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73 Camaro 5.3/80e swap with 8.8 rear EDIT: Now running!
Hey guys, doing another swap. My father in law bought this car in 92’, a month before my wife was born. Fell on hard times and had to sell it, my wife talks about the car a lot and always thought one of her brothers would end up with it. So I decided to buy it for her. Was a pretty emotional day when I went and got it for her. The car is supposed to be “forged 307 with a Pete Jackson gear drive”. First of all, who the hell would do that. Second of all, the whole combo he built is all wrong, the car is a total turd. Small cam, single plane intake, 600cfm edelbrock, stock stall and 3.08 gears. Bleh. Drove it a couple times and said yep, gotta swap this thing. So I picked up an 02 Silverado with a 80e and an lm7, for $1000. Parted out the body and the wheels and I’ve got $200 into the whole combo now.
First thing i did was lower the car amd level it, and put some 18x9.5 and 18x8 wheels on it, chin spoiler and the split bumpers. Love the stance now.
Picked up a mamo ported ls2 intake, ordered another Ed Curtis custom grind for it, and bought a Jakes performance converter for $500 shipped from them, awesome deal! 4-4400 stall speed. Putting in an explorer 8.8 with 3.73’s. Cheapo f body headers, ported and milled .030 862 heads. Should run pretty stout I hope. I’ve done 10+ swaps now, and my personal cars is a twin 61/63 ws6 and my billet s480 70 ss nova, so it should look good sitting with them.
Ill update as I go along! Thanks for reading all that crap
The builds that have a bit of 'personal connection' make for the best stories. Sounds like you've got this well under control, looking forward to seeing this one come together! (BTW, that last pic looks pretty good, I can see some potential there...)
The builds that have a bit of 'personal connection' make for the best stories. Sounds like you've got this well under control, looking forward to seeing this one come together! (BTW, that last pic looks pretty good, I can see some potential there...)
Thanks man! I really like it, I took into out to to town and cruised it a bit and I got a ton of thumbs up and yelling out the windows, was a good time.
Also raced a few cars..... got drug by an ecoboost mustang and a wrx lol
Great project car, this is gonna be an awesome build thread.
Thanks man! Should be a pretty quick one also, I’ve got a couple rear ends to do for people and a turbo new edge to finish up this week and then it’s game time
Great build and thanks for sharing!! Im doing a 72 nova and got a 12 bolt free. Thinking of selling it for an 8.8 as I can get huge coin for this 12 bolt and get the explorer rear with discs. Is that rear a bolt in in the camaro as far as width?
Great build and thanks for sharing!! Im doing a 72 nova and got a 12 bolt free. Thinking of selling it for an 8.8 as I can get huge coin for this 12 bolt and get the explorer rear with discs. Is that rear a bolt in in the camaro as far as width?
the explorer rear is slightly narrower, but almost exactly the same width as a 3rd gen nova. The negative is it’s an offset pinion. So you’ll need to cut the tubes and swap the tubes and axles side for side
SN95 8.8 comes with 5-lug disks, Posi, centered carrier, and its the same width as 3rd gen Nova rear. You have to chop off the 4-link brackets and weld on some cheap leaf spring perches, but that's it.
I don't know why, but after the drive train was dropped in I would drive the heck out of it the way it sits. I love the patina look and the little mods you made to the exterior.
I wonder how far its off on a 2nd gen Fbody. What are SN95's
94-98 Mustang GTs.
A fox body uses the exact same housing, but the axles are .75" shorter on each side (1.5" overall more narrow) but they are usually 4-lug. You can order 5-lug fox length axles from anywhere that sells axles if you want it to be just a bit more narrow.
If you want it longer than an SN95, The 99-04 8.8 is opposite of the fox rear. It is .75" LONGER than the SN95 on each side (1.5" wider overall).
I don't know why, but after the drive train was dropped in I would drive the heck out of it the way it sits. I love the patina look and the little mods you made to the exterior.
