New guy on the board

[honeydog123]

Just wanted to put in a post here after my post on the Intro board and say hello.

I'm a new vette owner (12 mos) now of a 74 coupe in need of lots of work. This is really my first good project car. I've turned wrenches before, but not on the vette level. I look forward to lots of good feedback as the project moves forward.

Here's the skinny - 74 coupe was silver, now black. Original 350 is toast, so I now have an old 400ci from a 73 impala in there, but it needs some work. I probably won't keep it there for long. Everything else was pretty much original except the back bumper, its now a one piece replacement. The stereo and speakers were stolen long ago. My entry price was real low, so I know I have some budget room for improvement. The car sat idle in a garage for about 7 years, so its just now running, barely, but fun already.

What I really want is a good weekend driver, with some kick.

Anyway, hi to all.

CC

 

[78SilvAnniv]

GM Crate engine!

I had one installed several years ago and have been very happy with it.
Check your brakes, drivetrain (engine, tranny, rear end and side yokes) and suspension.
This should give you a fairly reliable weekend driver. You may have other 'alligators' to chase down, like electrical or vaccum, but if you can go, ride and stop reliably...you're pretty much on the right path!

So, what are you considering doing?
Heidi

 

[matchframe]

Welcome to CAC!!

Boy are you in for a world of Fun! Once you have a Vette, you are hooked for life. Sounds like you have a nice project to work with, and a good background with wrenching. There is plenty of free advise here, and we always welcome your input on our projects.

If you can, we would love to see pictures of your Vette!

Good to have you here!

Bill

 

[honeydog123]

I'll try and get some before photos out there.

I'm looking at a ZZ4 for its new heart transplant.

 

[AKRAY4PLAY]

you can do a lot with that 400 in there. for the price of a ZZ4 you can build that 400 up to 400hp and 450ft/lbs or more. down side is no warrenty, unless a machine shop provides one. it all depends on what you want, i have some different builds for the 400 that you might be intersted in. as far as wrench time, Vettes are really easy to work on compared to imports and newer smogged-out cars. Brian

 

[honeydog123]

you can do a lot with that 400 in there. for the price of a ZZ4 you can build that 400 up to 400hp and 450ft/lbs or more. down side is no warrenty, unless a machine shop provides one. it all depends on what you want, i have some different builds for the 400 that you might be intersted in. as far as wrench time, Vettes are really easy to work on compared to imports and newer smogged-out cars. Brian

I would definitely be interested in rebuilding the 400 if possible. I think that I have a few choices as far as a machine shop is concerned. Any info on builds would be appreciated. Email or post if you could.

Do you know of any 350 vs 400 setup issues. There are a few that are different in the engine compartment dealing with brackets and water pumps from what I can tell.

 

[AKRAY4PLAY]

the 350-400 swap is a direct bolt in. all brackets, hoses, trannies, motor mounts, etc. are not an issue. cams, intakes, water pumps, distributors, oil pans, connecting rods, oil pumps, fuel pumps, lifters, headers and heads are swappable as well. one huge note is the need for steam relief holes in the heads. all 400s need the holes and all heads can be easily modified. all it takes is a 1/8" drill bit and a 400 head gasket.
set ups are completely different than a 350. an off the chart radical 350 cam in a 400 is humbled way down. with the bigger displacement you can run more overlap and tighter lobe sep and still retain good idle characteristics. con rod length is an issue for stock 400s, longer rods and the right pistons are available. head size also matters, a 350 can run 170cc intakes and be fine while 400 likes 195s and bigger.
let me know what the expertice of the machine shop is, most shops are scarred of 400s because of the bad legends forged around them, not to mention the lack of blocks to build. knowing a few tricks about the 400 will insure a reliable and strong motor.
i need to know what your $ budget is and power goals are. knowing where in the rpm band you want to run would also be very helpful. it is easy to make 1hp per 1ci, going to 1.5:1 is a little spendier, and beyond that it gets real expensive real fast. let me know what you think and we'll get this thing rolling!! Brian

 

[honeydog123]

Thanks AK, that's good info. A 1:1 ratio of ci to hp would be great. Don't really have a budget yet. Doesn't mean I won't create one. My main goal so far is to get it running to see what needs fixing. I started with a list of "everything", and will narrow it down.

 

[Brack]

Sounds like you and I have the same type of project on our hands....the one I just bought sat around for a long time.....Didn't know that there was this many bugs on the planet..

The guys at the parts store are tired of seeing me every day

 

[honeydog123]

Thanks Brack and Sherry. I'm thinking of starting a new thread with all the questions that are running through my head and letting the forum show what their made of. Some grainy pictures are coming as well.

 

[Robin7TFour]

dog, where in georgia are you located?

 

[honeydog123]

Thanks Brack and Sherry. I'm thinking of starting a new thread with all the questions that are running through my head and letting the forum show what their made of. Some grainy pictures are coming as well.

West Cobb county, Powder Springs to be exact.