Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: The New-and-Improved Future Reference Thread! (now with 2 'Birds and one stone!) (Read 2511 times) previous topic - next topic

The New-and-Improved Future Reference Thread! (now with 2 'Birds and one stone!)

I'm still sorting this whole mess out. Didn't plan on being the owner of 2 Birds when I came up with my plans for the light blue car.

First off is the '86 V6 you've all seen way too much of by now:

(EDIT: I guess I can't reuse an attachment from another thread)

I'll be keeping this car mostly stock now. Might get the exhaust re-done, w/ some shorty headers and a little bit bigger pipe. IF I happen to have an '88-up SEFI V6 fall into my lap at some point, I *might* put that in place of the CFI V6.. but I'm in no hurry to do a V8 swap to this car now that I have the other Bird. I also wouldn't mind doing wheel/tire/brake upgrades to this one.

(other car coming next)

Re: The New-and-Improved Future Reference Thread! (now with 2 'Birds and one stone!)

Reply #1 –
clean!  :cool: hows the interior?

Re: The New-and-Improved Future Reference Thread! (now with 2 'Birds and one stone!)

Reply #2 –
Now for the big project:

You've all seen plenty of this car by now, too. But this'll be the one-stop-shop for everything I intend to do to this car.

I'm undecided with this car.. I don't know if I want to try and put the 351W under there after converting it to SEFI, or if I want to rebuild the SO 302 in it now. Either engine could be made into the "stump-puller" (see thread in general) that I want.

So why a "stump-puller"? Because I want something that'll run all day and all night (figuratively speaking) at low (under 2000) RPMs for long highway trips. It's almost 300 miles just to get to the next state from where I live.. and I'd really like to get out and see more beyond Florida again. To that end, I'd like to put in the transmission/rear-end setup I originally described for the '86: Rebuilt AOD, Gear Vendors' auxiliary OD unit, and 3.55 8.8" rear end with either a PowerTrax locker or Eaton posi. (throw in an aluminum driveshaft along with the rest of that, once I can find one from a police or taxi 'Vic locally) With both OD gears in use, that should put me around 1600-1800 RPM at 75 mph.. but with the Gear Vendors unit disengaged, it'll behave just like any other Bird with a small block, AOD, and 3.55 rear end.

Why talk about building up the car, just to try and make it fuel efficient again, when it's already pretty efficient for a car of that size and engine? Because I want something that gets good mileage MOST of the time, but then every once in awhile when the mood hits, I can stick my foot in it and screw around a little. While I have no interest in racing anyone (stoplight or track or whatever) or showing off or anything like that, I don't mind going out on our tons of deserted roads and just messing around now and again.

The interior is pretty rough right now.. the leather on the front seats and armrest is shot, and the back seat won't hold up too much longer. (it's already starting to crack) While the carpeting is mostly intact, I'd prefer to replace that as well. So I intend to gut the interior on this, and do some structural reinforcements while it's all out. Welded subframe connectors, reinforcing the torque boxes, etc. (if anyone has any other suggestions for good structural improvements to do while the interior is completely removed, esp. stuff that isn't listed on the main Coolcats site, please let me know) Once that's done, I intend to thoroughly Dynamat the interior before the new carpeting and reupholstered seats go back in.

This is getting WAY too long for one post, so I'll throw in the rest quickly: I intend to repaint the whole car in Deep Jewel Green except for below the bumper strip, which I intend to be Pewter. (both metallic) You can see a sample of the color on the grille. I'll go for 17" wheels/tires so I can fit 13" brakes. Strut tower brace. Tubular A-arms and K-member. I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things.

Sure, it's easy to talk about what I intend to do.. but I am now used to owning cars for long periods of time. (10 years on my Escort) I don't mind planning all this stuff for 2-3 years down the line, knowing that (barring catastrophic problems) there's a pretty good chance I'll be hanging onto these cars for 7-8 years afterword.

Re: The New-and-Improved Future Reference Thread! (now with 2 'Birds and one stone!)

Reply #3 –
Some of the interior pics (of the light blue car) I posted on the old board:





(I may have to re-post that first pic sometime soon.. I don't use that site for image hosting anymore, and I think they expire after a few months. Oh well, it would give me a chance to shrink it and host the smaller one elsewhere.. or an excuse to take a new pic.. heh)

I don't have any pics of the interior of the '88. For one, seat covers aren't very interesting. For another, the dash is partially torn apart right now while I replace bulbs in the instrument cluster. I'll take some pics of that at a later date.

Re: The New-and-Improved Future Reference Thread! (now with 2 'Birds and one stone!)

Reply #4 –
throw the 87 front end on the 86
find a 351w from a bronco or truck
carrry over all the required engine harness and computer
find an 84 interior dash/console (i like the dash cause it goes all the way across as well how the console easily ugrades to a stick if need be)
find a couple blowers from the sc 6bangers.
invent a rearend that you can shift from "econo" to "stud :ies: " on the fly. im stll looking for this option in a rear differential.
make it fit! :evilgrin:

get er done
 

Re: The New-and-Improved Future Reference Thread! (now with 2 'Birds and one stone!)

Reply #5 –
Y'know, I actually like the '86 front end. :p

Besides, I have an '88 front end.. on an '88 body. :p

I have a ~210hp 351W from a van, does that count? :D
(if I use it, I want to convert it to SEFI from 4v-carbed)

I've heard of two-speed rear ends before.. I think they were Danas. Anyway, getting this gear splitter serves the same purpose, essentially.. only it's a unit that goes on the back of the transmission in place of the tailshaft, and it's about the size of a coffee can.

I am considering a supercharger, but not an Eaton. Perhaps a Vortech.

I've even gone so far as to consider going bi-fuel with the road trip car, trying to run gasoline and propane/LPG at the same time.. injecting the LPG right after the supercharger to take advantage of the low temperature of the LPG. I've done days' worth of reading on converting to propane/LPG, but it's difficult to get information that applies to more recent American cars. (like the last 20 years or so) It's more popular with European and Australian drivers, and drivers of trucks or very old cars here, (mid-60s or earlier) from what I gather.. and I can't find much at all about running both fuels together, aside from the fact that there's a little bit of naming confusion between "bi-fuel" and "dual fuel".. some places list the definitions (running both at once, or running either/or) interchangeably. At least I found some nifty toroidal (doughnut-shaped) tanks for LPG/propane.

(I say "LPG/propane" because most here seem to call it a "propane conversion", while some sites say that it should be called "LPG conversion" to be correct. Just covering the bases here, regardless of which is ultimately correct, or if it's all just annoying nitpicking.. heh)