78TranzAm

Decided to start a build thread on my Cuda. Hopefully it can help anyone else that wants to LS swap an E body as theres not really any info out there on how to do it even though i have seen some LS swapped E bodies. I had a 71 Challenger last year and i stuck a stock big block 400 in it. For what i paid it was a turd and i knew i should have swapped it off the bat. Ive also had some 318s and the price on Mopar stuff here in Tx is just ridiculous and i have no interest in over paying for Hemi/Big block junk or the amount it takes to make some HP with a mopar engine. I've been in the LS world since 2013 and im a cheapo so, gen 3 LS is perfect.

This is going to be 100% daily driver that i also would like to take on long trips down the road. For now im doing a 4.8/4l60. I paid $300 for the engine and $300 for the transmission. The trans is actually out of a fbody but being a 4l60 im sure itll give out not too long after i've got the car on the road lol. End goal would be a built NA lq4/4l80e. But given the bigger case on the 4l80e i may end up with a beefed up 4l60.

Im still figuring out motor mounts. I pretty much have a good idea on trans mount as the aftermarket gen 3 hemi swap crossmembers share the same mount as a 4l60.

Ill try to post as many pics as possible as i go a long.

ls1nova71

iTrader: (4)

This should be interesting to watch. I'm always up for seeing something I haven't already seen be done.

Jimbo1367

Looks like it will be a fun car. Is the car as clean as it looks?

78TranzAm

It is not. The driver side quarter is very rusted out. The previous owner did HORRIBLE work to the trunk and rear floor board and the front fenders are shot. Along with the front and rear valances being heavily dented but, I actually prefer the ratty cars as I'm not afraid to drive them and park in a parking lot.

78TranzAm

That's because no one's had the ***** to put an LS in a Cuda lol.

Jimbo1367

or brains lol

RedXray

Cool project, I like unorthodox builds as I started hotrodding with the AMX/Javelin platform. Talk about expensive and hard to find parts even back in the day!

How heavy are the Cuda"s? With the small 4.8 n/a you may be better off with a built 4L60. The 80 eats more horsepower and has a less desirable 1st gear ratio. I'm running a Performabuilt Level II 4L60 with a Circle-D 3200 and it's held up well in my LQ9 H/C/I 100 shot RCSB GMC Sierra with 4.10's. It's been flawless beating on it the last two years. When/If it goes I'll replace with the 80 only because the 6.0 can overcome the parasitic loss better then it's little 4.8 brother.

78TranzAm

ouch lol

78TranzAm

Im not sure on the weight but if i was to guess id say around 3000-3200lbs with no engine and transmission? not sure. What i do know is ill never put a big block in an ebody again. The big block 400 i had in my 71 Challenger was SO HEAVY. I believe the engine alone was around 600lbs? I know the 440s are even heavier. I understand putting bigger torsion bars but for me idc, ill never go big block in one of these cars. Theyre too light and flimsy. The LS is so much lighter, if i remember correctly arent they like 200lbs lighter than a fully dressed sbc? Been a while since ive been in the LS game.

Also, i probably will stick with a 4l60. I don't care to cut up the trans tunnel if needed for a 4l80e but if i don't have to im not going to make extra work for myself.

LS1 TJ

Man the Mopar guys are going to hate on you. But I think it's cool.

78TranzAm

Its nothing new to me. I've been teasing this swap since my Challenger last year and im done messing with the Mopar purist for entertainment lol. But one thing i've learned since being in the Mopar world is it doesn't matter what you do to your car, the internet purist are going to whine no matter what. Mopar is all about factory correct cars down to the nut and bolt. I've seen guys complain that a guy didn't leave his factory 6 cylinder car a 6 cylinder??? And i've seen guys go ape sh** over a guy putting a hellcat in a factory original AAR Cuda. And 9/10 the guys that complain haven't owned a Mopar since the 80s. Its the internet and i could care less what a stranger thinks about what i do with my money.

Nick_R_23

I’ve always told guys that bitch and moan about not liking something, that if they fork over the cash, I’ll build it however they like! I have yet to see anyone step up, goes to show you that talk is cheap. I think this is awesome, can’t wait to see the progress on it.

