78TranzAm

This is just a small photo dump of what i've done so far and how the car looked the day i got it.





wwwtdbank

Steve68

iTrader: (23)

I think its a cool swap, and you're right stupid money, no use spending 50 K for a 50K car....

ryeguy2006a

iTrader: (27)

Looks like it's cleaning up really nicely! Speaking from experience, I think you have a great plan. Start with a cheaper motor, then get all of the fitment and supporting mods done. We all know that the real cost with LS swaps are everything but the motor and trans haha. Then when it's all fitting good and running/driving then you can save up for the big motor. I had an LS1 in my car first, then upgraded this winter to a bigger motor and it was nice just bolting most of the stuff back together since all LS motors are the same dimensionally. Keep up the good work!! In for progress pictures.

78TranzAm

Given if all the issues on this were fixed this would be a 75k resto that's only worth 40k to the right Mopar buyer. Just a 340 alone is nearly 10k for a complete "original" one. Mopar...

Jimbo1367

I’m not a Mopar guy, but I’ve always loved this body style. I also dig 68 Baracudas too. I’d love to see one of those LS swapped too.

I bet a lot of people will be watching this swap. Secretly or proudly LOL

78TranzAm

Oh i know, im really doing this thread for the ones in the shadows that want to do this but don't want to deal with the criticism. If i had a better phone id make YouTube videos for it.

01CamaroSSTx

iTrader: (3)

I've always loved the CUDA.. Interesting the way the steering is set up in these cars.

78TranzAm

You mean what a pain in the a** lol. That center link is a pain by itself for headers and then the torsion bars. The way driver side long tube headers are made for these cars are theres a big gap in the middle of the pipes because you have to remove the center link and run it THROUGH the pipes... Its ridiculous. So, im pretty sure my only option is to run a set of Speedway headers and hope a mid pipe clears the center link.

Baldguy

I think Cuda's are my favorite Chrysler product. Great body style!!
Those torsion bars do look like a real PITA.

78TranzAm

They definitely are, even when using mopar engines and transmissions. They still get in the way. I really like that to adjust front ride height all you have to do is loosen a bolt compared to putting in lowering springs but id still prefer the torsion bars be gone. Eventually id go to a coil over set up and get rid of them and the leafs in the rear.

G Atsma

Does anyone make a good coil over setup for Mopars?

01CamaroSSTx

iTrader: (3)

Twin turbos up front and problem solved..

78TranzAm

I believe all the big name brand companies do since coil overs arent so much "Mopar" specific. I got a guy in my pro touring group on Facebook running front and rear coil overs on his 70 Challenger and just to throw it out there. He builds engines on the side for a living and is a Mopar guy. He wishes he had put a LS in his challenger rather than the 6.1 lol

78TranzAm

Finally. The engine mounts are done. I say finally because it feels like it took 2 weeks to figure this out but i only started last night and spent about 3 hours figuring it out then finished it today with another 2+ hours of figuring it out. I will try my best to explain it step by step and have the pictures follow the step but i took a lot of pics and i may not do it that way by accident. If you have any questions just ask. I did a lot of hacking i didn't need to do so ill leave those parts out lol. Also, im sure many can do a better process then i did but im the guinea pig in uncharted waters so, this is how i did it. Also, if you can fabricate im sure this would be much easier. Im not skilled like that lol. But here it goes.

-Cut K frame to fit GTO front sump oil pan, or you can spend $800 on a mid sump oil pan.
-I bought the Mancini Gen 3 hemi swap mounts. I welded a plate on the passenger side mount and cut a diagonal slit about 2 inches and the same width as the bolt hole that the motor mounts goes through. Its basically making the passenger side mount adjustable because when the driver side engine mount is on the k frame it pulls the back of the driver side engine towards the driver side. I have no clue why, so making the passenger side adjustable you can simply pull the passenger side and make it center in the engine bay.
-You will have to wollow out all but 1 hole on the passenger side engine mount where it bolts to the block as the Hemi blocks have a little bit more space between all of the holes. Same on the driver side but you will only have to do 1 (only if you got the same mounts i did, theres only 2 mounting holes)
-On the driver side you will have to clearance the block in non important places for the engine mount to sit flush against the engine. You will have to do the same with the passenger side, You have to grind down a good amount of the rear AC bracket hole. You cant use low mount AC on this car anyways so it doesn't hurt anything.
-The driver side mount that mounts to the K frame will have to be cut right up against the nut welded to the mount it self. This gives it some wiggle room when setting it on the K frame
-You will need to cut the little dimples on the under side of the motor mounts.

Hopefully the pics can explain better than me trying to remember it all step by step. Honestly, i think it may have been easier to just weld some plates to the stock plates that the stock mounts bolt to on Mopar engines but, this is how i ended up doing it and at least i know for the next e body, what to do. All bolts will be getting washers put on them when i do the final bolting down of everything. Next is transmission.













bank of america tennessee

G Atsma

Coil overs themselves are pretty generic, but the bracketry and suspension arms are model-specific. I just haven't heard too much about Mopar suspension packages. Maybe Global West and Hotchkis might, but I don't know nor have I checked, TBH

78TranzAm

Ya duh, sorry. Guess that shows how much i don't pay attention to them either lol. But i think hes running Hotchkis or RideTech.

Alwhite00

iTrader: (1)

Great project. Love that body style. 71 is my favorite with the quad headlights but would take any year.

78TranzAm

71 is for sure the best year Cuda without a doubt. Down the line since i need to replace practically my whole front end i might go with all 71 parts but a grill is about $1000 so we'll see lol

topbrent

iTrader: (1)

Yes!

HDK
ALTERKTION
GERST.

78TranzAm

So today was a rough one. I expected the trans to be a very simple just "mock up and make a mount"... Not the case. I spent nearly 6 hours test fitting,cutting,test fitting, cutting. The car beat my a** today. The Texas heat and humidity doesn't help either lol.

But basically i got it done. It took so long because it was just a lot of getting under the car, getting back up, jacking the engine up, jacking the transmission up, clearancing the trans tunnel, clearancing some of the transmission and just back and fourth back and fourth. All to find out the only option was cutting the whole trans tunnel. So now i have it sitting right about where it all should bolt up. The engine has a very slight tilt back but if i jack up the trans the half inch i need to level the engine a half inch then the driveshaft will interfere with the floor and the pinion angle will be pretty out of wack.

I threw the truck intake on and it might just clear.