59 Parkwood Wagon Project
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 58
Likes: 0
From: Winchester, KY 40391
ls1nova71 Your Buddy needs to help his 59 brothers and share some pics and info i can get 5.3's truck engines all day for 1/3 of the money than a ls1 but by the time i dress a 5.3 to ls1 im at ls1 money so if a truck intake can fit i'm money ahead
I don't have a lot of pics, but here's a couple I do have. I would do yourself a favor and go ahead and notch the crossmember where the oil pan will be close to it. It's just a small notch, but it will allow you to get the engine down some in the front which will help with driveline angle. It's just metal after all, and you can always weld it back up if you decide to go back to stock. It's not like you're cutting a hole in the Mona Lisa as some people think. 
You will need an F body pan for sure, since the truck pan hangs way too low, other than that, all the truck stuff will work. The front accessories, intake and even the cover (albeit closely) will fit. I did reroute the harness so it doesn't go over the top of the intake anymore to free up a little room up top.
You will need an F body pan for sure, since the truck pan hangs way too low, other than that, all the truck stuff will work. The front accessories, intake and even the cover (albeit closely) will fit. I did reroute the harness so it doesn't go over the top of the intake anymore to free up a little room up top.
Depending on if you are shooting for HP goals or just LS driveability and reliability you can save a huge chunk of change and get a newer lower mileage engine and trans combo by putting a truck 5.3 or 6.0 powertrain in it. That car should have ample clearance to clear a truck intake and accessories.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 58
Likes: 0
From: Winchester, KY 40391
ls1nova71 I appreciate the pics and the advice im going to notch cross member forsure and your pics really help thats first truck intake i've seen on a 59 i was beginning to think ls1 or nothing so is there anything done to truck intake that i need to be aware of ?? Also your buddies 59 is beautiful very clean install
01WS6/tamu im just going for cruiser reliability plus hardly any ls1 come up forsale around here but plenty of truck stuff does
01WS6/tamu im just going for cruiser reliability plus hardly any ls1 come up forsale around here but plenty of truck stuff does
Go to your nearest salvage yard and buy the newest low mileage 2wd combo you can find or afford and you will be set. A 5.3 can make a ton of power reliably when the mod bug does hit especially if you go positive pressure route.
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 58
Likes: 0
From: Winchester, KY 40391
Im gonna get walbro external pump and pull fuel up the factory pickup and drill a return in or around factory sending unit and use corvette filter/regulator only problem is theres no baffling in tank so have to keep tank kind of full this is my initial thoughts on it
Let me no your opinion on this
May have bought a donor car fingers crossed
Let me no your opinion on this
May have bought a donor car fingers crossed
Teching In
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio
oh mine is a 2002 5.3 and it does have a return. ls1nova71 did you run internal or external pump on that 2 door wagon. i didnt know since the way these frames are i dont know where to run my pump cause you have to run the pump as close as possible to the tank correct.
Teching In
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 25
Likes: 0
From: Northwest Arkansas
I have completed swap of 5.3/4L60E into my 59 El Camino. I'm more than pleased with the result. For the record, I'm 68 years old and do all my own work alone in my small home shop on a small budget. That said, I will tell you what worked for me. 2005 dbw 5.3 and trans from the local pick-a-part. I used S&P motor plates and trans x-member with Energy Suspension motor mounts. Had to raise the frame mounts 3/16" on both sides to get the F body pan off the frame x-member. If I were doing it over, I would notch the x-member and widen the notch to match the width of the pan. You can get the engine/trans angle good with the trans x-member. E Bay LS2 intake/injectors/rail with CBM TB adapter for the 5.3 DBW TB. 2010 Camaro water pump, Kwik Performance power steering pump, alternator and A/C compressor brackets. E Bay aluminum crossflow radiator with e fans. 2010 Camaro exhaust manifolds fit with minor trimming on the outside of the flanges.
For the fuel system, I bought a Tanks Inc. recess pump mount and their in tank pump hangar and pump. Gritted my teeth and cut the top of my irreplaceable horseshoe shape El Camino tank. Fitted the recess and got a friend to pulse arc tig it in for me. It looks factory. Mounted the Corvette filter/regulator on the inside of the frame forward of the rear axle. Plumbed it all with Summit -6 braided hose and AN fittings.
I used a PSI engine harness and Jon programmed a ECU for me. Looks good and works perfect.
That's all the hard stuff. There are enough small details to fill a book. You will find them as you go along. Take your time and you can make this look like a factory install.
For the fuel system, I bought a Tanks Inc. recess pump mount and their in tank pump hangar and pump. Gritted my teeth and cut the top of my irreplaceable horseshoe shape El Camino tank. Fitted the recess and got a friend to pulse arc tig it in for me. It looks factory. Mounted the Corvette filter/regulator on the inside of the frame forward of the rear axle. Plumbed it all with Summit -6 braided hose and AN fittings.
I used a PSI engine harness and Jon programmed a ECU for me. Looks good and works perfect.
That's all the hard stuff. There are enough small details to fill a book. You will find them as you go along. Take your time and you can make this look like a factory install.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 58
Likes: 0
From: Winchester, KY 40391
Oldecmech appreciate the insight ive learned alot in this thread its gonna really make this swap go smoother than going in blind im getting my education
Right now ive got a list a mile long going
Right now ive got a list a mile long going
High HP 409's had return. Now the hardtops/sedans have a different gas tank than the wagons. I have yet to find a high HP wagon for this style fuel sending unit. Most I can find have drilled a hole in the fuel sending unit or top of gas tank for return when using external pump and corvette regulator/filter. I'm currently working on a 62 biscayne wagon. Good luck with the project it's going to be a neat piece when done!