I am considering using my grandmothers old 82 Vette as a project Car. The transmission is blown and the interior is really bad. Any Advice on what do do first? I'm a first timer to Project cars and restores so be kind.!

 

Thats bad to the bone, your Grandmothers old Vette. Wish my Granny had a vette.

I would start with getting it running, engine, trans., brakes then start the cosmetics

 

Haha, She was a wild one back in her day from what i have heard, used to own a Motorcycle too.

I was also wondering about putting a new engine in. Its the 5.7 V8 with the crossfire injection. From what I hear a 350 Small Block would do well in there. Is it better to tear apart the old one or get a new one to go with the transmission?

The old engine is "decent running condition" (my grandmothers words, not mine.) and has 90k on it.

 

Sounds like it has a 350 small block in it now. I would first find out exactly whats wrong with the transmission. It may just need the fluid and filter changed. Does the motor run now? If so, do a compression check and that will give you a pretty good idea of it's condition internally. You need to tell us how long the car has been sitting, unused. That will help determine what needs attention, and how to proceed. Good luck.
KC

 

Post some pics of the car, especially the underside and frame. The differential crossmember is a critical part of the frame so get some pics of it and the areas where the rear trailing arms join the frame. If the frame has problems your project will take on a whole new dimension. They can all be restored, it's just a matter of time and money. Those of us who have dealt with rust issues can give you a better idea of what you are getting into when you have some pics.



Rick B.

 

I will post them when I can. Shes in Florida, and I'm in New York, so it might be awhile.

 

Are you getting the car for free? If so, you have at least a $5K-$12K head start on everyone else taking on such a project.

Details like where the car has lived along with pictures will help the true experts here help you. Also, what are your intentions and desires for the car - "as built" restoration or modifying to be personalized.

Welcome aboard.

 

I am getting it for free. i realize that i have a good head start that way and am pumped to get it.

Where the car has lived i can tell you now. It was a summer car in upstate NY for a good number of years, then about 12 years ago the transmission "blew" (not my words) and it sat year round in a garage in NY. 8 years ago it was taken by flatbed to Florida and has sat there ever since. It has not been touched other than being moved that once in 12 years.

As for my intentions, its sort of a mix. The engine I would like to Upgrade with a Better Small Block and i need to get a new tranny. I would like to put performance intake and exhaust on it as well. I would like to keep the paint job the same (repainted but the same color) and the interior I would like to keep original (except maybe a new stereo). This may change, as I am still in the brain storming stage now. Any Experts or really anyone is free to give me their input, You all most likely know more than me.

 

Its been sitting awhile so No clue. Its got the stock Engine in, I was thinking about a Different one. I have one in mind. this one: http://www.enginefactory.com/350_430hp.htm

What do you guys think?

 

An 82 is a little different than all other C3s and have some 1-year-ony parts. All of them had Crossfire Fuel injection and a 700R4 overdrive automatic transmission. If I was in your shoes I'd get this one running and sell it to buy an earlier car to change up. It is not quite as easy as out with the old, in with the new. The 79-82 rear is not as strong as the 78 back. With a monster engine you may have problems. If you change transmissions you will need a longer driveshaft as the 700R4 one only fits it. If you change engines to carbureted, you will have to change the in-tank fuel pump at least-sending unit would be better. This sounds like a good deal overall. If the car has sentimental value, fix it how you want it. I can't quite tell from your posts if this is your grandmothers car or an old car that happened to belong to your grandmother-there is a difference. Again, from my read and standing outside, I'd buy a used '89 up 700R4 transmission and use your '82 tailhousing. Put it in the car, get it running and sell it as is. Buy yourself an earlier one that is easier to hot-rod. My .02

 

It was my grandmothers car, and while i do appreciate your advice, id like to do this, no matter what i need to do.

So, to keep the 82, Id need:
Longer driveshaft
Different fuel pump (which kind?)

Anything else?

 

Congratulations on the Corvette and welcome to the hobby. I would keep it and as time and money permits; I would fix it up as I go.

IMHO, if your considering installing an engine with that much horsepower, I would be concerned with the drivetrain and the rear not being able to handle that much power. I think the rear differential was made of aluminum. The u-joints may also be weak spots for the amount of power you're looking into. I may be wrong though. There's plenty of expert advice on this forum that can clarify further for you.

From the factory the 1982 Corvette was rated at 200HP. The crossfire injected engine was backed up by the 700 overdrive which made a very smooth, fuel efficient, sharp looking ride that still turns heads; those that chose not to look, pretend that the C3 next to them isn't there.

Whatever you chose to do, good luck with the project. You are now part of the special American icon hobby.

