Shoestring Budget '83 Caprice Wagon

Cool, Tman...that's another great looking wagon that's going to wake up and hit the road!

 

Thanks fox, I was trying to hold out and do a 5.3 swap with a stand alone harness but other obligations kept me from having the cash and since I am doing this on a budget I decided to take the easy way and use the motor I already have. Maybe my next power plant for her I will be able to do the 5.3 motor but I will just be happy to get it back on the road in a few months!

 

soon my friend....soon

 

Wednesday the UPS truck arrived at work with my cam, lifters, headers, wires, valve covers and gaskets. So got up early this morning since I didn't have to work and put my engine on the stand and took it in to work where I can be more productive beside giving me something to do on my down time at work. I have 3 guys I work with chompin' at the bit to help me get it together. One is my mentor at work with 49 years experience turning wrenches and is happy to see a old school motor.
Wanted to find a set of vortec heads but stay inside my budget. Came close last weekend scoring a pair for $125 but when I got the casting numbers they were the 906 truck heads with the small exhaust valve so they wouldn't help me so I am sticking with my old ones. I was a little dissapointed because at that price I could buy the intake and still come out ahead, oh well everything should work well anyhow.

Hopefully bring my camera to work and snap some pictures as I get a chance to work on it.

 

I'm legitimately excited to see that beauty on the road, Tman! Hey...heads and other things will show up in the future and you may have a little more money to snap stuff up. For now it will still be a good running beauty and it can always be a work in progress toward speed.

 

Just caught up on this thread, sounding good 1T. How about a video with sound of the engine running/driving when you get it completed? Body looks great!

 

Tore my engine down today at work only to discover it was not the 350 I bought it as some years back. It was a running engine in my '66 c-10. Seller said it was a .030 over 350 truck engine and I had no reason to doubt him ( I was a whole lot more trusting 10 years ago because I didn't realize so many people misrepresented things they were selling) After tearing it down running the numbers it is a '70 model 307. The only thing the guy I bought it from was correct about was it was a .030 over, flat top piston motor. It took me about 20 minutes of being dissapointed and saying well this is what I have so I guess this is what I am going to build.Then I remove the heads only to discover the #4 cylinder had moisture in it and rusted to hell, beyond honing would have to bore it sooo now I am looking at a 350 that needs a crank from a co worker.I can use the crank out of the original 305 I took out my wagon. It had a blown head gasket but the crank was fine.If that one don't pan out guess I will search CL for one...at least I am armed with alot better knowledge than 10 years ago...On the upside I am match porting the intake and heads with the gasket and cleaning up the ports to get a little better flow since they aren't the greatest flowing heads I am using...was looking like I was going to have the engine done pretty quickly but yet another kink in the plans. Hopefully something will go right soon with it.

 

Ah, man...really sorry to hear that, Tman. After all this waiting only to find you've been had. Well...one consolation is that there are a lot of 350's around, unless you are talking an Olds 350. They are considerably more scarce. In any case, you will end up with a better engine in there. I sincerely hope you find an engine that you like soon. Don't rush....take your time and do it up like I know you can.

 

The rust in the cylinder is my fault, when I pulled the motor out of my truck to put a vortec motor in it I had the timing cover and rear seal leaking. When it was pulled I should have filled the cylinders with wd-40 but it could also be a crack in the cylinder, guess I will inspect it closer just because I am curious where the moisture came from

 

Scored a .020 over 350 4 bolt block today with new trw flat tops, new cam bearings, oil pump with pick-up tack welded so it can't fall off and new double roller timing chain from a co-worker. I have to put a crank in it but have the one from the original 305 I can use.Got it for $150. I also scored a complete 350 that has been sitting awhile from my uncle probably for free. I asked to buy one (he used to be in the towing business and has all kinds of stuff, not for sale sadly) and he won't give me a price. I have got stuff from him before and he is not a real people person he always responds," It's for you, there it is, if ya want it take the #?*!ing thing, if not leave it right there!" So that is where I am at now with my build...try to get the engine this weekend hopefully.

 

I like the sound of where you are now!

 

The wagon is coming out great, sorry about your engine.

 

I snapped a few pictures of my block I am working with, have most parts to finish. Probably another 2 to 3 hundred will finish it. Even with needing to get another block I should still meet my budget goal of $1500 to $2000 including purchase price of wagon. I am at $1,150 right now. After it is going I know a set of tires and stuff will put it over but the goal I set was to get it running and able to move.

 

Been having problems at work and not much time to work on my motor but finally had a little while today to lap the valves in the heads but this is just one of those projects that is taking way longer than wanted or expected...have some work to do on the wife's van Saturday then next couple of weeks some work on my mom and dad's 1500 p/u along with work on my dad's 3500 p/u along with trying to squeeze in a brake job on my Tundra THEN maybe I can get back on my engine and wagon.

 

Relax, take your time and take care of business, TMan. Life's too short to rush around for a car. You will get there and you will do it right. That's what counts.