Jarhead's 1965 F85 with LS3 swap
03-09-2018, 03:11 PM
#45
As you can see I have just repurchased my old 68 Malibu project. I am putting the Cutlass back in it's box (hopefully for not that long) and turning to work on the Malibu. The 9 inch rear end, the LS3 and tranny will go into the Malibu. Other than the quarters the body is going to be left pretty much alone for now. I have always liked the 67 Skylark Roadkill car that they did a few years back. I want to do pretty much the same here. The car has a pretty nice black SS396 interior and ragtops are cheap. The car was a 307 three speed on the tree. Roll up windows and manual top. So the clutch pedals are still in the car. More coming in a new Malibu thread.
05-13-2018, 07:32 PM
#46
Latest update, the Cutlass is back out of it's box and work is starting again slowly. My wife liked the Cutlass better and a friend really wanted the Malibu. The LS3 is assembled and sealed up waitng as the firewall work and clean up continues. I am in Sonoma until November and upon my return we should get the motor and tranny in and running. Lots still to do but I am really looking forward to driving the Cutlass, that carbed LS3 should make it run pretty respectible.
Jarhead
Jarhead
Last edited by jarheadl34; 07-21-2018 at 10:30 AM.
05-13-2018, 08:44 PM
#47
TECH Senior Member
Latest update, the Cutlass is back out of it's box and work is starting again slowly. My wife liked the Cutlass better and a friend really wated the Malibu. The LS3 is assembled and sealed up waitng as the firewall work and clean up continues. I am in Sonoma until November and upon my return we should get the motor and tranny in and running. Lots still to do but I am really looking forward to driving the Cutlass, that carbed LS3 should make it run pretty respectible.
Jarhead
Jarhead
05-14-2018, 09:44 AM
#48
Thanks I really like the Cutlass as does my wife. Happy wife, happy life. I ended up replacing all of the intake valves and buying new factory LS3 valves. The factory valves were lighter than Manley pro flow valves but more expensive by a few bucks. The exhaust valves were in great shape and the guides and seats were also great. A buddy did a really nice valve job using his Serti (I think it's called) for an amazing valve job. I bought new double springs with titanium retainers, new oil pump and multi position timing set. BTW the rings still were within factory gap tolerance, the coating was still on the pistons and the bore was right on. I was told the car had over 60K on it, hurray for modern engines with fuel injection. I spent more than I thought but I now have pretty much a new LS3 but with better cam and springs. Chevy sells an LS3 with the same carb intake that I have, it uses the Chevy Hot Cam and is rated around 530HP. I feel that mine should be slightly better and in the Cutlass with say a 4.10 gear it should be fun.
Jarhead
Jarhead
Last edited by jarheadl34; 07-21-2018 at 10:31 AM.
05-15-2018, 08:11 AM
#51
Thanks zman, I am feeling those aches and pains myself. However the vast majority of the work is being done by my buddy's son in law who is in his 30s. These days I mostly come up with ideas and they turn it into reality. Rick, the owner of the shop and I have been hot rod buddies since 1962 when he had the first t bucket roadster in town. He is 72 and his hands are terrible but he's a hotrodder and loves building cars. On your 69 TA did you mount the C5 front discs on the stock spindles? Thanks Jarhead
05-15-2018, 11:12 AM
#52
Joints are sore at 50, but the biggest problem here and a lot of others is free time and money
05-16-2018, 10:14 AM
#53
Well Jimbo free time I got lots of but like almost everyone else I have a hotrod budget. For the seven months we are out here in Sonoma I pay a monthly amount for them to work on my car between projects. When we get back to Texas I start going to the shop myself and try to really get things done. This fall we should get the car running and that should spur me on to finishing it.
Jarhead
Jarhead
05-17-2018, 05:05 PM
#55
A picture of the pistons and rods and the new rings. Note the coating still on those 60K plus mile pistons.
The other picture is of a garage sale find this past weekend here in Sonoma. It is a 32 Ford grill shell that I got for $100. The guy was asking $350 but it was late in the day and he took my offer. The reason I am posting the picture is that this grill is going on that 31 Model A coupe next to my Cutlass. As mentioned it has a Chevy 4 cylinder, a 5 speed and an Explorer 3.73 posi rear end. Rick has wanted a 32 grill for that car for years and he about crapped his pants when I told him I had found him a "pig snoot". That's what I have always called 32 grills. Since Rick has one on his 29 street roadster on a 32 frame, I always kid him about driving a pig snooted car. So today I am boxing up the grill to ship to Texas. My life long friend is getting the pig snoot of his dreams and I feel that my Cutlass is in for some special work.
Jarhead
The other picture is of a garage sale find this past weekend here in Sonoma. It is a 32 Ford grill shell that I got for $100. The guy was asking $350 but it was late in the day and he took my offer. The reason I am posting the picture is that this grill is going on that 31 Model A coupe next to my Cutlass. As mentioned it has a Chevy 4 cylinder, a 5 speed and an Explorer 3.73 posi rear end. Rick has wanted a 32 grill for that car for years and he about crapped his pants when I told him I had found him a "pig snoot". That's what I have always called 32 grills. Since Rick has one on his 29 street roadster on a 32 frame, I always kid him about driving a pig snooted car. So today I am boxing up the grill to ship to Texas. My life long friend is getting the pig snoot of his dreams and I feel that my Cutlass is in for some special work.
Jarhead
Last edited by jarheadl34; 07-21-2018 at 10:34 AM.
05-17-2018, 07:22 PM
#57
A rear view of rocky Topper's beautiful 65 F85 (with 64 front clip which I like). Also the custom tail light treatment I pictured earlier. The Cutlass is a beautiful car from all sides but I have always hated the look of tail pipes sticking out like these two examples. Simply throws the lines of the car off. So...................
My solution will be to run the exhaust out those back up light holes in the bumper. Very similar to how 50s Caddys ran their exhaust through the bumper for a very slick rear.
Jarhead
My solution will be to run the exhaust out those back up light holes in the bumper. Very similar to how 50s Caddys ran their exhaust through the bumper for a very slick rear.
Jarhead
05-17-2018, 09:09 PM
#58
TECH Senior Member
Either that or have the pipes end so the taper of the tips lines up with the bumper, if you follow what I'm saying. When you sight down on the bumper the tips should be barely visible.
