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Build Threads / 5.3 LS Swapped FC
« on: October 11, 2020, 09:30:10 AM »
This summer I decided it was finally time to "upgrade" my V8 swapped FC.
I bought this car around 20 years ago and did a 350 swap in my backyard. It was a 4-bolt main engine I pulled from a van in the junkyard, completely rebuilt with Edelbrock goodies and had around 350-375hp.
It was a fun car but somewhere around 2010 it got parked for no real reason and I haven't had it on the road since. Last year I started it up for the first time in 10 years and found some coolant in the oil, corrosion on half the electrical in the engine bay, a bucket of corrosion gunk in the gas tank, and some other issues.
I had 2 choices, rebuilt the car as it was, or LS swap it and do some upgrades. The LS swap was cheaper on paper and I knew I'd be happier with it, so I went that route and started the conversion early this summer.
Future plans are to toss on a turbo, upgrade to a 4L80, and swap in an 8.8 IRS. I had all the parts to do the 4L60 install and with the one wheel peal skinny tires it currently has I don't think I'll break anything. So this winter I'll get all the turbo/trans/rear parts together and swap them in next summer, while driving it around NA which should still be plenty of fun.
I've been making some videos of the process for your viewing displeasure. I also have a few photos from over the years, I'll try to find them to upload also. I've pai9nted it twice so far. It was originally white, I went silver in the mid 2000's, then yellow last spring to fix and cover a little rust that was forming.
https://youtu.be/eXnBtOzoQQ8
Fresh after it's yellow tractor paint job last year
I bought this car around 20 years ago and did a 350 swap in my backyard. It was a 4-bolt main engine I pulled from a van in the junkyard, completely rebuilt with Edelbrock goodies and had around 350-375hp.
It was a fun car but somewhere around 2010 it got parked for no real reason and I haven't had it on the road since. Last year I started it up for the first time in 10 years and found some coolant in the oil, corrosion on half the electrical in the engine bay, a bucket of corrosion gunk in the gas tank, and some other issues.
I had 2 choices, rebuilt the car as it was, or LS swap it and do some upgrades. The LS swap was cheaper on paper and I knew I'd be happier with it, so I went that route and started the conversion early this summer.
Future plans are to toss on a turbo, upgrade to a 4L80, and swap in an 8.8 IRS. I had all the parts to do the 4L60 install and with the one wheel peal skinny tires it currently has I don't think I'll break anything. So this winter I'll get all the turbo/trans/rear parts together and swap them in next summer, while driving it around NA which should still be plenty of fun.
I've been making some videos of the process for your viewing displeasure. I also have a few photos from over the years, I'll try to find them to upload also. I've pai9nted it twice so far. It was originally white, I went silver in the mid 2000's, then yellow last spring to fix and cover a little rust that was forming.
https://youtu.be/eXnBtOzoQQ8
Fresh after it's yellow tractor paint job last year