78TranzAm

Exactly! If someone would prefer me put a newer hemi or hellcat in it they can gladly send me one and I'll do it. If hellcat's weren't 10-15k for just the engine I'd do it any day of the week. I'd even do a coyote motor if they weren't so expensive. I have no brand preference. It just not my fault Chevy produced the best engine platform and it's cheap with an insane aftermarket

gradymayhem

Seriously. The brand loyalty thing is such a handicap to power on a reasonable budget. If I can use a 6 bolt main engine that can stand up to boost on a stock bottom end and has nearly universal aftermarket support but costs very little, why would I care who makes it?

Theres a reason people love Cummins, 2JZ, and LS regardless of the host car. If you want to build a sweet carbed 440, that’s awesome and I applaud you. But don’t get mad when my turbo LS stomps it for half he money.

Also, the guys who bitch the loudest rarely seem to mind 9”s swapped into virtually everything

78TranzAm

Its just how the internet people are. The people ive sold mopar parts to from this car and the 318s that were in this car had no care in the world i was putting an LS in it. Its just people on the internet saying what they "would do" but what it really comes down to is they care too much about what other people think but i do understand that there are people who want to keep it how it came from the factory (because its just cool given how old it is) or they just prefer mopar stuff. I just prefer whats cheap, reliable and easy to get parts for and theres no denying that thats LS lol

Jimbo1367

It wasn’t a dig on you, lol. You are the only one smart enough to do a LS swap

78TranzAm

Ya, at first I thought it was then I re read it and understood what you meant lol

gradymayhem

Yeah, I mean all prices being equal I guess I’d do a 392 for the continuity/heritage thing but I wouldn’t spend 6x as much to do it lol.

I mean, I do see where they’re coming from if you had a numbers matching 426 or all original 440 or something cool and valuable.... at which point you’d have a really expensive car and probably wouldn’t be interested in doing anything to diminish the value anyways. It’s an awesome car and absolutely no offense intended, but it’s a post smog 318. Who the hell cares? Give it the power it deserves.

78TranzAm

This car is actually a factory TX9 (triple black) 340, slap stick auto, dual exhaust, dual exhaust rear valance car. With factory front power disc, factory power steering, factory AC, factory front and rear sway bars with an 8 3/4. In stock resto form its actually worth a good chunk of change and in the Mopar world the fact that its a factory triple black car makes it rare. "rare" is what gets the mopar purist all hot and bothered lol. But its rusted out, missing the original engine and trans, i sold the original front bucket seats, and its like i said, rusted out lol. So, spend 50k restoring it to have a 50k car or leave it ratty, put a cheap and reliable engine pushing 400hp and just drive the **** out of it? Kind of a no brainer but im very different from most. I don't do the whole "itll lose value if i touch it/drive it" I never understood that if you plan on keeping the car? If youre main intention is to flip i understand but it seems everyone i come across on the internet is more worried about having an expensive painting sitting in their garage rather than using a car for what it was made to do. Also, my rusted out 71 challenger i sold for $15,000 last summer might have an LS in it by now too. The guy said he was strongly considering dropping a LS3 in it. So, with how the car world is now a days, if you modify your car and then end up wanting to sell it down the line, there will ALWAYS be a buyer.

78TranzAm

This was my 71 Challenger. It was a factory vinyl top car and it showed big time. It was a daily driver its whole life. When i got it, it had a barely running 318 in it. Long story short, from the lower a pillars all the way to the rear filler panel between the rear window and trunk lid was completely rusted out. It was bad. I just fiberglassed it, painted the roof, dropped a stock big block 400 in it that hadn't ran in over 30 years and daily drove it for 2 months before it started giving me 1 problem after the next. Given it was in the height of the pandemic i just let it go, i regret it to an extent but i plan on keeping the Cuda for a while and now that its getting an LS it should be a much better car all around. The challenger is somewhere in the LA area of California if anyones spotted it. im sure by now its had all the rust replaced. Would be cool to see what stage its at by now.