Car guys opinion

[Jeff70]

I'm looking for a car guys opinion.

I have two classic cars. First a 69 Mustang fastback its been in the family since the 80's, one crappy repaint, new motor, new suspension & its been sitting since i got it 4yrs ago. Manual brakes, manual steering, clunky 4spd linkage, and a crappy stiff clutch. Which all SUCK! My ultimate goal with this car was to do some budget upgrades to make it a fun driver and do some autocross/HPDE stuff.

I also have a 71 Olds Cutlass Conv.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ol9y62KK-eA

I bought this in 2004 after stalking the original 80ish year old owner for 7yrs before she sold it to me.

About 3yrs ago a friend lost steam on his project so I bought all of his LS stuff which he had been collecting.
LS2/T56, Speartech, headers, all clutch equipment pedals etc, Ricks tank, essentially everything needed for the swap. If I went ahead with the swap I would need gauges, Vintage Air, steering column, bucket seats of some sort (bench a no-go) with T56.The car also needs the suspension rebuilt its simply worn out & original. I figure I would need $5500-6k and 18 months or so to finish buying the parts need & rebuild the suspension.

I would like to do the LS swap but its not necessary for me. Also the wife won't be to excited about me spending 6k & 18 months or so with a kid in college, two in high school & one in middle school. I'm a DIY guy but I've never done a LS swap so I'd be winging it and learning as I go.

So here's the what would you do question.

Do the swap or sell the swap? if I sold it I would use the cash to rebuild the suspension on the Cutlass & add Vintage Air. The 350ci runs fine & doesn't leak or burn any oil, drive and enjoy.

Then use the remaining cash to do my budget upgrades maybe a few other things to the Mustang.


I look forward to your thoughts.

Thanks,

Jeff

[csouth]

5-6K to complete what you already have is a LOT of money. Here is what I would do to complete that swap on a budget:

Pair of Pro Car Sportsman seats from Summit $169ea = $340
Vintage Air for Cutlass $1394 from Summit(probably cheaper from a site sponsor)
Steering Column $450 from GMtilt.com
3 in 1 gauges from New Vintage or Speed Hut @ $680

That's @$2900 without using site sponsors for everything but the column.

You could find some springs and shocks on one of the forums easily for 1k...

Just a thought.....

[Jeff70]

Thanks for the response csouth.

I figured wiring harness $500

Column $630

Vintage Air $1290 plus hoses/ charging

Suspension parts $1230

Seats I figured as much as $1200ish I would prefer to find a original seat of Recaro Trophys and recover them to match.

Ricks tank upgrade to Vapor worxs $385

=$5235 Give or take.

I'm also do not own a welder and not much of a fabricator so I'm probably gonna have to sub out the tunnel fab.

[MonzaRacer]

I'm looking for a car guys opinion.

I have two classic cars. First a 69 Mustang fastback its been in the family since the 80's, one crappy repaint, new motor, new suspension & its been sitting since i got it 4yrs ago. Manual brakes, manual steering, clunky 4spd linkage, and a crappy stiff clutch. Which all SUCK! My ultimate goal with this car was to do some budget upgrades to make it a fun driver and do some autocross/HPDE stuff.

I also have a 71 Olds Cutlass Conv.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ol9y62KK-eA

I bought this in 2004 after stalking the original 80ish year old owner for 7yrs before she sold it to me.

About 3yrs ago a friend lost steam on his project so I bought all of his LS stuff which he had been collecting.
LS2/T56, Speartech, headers, all clutch equipment pedals etc, Ricks tank, essentially everything needed for the swap. If I went ahead with the swap I would need gauges, Vintage Air, steering column, bucket seats of some sort (bench a no-go) with T56.The car also needs the suspension rebuilt its simply worn out & original. I figure I would need $5500-6k and 18 months or so to finish buying the parts need & rebuild the suspension.

I would like to do the LS swap but its not necessary for me. Also the wife won't be to excited about me spending 6k & 18 months or so with a kid in college, two in high school & one in middle school. I'm a DIY guy but I've never done a LS swap so I'd be winging it and learning as I go.

So here's the what would you do question.

Do the swap or sell the swap? if I sold it I would use the cash to rebuild the suspension on the Cutlass & add Vintage Air. The 350ci runs fine & doesn't leak or burn any oil, drive and enjoy.

Then use the remaining cash to do my budget upgrades maybe a few other things to the Mustang.


