My LS powered 1950 Chevy fleetline swap
04-20-2011, 06:55 PM
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My LS powered 1950 Chevy fleetline swap I bought this car on ebay running & driving with a old carbed SBC and TH350 in it, I drove it for about a month and it was running great at about 4k RPM at 60 MPH and it was screaming for O.D. at this point it was time to make a decision...700R4 and call it a day or??...Then got to thinking, Kickdown cable, modify brackets to work fir carb, setting cable, modding x-member for trans and hoping that the used 700R4 was gonna be good after labor and time.
With the car being heavily modified to begin with and a crazy history of George Barris & Gene Winfield both signing the dash and the work put into the car, it deserved to be just a little more different than the next one I thought.
I decided to look into alternatives and starting forum hunting and talking a few guys a know who have swapped LS engines into their non LS vehicles and decided to go with a 5.3 for cost efficiency. Picked up a 2003 1500 series Silverado 5.3 & matched 4L60e with 71k on them for $600 and that included all accessories with gas pedal, computer, FBW box/wiring and engine harness complete. Got to hear it run also...couldn't pass it up. Sold the SBC/TH350 for $700 to a guy putting it in a 36 Ford so the whole LS drivetrain paid for itself!
Swapped the F-body waterpump onto it, LS1 intake, used 2008 G8 6.0 driver's exhaust manifold & 2004 GTO passenger's side. Ordered Dirty Dingo Motorsports LS engine mounts for hotrods (great products).
NOTHING for this swap was easy. nothing fit, everything had to be ordered or heavily modified. Walbro 255 inline pump, vette reg/filter, electric spal s-blade fan, harness re-pinned/computer tuning, F-body balancer, driveshaft shortened/balanced/u-joints, etc, all steel fuel line and vette engine braided connector to rail-hard line. Not a simple project to take on to say the least...
This is my current progress and teardown pics...hoping for having it going in about a month and will still be working out kinks/bugs as I already know...Just thought I would share some of the project as it currently sits...havent seen one done up yet.
day I brought it home
5.3 dropout
old engine
old engine out
engine brackets & GTO biscuits
With the car being heavily modified to begin with and a crazy history of George Barris & Gene Winfield both signing the dash and the work put into the car, it deserved to be just a little more different than the next one I thought.
I decided to look into alternatives and starting forum hunting and talking a few guys a know who have swapped LS engines into their non LS vehicles and decided to go with a 5.3 for cost efficiency. Picked up a 2003 1500 series Silverado 5.3 & matched 4L60e with 71k on them for $600 and that included all accessories with gas pedal, computer, FBW box/wiring and engine harness complete. Got to hear it run also...couldn't pass it up. Sold the SBC/TH350 for $700 to a guy putting it in a 36 Ford so the whole LS drivetrain paid for itself!
Swapped the F-body waterpump onto it, LS1 intake, used 2008 G8 6.0 driver's exhaust manifold & 2004 GTO passenger's side. Ordered Dirty Dingo Motorsports LS engine mounts for hotrods (great products).
NOTHING for this swap was easy. nothing fit, everything had to be ordered or heavily modified. Walbro 255 inline pump, vette reg/filter, electric spal s-blade fan, harness re-pinned/computer tuning, F-body balancer, driveshaft shortened/balanced/u-joints, etc, all steel fuel line and vette engine braided connector to rail-hard line. Not a simple project to take on to say the least...
This is my current progress and teardown pics...hoping for having it going in about a month and will still be working out kinks/bugs as I already know...Just thought I would share some of the project as it currently sits...havent seen one done up yet.
day I brought it home
5.3 dropout
old engine
old engine out
engine brackets & GTO biscuits
Last edited by KOTC; 04-20-2011 at 07:20 PM.
04-20-2011, 07:05 PM
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Sorry about the quality of the pics (cell phone) and that I didnt document everything on photo but have a ton of knowledge on what you would need to swap one in to this platform if any questions.
Thanks to alot of you for the threads I read though for the help I needed on alot of this swap. Also a member on here who did the harness and computer tuning for me (great guy to deal with and fast turn around, local to Chicago if anyone looking I would be glad to refer him to anyone needing this done.
Thanks to alot of you for the threads I read though for the help I needed on alot of this swap. Also a member on here who did the harness and computer tuning for me (great guy to deal with and fast turn around, local to Chicago if anyone looking I would be glad to refer him to anyone needing this done.
04-20-2011, 08:09 PM
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Please pm me with the guys info that does harness work in the chicago area.
Off topic question for ya, what else do you guys do in that building? There is one hell of an overhead crane in one of your pics. Not something you'd see in any shop that only does automotive work.
Off topic question for ya, what else do you guys do in that building? There is one hell of an overhead crane in one of your pics. Not something you'd see in any shop that only does automotive work.
04-20-2011, 09:04 PM
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Please pm me with the guys info that does harness work in the chicago area.
Off topic question for ya, what else do you guys do in that building? There is one hell of an overhead crane in one of your pics. Not something you'd see in any shop that only does automotive work.
Off topic question for ya, what else do you guys do in that building? There is one hell of an overhead crane in one of your pics. Not something you'd see in any shop that only does automotive work.
I will PM you the info shortly
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04-20-2011, 09:10 PM
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Car has a Chassis Engineering Mustang II crossmember with full tubular upper/lower control arms/suspension and disc brakes. Flaming riving manual rack and shafts. Uses a 1979 Camaro rear axle/drum brakes in the rear. Power booster w/ Corvette dual master cylinder. It moves pretty well, it was a pretty quick car with the old drivetrain in it so I'm really excited to see what it will do after this swap is finished.
Just have to clean it all up after the build is done!
Last edited by KOTC; 04-20-2011 at 09:16 PM.
04-20-2011, 09:15 PM
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04-20-2011, 09:24 PM
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Nice. I've only seen one other 49-54 Chevy with a LS motor. I've got a 5.3/700R4 ready to go in my 53 Chevy Hardtop. Once I get my chassis engineering mustang II in, I'll start the LS install. I'm going carbed. So I hope it works out easier than the EFI. Here's my ride..
Last edited by jsanford; 04-20-2011 at 09:25 PM. Reason: Pic
