nickdiesel

Figured I'd start my swap here. With a couple of pics of both motors still in the cars the lT1 is almost ready to be dropped out with the 6 speed. 88 with the 305 5 speed will be pulled next. I have to get the LT1 pulled first so I can drain the coolant/water out of the block before the temp gets below freezing as I was adding water on the way home when I bought it because the radiator had a trickling leak.

Z28ricer

iTrader: (2)

Looks like you're off to a good start, having a donor car always makes things nice, even if just for the peace of mind knowing that the engine ran before pulling it.

nickdiesel

Little update got the Lt1 and the 6 speed dropped out. Next I will be taking out the rear end and cutting out the back floors they look like they should fit nice in the convertible lets hope anyways. I plan to cut the back floors and seat pans in one piece and see how it forms to the convertible anythng to strengthen this body as I will be making front floors for it too.
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...201701972.jpg/

nickdiesel

Finally made some head way on this project. Got the 305 and trans pulled with harness.Thanks Hofficer for posting here that you needed a T5 tranny. Now that the trans sold i can buy some parts :-)

cprmn14

iTrader: (3)

subd. keep at it!

mitchberry

iTrader: (1)

nice

nickdiesel

Still at it car is getting ready for a much needed blasting. Big plans for the hood gonna make my own fuctional louvers. With GM's own stamped template I believe it will be the ram air they were looking for and very cheap to build

FSTFBDY

iTrader: (33)

should be nice when done. !

nickdiesel

Blasting went ok. Now prepping for primer and paint. Under body cabin and trunk will be black and engine bay will be ash gray same as the body.

jaybdaboat

Take lots of pics

nickdiesel

Been at it all is sand blasted and all rust spots are under duraglass a pic of the back passenger side wheel well that i made a tacked in with 6013 rod. http://imageshack.us/a/img12/1985/dsb3.jpg also a pictue of the hood showing the template I will use for my louvers these louvers will not stick up they will swing down from the top of the hood so when you look at it from the top it will have a sleek look with 3 air dams on each side they will hinge down into the engine compartment from the front when looking at the it from the front. http://imageshack.us/a/img33/1032/v9vw.jpg

nickdiesel

Got the engine bay primed and the inside and undercarriage sprayed with jet black undercoating. Getting ready for the winter so I can put the motor and trans in. Of coarse after I run new brake lines gas lines and install the tank from the 94 firebird. O and I almost forgot lol I have decided to cut the floors out of the 94 and tacking them in the convert. From the back floors to the trunk pan hopefully in one piece this thing is gonna be strong whether it likes it or not! http://imageshack.us/photo/photo/802/bo09.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/photo/546/04xb.jpg/ http://imageshack.us/photo/photo/42/qkja.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/photo/38/n1f4.jpg/

nickdiesel

Got the engine bay primed and the inside and undercarriage sprayed with jet black undercoating. Getting ready for the winter so I can put the motor and trans in. Of coarse after I run new brake lines gas lines and install the tank from the 94 firebird. O and I almost forgot lol I have decided to cut the floors out of the 94 and tacking them in the convert. From the back floors to the trunk pan hopefully in one piece this thing is gonna be strong whether it likes it or not! http://imageshack.us/photo/photo/802/bo09.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/photo/546/04xb.jpg/ http://imageshack.us/photo/photo/42/qkja.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/photo/38/n1f4.jpg/

86gn

iTrader: (3)

Keep it up , will be a sweet car when you are done

85irocZ2819

iTrader: (4)

good luck i wanna do the same swap in my 87 z28

nickdiesel

Engine bay is painted real happy how one coat of clear turned out pretty glassy! I can't wait to spray in a not so cramped area. For my first spraying of clear coat I'd say it was a big success.
http://imageshack.us/photo/photo/844/d9k3.jpg/ http://imageshack.us/photo/photo/163/cgcr.jpg/ http://imageshack.us/photo/photo/850/9r19.jpg/

nickdiesel

Got the exhaust and rear end out of the firebird. Next I will remove the gas tank to install into the convertible after all the floorboards are welded in. http://imageshack.us/photo/photo/822/ksxu.jpg/ http://imageshack.us/photo/photo/819/wdyp.jpg/

nickdiesel

Got the floors cut out of the 94 .From trunk to back floors in one piece. Shitty job but someone has got to do it! I'll use the nuts on the top of the shocks to make this piece a real nice and snug fit. After I get the brackets off the back so it fits real nice. Guy at work let me use a #2 and #4 torch tips. The extra work I put in here the stronger this things gonna be I shouldnt have to worry about it in my lifetime.
http://m930.photobucket.com/albumvie...9.jpg.html?o=0

nickdiesel

FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION!!!! I took saving this camaro on to challenge myself! It has become labor intensive but Im tryin not to cut any corners at the least expense. Getting close to the half way point and I been determined these last couple months.Cut the braces off the back of the floor pans. Haven't test fit it yet but it should fit real nice. GO BIG OR GO HOME BEEN TIME TO BUILD SOMETHING! Trying to keep myself motivated sorry lol. http://imageshack.us/photo/photo/543/j78z.jpg/ http://imageshack.us/photo/photo/23/pimq.jpg/

86gn

iTrader: (3)

Keep it up, the car will be solid when you are done

nickdiesel

Floor pan is getting close to being ready to paint. I have drilled between the spot welds so I can have the thickness of 4 pieces of metal when plug welding these in lets hope anyway. The more i do the more ideas for using the 94 metal in this the drivers side will be 2 layer should look like factory when im done.I think its going to fit well only part I might have to worry about is the flat spot by the rails below the shock tower cups and the back seat belts as I have left them in where they go through the trans tunnel Im hoping to drill a new hole in the old pan so I can get a nut on it also locking it to both pans depending on how high the bulky backs of them raise the piece. Good productive day. This picture of the pan looks like a MONSTER! http://imageshack.us/photo/photo/703/8n9l.jpg/

Jeffs82TA

iTrader: (1)

You will like the LT1, I just converted my 97 3.8 camaro to an LT1 and love the power difference.

nickdiesel

Floor pan sprayed with jet black chassis saver not bad for a cold day at least all the painting I wanted to do is done before winter. I also am preparing the barn for the winter. Splitting wood, plastic hung to help heat it with my little wood burner. If I have any chance of have this running by next summer I have to have some heat!

nickdiesel

I like this new app alot easier to add photos but for some reason the floor pan always wants to be upside down try number 2.

