79 winter project.... opinions wanted...

I'm not sure how to start this to you guys. I have a winter project on hand and I will be getting into racing next season very heavily. I have for me to tweak a 1979 Corvette L-48 Auto 38k miles. It's in pretty damn good shape for the year.
Some history: The car was stored for 22 years in a barn in jersey. Sports director for Rutgers University wasn't interested in keeping it. So he put it on ebay. The car was a 1979 Light Sky Blue with 37k miles on it. The way it had been stored i was surprised. What this guy did was filled the entire motor with oil, took out every spark plug and filled the cylinders with oil, and put it on blocks under cover. The guy also had a whole new power steering system (600$~), whole new OE calipers and bent brakes lines (400$~+), and about 1000$ in just random parts. (Carpet, roof pannels, brake master cylinder, ect...) The car rolled out of the barn with us pushing it minding you it hasnt moved in 22 years. So you ask how much we got it for??? Put it on the trailer and talked shit with the guy and we walked away with this car for $1,500$ USD. lol :icon16: :iceslolan :cwm27:
I think we got a deal...
Anywho I want to make this a mild street/strip/low speed auto-x car.

Engine options: I currently have 2 350 blocks from a 86 corvette and obveously the one motor that is in the 79 corvette now. One of the 86 blocks i know for sure had a blown headgasket. We used all the parts off that one to complete the other car. We have the oil pan to the pistons. I think i want to use this one because i want an EFI motor in this car due to sound and smooth idle. Also want the motor from a newer car because i know how it performs vs. the carb ran motor. i had my 87 corvette. I know i would have to get a complete wireing harness from a newer car, no biggie. in this car due to sound and smooth idle. So question is do i want to complete the other motor and drop it in? I know there is work involved but i have moto-vation beccause i miss my 87 vette and i have this 79 body to work with.

Transmission: I drive stick. I love it. But was wondering if a 700R4 would be better for autox and drag? Does it really all come down to personal pref? I shift DAMN good in my car. Whether its the vette/talon/gsx/lancer OZ. Let me know on this on... And if i do go manual do i want the 6 speed (from 1991 vette), 4 speed (from 78 parts car), 4 speed (4+3) (from 87ish that auto shifts into over drive when your done shifting to 4th gear manually)... yea...

Now if i go with the newer set up i want to put the digital dash that comes with the new set up. With this i would have to custom a dash out of fiberglas i believe. Is it hard? fuck i know its itchy! :rofl: i would want this to be custom to know that i did it so i can be like yea thats my work... anyway. lol

There is body work to do! but i will be doing it myself. Nothing big just hate the itchy part. Its origional paint. I'll get some pix sometime.

So guys you are the only auto people i turn to really lol. Give me some input cause i really want this to happen. :evillol::naughty:

Your obviuosly not stupid.I,myself,would not hurt,cut,dismember,tweak,trash,toss away any part of this car.Your car,do as you please.To me it would be worth a whole lot more in factory stock condition.As far as the trans goes,nothing leaves(the line) like a clutch,but nothing shifts like an automatic.

an auto with a trans brake will leave the line like there was never even a line. shits gone. if you were dragging then i would say auto but for auto x def go with a manual. fiberglass is a bitch but then its done it was well worth it. if i were you i would re use the motor that came in it because its the original and somepeople like that if you were to sell it one day and it sounds like the guy kept the motor nice during storage. for auto x i would think fuel injection is smart but carbed motors are easier enless you have the tuning equipment and knowledge or money. but the holley dominator kit or something like that is bad ass. its a fully programmable fuel injection kit with a 4 barrel 1100 cfm throttle body. nice as hell but costly. comes with computer wiring everything, sensors. i would love to get it but dont have the cash. definately put some work in the suspension, the corvettes can handle so make it. stiffen the frame up a bit and drive it like you stole it

Sounds like a nice project.
You have many high expectations, which isn't a bad thing. Modding a car (Vette) to go faster and quicker, and carve corners better always makes for a cooler ride. Under any circumstances, don't cut anything to make a modification. Unbolting a part and installing something different in its place is ok, it can always be put back to stock. Just don't butcher it.

