operatorfailure

iTrader: (3)

So, three weeks ago I got an offer for my ls swapped 68 c-10 shortbed that I couldn't refuse, so I loaded it up and off it went to Kansas.



I have always liked wagons and my wife and I are wanting to have kids, plus I have three dogs. A wagon makes sense. I love patina and one of the few things I didn't like about my truck was that it had been painted, and I'm a sucker for original paint. So patina, check. I had been planning on throwing a turbo on my truck but never got around to it, so the next project will get a turbo right off the bat, and anything I own has to have an LS engine in it.

So... a patina wagon that will fit a turbo LS. The search was on. I went and looked at a 72 suburban that looked great in the ad, but when I got there the quarters needed replaced and that wouldn't do for the look I wanted. Then I found a 1956 plymouth suburban online. After a little research I found out Plymouth called their wagons in the 50's suburbans, so it wasn't based off the trucks like Chevrolet. After a couple days of thinking about it I loaded up my yukon and headed to Oklahoma and picked up this beauty.



I got it in the garage and managed to jam all my other stuff in around it and my wife can still park in the other side. Not bad for a 19'x19' garage.



The car already had an engine swapped in, and it will probably really irritate some people I am pulling it out. But hey, it's my car! It's a dodge red ram hemi. It doesn't run but isn't locked up, and has the original push button auto transmission in it also! (I will be repurposing the buttons for something, just not sure what yet.)



I went to pick n pull and grabbed a full 03 crown vic front suspension for it, power rack and pinion, 12" disc brakes, aluminum crossmember for $195, not bad.



Today I found a deal on craigslist for a 5.3 with all accessories, wiring harness and computer so I went and grabbed it up, sorry no pictures of it, but you all know what they look like. I still have an ls6 cam, good valve springs and pushrods from an earlier build that I didn't use them on so they will go in this engine.

I am ordering a gt45 denmah special from vsracing, but going with no intercooler and e-85, because I want to irritate as many people as possible!

That about brings me up to where I am at the moment. I need a transmission and am looking for a 4l80e, going to throw a transgo hd2 shift kit in it and have a connection on a good converter. I also need a rear end, am planning on going with a 95+ explorer 8.8" so I have discs all around. I can't decide what kind of rear suspension I want to go with, keep it leaf springs, go ladder bar, parallel 4 link, triangulated 4 link, I just can't decide.

As for the plans for the car it will be a family cruiser that can hit the drag strip and run high 10 second passes with air conditioning and nice comfy bench seats!

CO_BlackHawk

You will have one rare cruiser there. Cant wait to watch the progress.

operatorfailure

iTrader: (3)

Thanks! I'm usually pretty quick at getting things done but this one I am going to try and take my time and do everything right the first time. I hope to have it ready to cruise by the street machine nationals in the fall but we will see if I can make that happen.

static low 92

iTrader: (2)

Gonna be unique and awesome.

cpd004

iTrader: (13)

That thing is cool!

operatorfailure

iTrader: (3)

Thanks guys. I've ran into a snag with the crown vic front end, it seems to be a little wider than I had read. With stock tires it is almost 74" outside of tire to outside of tire and I need it under 72". I am going to look at some spares that are 4.5" wide that I can run some skinnies up front on and hopefully cure the problem. If that doesn't work I have to go back to the drawing board.

JosephIV

iTrader: (14)

Very cool car. My old roommate on Guam had one of these. It was very cool but not in much better shape then yours. It's still on the island.

As far as the original engine goes, some people put early hemi heads on poly head engines so don't be surprised if the engine is actually the original poly head block with hemi heads swapped on. If it is a little Red Ram that's pretty cool and might be worth it to some Hot Rodder.

I dig wagons too. much of my childhood was spent in them. This should be a cool build!

operatorfailure

iTrader: (3)

Thanks, I didn't realize the early hemi heads would fit on the poly blocks!

Jimbo1367

Subscribing. This is gonna be a cool build.

SSZ

I was gonna mention the Hemi heads too. I did not realize they could be used on Poly blocks.
Very cool build. Good luck and keep us posted.
That pickup looked clean.

franktf

iTrader: (6)

Very cool project..... Good luck with it.....

1964SS

iTrader: (1)

You can probably get it to work with 1" more offset on the front rims as well.

operatorfailure

iTrader: (3)

Yeah, the problem is nobody makes wheels with 1", more offset that I can find. The stock wheels are 7" wide with 6.25" backspacing.

1964SS

iTrader: (1)

ohh crap. lol

operatorfailure

iTrader: (3)

If I could find some 5" wide wheels with +45mm offset I think I could squeeze them in there but I'm not having any luck.

operatorfailure

iTrader: (3)

I think I'm going to end up selling the crown vic front setup and do a subframe from an s10. That way I can get whatever style wheels I want, backspacing be damned.

So, I went on an ordering spree.

Got my turbo, oil feed and drain setup, t4 flange and discharge v band.


My injectors. 80 lbers.


And my giant wastegate.


Other parts are still on their way.

ramairetransam

iTrader: (18)

nice ride , i love the patena on it .

operatorfailure

iTrader: (3)

Thanks!
I tore into the interior today and found out my floor pans aren't in as good of shape as I had thought. More repair work before I can get to the fun stuff.

BudRacing

iTrader: (3)

This should be a good one. I love patina'd rat rods with beastly turbo motors under the hood. All go, no show.

aknovaman

iTrader: (7)

Have you looked at the mustang II front end kits? They allow more room for exhaust and are affordable.

Less work to install them too.