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The build-up of my Malibu

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  • The build-up of my Malibu

    I thought I'd throw this up in here since the car isn't quite finished yet (but are they ever?). I figured that I'll show the steps it's gone through since I bought it last April. Pretty much run-of-the-mill swap stuff really but this is the first car that I'm having my hands in building. Most of the past ones I've had were either bought "race-ready" or I just "footed the bill" and drove them.

    First is a picture of how it looked the night I drove it home from southern IA. I picked it up for $2800.


    As you can see, very much stock! 43K original miles on it. Bone stock 305 with a 4 barrel.

    The very first thing that I decided the car needed was some different wheels. I decided on Wheel Vintiques chrome rallies. 15x6 in front and 15x8 in the back. Definitely helped out the look of the car, I think, and the vinyl top didn't seem to bother me as much anymore after adding the wheels.



    The next step involved replacing the stock transmission with a rebuilt/built TH350. Also added a 2400 converter at this time. It is kinda funny how the car drives with the higher shift points and probably 2.41 or so stock rear end gears. Under regular acceleration it doesn't shift into drive until 50mph. It'll obviously drive much better this fall when the entire rear end is swapped out for a complete 8.5" from a '85 Grand National.



    Even before doing the transmission swap I had decided to go with a 406 since my friend had a good 400 block sitting in a hay barn. And since he's a mechanic with his own shop and had a buyer lined up for the stock 305 from my car, we just decided to trade engine for engine.
    -------------------------------------------------------
    More to come tomorrow night....

  • #2
    Nice progress with the car so far Rerod
    Will be interesting to see the car in action with the new motor

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Old School View Post
      Nice progress with the car so far Rerod
      Will be interesting to see the car in action with the new motor
      I'll be sure to make some noise in the vicinity of your house once it comes back into town

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      • #4
        Interesting I never even knew what the stock motor was.

        How is the rearend coming along?

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        • #5
          Originally posted by speedo View Post
          Interesting I never even knew what the stock motor was.
          How is the rearend coming along?
          It's all painted up and the brakes have been gone through. I knocked out the two top housing bushings the other day and put in the new poly ones, followed by the tubular UCA's. My LCA relocation brackets will be here Monday so I should be able to get the LCA's on. Still haven't pulled the cover to check the ring and pinion. That'll be next on the list. Have to decide whether to run the stock 3.42's or step up to 3.73's. I'll probably do the latter

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          • #6
            Here's a couple pics of from the short-block assembly:




            Things got very close here and one other rod bolt was also close. Out came the air drill. Easily remedied!

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            • #7
              And here's some of the long block coming together:





              And finally adding the paint...




              Intake on. Ended up not using the pictured valve covers since the baffles inside weren't right. Stock centerbolt valve covers were used instead.

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              • #8
                Finally, swap day came! (It was October 19th by this time. The planets and schedules finally aligned!)

                Here's the before pic:



                Ready to be pulled out:



                And the empty nest:




                SEE YA!

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                • #9
                  Had to clean up, paint, and swap over some of the brackets...



                  And throw the new mill in...




                  Above is where we finished for the day. Didn't get 'er cracked off that day but everything was in and almost all hooked up. The headers weren't designed to be run with the A/C unit but we made it work.

                  A day or two later we got it fired up with open headers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjYcqZS2Lw0

                  And yet another few days later the 3" Torque Tech exhaust was on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfOmDDTE68o

                  And now it's put away for the winter. As I mentioned to speedo above, I have a drum-to-drum rear end from an '85 Grand National (8.5") that I'm currently working on. Had it sandblasted and got it painted. Brakes are taken care of and upper control arms are on so far. Relocation pieces for the lower control arms will be here on Monday so I can get those put on. Then I'll have to pop the cover and see how the stock gears are and decide if I want to stick with those (3.42's) or step up to 3.73's. Come warmer, less salty roads I'll be bringing it out of storage so that the rears can be swapped. Then I'll be ready for spring cruisin'!

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                  • #10
                    Your motor is very nice! Good work, can't wait to see the car.

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Phoenix View Post
                      Your motor is very nice! Good work, can't wait to see the car.
                      Thanks man I know I'll be up at Car Craft for sure this summer. Hopefully some of us that are a little further south will roll up for some Outlaw get-togethers as well

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                      • #12
                        Rerod..........where'd you get such a clean Malibu? Cool project! Traver
                        2001 Trans Am All Motor 9.75 @139mph

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by ramairws6 View Post
                          Rerod..........where'd you get such a clean Malibu? Cool project! Traver
                          I saw it listed on RacingJunk.com and drove to get it the next day. Very small town in Iowa that was about 20 miles from the Missouri border. Population of the town was probably 2-300. Yet this dealer/restoration shop had lots of awesome cars! (Probably over a $1M worth of cars there)

                          Here's pics of what my buddy and I got to see that day:

                          http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ous/knappj.jpg
                          http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ous/knappi.jpg
                          http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ous/knapph.jpg
                          http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ous/knappg.jpg
                          http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ous/knappf.jpg
                          http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ous/knappe.jpg
                          http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ous/knappd.jpg
                          http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ous/knappc.jpg
                          http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ous/knappb.jpg
                          http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ous/knappa.jpg
                          http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ous/knapp9.jpg
                          http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ous/knapp8.jpg
                          http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ous/knapp7.jpg
                          http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ous/knapp6.jpg
                          http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ous/knapp5.jpg
                          http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ous/knapp4.jpg
                          http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ous/knapp3.jpg
                          http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ous/knapp2.jpg
                          http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ous/knapp1.jpg
                          http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...arpics267b.jpg

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                          • #14
                            I think you should havekept the after market wire wheel covers adds to the whole sleeper theme.

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by mustangpauly View Post
                              I think you should havekept the after market wire wheel covers adds to the whole sleeper theme.
                              I briefly thought about it but the fact that they were 14 inch wheels quickly changed my mind. My friend does have some 15 inch wire hubcaps that'll fit on the rally wheels though

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