Hi everyone, I bought my first car back in February, it is a 1964 Chevy ii 4 door. My plan is to make it a sleeper, but I have been told a small block would only work. I have seen videos of Chevy ii's/novas with lS7s and LSX engines my question is is there any way I could "build up" a uni-body.
...small block only....likely due to the larger physical size of a bbc or too small of a shoehorn. As to the uni-body issue, these cars were simply not designed for massive amounts of torque and it is easy to get them twisted up like a pretzel. Depending on your intended plans, some sort of 'frame' mods may be needed, perhaps along the lines of what you may have done to one of your Mopars. .
There are frame ties available There are frame ties and rear rails available. Then there is custom fabrications that go as far as you want. Ask squirrel about large torque #s thru a Chevy II http://m.summitracing.com/parts/cmb...qTS14omfHp9epuNUOjgaVCUqrSVIs6uc1oaAhwG8P8HAQ http://autoplicity.com/339586-hotch...mJwxW76F4R0IFaiXl1t7J9jzV4P4bhrJztRoCjufw_wcB
so, what would you really want to put in it that is H.A.M.B. friendly? had a '65 SS with a blueprinted Corvette '65 327 rated at 365HP.
yeah, you need a 1960s 427 rat motor. Don't need any frame ties or rear rails, either. but my has only been in the nines a couple times, so I might be wrong about that
Where would I go about finding a 427 from the 60s? I know they were in corvettes so would my best bet finding a corvette parts car, looking through junk yards or just looking online?
I cheated and used a truck 454 block from the 1970 to 1991 Era. 396 steel crank and 427 pistons. I found a pair of late 60s design aluminum heads on eBay. It works.
I know a 383 is a small block. I was told a small block would only work for my car because the uni-body wouldn't be able to handle a big block. I just wanted to be sure that you could beef up a uni-body.
What you do to beef it up depends on what you want to do with the car, how fast it will go, whether you'll install a cage in it or not, what type suspension you want to use, etc. To build a sleeper, it's probably a little more involved than what I did with mine...there's nothing sleeper about my car. I used the original front subframe rails, I cut off all the stock suspension and inner fenders, and added bracing and a straight axle. There are some aftermarket subframes you can buy, with different types of suspension, or you can modify the original suspension...but the original suspension really does limit you for engine choice. Just how big is your budget?
My budget right now is peanuts. I am trying to save up everything I can and I want to get it running and driving properly before I do anything major like making it a sleeper. I'm just asking these questions now so I know what to do later.
Sounds like your budget will dictate your build. Not a bad thing. Throw in a used small block. Drive it. Save your money.
Put a small block in it and be done, the right small block can get you into plenty of trouble. Anyone who thinks a 64 Chevy II running around these days and wanting to race is still grandma's car, is a fool. Gene
I think Your main issue fitting a BBC in that particular chassis has to do not so much with the "unit-body" alone, but the physical size of that motor vs the strut-suspension/structural inner fender -design of that body (originally designed to house a straight six, and a small-block from I believe '65-on). The original '67 Camaro was a unit-body, as well, only with a different style front sub-frame designed to accommodate a 396. On the home-built big-block Chevy II drag cars You see, note that they typically have the original inner fenders removed and tube supports welded in between the front frame horns and the cowl, mounting the struts as well. If building a street-driven "sleeper" like You intend to, I'd personally fit a lrg-displacement small-block in the original chassis for simplicity, stock looks and more preferable weight distribution in a small-body car like that. Sub-frame connectors are readily available for these, I believe.
A smallblock should be able to give you all the power you need and most of the power you can use in a "small" car. Focus on keeping the weight down (so again, no bigblock), a descent weight distrubution, and spend the rest of your time and money on making the car transfer all that power to the ground and handle well. I think we've all seen the guys who want a certain high horsepower figure without having a clue why that would be a suitable engine for their car, while the car has lousy handling, lousy brakes and can't go above half throttle without smoking the tires. Power is fun, I get it, but if you can't use it 95% of the time, what's the point? A good handling car with half the power would be safer, funnier, and in man cases, faster.
Because of location of steering you will need to get a Chevy II only pan and pump from someone like Goodmark and get some Caltracs or like as rear danced around with HP
Hmm, the work of installing even a bargain BBC or the expense of a correct LS install. But wait, there's more! If you act now and***** that LS-whatever AND the additional expense related to it you also get to say "ME TOO" like every other mope*****in 60s car that has one!*****in swine lined up for slaughter, the slaughter being all the unfinished LS***** because of the huge expense related to trans choices, electronic managment or conversions, oil pans that cost more than a BBC roller cam, and we haven't even covered the exhaust and front engine dress that even crowds a full size "X Frame" GM car. Excuse me for a minute, gettin some acid reflux... Ok, I'm back. I'd BBC that little****** and tell the naysers to***** off. Being a Motown ex street racer (hey it's my story) how many "box Nova" big blocks do you think I've seen out there? Not many fingers left to count em on, and raging small blocks fed with blue bottles were always in force too. I recall a 355 SBC powered version that ran low 10s all motor and he DROVE IT TO THE TRACK about 15 miles one way. Tie that****** up and put a regular Chevy in it, big or small...
you cn put a big block in it you just have to cut the shock towers to clear the exhaust manifold.and modify the oil pan to clear the steering
...and figure out how to put a big enough radiator in it... Yup, turning it into a race car makes it so much easier.
Zoom in and you can see the oil pan Everyone is different but I can't wrap my head around expensive more-door modifications
the notched pan is the aftermarket solution...the original V8 cars had a front sump pan and they also had a special block with a recessed oil filter. Even with a straight axle, you have to deal with the steering being in the way...on my 427, I have the deeply notched Moroso pan to clear the drag link I'm with you on the 4 door thing...but it would make a good sleeper, if you can pull it off
If it were me I would stuff a high winding small block in it, beef the front suspension, add sub frame connectors and perhaps a roll cage to stiffen it a hit and be happy. When you go BB with one you have the shock towers to deal with as I recall unless you go full on @squirrel and hang an axle under it. I like the squirrels approach but you kid of loose the "sleeper" vibe, you see him coming down the street and you hustle the women and kids into the house. Anyway if sleep is the destination than hot SBC is the easiest solution.
I wonder what's the big deal with subframe connectors on these cars? I don't have them...but I did make little "torque boxes" to tie the front "frame rails" to the rockers. The strength of these cars is the rockers, plus the convolutions next to the trans tunnel. The problem is that the two rails that go along the floor next to the transmission, are not tied into the rockers. It's easy to fix that, without resorting to long heavy thick subframe connectors. See the little metal box just above the muffler, top right corner? it looks like it's part of the floor, right? that's not original...I made it...but it seems to work.
I'd guess once the cage goes in, sub frame connectors would be a mute point. Until then though the frame connectors probably weigh less, obstruct less, invade less and are easier to do and add enough rigidity for those wanting to control more power but not as much power as a max effort or serious drag car. At least that's how the logic plays out in my head
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