The Stickman's Custom Cruiser Build thread

Discussion in 'Station Wagon Projects' started by The Stickman, Nov 27, 2008.

  1. The Stickman

    The Stickman Well-Known Member

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    Ok this will be where everyone will be able to see all the is and will be done to my 1984 Custom Cruiser. Let's start with what it looked like when I first bought it and what it had.
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    It has a matt black paint job and dark tinted windows all around. The wheels are Wheel Vintiques that are powdercoated red with baby moon hubcaps. The interior was stock with the exception of a pillar mounted tach. It had a generic radio/Cd player. It had the stock 307 and 200R4 trans. It ran ok but smelled bad. I knew sooner or later I would get rid of the computer controled carb, airpump and all other garbage cluttering the engine bay. The first modification was to add a toch screen radio/cd/dvd player.
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    The backup cam was a fairly simple mod. Had to run one cable to an AV in and then a power wire which I put through a toggle switch. When I bought the radio I was hoping to leave the cam on screen while listening to the radio but it doesn't work that way. I also wanted to add one to the side mirror but have yet to get to that. Then I had to add a remote antenna. The stock fender one was broken off so I needed an antenma. But I liked the uncluttered look and a hidden one would be better. I bought a powered one for better reception.
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    I put it on the far back side window behine the tint. You can't even tell it's there.
     
  2. The Stickman

    The Stickman Well-Known Member

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    I then bought a 1972 Olds 350 off of Ebay for $400. The auction stated it was a 350 with Edelbrock intake and possible cam. The guy paid more for it and was hoping it would get bid up but no one but me bid. After I got it home I pulled a valve cover only to find Competition Cams roller tipped rockers. So I am guessing it also has a cam. I think what happened was the guy bought the engine for his truck thinking a 350 is a 350, not knowing Olds engines have different bellhousing bolt patterns.
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    It would be a very long time till this engine would see the inside of my car. I wanted to wait till closer to the end of the car show/cruisenight season. The next addition was a simple one. A Batwing aircleaner. I always loved the look of these. And the black color and theme fit my car.
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  3. The Stickman

    The Stickman Well-Known Member

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    Then I was at a u-pull-it junkyard and found a Caprice LT-1 dual fan aluminum radiator. So I picked it up.
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    I hate scraping my knuckles on that clutchfan. And I hate the way it looks. So the swap was made and it looks so much cleaner. I still have to made a better looking hold down for it though.
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    Because I was adding this I decided to add an external transmission cooler. I like the finned cylinder ones so I bought a 24 inch one and mounted it in place of the plastic thing that mounts under the radiator. I know it's there to direct air in and around the radiator and engine bay. I figure the cooler is about the same size so it should work in both capacities. I did notice my transmisssion worked better afterwards. Before it had some issues and will get a rebuild and shift kit in the future.
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    I also added a controller for the fans as I didn't want it on at all times and wasn't going to rely on me flipping a switch.
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  4. The Stickman

    The Stickman Well-Known Member

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    I also lowered the car using Edlebrock/Eibach springs. I always thought the nose looked kinda high and thought this would fix it. It didn't really. The car is level if you measure the rocker panel height. I may take an inch out of the springs in the spring.
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    I then started looking at installing the 350. I knew I needed a carb and found one on Craigslist. A Holley 4 barrel. It was cheap. I had my wife rebuild it as I trust her more than i do myself at such things.
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    I had wanted true duals on the car but was in no hurry to spend that cash. But when I yanked the 307 I had to cut off the crossover tube to get it out. So duals would come sooner than later. Therefore I needed a dual hump crossmember. Thank God my wife is a welder.
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    It worked rather nice.
    The engine was in and I was boltng up all the brackets and realized my wire braided hose and AN fittings wouldn't really fit with the mechanical Holley fuel pump and the A/C brackets. So to took it off and my wife made me this.
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    So then I needed an electric fuel pump. Ug what a problem this would be. But not for any reason you might think. The problems came from disturbing the old rusted fuel lines. I put the electic Holley fuel pump on ahead of the passenger side rear wheel and replace all the fuel lines foward of that. Now keep in mind that it took me like 10 weeks to get to this point. Why? Well I suffer from severe Migraines. I get them everyday. Just depends on when I get them. And how bad. In the past I would have had the swap done a whole lot quicker. Anyway I tried to get the engine running only to find for some reason the fuel bowls would not fill. I tried to figure it out and decided it would simply be easier to run a Quadrajet. With teh Holley I had to run a 1inch spacer. I also had an Edelbrock carb and that wouldn't work even with a 1inch spacer. And I wasn't going higher and having to cut a hole in the hood. So I ordered the carb and had to wait a few weeks. But I got it and installed it. And imediately had to reroute all my properly planned hose and regulator layout.
     
