74 Malibu daily

by Hillbilly Mon Sep 05, 2016 10:00 pm

I recently graduated engineering school at the ripe old age of 40. I decided I didn't want a boring summer daily. Though I looked at plenty of older cars I ended up with a 29k plain Jane l65 4 door sedan. It was my buddies aunts and even included the canceled check she paid for it with.

The plan from the start was never to leave it original but to allow me to drive it most days it has stayed pretty close for now. The changes thus far are 235/75/15 fronts and 295/50/15 rears. The 2bbl has the Doug Roe mods out of his 74 edition of his Rochester car book. And the timing rate has been quickened to allow mechanical advance to be all in at 2500. These mods have increased the mpg from a steady 13.5 to 15 thus far.

I have been collecting parts for my winter projects.
First I am going to install a q-jet on a performer rpm and acam with 214/224 duration. The single exhaust will be changed to headers and a summit 2.5" system.
The chassis is getting impala 12" front brakes and s10 rear disks. The rear axle ratio will be changed from 2.73 to 3.23 with the edition if a old Eaton posi from my first camaro. Finall I plan on adding a ws6 front sway bar, Moog offset upper control arm shafts and possibly afco tall ball joints.
I have most of the engine parts and brakes only missing a good dual idle air bleed post 76 q-jet and the exhaust system. As well as needing the front sway bar and air arm components.

These mods will hopefully make the car fun to drive until I can save enough for the big block 5 speed swap I have planned. Hoping to build a mild 505 and have it undergeared enough that it will idle down the road and get ok mpg.

Just for fun how many of these cars came with the rear sway bar?

Oh and one other big mod is to add a radio because this car came without one from GM.

by Limey SE Mon Sep 05, 2016 10:16 pm

I may have the Q-Jet in a parts box will need gone thru but doesn't sound like an Issue for you I just dont remember where its at or if I sold it when My car got here for it only had a 2 v on it and didn't know why it had a 4v in trunk

by fasrnur Mon Sep 05, 2016 11:09 pm

Sounds like a solid plan for a fun daily driver. I too am building mine to be the same thing. Not a show car, but rather a car I can jump in and have fun cruising it where ever I want to. I like the fact it's a 4 door too. I've seen many a 4 door that surprised people with their innocent looks and kick butt performance. Good luck on your endeavor sir.

by Hillbilly Tue Sep 06, 2016 5:53 am

I will post pictures later.
I have a reasonable quick camaro but I wanted a car my daughter can ride in or I can fill with buddies for a cruise night.

by Hillbilly Tue Sep 06, 2016 7:37 am

by Limey SE Tue Sep 06, 2016 8:06 am

That is a Really cool Car if you want to get rid of the Radio Delete Gauge Cover I would be interested in it and Have one I could swap ya I have sweep Speedometer cluster also, And I love my Turbine wheels But I am starting to like The 8" rallys more and more

by Hillbilly Tue Sep 06, 2016 8:27 am

I am keeping the delete and putting the radio in the glove box with a rf extender so I can use the remote with the glove box closed. It also doesn't have a clock so I am working on how to mount at least a 2 1/6 tach and oil pressure gauge. I would like a temp gauge too but I don't think I can get all 3 in there. May just have to change to a rebco 195 or 200 deg temp light sender so it will tell me earlier if it is getting hot. I would guess the stock one is like 5 deg before the pistons seize to the block.

by fasrnur Tue Sep 06, 2016 8:10 pm

Nice looking car sir. I put 2 of the 2 1/16 gauges in where the clock was suppose to be. Not enough room for 3 though. 15x8 rally wheels on all 4 corners?

by Hillbilly Tue Sep 06, 2016 8:21 pm

15x7 front 15x10 rear

by Damon23 Tue Sep 06, 2016 8:58 pm

Not bad. I think the 4 door versions of these cars look really good with a few simple mods. I've learned that these cars swallow up 15x10's easily and look good doing it. I wish I could get my vette wheels widened cause I like the look of them but will end up with some basset racing or D window wheels in a 15x10 all the way around.