 

Hi,
Welcome to the forum. That is really cool that you have your grandmother's Vette. All my grandparents passed away years ago, I would love to have something that belonged to them. Anyway, previous posters were correct in telling you that the 82 is difficult to mod for a lot of power. The 82 was built more for fuel economy than tire burning performance. To get the car running as inexpensively as possible, have a local transmission shop look at your 700R4. This transmission was weak when first introdued, but was improved as time went on. A good tranny guy can rebuild your transmission and allow it to handle more power. A good mechanic can also get the crossfire fuel injection working. It has a bad reputation, but can be made to work quite well. Later, if you want to switch to a carb, you can, it's a 350 block just like a lot of other Vettes. Interior parts are available at many online vendors. Check out our supporting vendors, order a few catalogs and see what you might need. A new stereo is a great idea, the original radios in these cars are terrible. The only problem is locating the speakers, but it can be done. Have fun with this car, it think it is great that you got it from your grandmother, I'm envious. If you have problems check back to this forum, there are a lot of knowlegable Vette owners here.
Best of luck,
Tom

 

Thank you for all your advice guys, you have been helpful beyond what I was expecting. So the Main points i got from the last two posts:

82 is a bad car to "soup up" but it is possible.
The problem areas would be the rear differential, Drive train, and Transmission.

How can i remedy these problems?

Transmission needs to be rebuilt or fixed anyways so should I just get a new one that can handle the power of the aforementioned engine or Have them try to rebuild the one I have to be able to handle it?

As for the Drive train what kind would I need? Would what I need be compatible with the stock transmission?

And as far as the rear stuff goes, Im not entirely sure where to start asking questions other than what needs to be done.

Thanks for all your help, I think my "headstart" in getting this car for free was just taken away by the model I'm getting.

Also, What do you guys think of the Engine i picked? Any comment?

 

Dude, the 82 is a great year to have in the C3 era.

The L83 engine is a great motor, and the 700R4 overdrive transmission gets great fuel efficiency on the highway. The car is quick with a low first gear, and can crusie at 80 MPH easily, unlike the TH350 or TH400 transmissions.

The fuel injection is tricky to get right, but runs flawlessly, starts easily, and is much better than a carb when it comes to driveability.

Either buy a 700R4 from someone like Gearstar or TCI, or find a transmission shop that can build you one from a later year Vette. The 82 was weak all the way from the spline to the housing. Don't bother having it rebuilt. Find a shop that knows modified stiff, not MR Transmission, or AAMCO. I paid $1,100 to have an 88 built to handle 500 HP form a performance place. It has all the goodies in it, and I have a 2400 stall converter. It really made a hige difference in the car's performance.

With a mild computer cam and some porting of the heads, you can get some great HP numbers.

I wouldn't try to mod the car fright off the start. Just get the car on the road, and safe. You may be spending thousands on replacing bushings bearings, ball joints and other items that sitting for years has hardended. Once you start driving it again, those items tend to fail.

 

I'm pretty Sure that I'm going to end up replacing every bearing, joint, and small other things on the car. It's been sitting for around 12 years and may end up sitting for another one if i don't get it up to me right away.

From the sounds of it I'm going to have to replace just about everything, so why wouldn't i just rip the engine and transmission out entirely and then replace it with a Carb system (see engine pic)? I'm sure I'm going to need to replace other parts and this rear weakness thing has me sort of worried but I was sort of thinking of getting the new stuff in, and driving it very lightly on the road for about 2-3k to let whatever that will fail, fail.

Sound like a solid idea? Am i total idiot? Please advise

 

I did to my 82 what you want to do to yours.

zz383 crate engine, Dewitts radiator with dual Spal fans
rebuilt 700r4
new diff. drive shaft, 1/2 shafts, gears etc.
true dual exhaust
fuel injected Crossfire to carb.
monospring front and rear.
The list goes on.....


If you have some specific questions, pm me. There are a lot smarter people on this forum than me but I can give some advice in regards to this car and some of the changes you have in mind.

Here is one example.

before:




after:

 

Pm sent!

Any other opinions anyone?

 

I put a ZZ4 into my '82, best thing I ever did. You can get the trans rebuilt to handle the power and still have the overdrive. I get 20 mpg on trips. You will want to change rear end ratio (I have 3.55:1 gears) since the stock 82 has 2.78:1 gears. The half shafts are larger in the
'82, so they are OK. You can use the stock fuel pump but will need a regulator to keep it at 6-7psi for a carb.
The '82 engine has a great block & internals (4 bolt main), but the heads do not flow well at all. You can rebuild with better heads, new intake & carb and get over 400hp if you want to.
Your options are endless. Get all your info together, pries & etc. and then made a decision. Don't jump into it blindly.
Good luck with it.
Dave

 

I am not planning on getting started for awhile so this is just me getting info from you kind people.

Currently I am thinking about getting a crate engine and rebuilding the transmission to handle it. Its more expensive but I want to this right.

Questions: How do i change gears? What about the drive shaft? Where do i get a regulator?