GM B-Body Forum, 77-79 Caprice/Impala Forum

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GM B-Body Forum, 77-79 Caprice/Impala Forum

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GM B-Body Forum, 77-79 Caprice/Impala Forum

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GM B-Body Forum, 77-79 Caprice/Impala Forum

A forum for the owners and enthusiasts of General Motors B-Bodies from 1977-1990, but dedicated to the owners of 1977-1979 Impalas and Caprices. Join up now!


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    RunswScissors
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    Post  RunswScissors Thu Nov 06, 2014 9:03 am

    Just came across this forum, I'll probably add in to the FB page as well.

    I have been in B-bodies for 15 years, mostly 94-96 cars, but this is my second 77-79, and I had an 89 boxy for a while too. For those of you that might visit the Impala SS Forum, I've been up there for 10+ years as beertestr

    Car specs

    1979 Caprice Coupe, steel roof - no Landau.

    Purchased in May 2012, and de-donked it.

    Motor
    Set up for an LS-Engine/4L60E using KDS-Performance LS Swap Mounts (This is my company).
    Past engines -
    6.0L iron block, LS2 rods and pistons, CNC ported LS2 heads, Comp HR276 cam - Best 1/4 11.76@115. Killed the engine with a nut through the carb
    5.7L LS1 Junkyard dog. Used $200 short block, one cylinder 0.10 over, ARP rod bolts. Piston failed and took out #1 and #2 bores in spectacular fashion. best run 12.3@109.
    Next motor LS-TBD.
    LS-Truck accessories, 94-96 Caprice radiator, dual electric fans, 94-96 Coolant tank

    Trans
    1994 4L60E, Yank SS3600 converter, PCS TCM-2000 trans controller
    Standalone trans cooler with AN hose- dry breaks to be added soon.
    Shortened 2005 SSR 5" Aluminum Driveshaft.

    Exhaust
    1.75" Pacesetter Long Tube Headers, Pypes 3" X-Pipe into 3" Spintech Mufflers, OTA pipes and resonators.

    Frame/Suspension
    94-96 Impala front springs
    9c1 rear springs

    1994 9c1 frame from an AZ State Police car
    - Boxed main rails
    - notched rear rails for wider tires. I fit a 29x10.5 tire in with zero issues.
    - Fabbed trans x-member
    - 94-96 9c1 disc brakes
    - 9c1 rear axle with 4.10 gears, 800# Eaton Posi and steel clutches
    - boxed and clearance 9C1 rear LCA's, stock uppers.
    - reworked rear brake lines brake hoses run off frame rails, I can remove the axle without opening the brake system.


    Body
    Decent body with VFN stock appearing fiberglass hood, fiberglass front bumper (-100# total)
    Stock interior with F-body floor shifter.
    VDO Temp and Oil Pressure Gauges

    The car is currently in storage as I take care of other projects, but next up for the car is a new LS motor, and I'll be fitting up a T56. After that, I go all out on adjustable suspension, chassis braces and other handling mods. In the meantime, I'd love to find an untrashed radio bezel, anybody have one?

    Later!!
    solo79
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    Post  solo79 Thu Nov 06, 2014 7:06 pm

    Welcome to the Forum! Glad to have you. That sounds like one heck of a build! My '79 was "de-donked" as well. Would love to see some photos of your ride!
    Sweet Seventy9
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    Post  Sweet Seventy9 Thu Nov 06, 2014 7:44 pm

    Welcome to the forum. I love that word - De-Donked. I bet someday we'll see it in a dictionary!

    LS swaps are great! What are you using for an oil pan?
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    Post  GM B-Body Forum Thu Nov 06, 2014 9:39 pm

    Welcome aboard! You've done quite a bit in the last two years, you know, we will need to see some pics!
    And on that fiberglass hood, did you get the pin on or bolt on? And if you got the bolt on do you like it? Does it fit well? Any gaps, or mods that needed to be done? Because i want to get one.
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    Post  Myloth Fri Nov 07, 2014 7:52 am

    Your ride looks great I really like the look, the body is great and the drivetrain is excellent!
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    Post  RunswScissors Fri Nov 07, 2014 11:22 am

    LS Swap: I used an F-body pan, my mount brackets are based on putting the back of the engine in the same place as the old Gen 1 small block. The Fbody pan fits very well, and does not hang below the engine crossmember, so it's not vulnerable if I bottom the car out. The Holley swap pan fits as well, but it's short on sump volume.

    Hood. It's a bolt on VFN fiberglass piece. Like all fiberglass hoods, the hem flange is thicker, so you need to pull the hood-fender wedges out. There is some minor trimming around the fender-core support bolts, and I think they put the hood latch striker in upside down. I reworked that, and the fit is pretty good, the body lines between the hood and header panel are very good. you have to pull the springs, and used some hardware store springs. They are still a little stiff, so I have to push the hood down in back after closing. I also made a hood popper since the stock one is WAAAAAAAY too stiff for fiberglass. I know there are lighter hood and secondary popper springs, but I can't bring myself to pay $50+ for them. Ultimately, I'd like to ditch the whole 4-link hood hinge setup and go to something even lighter.

    Body: It's decent, but the bottoms of the doors are going at the hem flange. I got a left side door, the metal is in great shape. I need a right side door yet. The left rear 1/4 has a hole under the trim, but it's easily fixable. The rest of the body is a little wavy, but totally workable. I am saving the bodywork for last for 3 reasons.

