After retiring from the Navy, I got a couple nice lump sum payments for pain and suffering, some of which is being diverted to building this car the way I want it. This is something I only get to do once, and I'm gonna do it right. Acquiring the car itself was remarkably inexpensive. You couldn't do the metal work on a rusty car for what I paid. This makes it easier to spend a lot of money on the drivetrain, when I wouldn't usually want to do it. I'm building this for me, not for resale value!
Here's the plan:
Engine: Rebuilt 455 pushing upwards of 500 HP and over 500 ft lbs torque. I'm sourcing most of the parts from Bernard Mondello Racing and having a local shop do the machining, assembly, break in and dyno. This will probably be the biggest slow down factor of the build - waiting for parts and for the build.
Transmission: Tremec TKX 5 speed with hydraulic clutch. This is a relatively new transmission design and fits the GM A bodies without tunnel modifications. The vendor that will be supplying the transmission also provides a complete conversion kit for switching from automatic to manual trans. The donor car will provide everything needed to delete the column shift...steering column/housing, speedometer without the PRNDSL, console.
Rear end: GM 8.5" 10 bolt posi upgrade
Interior: Convert from white bench seat interior to black bucket seat interior. Plus sound proofing, stereo, etc
I had a decent 1969 455 candidate which had been sitting for about 17 or so years now. Tore it down, looks like it's had some work done in the past (rod bearings are .010 under and rods have machinist's markings). The crank was a CN casting which seems to be desirable. Olds 455s had unmarked castings, N or Nodular castings and CN castings which are also Nodular. Depending on who you talk to, the CN is better or the CN and the N are both the same. Both are better than the unmarked ones.
The block and crank are with my machinist now for hot tanking and suitability assessment. Once the crank gets the thumbs up, it will be sent through a friend to be drilled out for the manual transmission pilot bearing.