Another new project

[harner]

The IROC will be leaving the stable (or will it? I suppose it doesn't have to, but I want the space lol). A few weeks ago, I picked up a 1975 Oldsmobile 98 Regency sedan. It needed some love as it's been sitting a lot, but in an old chicken barn. I've done a tune up and deleted some of those wonky mid-70s carb emissions contraptions. I've also undercoated the entire underside of the car (perks to offering that service with my detail business), replaced the driver window regulator/rebuilt the switch, got the heat working for now, and a buddy helped me pull out the back bumper and make a simple exhaust (I bought it with a dump off the Y pipe).

455ci, BOP TH400, and that funky Olds 12 bolt with a 10 bolt pinion. It's a one wheel-peeling machine and easily the most comfortable car I've ever driven.

Why a 70s C-body? I've always had my eye on them since I pulled one out of a garage cleanout years ago and detailed it. I detailed the same car again before it went into a museum and eventually on consignment. But, the drive really came from the Crusher Impala (Roadkill) and the Devilles that Vice Grip Garage resurrected this year. There's just something cool about having a boat with room for the family, with lots of reliable power and looks like a sheep in wolf's clothing, instead of a wolf...in wolf's clothing like I'm accustomed to lol.

Anyway, the plan is to flush the coolant and replace the rad hoses and fix all of the weird electrical gremlins with the car that I haven't gotten to yet. I have a custom console on the way which will house cup holders, speakers, and a double DIN. Not going real fancy, I just need music and a cup holder lol.

After it's a wee more reliable and normal things like the heat work reliably, it's go time for an LS turbo build, Quick Performance 9", and I'm on the fence with a trans. No air bags, wheels, etc. I want this car to keep floating the way it is with a bunch of racecar parts under the hood. I have a stock gen 3 6.0 already and turbo manifolds. The hardest part will likely be figuring out how to make the LS fit in there properly. Olds mounts are near the front of the engine and LS mounts are mid-block.

Also, it was $70 to add it to my Grundy policy...for the year. HAHAHA

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[harner]

Also for anyone interested, it was listed for $3500 for a couple months. The owner claimed he drove it to Pottstown a few months prior (round trip ~100 miles) but who knows when it was driven prior. It had 3000 miles put on the car since 2009, which is when the trans was rebuilt. I negotiated for less obviously and I feel it was totally worth it. At least to me.

...my wife - NOT SO MUCH.

[shownomercy]

That is, quite the boat

[Brandon++S]

That's a whole lot of car....lol

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[harner]

I live next to a really old and semi-popular amusement park called Knoebel's. It's known for having a bunch of real old rides. Anyone in or near PA has heard of the place. There is a boat ride there where 2 or 3 kids (or adults) sit on an actual little boat that rides through a canal. You steer it, but the boat isn't overly responsive. You just kind of float through the ride haha. I use the boat ride example when I explain how the car feels to drive. The front end is pretty tight aside from some 35 year old bushings, but it totally reminds me of that boat ride to steer it around haha. After owning so many sport/muscle cars in the last 15 years, it's hilarious to own and drive. I work from home and I'd consider this thing on daily driver duty now that it's tuned up. It is totally gutless by the way, but feels like an Atari in your grandmother's basement and even smells like a basement lol

[Injuneer]

Truly deserving of the “land yacht” sobriquet…….

[SSlowBoat]

I live next to a really old and semi-popular amusement park called Knoebel's. It's known for having a bunch of real old rides. Anyone in or near PA has heard of the place. There is a boat ride there where 2 or 3 kids (or adults) sit on an actual little boat that rides through a canal. You steer it, but the boat isn't overly responsive. You just kind of float through the ride haha. I use the boat ride example when I explain how the car feels to drive. The front end is pretty tight aside from some 35 year old bushings, but it totally reminds me of that boat ride to steer it around haha. After owning so many sport/muscle cars in the last 15 years, it's hilarious to own and drive. I work from home and I'd consider this thing on daily driver duty now that it's tuned up. It is totally gutless by the way, but feels like an Atari in your grandmother's basement and even smells like a basement lol

i know exactly the ride you are talking about

[JOATMON]

I have always had a soft spot for the big Oldsmobiles and Buicks. All the big Chevrolets got snatched up many years ago for their BBC engines. Got to drive a '68 Olds 98 quite a bit many years ago, the 455 was a tire frying torque monster.
I also owned a '73 455 cu in Buick Riviera, rebuilt the engine, added a real mild cam, it was a high speed sleeper. With 2.73 rear gears there wasn't much that could hang with it from 80-130 or so MPH. Cruised it at 120mph on open highways back in the day.
Keep the big Olds engine in it. Look into what Mondello offers in performance parts. With just a mild hop up it will put a grin on your face every time you light up the tires or leave some poor bastard behind on the interstate.

[harner]

I have always had a soft spot for the big Oldsmobiles and Buicks. All the big Chevrolets got snatched up many years ago for their BBC engines. Got to drive a '68 Olds 98 quite a bit many years ago, the 455 was a tire frying torque monster.
I also owned a '73 455 cu in Buick Riviera, rebuilt the engine, added a real mild cam, it was a high speed sleeper. With 2.73 rear gears there wasn't much that could hang with it from 80-130 or so MPH. Cruised it at 120mph on open highways back in the day.
Keep the big Olds engine in it. Look into what Mondello offers in performance parts. With just a mild hop up it will put a grin on your face every time you light up the tires or leave some poor bastard behind on the interstate.

I have considered keeping the Olds engine in it. Would be the smart financial thing to do. But, I'm a dumbass.

[harner]

How about an update on the land yacht? Ok!

The car sat, shoehorned in my garage at the house all winter. Over the winter, I talked to one of those "CuStOm CoNsOlE" guys floating around Facebook. Put a deposit on one and bought stainless marine cup holder inserts, double din install kit, 6.5" speakers (and 6x9s in the rear all from Skar Audio), and a few other things only to be burned. Remember kids, if they don't take Paypal, run away. Anyway, I started building a template to make one myself with a bunch of plywood and other scrap material I have. Then it dawned on me that if I put another trans in the car that requires a floor shifter, I'll have nowhere to go with it. Sadly it costed me money to realize that. Pretty much a common theme with every single damn car I own. Anyway, I digress! I popped the ash tray cover off and realized I could slam a double din in there with a little dremel work and sadly I'd have to disconnect the driver side "crotch vent". So I got it installed and immediately realized... the stereo sits so far back you can't see the screen haha. So, the next step is building something to securely mount the speaker out another 4-6". But here it is and the backup camera works.

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The first local cars & coffee kicked off at Parts Online Network in Orwigsburg, PA yesterday. One tire got a work out. I'll probably have to rotate the tires in a few weeks. Fortunately there are three other mint tires on the car before I have to go broke spending $300 on another set.

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