cfunk

iTrader: (1)

Since I don’t think anyone has done one of these before or at least posted about it I figured I would make a 63 Olds F85 build thread. The project is pretty much done right now as I have test driven the car but I have to fix pinion angle and tune it yet to complete it for spring. The motor is an 03 LQ4 6.0 with a cam, LS6 intake, 85mm throttle body and GTO front accessories. It is impossible to fit any header or manifold on the driver side of the car due to the steering box so I wound up using Pontiac G8 manifolds with the driver side one flipped upside down. I still have to header wrap that to finish it up. The trans is a 4l60E from an 05 GTO with a shift kit and 3000 stall converter. Here is a summary of some of the stuff required to make the motor fit in this thing:

• Section front crossmember and box it back in for oil pan clearance
• Section the rear of oil pan for steering cross linkage clearance(used a truck pan but any pan would require sectioning of some sort). I also shortened the depth of the pan
• Remote mount oil filter required for steering linkage clearance
• Fabricated a dropped steering cross linkage for oil pan clearance
• Sectioned heater box for intake clearance
• Ran driver exhaust out of wheel well because there is absolutely no room by steering box
• I used a summit universal radiator and had to mount it at an angle to make it fit.
• Custom fabricated motor stands
• Trans tunnel clearance is a nightmare. You would be best off to cut the whole tunnel out and make a new one which I may still do.
• Since the trans has to be tipped down to fit in my current tunnel even after modifying it I made custom upper rearend control arms that are adjustable to fix the pinion angle.
• I custom machined the pinion yoke for a normal driveshaft U-joint. The car has a very oddball rearend that apparently nobody makes a pinion yoke to fit. The old one was modified for Moroso billet yoke caps.
• I have a shortened ¾ ton truck driveshaft that is 4” dia. Aluminum. This is too large to fit decent in the trans tunnel so I will have to buy a custom 3” one. This car requires a surprisingly long driveshaft and the original was a tiny 2-piece one.
• The ignition switch on this thing cuts power to the computer (all accessories) while cranking which took me a while to figure out why the motor won’t start. I installed a pushbutton to fix this, does anybody else have better methods for this situation?
• Walbro 255 in-tank fuel pump was installed but was a problem because the tank is so shallow. I customized it and it barely fit but seems to work good now.

Project is nearing completion and like most has turned out to be way more work than expected. The little bit I have driven the car so far shows it will be worth it as it will smoke the tires right into 3rd gear on those little stock rubbers! If you have any questions let me know as I would be glad to help save people frustrations on similar projects.






http://s973.photobucket.com/albums/ae215/funkc/

6.0 1955

iTrader: (20)

If the ignition switch is like the one on my 55 chevy you have to place a jumper wire from one terminal over to the other terminal to fix this issue. I also have a 64 impala which I know would be about the same ign switch but it has an old school 327 in it so i'm no help on that one. I'll look at the back of my 55 switch and post up the labeling on the terminals for the jumper wire.

rockytopper

Congrats man you did it. I rememeber your first post about this which I replied too. https://ls1tech.com/forums/conversio...-ls1-swap.html

It appears the 63 F-85 is a much bigger challenge than the 65 f-85 was. You got a real sleeper there. Great work on figuring out a way around all the obstacles.

rustywagon

how about an update. I am doing the ls swap to the buick version.

G Atsma

cfunk hasn't been here for over 8 years.

rustywagon

I see that now. maybe he still out there...………..