is it possible to have too much motor and not enough car. i ask this because we are building a ls1 with six speed on spray to be put in a 96 cavalier. worried about theoretical chances of twisting the car in half even with a new frame under it. chevy luv to be exact
Definitely. You need to beef up the frame. My Maverick with 302 in it was twisting the body and cracks were appearing in the tranny tunnel until we put in the frame connectors and roll cage, to stiffen it up. You're going to be hitting it hard, especially with a stick.
any ideas on keeping it sounding stock or super quiet? We're trying to keep it seeming stock until we get on it.
You are putting a engine focused for a Rear Wheel Drive platform into a Front Wheel Drive car. I do not believe that any thing would mount up right unless you use an engine from a Monte Carlo SS or a Pontiac Grand Prix which have a V8 option that is front wheel drive.
thats why we are using the chevy luv frame. primary way to make it a rear wheel drive. the 3.8 series three motor would be nice but still an equal amount of work in the long run. besides, i don't know too many cavaliers with the ls1 motor. i know plenty with the monte motor. i'm sorry but i try to do things no one else has done.
It will be just like building a drag car....look at some pics of how they are set up, how stuff is mounted, etc. I have a friend that has a 73 LUV with a 383 stroker and a powerglide with trans brake and a Ford 9' rear. All he added was a cage. It will tote the front tires if he gets a good bite with 28 x10.5 slicks.....The LUV frame is stronger than you might think.
thats about the just of it. in short It's kind of like We're building the luv then just setting the cavalier body on it. will be trickier but where's the fun if it isn't a challenge
Ive long tossed this idea around for my cavy.just using an s-10 blazer frame insted of a luv but then again this 2.2 keeps on chuggin along so it may never happen
There are plenty of front wheel to rear wheel conversions out there. There are even companies that make kits to do the swaps. Off top of my head, there is a company that makes all the brackets and mounts to convert your Ford Focus to V8 rear wheel drive. It is set up primarily for 302 swaps, but has been used for 351w and 351c swaps since the mounts and such are the same. I believe the kit even comes with headers, not sure. On topic: A stock looking Cavalier with an LSx sounds like a blast! To keep it stock sounding, why not run a stock(ish) single exhaust like they used in the Camaro? They ran a Y-pipe into an I-pipe, then through a muffler. The muffler had dual outlets to keep up appearances, but didn't flow for crap. If you just ran a single exhaust through one muffler, with one outlet, it would sound very subdued at idle and cruise. Stock LSx use 2.75" and 3" single exhaust pipe. It flows PLENTY good enough. Some very powerful LSx cars use single 3" pipe. Just make sure it is mandrel bent, and you will have plenty of flow, but a soft sound. My Z28 had the stock 2.75" single exhaust, and I put a single 3" Dynomax bullet in the I-pipe. Then I just split the pipe into duals where the stock muffler was originally. The car was stock sounding until I got on it, then it was VERY intimidating. The Dynomax bullet is wide open inside, like empty pipe. It has mesh holding back ceramic fiber, sorta like a glasspack, but flows much better. My only concern is that you probably won't be running the cats, which will increase the sound. I used a short bullet. They make a long bullet that might tone it down a bit more, but I don't know if it would make up for no-cats. If you want a sound clip, I have one of a friend's car that he modded exactly like mine. Sounds identical.
i think im in love with that tone. im all for using the s10 frame or s15. i have a jimmy but its a 4x4 that i wouldnt really wanna tear up.
