Hello teamspeed,

As you can probably tell, I'm quite new to teamspeed, though i have been lurking for a while.

So I decided to show you all the car i've been working on with my father for nearly a year now.

These pictures are from when we first bought it for around $1100 from craigslist. I believe we bought it in...october or november.

Anyway, this is my 1977 chevrolet malibu.

 

Welcome!

What do you have planned for the restoration?

 

We then ripped off all of the peeling paint that was on there, sanded it down, and then primered it. As well as filling up any bad rust spots.

Then, my dad and i picked up a 1974 chevy laguna front end for it, as show in the pictures.

Oh, and we put air shocks in the back. Because my father said they were cool. Which I at first thought that it was a waste of money, but now I have to agree with him.

However, the 305 in the car was pretty much on its last legs, as it was covered in grease, and 1 of the cylinders was not working.

So we hunted around for an engine and found a SBC 350 block from some dirt track racers who didn't use it anymore for some reason or another (something to do with rule changes if i remember correctly).

After checking around we confirmed that it was from a 1975 corvette. So in my mind (being 19) i thought it was pretty cool.

 

Well, My dad and i bought it as a daily driver for me as I'd recently moved down to florida from Pennsylvania, and we saw this and thought hey lets go check it out.

also thank you

Anyway it'll be my daily driver.

 

Very cool.

Welcome to the TEAM!

 

So, until i take new pictures, this is the current state of affairs in my car.

oh and it has swivvel bucket seats. Which are awesome!

 

Oh and by the way, if anyone could answer this for me. we've had some trouble since the engines been dropped in.

For instance, once we got it to idle, it would start revving itself up. not by any large amount, but u'd hear it rev up slightly and go back down. I believe though that we've had that fixed but still very odd.

The other problem is is that when you drop it in gear (its an automatic btw. i dont know how to drive stick yet) it cuts out completely. it might stay alive for a few more seconds but it hasnt stayed idling once we put it in gear. Lately its almost stayed idling but then it cuts out.

We took it out on public roads for the first time about 3 weeks ago and I had to keep it in neutral to keep it alive at stop lights.

 

Finally got it moving properly, so here you all go:

YouTube - ‪1974 Chevrolet Laguna revving up‬‏

well its not moving but it runs. and i spend about all of a half an hour hooning about my neighborhood.

Quite fun as it stands. However, being that its a small block producing around 300 horsepower, the torque converter is too small for it, and as such we can either change the camshaft or put on a bigger torque converter. so were going to buy a better torque converter.

If you ask why its because when i try to stop at a light or stop sign then the car starts to surge forward in such a way that it's like trying to hold onto someone who's trying to run forward. as such it would be insanely difficult to drive in traffic as it does still move even with the brakes slammed.

so that'll be next.

 

Nice, welcome aboard.

 

It sounds like have a timeing and/or and choke issue.