What's in your garage under restoration?

[Junior_357]

it will run high 13 low 14s with that heavy of a car ..my 70 with 455 and 450hp and 4:10s would run mid 13;50s and it had a 3800 stall converter..wont need a roll bar to run.just seat belts and the top up

The Cutlass is really not that heavy. It's not any heavier than my 2012 Kia Optima SX...and that car runs 14.9's all day long with 274hp/269tq. I believe the engine builder...he's done more than one of these. With more gear and less weight, he has a customer with a 1970 W-31 that runs high-12's. I think mid-high 13's is all mine will do considering my car has a lot of options like power steering/brakes, A/C, etc. But again...don't plan to race it...just have fun on the street with it. It does have a 2800-ish custom stall converter built by Mickey at Torco (now Art Carr...and Mickey is long gone from there now). I gave him the specs...he built it. Unfortunately...it has never been on the street since I built it.

Before I can get it on the road...I have to do something with the front end. I think someone put the front suspension from a 73-74 Cutlass on it...and the geometry is seriously jacked up and not really safe at all.

 

[Old_School]

How did I miss this thread? I'd like to say something about the cars I like in this thread, but that is All of them! Good work/projects guys.

71 Cougar XR7 drop top , which I understand there were less than 3000 made. Surprised me as I thought there would be a Lot more.
Never been big on Fords, but overall am starting to warm up to them. Engine was long gone, and had a c6 just hanging in, so bought a donor fuel injected 5.0 car after searching hi and low for a 5.7 with no success.

In this pic, have the new engine trans and remade driveshaft in with temp wiring, and had driven it under its own power for the first time. Not a long trip as it was just out of the garage, but had a huge smile nonetheless.



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I had a '71 Cougar hardtop. Was the original engine in yours a 351 Cleveland? If so, I believe it should have had an FMX transmission.

You have a rarity in that drop top! Wish I had never sold mine...

 

[brad sweet]

The Cutlass is really not that heavy. It's not any heavier than my 2012 Kia Optima SX...and that car runs 14.9's all day long with 274hp/269tq. I believe the engine builder...he's done more than one of these. With more gear and less weight, he has a customer with a 1970 W-31 that runs high-12's. I think mid-high 13's is all mine will do considering my car has a lot of options like power steering/brakes, A/C, etc. But again...don't plan to race it...just have fun on the street with it. It does have a 2800-ish custom stall converter built by Mickey at Torco (now Art Carr...and Mickey is long gone from there now). I gave him the specs...he built it. Unfortunately...it has never been on the street since I built it.

Before I can get it on the road...I have to do something with the front end. I think someone put the front suspension from a 73-74 Cutlass on it...and the geometry is seriously jacked up and not really safe at all.

Mine and most big block 455 cars had a tendency to twist the frame and or the frame would sag a bit making caster camber adjustments a bitch until they came out with offset a arm rods making alignment a better option vrs frame replacement.

 

[Junior_357]

Mine and most big block 455 cars had a tendency to twist the frame and or the frame would sag a bit making caster camber adjustments a ***** until they came out with offset a arm rods making alignment a better option vas frame replacement.

Yep...absolutely correct. And the reason why I decided not to drop a big block in my convertible. The body already has some small stress cracks in the body seams right behind the doors. No upper support...so no big block torque. Plus, I have a friend from high school who couldn't keep motor mounts in his '72 442...just another reason to stay with the little 350.

Actually...the really cool part of the Cutlass is that everything suspension related for a Chevelle with fit it. There's a new a-arm and hub kit that mounts the front brakes off a C5 Corvette onto A-bodies. Better brakes, better suspension geometry, better handling, no bump steer, no funky camber change under cornering. Only one drawback...the kit is about $2500. That was my next step until I got laid off 5 years ago...and now I don't have time to work on it. So it sits...