Jersey89GTA

iTrader: (1)

Nice work bro, I like watching these resto's and power upgrades ... awesome.

nickdiesel

Some may think I'm crazy...I may be....but this floor pan fit so nice first test fit it's ready to clamp in and plug weld where factory spot welds are. Seems I have taken using everything I can from the 94 firebird donor to a whole new level and I'm glad I did $$$$ wise!

nickdiesel

Made up a nice shock tower brace to draw the floors in it's gonna be permanent!!! I'll get good pics after I take it off and paint it. Now there's some real spot welds GM this thing is gonna be rigid!!

nickdiesel

Put the gas tank and the rear end in yesterday things are moving slowly but surely. The beer is sitting on the brace I made going from the one shock tower to the other. Pretty stout! Can someone tell me if the sway bar from the newer rear end 1994 is a direct bolt in when I tied it in the angle looked a bit different to where the rubber bushing didn't want to sit in the circle groove perfectly it may have been the angle of the rear when I was installing seemed to look alot better when I sat it down. http://imageshack.com/a/img33/6338/efzx.jpg/ http://imageshack.com/a/img811/5169/w0fg.jpg/ http://imageshack.com/a/img35/2858/0wja.jpg/

nickdiesel

Got the gas and brake lines routed in the bottom of the trans tunnel where Ill splice in braided line for the gas line and regular brake line to the master cylinder. They turned out real nice I just ran them pretty much the same way they were on the 4th gen :-) Picked up a 4 X 8' piece of 14 guage sheetmetal to do the front floors with. Most will be riveted in tied to the rockers ASC put in when they did the convert conversion. Also some 2" x1" 1/8" tubing not sure what I'm gonna do with it yet but hopefully tying in the trailing arms to the front Sub. Trying to keep at it so I don't lose interest front drivers side floor is next stay tuned

nickdiesel

Pics of the front drivers side floor pan I made before it gets paint and riveted in to the subframe , rocker and seat brace. Made out of 14 guage mild steel. Notice how half is under the rocker and seat brace and the other is above. Should I just use high temp caulk as a gasket where it gets riveted or just rivet without and just seal from the inside? It turned out nice and snug :-) http://imageshack.com/a/img843/3683/41jo.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img849/2971/nmma.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img823/3739/ws3a.jpg

nickdiesel

Gas and brake line clearance

nickdiesel

nickdiesel

Front floor pans and brackets to tie the back floor pan to the rockets

nickdiesel

Drivers side rocker bracket test fit

nickdiesel

Drivers side floor pan

nickdiesel

Passenger Side floor pan test fit

nickdiesel

Drivers side floor riveted in

86gn

iTrader: (3)

some nice work

nickdiesel

Thanks 86gn I'm assuming that means Grand National? I really did contemplate putting a 3.8 turbo in this car as I have an exchanged long block just sitting in an 1982 Riviera T Type that has never been fired O.O

nickdiesel

New front brake lines installed

nickdiesel

I used half of the brake line from the 94 firebird that I saved with the rear end swap and half of the original rear line from the master cylinder both were in great shape and also the same size. Used a 6 mm union (M12 X 1) to connect the two. Being the lowest line I don't think I'll have any clearance issues with the gas or brake lines :-)

86gn

iTrader: (3)

Yes , I also have a 86 Grand National that I built a few years ago too. I love my buick and the power it puts out but with my Camaro build im doing the LS swap also. The turbo 3.8 is great but this LS is so much easier to deal with and the 3.8 behind a stick would just not work.

nickdiesel

Yup good luck on your LS build!! Seems to be the best choice wish I would of went that route now these AC delete pulleys and headers for the lt1 swap are getting scarce. Got the front floors all done, and brakes bled, now working on the e brake feeling determined! !!!

nickdiesel

This is what a whole floor pan swap will do to your good pair of gloves :-P

nickdiesel

New power steering pump and had to go with the cheapo China AC delete no fitment issues as of yet bolted right up and seems to look straight guess will see how it holds up.

nickdiesel

Got the bolts out of the motor mounts, AIR pump and exhaust manifolds off. Looks like the stock manifolds from the 305 are close enough to work just which gaskets to use? Probably go with the squares and not d port what ya guys think?

nickdiesel

Drivers side head

nickdiesel

Got the plugs installed on the passenger side manifold they were 1/4" 18. Wouldn't have been so bad but 3 I had to drill out and re tap only one that came out without a problem was the top one. Thinking about gasket matching these for the d port has anyone done this to the manifolds looks like there should be enough material left to not crack. If anything i might just bevel them to match. You can see how close they are in the pic above.

nickdiesel

Mounted the wiper bottle like others have here just doing odds ends stuff that should save a little time at the end. Got a TPI throttle cable and hawks crossmember on order. Will I be able to install the 305 manifolds after the motor is in or will the motor,trans,all accessories and manifolds go in from the top as one? With motor mounts also Thanks guys

nickdiesel

Didn't like either deletes factory or aftermarket so I'm making mine a little smaller out of aluminum