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    1. #1
      Join Date
      Mar 2005
      Location
      Walton, NY
      Posts
      736

      Chevy Beretta LS swap and RWD conversion - budget 4.8/5spd 1996 Z26

      I've been a bad member lately, haven't logged in in forever...but here's a new project you might be interested in! My first car was a Beretta...had a couple since then. My last one (that I just sold for insane money) was a 3.4 swap/5spd summer daily that ran 13.29@101 on 87 n/a. Pretty sweet car for a FWD...and looked amazing.


      This new one, I just rescued from the junkyard. I recently bought a low-miles truck LR4 that's drive by cable and the harness to go with it. I tuned it for free with my phone from LS-Droid. I already have a 2wd NV3500 5spd (not super strong, but I'll be small displacement, lightweight and small tires) and just picked up a Explorer 8.8 3.73 LSD for $200. There's a lot of fab work to be done...but my goal is a RWD v8 Beretta to slide around for $5000 in about a year. It's gonna be a quick and dirty build...my never-ending Camaro has kinda soured me on perfection.












      I don't have a whole lot for pictures, cause I've been doing most everything on youtube channel:
      https://www.youtube.com/c/GEARHEADdezign

      And here's the video picking up the car: https://youtu.be/2JnU-ZbfYH4

      I've also got a lot of stuff on converting the truck LR4 to LS2 intake and LS1 pan on the cheap. Just made some DIY trap doors for the Fbody pan baffle. Let me know what you think!


    2. #2
      Join Date
      Nov 2018
      Posts
      642
      Country Flag: United States
      Nice project, looking forward to your updates. Many years ago I wanted to do the same thing, only on a Buick Reatta.

      You could really screw with people with it if you left the outside like it is, and used the same wheels.
      2021 Durango R/T
      2005 Dakota beater
      2003 Dakota project-o-mobile

    3. #3
      Join Date
      Apr 2011
      Location
      Rosser Manitoba Canada
      Posts
      338
      Country Flag: Canada
      Are you going to tube frame this or do the NHRA style of RWD conversion?
      The biggest thing in Motocross!
      My 97 Cougar Transcona, https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/...-Dirty-Old-XR7

    4. #4
      Join Date
      Sep 2013
      Location
      sw Kansas
      Posts
      1,640
      Country Flag: United States
      What are you going to use for suspension?

    5. #5
      Join Date
      Sep 2009
      Posts
      2,695
      Country Flag: United States
      Cool project. My first car was a 1990 Cavalier Z24.


      1955 Nomad project LC9, 4L80e, C5 brakes, Vision wheels
      1968 Camaro 6.2 w/ LSA, TR6060-Magnum hybrid and etc SOLD
      1976 T/A LS1 6 Speed, and etc. SOLD

    6. #6
      Join Date
      Jul 2009
      Location
      Sackville, NB, Canada
      Posts
      166
      Country Flag: Canada
      I always thought the Barettas were a great looking car. Looking forward to seeing this build
      Tyson
      '95 Firebird Formula: suspension + 315's
      '66 Mustang Coupe, 289

    7. #7
      Join Date
      Oct 2015
      Posts
      362
      Country Flag: United States
      Always liked the Baretta. Looking forward to the build.
      My half a$$ed build thread.https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/...elle-6-0-4L60E

      Tighten it till it strips & back it off a quarter turn.

    8. #8
      Join Date
      Sep 2019
      Location
      Utah
      Posts
      142
      Country Flag: United States
      My first car was a red 1991 beretta gt, I got t-boned by an uninsured motorist. I was sad to lose it, with the 3.3l , the body roll, and fwd it would do burn outs forever. Fun car, good luck with the build, this is a fun one I will be following. My favorite part of mine was the door handles, always loved how they looked.
      My cougar project.

    9. #9
      Join Date
      Dec 2015
      Posts
      192
      Country Flag: United States
      Cool project, looks like a lot of work that will be a lot of fun when finished!

    10. #10
      Join Date
      Jul 2006
      Location
      Chesapeake, VA
      Posts
      605
      Can't wait to see your progress. This will be lots of fun, and I like cars that are on the small size.
      Cars are meant to be driven.

      John B

    11. #11
      Join Date
      Mar 2005
      Location
      Walton, NY
      Posts
      736
      Yeah, I really miss my last Beretta already. It was as fun as a FWD can be...but this new car will be done for less than half of the price I got out of it...and at least 3x what it was actually worth. So the deal made too much sense to pass up.


      And this new car being a white Z26...looks really really similar to my high school GTZ that I put Z26 wheels on. And you can still buy a Beretta LeBra on ebay. I'm actually thinking about one just for ****s n gigs. haha


      I took measurements, and to make the truck LS fit under the hood I had to use an Fbody pan and car intake. And to make the LS2 manifold fit, I had to use an Fbody water pump too. I also made some DIY baffles for the LS1 oil pan (youtube video coming on that soon). And I promise this will be a quick & dirty build, but I did shoot it was a couple rattle cans. Huge visual improvement with minimal time invested.




