72Cutlass

Hey guys I've been for awhile for a swap motor and kinda had this chance for a motor (read really cheap) that is already swaped into a 72 Cutlass and need your help. I couldn't decide between putting this in this section or the conversion sections, sorry if it is in the wrong place.

I went to look at the motor today and the first thing I noticed was that the acessory drive was on the wrong side for a F-body....and it has the iron heads.

I've got to go soemwhere for a little while but will post up pics of it when I get back.

My question is this motor and trans worth the trouble of swapping in? And how much work would it take to swap up to F-body performance?

I'm going to get the suspension from this car tomorrow morning, and could really use yalls help.

Thanks, yall guys are great!

chavez885

iTrader: (12)

If it has iron heads it's probably not an F-body motor. Sounds like it has the caprice motor.

72Cutlass

Heres the pics I promised! Couldn't find my digital so all I had was my phone, so sorry if there bad...

Ouch!






I have higher quality pics, but photobucket isn't let me acess my account, I'll try to post some better qulaity ones.

72Cutlass

Thats what I thought when I first saw the motor, unless someone painted the entire motor, I couldn't climb in and did around, someone had taken the hood springs out, and those stock steel hoods weight around a 100lbs it feels

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

The b-body motor is NOT the slug the ignorant would have you believe. It was however delivered with a smaller MAF, grandpa quiet 450cfm intake, and 87 octane tuning, had dual exhaust but that really didn't help if you ever see how crushed it is.

In bolton form it makes similar numbers to the f-body motor.

From memory though I am pretty sure the f-body places the accessories in the same basic locations as the b-body just depth is different, maybe you were thinking of the Vette I can not think of how those were arranged offhand.

Burning Rubber

iTrader: (1)

the B body motor accesories set in closer to the motor about a 1/4" but are in the same basic location.

B-Rad420

iTrader: (1)

Dude, that is the best cold air intake I have seen YET! hehe Love the bent elbow...
I have a b body short block with cam in my car and I love the amount of torque it has down low. Its faster than with the f body cam but might be because I have 1.6 promags and crane "hotcam" springs. Otherwise the car is no differnt than when I used to drive it several years ago (last time it ran).

72Cutlass

Yeah I was trying to figure out how the heck that cold air was bent and staying that way, the reason I kinda want the motor is it has all the lines ran already made, and the thing still runs and drives, didn't get start or drive it.

The old owner was even nice enough to run the AC lines to the stock AC condensor and box for me.

The guy who owns the car said I could have the whole car if I wanted, but my mom would kill me if I brought it home lol, theres also a antbed thats mades home in the 80's home carpet that lines the floor of the interior. The guy said all he needs is the VSS off the Trans for his trifive chevy that has a built 406 and either the 700R4 or the early model 4L60E, the car had a Dakota Digital dash and has to have the VSS module.

Any clue how much one of those would be to replace? Any suggestions on parts I should upgrade to before putting it in my car, if I get it?

95CamZ

iTrader: (3)

Whats the cfm of an f body intake? The intake itself is the same though correct, so when ported they will both flow the same?? If that makes any sense.

B-Rad420

iTrader: (1)

I would assume he is refering to the intake in between the airfilter and throttle body. Not the intake manifold because yes they are the same, even the same on the 4.3L L99.

Formula350

iTrader: (3)

Get the whole car, and then take it to a metal scrap yard (or re-sell it). The scrap yard would give you probably $350 for the car.

That CAI IS bad *** though

72Cutlass

haha, Cutlass sheetmetal is hard to come by around where I live and the front end of the car is near perfect except for the hood, mine was hit in the front end before I got it and the core support is messed up, would have gotten one from florida that was NOS but they wanted over $2000 plus s/h

Didn't go this morning to get the disk brakes or the 12-bolt in it, due to sleeping late and feeling like crap

I know if I get this motor those exhaust manifolds are gone, thinking bout going and doing a junkyard crawl for a set aluminum heads, what do yall think?

nutiger

iTrader: (2)

Remember B & D-bodies weighs more than the F-bodies and it used a smaller cam than the Camaro. The B-body torque output was higher I think than the F-body. I've ran a best of 13.07@103 in my Caprice with just bolt-ons and weighed in at 4150lbs! These motors are pretty much bullet proof up to around 6200 RPM stock. There downfall is the opti at any higher RPM.

72Cutlass

Cool I'm going to call to see if anybody is going to be at the shop were the car is at tomorrow morning and get my dad to come look at it and help me scavenge parts off of it, hes a mechanic by trade and can take cars apart a lot faster than I can lol

Any recomendation on upgrades to do these Caprice motors? I have no clue what kinda mileage it has seen, but I do know someone removed at least the air pump and air tubes. The swap looked like it took place not to long before it was wrecked, guess someone was having to much fun with the new motor lol

Formula350

iTrader: (3)

I would run the motor as is till you plan to upgrade it, THEN maybe get aluminum heads, but the B-Body heads flow more.

If the opti goes out, maybe slap in a stock F-Body LT1 cam for a bit more power, and you wouldn't have to upgrade all the rest of the valve train.

Just a thought.

72Cutlass

Thanks, didn't know that the Bbody heads flowed more, really do learn something new everyday. The motor right now has a 4L60E behind it, anything I should be concernd about on it? I don't know if there are any wear issues with the early 4L60E's

JoeliusZ28

iTrader: (2)

honestly i dont see what is unfixable about that car... definitely wouldnt scrap a solid A-body. That guy must be on a tight budget to have all that work into a car like that and not be able to afford some body work after wrecking it. thats a pretty substantial hit, but it doesnt look totalled to me at all.

as far as the engine goes I would just run it as it is, changing over to f-body parts is more effort than its worth. If youre gonna do anything put a nice cam in it and have fun.

72Cutlass

It was bought as is at auction I believe (had the auction/junkyard scribble on the windsheild) I wouldn't have totaled it either, good excuse to get new sheetmetal and paint

B-Rad420

iTrader: (1)

I bet the junkyard/auction scribble was police impound writing. It was proabally seized from its owner by the police after he crashed it because they found something illegal in it. Any other reason an auction place would have something like that? People dont exactly have full coverage insurance on cars like that, he could have traded it in at a dealer for some kinda small down payment though.

72Cutlass

lol wouldn't doubt it, but at least the previous owner was nice enough to recently rebuild the front end and do a disk brake conversion with new booster, lines, and prop valve

Hoping to get the car take everything I want then return the rest back to shop were its at now. I think the car has a B-body tank in it thats popular for Fuel Injection swaps in A-body's cuz of stock looking fuel lines spilced onto the factory hard lines