  5. The Stickman

    The Stickman Well-Known Member

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    Well now I had to figure out how to do all my nice wire braided hose, AN fittings and regulator. The inlet of the carb is in a different location and had a different thread. Well I had to move the regulator to the passenger side fender well. I bought a union and an Elbow fitting to mount to the carb. Well that didn't work at it was up against the radiator neck. So I took the fuel filter hosing off the carb and bought another fitting. I got all of this mounted cycled the fuel pump only to find it leaking at the new fitting on the carb. I take it off to find the cause is casting marks on the carb not allowing a good seal. The car was already on the car so I simply found a big file and went to work. The casting marks were kinda deep so I was at it for awhile. But it all worked out well. Then it was time to see if all my work was worth it. I turn the key and this is what I got.

    Can you tell how happy i was?
    Haha baby was now alive. Now that she was running I finished putting her back together. I would take her to the muffler shop the next day for the duals. Now I needed to cap the place where the crossover pipe went. Now I could have had them do it. But I trusted my wife more so I had her make this.
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    We had it towed to the shop as I couldn't drive it that loud. He wasn't that thrilled though. We told them to bring a rollback but he said it would have been just as hard. He towed it from the rear. He had to as the bumper nad spare tire well would drag. The spare tire well will be eliminated over the winter. I will still carry a spare in the same spot. I will just raise it up and make a new cover to go over the tire. I drove it home with difficulty. It was out of tune and the battery was bad. A new battery solved many ills. As did a proper tuning. Here is how she now sounds.

    You can hear in the backround a slight squeel of the belts. They were much worse at startup. Turns out I needed to put the A/C belt on to balance things out. Here are pcs of the exhaust system.
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    [​IMG]The mufflers are bigger than I would have wanted but to be truthful they turn out to be perfect. It is not loud inside. But just right at the back. Now all I have to do is fix my intake vacuum leak and she should run much better.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 9, 2015
  6. The Stickman

    The Stickman Well-Known Member

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    These are the new Valve covers I bought. I have been looking for a nice set of Oldsmobile valve covers and these are more distinctive and rare than the chrome or cast finned valve covers. I will be sanding them down to get all of the sand cast finish off so that I can polish them up nice and shinny. They are about 4 inches tall though.
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  7. HandyAndy

    HandyAndy Well-Known Member

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    Hey that's gonna be a sweet ride.
    I think I'll paint my engine black! (y)
     
  8. Stormin' Norman

    Stormin' Norman Well-Known Member

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    Well done, Stickman! Lots of detail work in there. :cheers:
     
  9. Roadking41A

    Roadking41A Well-Known Member

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    Nice work.
     
  10. wagonmaster

    wagonmaster Administrator Staff Member Moderator

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    Very nice and a great sounding engine! Where is the backupcam installed?
     
  11. The Stickman

    The Stickman Well-Known Member

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    I put it behind one of the license plate holes. You can't even tell it's there.
     
  12. Firewood

    Firewood New Member

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    Lemme get this straight:
    Your wife rebuilt your carb?:49:
    Your wife can weld better than you?:49:
    You wife modified your crossmemeber?:49:
    Your wife built a plug for the crossover tube?:49:

    What are ya, like the luckiest guy in the world or something?:thumbs2:
     
  13. The Stickman

    The Stickman Well-Known Member

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    Well to tell the truth I can't weld at all. She also made a fuel pump blockoff plate for me. And she can change an engine by herself. And she can cook. Takes care of my butt when my migraines flare up. So yes I guess I am the luckiest guy in the world.
     
  14. Bluegrass Cruiser

    Bluegrass Cruiser New Member

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    Love that wagon. Now how about some pics of your '79 Cutlass Cruiser Delivery?:Welcome:
     
  15. The Stickman

    The Stickman Well-Known Member

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    And here is one vid I forgot to post. It is the rpm drop from dr to OD. I will try and look up the PRO codes to see what rear it has tonight.

     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 9, 2015

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