Car-Hacks

[Time-traveling again.  This time, I am revisiting work done in 2001 while finishing up my BSME at UNM.  I had returned from an internship at a combustion laboratory near Zurich.  Met some cool people there...]

We all dream of a rich uncle leaving us a windfall.  Even more fun is finding a friend who likes that same car, and is willing to pay for the parts so you can try them out in your car before sending them over.  In this case, it was my good friend Florian, who lives in Switzerland.  He has Malibus and wanted to upgrade from a Saginaw.  First, I researched everything and then purchased an F-body conversion T-56 from Sallee Chevrolet, in Bend, OR.  In 2001, that was $2350.

Unwapping the T-56

The transmission comes with an adapter plate to mate to either a tilted F-body bellhousing (the T-56 is upright, unlike the t-5) or to a conventional Saginaw or Muncie 4-speed.  the input shaft is one inch longer to accommodate the plate.

Adapter Plate

The T-56 is ‘honkin’ bog compared to the T-5:

Side-by-Side Comparison

The trans tunnel will need some mods…

Mmmmm. Beefy!

And so will the driveshaft. The T-5 is 3″ shorter than the G-body TH350; the T-56 is another 2″ shorter, for a total cut of 5″ off the factory G-body driveshaft.

T-5 vs. T-56 Yoke Position

I fabricated a crossmember using a 1991 Impala donor as a starting point.

Oh, and the Angle Is All Wrong...

I made a Z-cut, and then welded it back together.  Then I needed to make a frame extension.  I used a sheet bender and some 11 gauge sheetmetal, close to what is in the car.

Mind Those Brake and Fuel Lines...

First, I bolted on the adapter plate.

Lifted the Motor Using the Bellhousing...

Next, I lifted this beast up into the car, and marked the floorboard for the huge cutout.  Note: four jackstands are a must-do for this swap.

Lifting the Beast into Place

Note that the driveshaft I made for the T-56 fits (5″ shorter).  Yes!

T-56 Shifter, Hump and New Seats

Solved the backup light circuit problem with a button on the shifter.

Taking the T-56 for a Drive

Overall, the car was fun to drive, but I had to hand over the parts, so the car kind of sat for awhile while I finished up school.  In 2009, I finally scrapped the car, as I thought I had most of the part worth saving and I grew tired of hauling and storing a totally thrashed parts car.  Within two months of disposal, I wished I’d kept the control arms and spindles…

The End.

Here begins the tale of how Quinn took up with Coupes after so many years driving wagons…

Let’s do some time-traveling. Here is what current events looked like in 1998:

Aloha!

Welcome to Malibu Central

Your Source for Information on 1978-1983 Malibus

[Originally posted on the UNM student pages]

With As-Found Sketchy Landau Roof

1979 Malibu Coupe, purchased on Memorial Day for $200. The car came with a strange aftermarket Landau top with small oval cutouts over the rear windows. After 10 years of Santa Fe sun, the vinyl split, so I pulled it all off…

About 10,000 Rivet Holes

…and found that the morons that installed it using what must have been a Sawzall to trim off the drip rails.   Water leaked in and caused some serious rust around the rear window. I paid less, later, for a better car.  But, life is a learning lesson, and I learned a lot while wrenching on this leper.

Interior Shot (Really Shot)

The car originally came with a 4.4L (267 ci) V8 (made only in 1979 and 1980) and TH350, which were pulled before I got the car.  I did get the fan shroud.

With Cleaned-Up 1978 305

I initially installed a cleaned-up 305 V8 and converted the auto to manual using a Borg-Warner T-5 5-speed trans from a 1986 Firebird. I freshened the T-5 with parts purchased from SK Speed in Lindenhurst, NY.  For the installation, I modified the factory crossmember to accept the 18 degree tilted trans mount, and installed the factory trans mount.

Kludged Factory Crossmember

I used a bellhousing, pedals, and clutch linkage rescued from junkyard ‘79 El Camino, with some new parts from the GM dealer.

Scavenged Bellhousing and Linkage

Had to shorten the stock TH350 driveshaft 3″. Used an 10-1/2″ inch G-body flywheel and bellhousing  (‘606′) from a 1979 El Camino Super Sport, installed a 26-spline 10.5″ clutch disc kit (specified 1986 Firebird at the parts counter) and cut a small hole in the tranny tunnel where the auto floor shifter used to be.

S-10 T-5 Shifter and Factory Console

The shifter, from an S-10 pickup, comes up in the center of the insert in the console.

Shifter Position

Almost an ape-hanger!  Like driving a tow truck.  (Been there, done that.)

Freshened 1976 4-bolt 350 with T-5

Over Thanksgiving break, I upgraded to a fresh 350 ci 4-bolt truck block bored .060, topped by an Edelbrock Performer intake and new Edelbrock 600 carb.

Say, "Ahhhhhh..."

I had to keep the frying-pan catalytic converter, so it wasn’t much of a highway hero.  The trans moved the car around with some difficulty, due to the 2.41 highway gear rear end.  I swapped in a 3.73 posi axle I salvaged from the blue wagon, and found that the car is much more fun to drive.  Here end the original posting…on to the T-56…