Possible Resto-Mod, Ideas?

[oldstv]

I paid to have the swap done so there is labor in that price, but...the parts "which were all new" came to over 20k. The engine was almost 8k then the trans and everything else associated with the swap. The list is things that you don't think of and I could have saved some money in places but not much.

The car already had Viking coilovers, front and rear sway bars, drop spindles, electric fuel pump and some other stuff. If you do the work you can save a lot of what i spent but it will still be costly.

I went with Dakota Digital gauges, cruise control, alum radiator, Jeep steering box, stainless steel then coated headers, new computer, drive shaft, etc, etc. I can't remember all the stuff that had to be bought.

Not saying you can't do it cheaper, or find someone willing to take a beating on a car that they built but you will need some luck and patience.

I will be glad to pass along any information that i have to you if you need it.

 

[Never_Enough]

I paid to have the swap done so there is labor in that price, but...the parts "which were all new" came to over 20k. The engine was almost 8k then the trans and everything else associated with the swap. The list is things that you don't think of and I could have saved some money in places but not much.

The car already had Viking coilovers, front and rear sway bars, drop spindles, electric fuel pump and some other stuff. If you do the work you can save a lot of what i spent but it will still be costly.

I went with Dakota Digital gauges, cruise control, alum radiator, Jeep steering box, stainless steel then coated headers, new computer, drive shaft, etc, etc. I can't remember all the stuff that had to be bought.

Not saying you can't do it cheaper, or find someone willing to take a beating on a car that they built but you will need some luck and patience.

I will be glad to pass along any information that i have to you if you need it.

I'm the king of waiting for the right deal/car to come along so no issue with patience. Anything in particular that I should look out for in my buying a resto modded classic journey? My fear is ending up with something that drives fine & looks nice, but has huge problems under the surface that come to light after I buy then I end up with a huge bill on top of the car cost or a paperweight.

 

[oldstv]

In the Chevelle world there are common places for rust. The rear back window has two lines that come down to the trunk. They should be there and should be smooth as if there has been no body work. The rear window is bad to have leaked this will show up in the trunk, look up under the package tray in the trunk. The bottom of the doors, bottom of the front and rear fenders were all problem areas. The passenger floor is another area. When the heater core leaked it would rust out the floor. Look for a car from the west, they are less likely to have bad issues. Remember, a magnet is your friend.

As far as the swap. The wrong oil pan will sit too low, it will also cause issues with the cross member that will result in people cutting it. Headers that sit too low are a pain, bad drive line angle will be a problem, turning radius issues from the wrong steering box or too large of a wheel/tire combo. The factory ac doesn't work well, the list goes on. A restomod should be a driver, make sure it is enjoyable to drive, and it is hard to find a car that is the car that does everything well but if you do it will be costly. There is a lot of information on protouring.com to be had if you care to read it.

 

[Machdup1]

Eleanor with Terminator powertrain. Saw a 65 model like that coolest restro-mod I've seen.

I was thinking the same thing. I saw one, yellow if I recall correct. It was a badass ride.