New to the forum - 70 Lemans

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Austringer84078

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Greetings everyone,
I'm new to the forum. I've been waiting 30 or so years to find the right car, at the right time, for the right amount of money. I think I did that with a 1970 Lemans that I bought a few months ago.

It will take me years to finish this, but I'm really enjoying the mental enema of going out in the garage and working on something I don't have to have fixed by tomorrow.

I got a 1970 Lemans that had sat behind a shed for the last ten years. The previous owner said the original 350 spilled it's guts all over the interstate one day so her Dad put a 400 out of a GTO into it for her. Shortly after that it started leaking tranny fluid really bad. She parked it because she was moving to Florida for a while and there it sat. She moved back home to take care of elderly mom and dad and just drove their vehicles.

I pulled the spark plugs and squirted a little Marvel Mystery Oil into the cylinders and manually turned the engine over and let it sit for a while. Then the old girl fired right up. The tranny leak was where they crushed a tranny coolant line putting the engine in, replaced it with rubber hose that had got against the exhaust manifold and got a hole burned in it.

So, I start the journey. If you're interested here's the blog.
http://70lemans.blogspot.com/

I'm no professional. Just trying to get by with what I've got and buy a little as I go. Santa's going to bring me a mig. :D
 
Welcome to the forum and good luck with your new project.
 
Welcome. I couldn't agree with you more about working on something that don't need to be fixed by tomorrow. The blog is a nice touch and you have a nice looking project.
 
Welcome aboard!
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1970 Lemans

Hi, great project selection. I'm just wraping up a 70 Sport Lemans with some mild customizing. It's been a 3 year project but worth it. Keep posting pictures and keep us updated on what you are doing. Garey
 
Love the old Pontiacs. I've had a '68 Le Mans convertible for 12 years now. Keep us posted on your project. Wish I had a Mig welder! Maybe I should ask Santa, he brings stuff to our kids.
 
Kevlar said:
Welcome Mark, nice project. Will you be doing a full frame off resto?

(mental enema .... Haha! Good one!)
Click to expand...

No, at least not now. I would really like to, but I don't have the space or equipment. I'll just have to get as much as I can,as is.
 
Latest development...

The car is outside and I pull it in and out of the garage to work on it. I start it each Saturday and let it run for a while to keep the battery up and keep the engine limber, even if I'm not going to work on it.

A couple of weeks ago, the key switch broke loose. I knew the turn signal was broke and I was going to replace the key switch and door locks anyway so I tore into the steering column...in -10 degree weather. The turn signal, horn relay and all was destroyed so I ordered new parts.

Started to dismantle the steering column to get to the rake or whatever broke and it's nothing like I've seen on other models. After the signal stuff is all out there's still another 1 1/4" nut buried down in there holding things on. I think I'm going to have to get 2 deep well sockets, cut the back off one, and weld them together to get enough reach over the top of the column.

Fun, fun, fun!
 
Always something. You said negative 10 weather? Is that -10C? or F? Big difference, but cold either way.

I was going to swap some higher performance engine parts (heads, cam/lifters/pushrods, intake/carb, ignition, headers onto the existing 400. Then I thought I'd swap the whole engine, being easier. The only worry was the better engine had been on an engine stand for 11 years in my garage, not heated, and only cranked over by hand about 5 times, tho I did have some oil squirted in the cylinder. And, this engine was in a wreck that totalled the '67 GTO it was in. I mean, the trans behind it had the its' case shattered, and the diff had the tubes busted out of the center section. I was concerned about the crankshaft/bearings in that engine.

However, that was 2.5 years ago already, and that engine swap went well and running great still. Now all I have to do is get rid of the 2.52 open differential and the stupid 2 speed transmission. Anybody want to trade a bullet proof powerglide for a turbo 350?

.
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Austringer84078 said:
On the bright side, even though I was no where near ready, my son had access to a shop with a level lift over the Thanksgiving holiday and talked me into putting the exhaust system in. Here's a before and after...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onAFXn6zaBA
Click to expand...

I dont have sound on this computor currently, just the tailpipe smoke tells me the story.......................:)

Doug in P.R.:cool:
 
92 Sunbird LE said:
Chevy or Super Turbine 300? ( huge difference)

Doug in P.R.:cool:
Click to expand...

Yes it's a Super Turbine 300, that's the BOP version of the Powerglide, right? I just said Powerglide since that's what most people understand. AFAIK, it's the OE trans to my '68. The factory Pontiac 350 is long gone, I bought the car with what the owner said was the 350, but when I looked on the block it had the 400 casting.
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Austringer84078 said:
On the bright side, even though I was no where near ready, my son had access to a shop with a level lift over the Thanksgiving holiday and talked me into putting the exhaust system in. Here's a before and after...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onAFXn6zaBA
Click to expand...



She sounds much better, probably especially when you are driving! Much throatier, sounding like a proper Pontiac.

I have 3 tube headers on my '68, with Delta-flow 40 series Flowmasters. Not loud enough, I thought all 40 series were mostly equal. Lesson learned!
 
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