Let's face it. The stock engines were turds. Find a 1988 and later 4-bolt block and start from there, it can accept a rollerized cam w/o having to use the expensive retrofit lifters needed for the earlier blocks. A roller cam will have far better performance than a flat tappet cam and still have a stealthy idle.

Get some good heads. Canfield produces affordable aluminum castings. For ultimate performance, you can't beat a set of AFRs. The ultimate system would be semi-stock engine combo with the use of a singl turbo/blow-through carb set up. Easily good for 500 hp and very street friendly.
Fuel injection? A maxed-out TPI is good for 300 to 320 h.p., usually restricting a powerful combo. There's better potential in an LT1 system, and in stock form they do perform amazingly well. You can ditch the Opti-spark distributor, have the back of the intake drilled out to accept a small-capped HEI and use TPI electronics. The only bad thing about LT1s, you can't mix and match heads, intakes and water pumps/timing covers. You have to almost use the whole engine. They make for good 383 candidates too.

The car is now automatic? It'll be difficult to install a gear box, but it is doable though. Just depends on what you prefer, There's nothing like rowing through the gears. A Muncie with a Hurst Verti-gate shifter would be the ultimate. A T-5 box would be good, 5th gear is overdriven for better highway rpms. 6 speed units are expensive, use an odd-ball flywheel (I think), need a hydraulic pedal system, are heavy and longer than a stock-style tranny. I'm not sure, but the main crossmember might be in the way.
A 700R4 can be a good performer, are easily modofied and hold up to respectable power levels.
I can see where this could be leading. Using a late model engine, TPI/LT1 system, modern dash and interrior would make for a killer theme. Might as well scrounge up some late model Vette wheels too. It would look sweet w/a set of '07 Z06 wheels.

Keep a post on what you decide.
Good luck.

ok, now we're getting into some serious s*it here. maybe even try using the coil on plug setup from the LS1....i think MSD makes a control box for that system. would be really cool....if nothing else to get rid of that opti-fart system. those aren't the worst systems, but working on them, especially in a vette is a MAJOR pain. best of luck, keep us posted!

Hey Hippy.
I was going to mention a good low-mileage Chevy 6.0 would be a good candidate, to take things even more extreme. Funny thing about plugging in the MSD control unit, it makes installing an LS1 pretty simple. Use the MSD controller, install an Edelbrock intake and bolt up a Holley double pumper and it's ready to run. Use the motor mount adapter plates and it's a simple bolt-in.

I'm building a '68 Camaro and plan on using that exact combo with the addition of a 700R4.

are you going to use the coil on plug setup? I was toying with the idea of trying to put the new LS7 in an S-10. 350's have been done in s-10's too many times....and the LS7 would kick arse for sure....but there is way too much frame/suspenion work to do for that......if i didn't srengthen the frame, the first time i really let her rip, the frame would twist into a pretzel...lol.

I looked really close at the engine I have to see of there's any way to retrofit an HEI to the thing. It could be done, but it would be too much hassle and it would get in the way of necessary accessories. It would be easier just to get the intake/electronics kit from Jegs ($600) and bolt everything together.
If I understand it correctly, GM Performance Parts sells LS1/LS2 (LS7???) engines w/a similar set up as a complete package.
That would be killer in an S10. The frames are stout enough to handle something like that. You'd have to come up w/some good traction devices though.
How much is an LS7 crate engine? That's one bad mo'fo. Does the crate version use a dry sump like what's in the car?

HEI's are good dydtems if not going over 6 rpm.....but for limited space, good performance and kick ass looks is why i was tjinking you might wanna check into the coil on plug system

found an aftermarket remake of the smallblock 427(LS7) in either summit or jegs awhile back for $8K....need to check on the $$$ for a GM crate motor...as well as oiling system.....will let you know what i find.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?p=1558436387&posted=1#post1558436387

i put the tread on www.corvetteforums.com