budweiser

HI! I have a ´02 Z-28 donor car with LS-1 /T-56 and i´m planning to do an engine / trans swap into my ´59 Cad. Now i hope to get some good advice before i start....biggest trougle i have with wiring and computer controlled parts...I´ve been told that i MUST buy that very expensive GM "hot rod" wiring harness and computer... or is it really so, that if i try to use Z-28´s original wiring, i must use somewhat everything from that Camaro, including ABS brakes,airconditioning, gauges, speedsensors.. and so on...what ever there is...???
Is there any other good / reasonably priced wiringharness on market, or is it possible to fix it up from that donor car´s wiring?
How have You guys done that all?

(Thank You for your time, all help and advices are highly appreciated, here in my location, i can´t get any info from anywhere..i live in Finland, about 100 miles from Russian border....).

Frizzle Fry

iTrader: (1)

The aftermarket options are nice, don't get me wrong, but $500-$700 It depends an if you have any wiring know-how or not. I am about 80% complete on modifying my own stock harness. There is a guy on this forum who goes by wait4me (Jesse) who will modify yours for you for a very reasonable price.

You should get the PCM tuned to run standalone. There are ways around it but a tune is the best route. The guy I mentioned also does tuning at a steal compared to some of the others I've seen. I am not affiliated with the guy, but I am a happy customer, and I've seen a lot of positive things posted about him.

With the tune you will be able to "turn off" or change specific signals the computer is looking for.

BTW a '59 Caddy One of my favorites. 2-door? Post pics!

budweiser

HI! Thanks Frizzle Fry, nice to hear that there is a way to modify that original wiring and PCM.. and if i choose to use some of those aftermarket wirings, it sounds a lot better to pay $700 for it, because GM want´s $2200 for it...

Thank You for your interest to my project, that´59 is a ex. coupe which i have customized to a convertible, i was lucky to find a totally rusted out´60 Buick conv. which i used to take out all those convertible body parts. right now im welding some of last rust repairs (it is a "florida"-car, so it was quite rysty).
To get a disc brake front suspension, i welded a Chevy STW front section of frame to a caddy frame...and i just get a wild idea, could it be possible to install those ´02 Camaro ABS brakes instead of those STW -brakes..(STW was a ´85 Caprice). maybe if i manufacture somekind of adapter for Camaro spindle...???

Speartech

iTrader: (14)

You have some options on the wiring harness/computer for your 59 Caddy. We do custom harnesses that allow you to mount the computer wherever you want it, or factory harness reworks if the original looks ok to you and the computer mounting is satisfactory as is.

We can set you up with electronic throttle, cable throttle, whatever you want to do.

The LS1 must be getting popular in Finland; we've done 3 harness/computer packages for Finland in the last year or so!

More info on our web site.

budweiser

Hi Speartech, and thank You for answering. It seems that your company has right solution for my project. If i choose to send that donor car´s wiring harness to You, do You need every possiblecable from that donorcar or is there some cables which i do not have to take off? (just thinking all those wires inside of dashboard...).

Frizzle Fry

iTrader: (1)

You would just send them the PCM Harness with the two 80 pin connectors. Most places charge around $200 for the mod.

There are guys on this forum who've used the F-Body brakes as donors, so it is possible.

A '59 two door drop top with an LS1/T56

76LS1BIRD

iTrader: (35)

I have ABS on my 76, I had a 99 Z parts car & used front clip
with firewall, used all wiring from 99, & a 98 rear to make ABS
work. Dale

PICS https://ls1tech.com/forums/conversions-swaps/315720-99-76-conversion-pictures.html

IOwnCalculus

I'll cast another vote for Speartech; my harness was better than new when I got it back, and it wasn't in exactly the greatest shape when I sent it! Haven't had a single problem with that part of the wiring, it's been all of the old-style wiring on my truck that's been giving me grief. Plus, the support is very nice to have.

terrya

I can vouch for Jesse Bubb (wait4meperformance.com).

For $300, he modified my 2002 5.3 Silverado harness and ecm so they could be used on my 71 Chevelle.

Modified the wire harness and reprogrammed the computer.
Very customer friendly.

Wires were all labeled. Fired right up. Runs great.

budweiser

Hi again! What is the ratio of 6. th gear in T56 from 2002 Camaro Z-28...?(and is there a lot of options for rear axle gears?)

I´m just trying to figure out "right" gears for my rear end. i´d like to cruise on 6.th gear in around 65 - 75 mph. and engine running slightly under 2000 rpm.
(Btw, in what rpm range does a stock LS-1 run most efficiently?).


My´59 Cad. is quite heavy car and i´m using it mostly as a family weekend cruiser, so it does not need to have a ultrasonic top speed..

Please tell me what kind of gears do You guys use in Your cars, and maybe some examples of rpm / speed on 6.th gear....
and also i would be interested of height of tires You are using.
(I´m using 235/75/15 tires)

Thanks!

patrick_rodgers

6th gear should be 0.5

Stu Cool

iTrader: (13)

Here is a link to a neat RPM Calculator you might find useful

http://www.xse.com/leres/ss/calculator.html

Pat

NHRAMAN

iTrader: (1)

Can't help,but that combo sounds COOL... .......HI-from Canada..

budweiser

Thank You Stu Cool, very useful calculator!!! And thank You too NHRAMAN for support, there is not too many of us who thinks that it is OK to put a manual trans into a Caddy...