I look forward to your thoughts.

Thanks,

Jeff

OK so does the car have factory air? yes, just do some modifications and make it a CCOT ac system, as long as all the associate parts work. IF its non air, its a 'vert, who needs ac.
Swap in some good headers, exhaust, aluminum intake and decent carb. Up grade to HEI. Do spruce and spiff route.
Sell the LSx stuff, maybe keep the T56 for down the road. Or sell it ALL and enjoy what you have, maybe up grade the suspension to Ridetech. A set of Strong Arm lowers and Coilovers front and rear and a Musclebar would make it handle great.
Kore3/Ebay for Corvette brakes and plan on some wheels.
LSx swaps are getting so over pushed. I have 4 people pushing me to do that on Cheap Trick, bad thing is ALL my parts I havre, worthless and I dont have enough resources to finance swapping in an LSx. Heck Ignition, headers, trans, mounts, accessories, ALL the BS involved and so far I can have a 283 SBC and have LESS than $500 in long block, built. My biggest stumbbling block is getting my DIS going so I dont have too mod the intake for a dist. Not that it cant be done.
Also I dont have to get rid of my Hurst Pistol grip Quarter Stick, which I love, I can use my TCI TH350 till I find a 700r4 or 2004r too build.
Dont put your car plans in front of your marriage or family. Plan accordingly. Be agreeable and accommodating in a way that DOESNT put the car as a hot button for contention as this might cost you more than you are willing to pay.
Start slowly, methodically and with a simply, plan that doesnt put car vs wife.
My buddy just missed 5 yrs with his wife and daughter when he had a Factory Five project and he kept doggedly building even when he should have closed garage for a month and let it sit. He wound up having to sell all his car but his high school car a 69 Chevelle and his DD.
Keep it simple, keep it on a budget your wife can handle and make her deals, a honey do list, one for her, then one for you.
And have her put in her $0.02 every once in a while like color or fabric or paint texture.
Let it be a project SHE can enjoy riding in when you have it running. And remember, it doesnt have to be perfect. Just perfect for you.

[Jeff70]

Lee, its a non-AC car. I live between San Francisco and Sacramento and summers get pretty warm. I'm thinking its LS or stock with the addition of Vintage Air.

[mmosley]

I would like to do the LS swap but its not necessary for me. Also the wife won't be to excited about me spending 6k

Sounds like the LS swap is not important to you... so your answer is:


if I sold it I would use the cash to rebuild the suspension on the Cutlass & add Vintage Air. The 350ci runs fine & doesn't leak or burn any oil, drive and enjoy

I guess we are just a sounding board, you want to drive the car, do something sooner not later, and keep momma happy... so there you are.

[Bonehead]

I'm not going to be of any help, I'm afraid. As I've gotten older, I've gotten past buying all the cheapest junk just to get to the "end". I've gotten a little more patient and a lot more respectful of quality. I wont buy those brands who have popped up and drug a bunch of garbage from china over here. These companies who will knock off what an American company invested time and money in developing thoroughly disgusts me. I know those are popular sentiments these days, but I've stuck with it. Takes me a bit longer to put things together, but in the end I have what I want and have a very dependable, reliable whatever it is I'm working on.

That being said, dont rush it. Find the path you want to go down and enjoy each step. If it takes 18 months, who cares! If it costs you a few thousand extra to do it right? Then enjoy the final results! If it were me? I'd LS the Cutlass and enjoy the heck out of it!

[Jeff70]

Bonehead, to be honest I enjoy it now as is although a LS would be another level of fun! Ultimately I need to weigh needs vs wants.

[BMR Sales]

Sell the Mustang and do the Cutlass

[nekkidhillbilly]

sell the stuff build the 350 rocket in it. it is the best and fastest small block gm built in the 60-70s. for all the ls money your spending you could make more power out of the olds put overdrive behind it and add ac to it. you could mount your t56 to the olds engine even if you wanted. most olds guy make same power of the ls2 you are swapping with just some port and bowl work on the heads. the only advantage i see going ls is the efi.

if it was my car id put a 2004r trans behind the rocket. port the heads put a cam in it. id put headers and a nice exhaust on it. id swap up to a hei dist. i would prob add one of the tbi units out now later on but thats cause im not a carb guy some ppl dont care about running a carb. one thing you forgot in your originally thing you are going to need some gears in the rear. od is pointless without it and the t56 would be worse than an auto with it. that car has a very high gear now.