Chevy monza 2+2

[Marsh Rider]

I just picked one up and have the choice of an 87 gn drive train or a SBC set up. I am leaning heavily torward the turbo 6. Has anyone done this? What problems am I going to run into? Just looking for info in advance. I pick up the cat this Sunday.

 

[10secvega]

A sbc will bolt right in,The T6 will taka alot of fab work!!

 

[Grumpy]

Buicks need a lot of "junk" to get them goin ..unless ya get a donor car ... hey I just happen to have one for sale

 

[Marsh Rider]

I kenw the SBC was a bolt in. The car comes with all the right mounts and exhaust. What fab work is required? I think I can handle it. I was just curious as to what you ran into since the vega is also a H-body.

 

[Marsh Rider]

I don't need a donor car but thanks for the offer.

 

[carl creque]

GN drivetrain into H-body

My Skyhawk car is undergoing this swap right now. Fuel system is in, engine and trans are out. Looks really tight in the area under the air conditioning. Some bracing may have to move to make room for the up pipe. If you are going to use the 200 4R, you will have to figure out a torque arm mount. Then there is the 7.5 inch rear end which you will have to do something about regardless of what engine you put in. I am going to a narrowed 12 bolt but having trouble finding a torque arm mount for it. Scott Klepinger (UR50SLO) is on this board and working on my car. I will get him to chime in.

 

[UR50SLO]

Info:

Hello... :smile:

So far Carl's SkyHawk is going well and I'm about ready to find out exactly what needs to be done with the actual fitment of the turbo buick engine.

As Carl stated the rear end and torque arm is a issue if your going to put any kind of power to it. I like the South Side Machiene lift bar setup that "was"
avalible for the 82-92 Camaro's which elimiates the stock torque arm and lower controll arms. I then put coil overs in the back of the rear end and a pan hard bar. The same basic setup would work great on your car/s.
We are still debating on what to do with Carl's rear end. (no pun intended)

Anyway.. with the engine bay I'm going to make a tubular front memeber (go's from the radiatior support to the cross member)
The stock one is flimsy and takes up way too much room.
The cross over pipe from the drivers side header to the pass. side header won't fit with out cutting into some of the supporting metal on the pass. side unibody. I'm going to take exact pictures of what I did to make it fit and how I brace everything.
I could make another front member if your intersted when this one is finished.

The Down pipe is not going to go in the traditional route. There's just no room. It'll have to go down under the front suspension and then to the exhaust. We are planning on useing 3" oval tube for that.

THe stock fuel tank will work fine. I took his stock fuel sending unit/pump out and installed the Warbro 340 with a few small mods to make it stay in place
and installed a vent line for the Charchol canister (which I'll relocate to the rear by the tank)

I'm going to use two stock GN intercoolers welded together and make it a front mount. We did this on a hybrid Camaro and it cooled better than a CAS front mount for the TTA that we had in another hybrid Camaro that cost 1200.00!!!

Chris and I just finished a Mustang Hybrid that included moving the firewall back 3.5" shaving the strut towers, welding every hole in the engine bay and painting/bodywork the entire car.
We can actually take the dipstick tube out of the tranny from the top with ease! That's how much room there is around the bell houseing area!
This car is going to be a snap to do any work on.

Spend a little extra time moving things around so they can be worked on later.. saves alot of frustration down the road...

Anyway.... I've got some pictures of the fuel system that I've done and I'll have alot more to come here in the next few weeks as the project moves forward...

If I can help just let me know

Scott~

 

[Marsh Rider]

Thanks for all the great info Scott. That is exactly the stuff I was looking for. My intention was to keep the A/C since this will be driven often. Looking forward to the pics. When I see your pics and get my car I will let you know about the tubular support. I would like to see what I have to deal with before I order one.

 

[UR50SLO]

Carl is also going to keep the A/C. I'll need to have special lines made to hook all that up.
The stock location on his A/C pump was on the pass. side and with the
Turbo Buick engine it's on the drivers side.. THus the line issue.

His car came with a carb 3.8L so atleast the mounting is the same.
No problem on the crossmember I'll know alot more here real soon

And so will you

~Scott

Oh.. e-mail me and I'll at least send you the pic's of
the gas tank sending unit mods... UR50SLO@aol.com

 

[10secvega]

I did away with my heater box,notched my firewall and ran my downpipe through the firewall.

On the rearend/torque arm set up,i run a chrysler 8 3/4 out of an "A" body.It's the perfect width.You just need to switch it over to a 5x4.5 inch bolt pattern.Either redrill the drums and axles or after market axles.
I till run a torque arm and a th350,The torque arm is custom made out of Chromoly and attaches to the top of the rearend housing with 4 link tabs and 3/4 heim joints.The front attaches to the tailshaft and usses a 3/4 heim joint also.When the car had a sbc it 60 footed in the 1.51 range on a 26x8.5 slick.
If i where to run a 200 and a 12 bolt,i would buy a torque arm mount from Moser for an F body.And then either buy or build a dislocated torque arm for an F body and adapt it.

http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stor...atalogId=10002&storeId=10001&categoryId=13055

Heres a link to some pictures of my Vega.
http://www.knights-rule.com/cgi/gallery/v/members/10secvega/

 

[carl creque]

Torque arm

Interestingly enough, I have that exact torque arm. Just have to find a way to mount it to the 12 bolt. Currie said that their 9 inch torque arm mount would not work. Moser does not sell one. I am sure that Scott and I will figure out something. Sure would like to see pics of your set up.

 

[10secvega]

I forgot the moser is cast into the housing with there 12 bolts.I'll post you up pictures later this evening.

 

[carl creque]

Pictures

Thanks. I'll be looking forward to the pictures. I guess the problem with torque arm mounting brackets is welding to the cast iron center section of the 12 bolt. May have to come up with a different suspension system. Problem with that is that I want a street system instead of a hard core race system.

 

[10secvega]

How they do it on a 9inch is weld pipe to the top and bottom of the housing and the torwue arm bracket bolts to those.
http://www.moserengineering.com/Images/Housings/images/ford9_03.jpg

Some pictures of my setup
http://www.knights-rule.com/cgi/gallery/d/1010-1/DSC00231.JPG
http://www.knights-rule.com/cgi/gallery/d/1012-1/DSC00232.JPG
http://www.knights-rule.com/cgi/gallery/d/1014-1/DSC00233.JPG

 

[carl creque]

Torque arm Mount

Interesting set up you have there. Biggest problem with the 12 bolt is that the center section is cast. I don't know much about welding, but I have heard that welding to cast material is difficult if not impossible. I dreamed up making a mount of .250 inch thick plate bolted to the 12 rear cover bolts and welding the Currie tube type mount to it. Don't know if it would work, but that might be one way. Then again Scott and I may decide to do something totally different. Thanks for the pics!