It's always cool to get old paperwork. All I got was some old service receipts and the user manual.

by Hillbilly Tue Sep 06, 2016 9:22 pm

I finished tearing the rear disks off the s10 axle tonight. Needs a few pieces to be in good working order again. Still can't complain about free parts.

by 77ElClassic Tue Sep 06, 2016 10:17 pm

On the by10s, are you using the trim rings made for 15 X 8s? I have 15 X 10s on the back of mine too, and I haven't found any trim rings specifically for that size. Not even from the wheel manufacturer.

by Hillbilly Tue Sep 06, 2016 10:26 pm

Actually the ones off my 15x7s. I have a set off of some 15x8 truck ralleyes I was going to try but haven't gotten that far.

by 77ElClassic Tue Sep 06, 2016 11:03 pm

I'd like to find a set that covers the entire rim, but no luck thus far. The 15X8s work and looks well, but still leave a gap.
Just a thought on your gauges, I modified the ashtray door for a standard 3.75" tach and used the clock section of the dash for three 1.5" gauges. The factory dash lighting does an ample job of lighting the gauges at night so that additional wiring was unnecessary.

by Hillbilly Tue Sep 06, 2016 11:05 pm

If I put the tach in the ash try, where will my nitrous arming switches go?

by Hillbilly Tue Sep 06, 2016 11:06 pm

It is a 4 door, it really needs to be as sleepy as possible.

by 77ElClassic Tue Sep 06, 2016 11:27 pm

Retro racing taxi-cab - Gotcha Thumbs up

by Hillbilly Wed Sep 07, 2016 11:49 pm

77ElClassic wrote:Retro racing taxi-cab - Gotcha

Actually more like "oh my camaro is broke, oh this? It's my grandma's. Rough idle? Oh ya the choke sticks. Exhaust noise? It has a hole in the muffler. That is why I am driving it so I can fix it. I guess we could run it for fun. Say put a hundred on it and give me the move? Great! I am sure it will be easy money for you!".

Pulled my posi apart tonight, clutches were pretty worn. Probably would have lasted but I found a used set on eBay since GM no longer sells them. I will put the best ones from my clutch packs and the ones I bought to make it work. I would go true trac but $150 will go a long ways on the rest of this project.

by fasrnur Thu Sep 08, 2016 2:56 pm

Gotta get a "250" emblem for the fenders. lol

by Hillbilly Thu Sep 08, 2016 3:22 pm

I was given a s-10 rear axle that I already stole the brakes off of and I keep thinking about using the rear sway bar. It mounts to the bottom of the axle housing and then to the frame. This is much more mechanically efficient than the stock lca to lca sway bar that comes stock on these cars. After looking a bit today it looks like a few g body guys have already done this so I may try it this winter.

by fasrnur Thu Sep 08, 2016 5:14 pm

What year S-10, and are you using the caliper mounting brackets from the S-10 as well as other brake parts Hillbilly?

by Hillbilly Thu Sep 08, 2016 5:44 pm

I honestly don't know the year. I assume 1998-2002 or so. It was out of a zr-2 and i assumed truck but the sway bar is forward like a blazer. I planned on swapping all the brake assemblies onto 8.5 in my chevelle.

by Hillbilly Fri Sep 09, 2016 8:28 am

Looks like my 4wd s-10 rear brake rotors are too deep so I am going to have to buy some new 2wd rotors. The mounting flanges on the 4wd are about .5" farther in on the axle tube than the 2nd gen Camaro axle I am comparing them too. Oh well. Looks like this disk swap is going to cost me about $200 with the parts I will need, still pretty cheap. I mostly just want them as a red neck axle retainer incase I brake an axle. Of course lower brake fade will also be a plus.

John

by Limey SE Fri Sep 09, 2016 10:47 am

John why not Just get a Caprice Impala rear end set up from Yard pretty much direct bolt in and Its already set up for disk brakes Save time and hassle of Hodge podging parts together thats going to nickel and dime ya To death

by Hillbilly Fri Sep 09, 2016 11:09 am

Idk, I was given most of these parts and the caprice/impala 8.5 would have 5x5 pattern and require a redrill or a change in front rotors and wheels. I may go that way, just how far I have gotten so far. Plus those late model B bodies seem to be rare here.

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