I agree and that’s the plan, I went to a car meet here a few weeks ago with it. I got all kinds of thumbs up, people hollering out the windows, etc. At the meet a guy shows up in a canned c6z and parks, and literally walked straight up too me and just drools over it. Literally taking pictures from all sorts of angles, talked with me for an hour or better over it. He said I had the coolest car at the meet, I laughed and said “idk about that, your z is nasty” and he said “anyone can buy a corvette, this here is class”. It was pretty cool, I thought maybe I overplayed for the car @ $3,000 but now I’m thinking not so much.
SN95 8.8 comes with 5-lug disks, Posi, centered carrier, and its the same width as 3rd gen Nova rear. You have to chop off the 4-link brackets and weld on some cheap leaf spring perches, but that's it.
but 28 spline correct? That’s why I use the explorer stuff and Redrill the stock axles
Damn!!! Your building another car!?!?!! ....and im still lagging up getting mine running!! Lol!!
Seriously, its so cool!, im just happy i saw your build thread.
Maybe i'll pick up a few ideas again.
I'll be following!!
................................
Lance..... you cheap F***!!! You have a Nice 12 bolt and want to throw it away!?! Put it under your Nova and GIVE the car value instead of cheaping out and building a F*** rear!!!!
And where are the pictures of that project!, i see you on every boards and never see the pictures of the car LOL!! I told you how to tough.....😉
Damn!!! Your building another car!?!?!! ....and im still lagging up getting mine running!! Lol!!
Seriously, its so cool!, im just happy i saw your build thread.
Maybe i'll pick up a few ideas again.
I'll be following!!
................................
Lance..... you cheap F***!!! You have a Nice 12 bolt and want to throw it away!?! Put it under your Nova and GIVE the car value instead of cheaping out and building a F*** rear!!!!
And where are the pictures of that project!, i see you on every boards and never see the pictures of the car LOL!! I told you how to tough.....😉
Lead.
Haha! Yessir, doing another, this one will be pretty quick. Should be fun for an n/a 5.3 lol. I actually just bought my old gto back as well, so that’s next. The nova I kinda stalled on because I’ve decided I want to get a gold box and maybe back half the car.
The trans am is now stalled because I bought the gto, and I’m not sure if I want to put the drivetrain from the trans am into the gto or keep them both. Right now I have the 99 ws6 twin turbo, my s480 nova, the gto, amd this 73’ Camaro
Originally Posted by MtotheIKEo
Do you have any more pictures of the front accessories you can share? Doing the same swap in my 73 right now.
Thanks
I’ll have to get some, the ps bracket is just the stock truck bracket cut in half, the alt mount I’m making from scratch, the water pump is an ls1 vette with pacers
Haha! Yessir, doing another, this one will be pretty quick. Should be fun for an n/a 5.3 lol. I actually just bought my old gto back as well, so that’s next. The nova I kinda stalled on because I’ve decided I want to get a gold box and maybe back half the car.
The trans am is now stalled because I bought the gto, and I’m not sure if I want to put the drivetrain from the trans am into the gto or keep them both. Right now I have the 99 ws6 twin turbo, my s480 nova, the gto, amd this 73’ Camaro
Hahaha!! Holy **** you've got your hands more than full!!! What year is the Goat? Love em any year anyways bur have a soft spot for 65's and 69's.
The Camaro looks solid! I showed it to a buddy who's building a 73 that he paid 7500$ for and it was a piece of trash.... he was...hum.... lets just say he didnt say nice things!! LOL!!! Looks like you got a good deal!! You sure seem to be on a roll of getting back all the cars you had or wanted at some point!! Did you win the lottery or something LOL!!!
Lucky man!!!
I just placed the turbo today (ended in the pass headlight finally) and received my tubing from Columbia mandrels earlier today also. Gonna move a bit more now that the temps are more manageable.
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73 Camaro 5.3/80e swap with 8.8 rear EDIT: Now running! 
The builds that have a bit of 'personal connection' make for the best stories. Sounds like you've got this well under control, looking forward to seeing this one come together! (BTW, that last pic looks pretty good, I can see some potential there...) 