    1) I am not done with fiberglass. I'd like to do a fiberglass decklid. I have heard of a guy in SC that made glass doors, but I am thinking they are more race skins, nothing I can hang a window and door seals on. I want to take out weight, but keep it streetable.
    2) I have not decided what color to paint it. It's originally a silver/grey car with what looks like a single stage black paint job. As my friends call it, it has the Porno-red interior, and I am starting to dig it. But not with a silver exterior.. time will tell.
    3) Making it pretty does not make it any faster.. Very Happy


    Pics:

    Pre fiberglass hood/bumper. This is one my 11.70 runs on my 6.0.

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    One with 27x8 stock car tires, ready for road course thrashing..
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    One with the 'glass parts and street wheels. The car is sitting high from the weight drop, -100# worth of engine block, -100 in bumper and hood.

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    Post  solo79 Fri Nov 07, 2014 6:41 pm

    That's pretty sweet looking. I'm really digging the color matched front grilles. I too was thinking about doing that. The fiberglass bumper is cool. I've been seeing this a lot at car shows lately. Looks like that one doesn't have turn signal cut outs though. I feel you on the rear quarter rust behind the trim. This is common since water gets trapped in there. Both sides of mine have this problem, but like you say, easy fix since it's just a flat metal patch. I'm using a damaged fender I have for sheet metal for my metal patches for those areas on my car.
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    Post  RunswScissors Mon Nov 17, 2014 5:33 pm

    solo79 wrote:That's pretty sweet looking.  I'm really digging the color matched front grilles.  I too was thinking about doing that.  The fiberglass bumper is cool.  I've been seeing this a lot at car shows lately.  Looks like that one doesn't have turn signal cut outs though.  I feel you on the rear quarter rust behind the trim.  This is common since water gets trapped in there.  Both sides of mine have this problem, but like you say, easy fix since it's just a flat metal patch.  I'm using a damaged fender I have for sheet metal for my metal patches for those areas on my car.

    I guess the fiberglass bumpers they make are more Impala than Caprice? Not sure what delineated the cars with turn signals under the headlamps, and those with the signals in the bumper. I have not decided how I am going to correct this, I am thinking some small LED turn signals behind the grill vents might look OK. Just enough to have some turn signals in front, and use an electronic flasher instead the stock load-based flashers. I eventually will toy with the chrome vinyl wrap stuff. I hear there are better films out there that can handle the tight curves on the bumper. Time will tell. Right now the motor is blown and the car is sitting in storage, so we'll see what I do when it comes back.

    Overall the fiberglass was to take weight out of the car. With a FULL 23 gallons (91-96 plastic) tank of gas, power windows and locks, no AC condenser, the dual 3" exhaust, the 4L60E, the 91-96 front brakes, 94-96 disc brake rear, and the Aluminum LS1, the car rolls over the scales at about 3665#.

    As for the grilles, I am not sure if a previous owner painted the grill this way, or that's the way it came? So many silly trim levels and options on these older cars..
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    Post  solo79 Mon Nov 17, 2014 7:37 pm

    If you really want to put the turn signal openings in that bumper, you could probably make a pattern off of the stock bumper if you still have it. It's easy to cut/shape fiberglass if you have a dremmel tool. You would have to fabricate some mounts to hold the turn signal housings though which wouldn't be too difficult I don't think.
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    Post  GM B-Body Forum Mon Nov 17, 2014 8:50 pm

    love the stance in the second pic, those hoosiers look good on there.
    No that grille was painted, they didnt look that good from the factory lol Very Happy

    I was just talking about putting in a 90's plastic tank and if it was worth the effort for weight savings, do you have any pics of it in?
    Ive picked up both tanks and felt them both and it feels like the plastic tank really isnt much lighter. But i guess since your running an ls, the fuel pump for fuel injection helped out with that swap.
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    Post  RunswScissors Tue Nov 18, 2014 9:01 am

    GM B-Body Forum wrote:love the stance in the second pic, those hoosiers look good on there.
    No that grille was painted, they didnt look that good from the factory lol Very Happy

    I was just talking about putting in a 90's plastic tank and if it was worth the effort for weight savings, do you have any pics of it in?
    Ive picked up both tanks and felt them both and it feels like the plastic tank really isnt much lighter. But i guess since your running an ls, the fuel pump for fuel injection helped out with that swap.

    I did the plastic tank for 2 reasons, easy EFI pump upgrade, and because the original tank was leaking. I had a plastic tank laying aroun, so it was a no brainer. I cut up an original EFI sender to make a fuel pickup and adapt the 1979 sending unit to work while I was still running a carb. I don't think the tank is any lighter, but it'll never rust through and it holds 23 instead of 21 gallons. All that said, I picked up a couple steel tanks a year or two ago, new Spectra tanks. I was thinking I'd eventually cut one up to install a modern fuel sending module with a jet pump. It should help big time with fuel slosh in that big old tank. Something for when I get back to working on it.
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    Post  RunswScissors Tue Nov 18, 2014 9:05 am

    solo79 wrote:If you really want to put the turn signal openings in that bumper, you could probably make a pattern off of the stock bumper if you still have it.  It's easy to cut/shape fiberglass if you have a dremmel tool.  You would have to fabricate some mounts to hold the turn signal housings though which wouldn't be too difficult I don't think.

    I'm liking the smoother look of no turn signals, and no bumper horns/bumperettes. Time will tell though. I fit the bumper, then blew the motor 2 weeks later, so missing the front turn signals has not been much of an issue in storage Very Happy ..

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