    12. #12
      Join Date
      Mar 2005
      Location
      Walton, NY
      Posts
      736
      Oh yeah, and the basic plan...I covered this a bit on youtube, but I plan to retain the basic Beretta suspension in front. I'll convert it to front steer and use an Fbody rack under the front of the pan. (Beretta is rear steer with rack on the firewall). I'll swap strut sides and use the steering arm on the struts as swaybar link mounts.

      For the rear, I'm going to fab a torque arm with adjustable lower control arms that run from the Beretta rear torsion beam mounts to mounts I'll weld on the Ford 8.8. I have to fab engine mounts and trans crossmember obviously, so I'll add in a torque arm mount on the crossmember. For rear coils I'm going to move them forward from the 95-96 location to the 88-94 Beretta location and weld a bucket on the rear axle. Pretty sure the Beretta shock can be retained.

      The biggest problem is going to be fitting exhaust, etc. Thinking I'll cut the whole floor out, run some tube down the rockers to stiffen things up and raise the floor about 3in. There's room for the seats by changing the weird Beretta slide rails to traditional sliders. Should be room for driveshaft and torque arm in the original exhaust tunnel. Firewall and front tunnel will need clearance for the trans, and I'll have to use Wilwood reverse pedals for clutch and brakes. But the packaging looks reasonable.

    13. #13
      Join Date
      Sep 2004
      Location
      DFW, Texas
      Posts
      217
      Country Flag: United States
      Love the build! The wife and I owned a 91' white GTZ back in the mid 90's, great car and she missed it when we sold it. I always liked the look of these.
      My thoughts and ramblings while working on my motor driven menagerie http://mechanicdude.blogspot.com/

    14. #14
      Join Date
      Mar 2005
      Location
      Walton, NY
      Posts
      736
      If you're curious how to tune an LS swap for free with your phone, check out this video. No buying credits for VIN numbers or anything...I changed a stock 5.3 PCM into a tuned 8.1 with it, too. Also works for trucks, Camaros and anything else with a P01 (411) or P59 PCM.

      https://youtu.be/m3xdQ-FMNnU


    15. #15
      Join Date
      Mar 2005
      Location
      Walton, NY
      Posts
      736
      (I hope this doesn't seem spammy) but I've got a few more related videos out now. Got it off the trailer and running! Have the Fbody pan on and some trap doors built for it. Ready to fire it up on the engine stand soon.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDmVF4YmImk

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AmBEaxUaqs

    16. #16
      Join Date
      Oct 2015
      Posts
      362
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by woody80z28 View Post
      If you're curious how to tune an LS swap for free with your phone, check out this video. No buying credits for VIN numbers or anything...I changed a stock 5.3 PCM into a tuned 8.1 with it, too. Also works for trucks, Camaros and anything else with a P01 (411) or P59 PCM.

      https://youtu.be/m3xdQ-FMNnU

      Thanks
      My half a$$ed build thread.https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/...elle-6-0-4L60E

      Tighten it till it strips & back it off a quarter turn.

    17. #17
      Join Date
      Jul 2006
      Location
      Chesapeake, VA
      Posts
      605
      Thanks for all the information, and budget-minded too!
      Cars are meant to be driven.

      John B

    18. #18
      Join Date
      Mar 2005
      Location
      Walton, NY
      Posts
      736
      Video for the trap doors is done now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA8tDlgLA90

      And I fired it off on the stand! Excited that I have a running engine ready to drop in the Beretta bay. Just gotta get the FWD junk outta there.

    19. #19
      Join Date
      Mar 2005
      Location
      Walton, NY
      Posts
      736
      The 4.8 lives! I love that you can run the stock harness and PCM now without having to buy Hptuners or EFIlive. It makes the whole swap a lot cheaper. I'm half thinking about buying an old K5 Blazer I saw on marketplace as 5.3 swapping that for another offroader...haha
      https://youtu.be/pd31cszG8-E

    20. #20
      Join Date
      Nov 2008
      Location
      Westminster, MD
      Posts
      579
      Country Flag: United States
      I’ve always wanted to do a V8 RWD conversion to a Beretta. I had a 90 GT back in the mid-90’s as my daily and loved it. Can’t wait to see this completed!
      Ed Cooney
      '96 Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon, LT1/4L60, full bolt-ons & Solomon's tune, 18" Ridler wheels, lowered with Belltech springs

      ‘70 Buick Skylark Convertible project w/ GN drivetrain

      '91 Formula, pending track day build


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