both my new 350/290 GMPP crate motor AND the stage1 Bowtie Overdrives TH200R4 with all the necessary stuff to put it into my 78 came this afternoon! perfect timing since i just finished redoing the entire braking system and doing suspension and body bushings and everything else necessary, i even got the headlight doors working properly using a vaccum pump. tomorrow everything goes into the car and as soon as the 4BBL throttle body injection and the Pypes Violator exhaust gets here i'll have a driver! well, as soon as i decide on wheels and tires and there, i'm aiming at 18x8 torque thrusts with grey centers. i've waited 33 years for this day! pics of the install to follow.

 

Nice - looking forward to checking it out

 

Sounds like a nice setup. Gonna make a nice driver when you get all that installed. Be sure to bring the pics for us to check out.

 

Sounds like a great setup. Looking forward to seeing those photo's

Riggs.

 

 

well, as soon as the exhaust is bolted up and the TV pressure set, "baby" will be driven for the first time in more than 10 years. i cant wait to hear it roar for the first time, didnt want to start it with just the mid length headers and no exhaust, not with city hall 1/2 mile away. they already know me because i used to ride old, loud motorcycles.

 

That baby will be faster than a Katt goin' through a kennel.

I've got Pypes on my '98....you're gonna love 'em.

Vids we want vids.

 

congrats... Mechanically sounds like a new car.
Nothing like a new engine... Good luck.
Better share some pics ; - )

 

this thing runs like a bat out of hell compared to my neighbors slightly modified L-82 4 speed car. it shocked the hell out of me with the acceleration considering it has 3:08 gears. even with the good Hankook rubber it blows the tires away. i also finally chickened out at the top end, i hit 140 before lifting, it still had plenty of power to go at that speed. the Pypes exhaust sounds good and the Professional Products self tuning 4bbl throttle body http://www.summitracing.com/parts/PFS-70026/ was a super easy install and after about 25 miles it had tuned itself. i cannot believe how crisp the throttle response is and how quickly it starts and idles right down. with less than 1000 miles on the motor and trans i turned 24mpg on 87 octane from Shell (87 is what GMPP suggests with this motor) once it's all broken in the mileage will be even better. pics and videos will be on in a couple more weeks as soon as my new camera gets here. the only things left to do are the body/paint, a new windshield and interior. mechanically the car is like new. my police officer neighbor told me that is isnt anywhere near too loud and if i keep it the factory silver color it wont attract as much attention as the red it is now. with the composite monoleaf and tubular sway bars it handles nicely too, the ride is a touch rough between the 18" wheels/tires and the slightly heavier than stock springs but not even close as rough as my elderly saturn is.

 

Congrats...need pictures

 

i took pictures of the install and all the other work i did with my 35mm Pentax in black and white. as soon as i get some photo paper i'll do some prints of the work. videos of it running and driving to follow soon.

 

Stop teasing us and show us some movies

 

Congrats!

For all the hype about big HP numbers - right around 300 honest FWHP is a heckuva a lot in a C3 and provides a ton 'o fun

 

I did a 160 mile round trip today. from Columbia SC where i live, to Charlotte NC where the closest Guitar Center is. on a fresh motor, not broken in yet, average speed was around 80, i got 24MPG! i knew that the mileage would be better with the injection and the 200R4 trans but i wasnt expecting anything even close to that! and a plus, the area behind the seats IS big enough to carry a big guitar amplifier in it along with a guitar in hardshell case! (a Fender Super Reverb, an 85 pound monster) i went for a 78/79 specifically because with the bubble rear glass i'll have more room in the back. all thats left is paint and interior. a dream 33 years in the making has finally come true! Videos AND still pictures tomorrow or Tuesday as soon as the cable for the camera gets here.

 

Ahem.....pics.

 

I agree...some pictures would be great. BTW, who did you order the 200-4R from? I'm thinking of doing the same really soon. Thanks.

 

1st line in post 1

 

Call me blind. Thanks.

 

no camera yet (spent on a vintage Gibson Melody Maker) BUT i have now got around 3000 miles on the combo, still on the stock slotted aluminum wheels and some Hankook tires. the longest trip was an 1800 mile round trip from Columbia SC where i live, to Windsor Connecticut where i was born and raised. on the recomended 87 octane that GM said this engine wanted, with the cruise control set at 80mph i got 24mpg at the best and 19MPG at the worst (going through the really hilly are of North Carolina and Virginia) and i wholeheartedly recomend this 290/350 motor for a perfecly behaved air conditioned daily driver. the doors are off, the hood is off, all glass and emblems have been removed and i'm in the process of doing all the bodywork, doing the prep work and readying the car for march when it gets warm enough for me to paint again. this will give me enough time to do the job perfectly the first time. i'm using a House of Kolor red, made from factory paint codes and a coat or 2 of a slightly lighter tinted HOK candy apple red then cleared with HOK products. the new interior is here and ready to go in once the car is painted, i ended up with a new repro gas tank as the original was in such bad shape. i also am replacing the dash and engine compartment harnesses as theyre kind of crusty looking. i'm powdercoating some stuff once i can find the ambition to wire the garage for 240 and the 480/3 phase. this will not be a perfect concours restoration but it will be as good as or better than new in most places. this is going to be my daily driver for everything but bad weather, for that i've decided to keep my Saturn with almost 500k miles on it. i just replaced the trans and fixed the A/C so i'm sure to get another 500k miles out of it. next month i'll hopefully have a camera or get my step daughter to bring hers over one day. the only body mod was a pace car front spoiler set from Ecklers, because over 110 or so the front end started getting too light. ecept for the 18X8 wheels this will look like bone stock to most folks.

oh, the neighbors hate the Pypes Violator exhaust but both the Columbia Police AND the Forest Acres police (i live in the forest acres section of columbia sc) told me that it isnt over the legal limit for noise.

 

how hard would it be for me to put the air cleaner package along with the hood, from an L88 onto my 1978 with a small block? mostly i love the look but the idea of nothing but cooler air from outside coming in suits me as well. it also looks like it will flow more air than the L-82 dual snorkel air cleaner than i'm using now.