virgin 78 L82
Thread Starter
1st Gear
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
virgin 78 L82
New guy here - recently became partners on a 78 L82 with my Dad - the car has 35k miles, TH350 trans. Nothing has been changed on the car but the tires - the 8-track even works! I want 2 things: 350+ hp and a reasonable engine rpm at highway speeds w/o giving up the zippy feeling that the 3.55 gears produce. My first question is - Is it worth the trouble to do something like head/cam/intake (like the Edelbrock package deals) and exhaust with the L82, or is it a better idea to buy a crate motor. Second question - what kind of happiness do people find with the Hooker Supercomp header/side exhaust set-up? I'll ask dumb questions about 5 speed swaps later. Thanks in advance - Chris
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,235
Likes: 0
From: Mesa AZ
not to burst your bubble but if nothing has been touched i think you have a lot of work before even thinking of an engine. brakes, suspension, shocks, steering. make it safe before applying the power
that engine is a good base for upgrades . you could get a crate though if you want to save the original
that engine is a good base for upgrades . you could get a crate though if you want to save the original
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,883
Likes: 11
From: North Easton Mass
not to burst your bubble but if nothing has been touched i think you have a lot of work before even thinking of an engine. brakes, suspension, shocks, steering. make it safe before applying the power
that engine is a good base for upgrades . you could get a crate though if you want to save the original
that engine is a good base for upgrades . you could get a crate though if you want to save the original
Even if the car is in excellent shape it is still almost 30 years old so you need to make sure that all of the systems are in good operating order. Rubber parts may have deteriorated to the point of being unsafe even with low mileage.The original engines had fairly low compression ratios so you would have to replace pistons, etc. to get really good performance gains from the kits that are available. Once you get into rebuilding costs you are probably better off buying a crate engine and storing the original motor.
When you get to thinking about engine/trans upgrades DON'T look at the LS1 threads.
Rick B.
Race Director
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 10,674
Likes: 122
From: Millington Illinois
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
The original engines had fairly low compression ratios so you would have to replace pistons, etc. to get really good performance gains from the kits that are available. Once you get into rebuilding costs you are probably better off buying a crate engine and storing the original motor.
Last edited by 63mako; Dec 1, 2007 at 02:14 AM.
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,570
Likes: 1
From: Algonac Michigan
I have to disagree with this. The L82 had crappy heads but the bottom end is bulletproof. With only 35,000 on it the short block is a real nice base to build on. It has 4 bolt mains, forged crank, good rods and forged flat top pistons. The cam is even pretty decent. Do a compression check, a leakdown test and if both are good and it has good oil pressure you can pull the top end off it and store it. Buy a set of Brodix IK 180 64 cc aluminum heads, a Performer intake and have the q-jet and distributor rebuilt and dialed in by Lars (shouldn't need much with 35,000 miles) and you can pull better than 350 hp out of that motor for around $1500 and a minimal amount of work. I do agree that you need to focus on steering, bushings and brakes before jumping into a bunch of performance mods.
Good advice,63mako!
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
Worry about the safety stuff before the "go" stuff. 30 years takes a huge toll on bushings, seals and the like.Pretty sure that it was an option. If it's a Delco stereo, it's probably original. If it's not Delco, it isn't.
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From: Halifax, NS, Canada
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,841
Likes: 3
From: Halifax, NS, Canada