direct copy of the buick rear, with 2.5 negative degrees pinion angle. I used 100% stock upper and lower control arms with poly bushings till 11.50s then I upgraded to 68-72 lower control arms from H-R parts and Stuff and 64-67 upper arms and their anti roll bar. I have had 1.50 sixty foot times on P 295 x65 x15 M/T drag radials.Don't get snagged up with the advantages of disc brakes on these cars. Discs will not hold well at the starting line when foot braking. I have run the stock aluminum drums and drums on the rears over 120 mph in the 1/4 and never had any braking issues. The drum brakes on these cars where some of the best put on any GM car. Yes the A body cars had drum brakes that left a lot to be desired. I driven some of the factory 69-70 full size with the factory discs and I didn't see any great advantages, for the problems of finding the rare rotors and other parts. Long live the old school drum brakes if maintained properly. You may need to figure out the optimum width of your housing because of the Electra's wheel wells, and wheels with the proper offset for the max tire size to fit, unless your going to mini tub the car. I run69-70 Wildcats with large wheel openings from the factory. Big tire wheel combos aren't a issue. Also the Ford posi,s are pretty much junk for the weight of your car, run a Detroit locker and a after market center section Strange,Moser ,ect. or You will find out pretty quick why you need them. Good Luck.
Thanks for the info. I did come across a upgraded center section from a local buddy. Was planning on using the original control arms and boxing them. Thanks!
