[72opelguy]

ok i expect ridicule for this but i dont care
its a dream that is gonna be fullfilled so im gonna do it
first off the dream
a sbc 302 or ls1


the car opel gt



what do i own
a 350 block and a 283 crank so i will make a 302
so i want to put it in my orange 72 gt
it has a lot of body work its needs and and i want to race it and im 18 and a sbc is cheaper to build and i am gonna wait till i have lots off dough to build a great opel so with a 302 a th350 and a dana 44 with a frame and roll cage made for it with solid rear suspension tubbed with all the rear meats indie the body

 

[bear]

Ridicule you, not me. But there are a lot of things to consider for this mod. Here's a hint: I've got a 75 Chevy monza unibody with a 350/TH350/Auburn 3:08, factory built except for the Auburn locker. There is extensive stiffening done by the factory to this body to keep the flex down to liveable limits. A unibody car has a lot of give built into them and the torque put out by a built V-8 will cause nothing but havoc to the body. Check out all the Opel GT dragsters, they all have tube ladder frames with the body bolted to the frame. The box stock GT will not be able to handle the stresses of a V-8. Watching the qualifying rounds of the NHRA dragsters last nite, I noticed even the gassers with super long frames were torquing the front wheels off the ground and severely twisting the bodies. On my monza, there are several steel bars and steel plates welded throughout the body to other parts of the car to hold down flex. Also there is a 4" wide steel beam running from the differential to the tranny to help keep the power transfer in check. All this for a 2 bbl, single exhaust engine. You want to go with this mod, by all means go for it, but a lot of research needs to be done first, or you'll end up like a high school mate that had a V-8 in a 40 Ford. He snapped axles and head pipes on a regular basis. Or my USAF buddy with a V-8 in a bugeye sprite, same thing, drive train broke regularly under high throttle application. Just my $.02

Ron

 

[oldopelguy]

why stop there?

Why not go for a really wild ride and use either a ZF or an Audi 5000 transaxle and make the car mid-engine RWD? Probably the same or less work, and you wouldn't have to reinforce the car as much. Man would it handle, too.

Kennedy engineering makes the adapter for the Audi transaxle.

http://www.kennedyeng.com/other.htm

 

[GT-Freak]

Hell-bent and talented gets it done. Alston sells chassis for $1799. See links, top 2 chassis (OPL), mild steel, strut or A-arm. That's a typical price.

Prices: http://www.alstonracing.com:8080/catalog.agent
Codes: http://www.alstonracing.com:8080/catalog.agent?kernelGroup=13

Don't expect room for your feet after you cut in a tunnel. Do a lot of research.

 

[72opelguy]

namba i was planning a full welded box tubing undercarriage with a 8 point rollcage and i think it will stiffen right up i am also gonna build it with solid rear suspension (none) and i am looking into putting a straight front axle in front but my dads says not to worry

oldopelguy id love to go with a rear transaxle but that cost money i have the axle, trans, and engine and its easier to get a stall converter for a th350 than a zf or audi seeing as how i plan on making peak power at 6500 7000 so i need about a 5000 stall

GT freak if i had $1800 id spent it on the opel 4 cyl and got forged pistons copper head gasket a cam and some nitrous

 

[bear]

O.K. Now that you've decided to build it, what kind of racing are you planning on? If it's straight line a solid axle shouldn't be a problem. If it's roundy-round or twisty turny, then you will have problems with a solid rear axle and no suspension.

Ron

 

[GT-Freak]

8-point won't cut it for NHRA under 11 sec, which is where the car should run. Rule says 10 point cage. If it won't go under 11 sec you're spending a lot time on a car that'll compete against mild-moderately modified Mustangs that won't lift the nose.

Plus, adding a frame, cage, V8 and tranny to a 2050# car w/o going on a big diet will shove the weight close to 2800#. Now you're definitely running against 5.0L Mustangs.

Solid axles hurt slower cars (slow being around 10 sec, depending on the car) because there's less weight redistribution to the back. You'll have a nose-heavy car. You need to see what winning cars run in your class.

I'd do a lot of planning, including rule books. At near 10 sec you'll need a lot of SFI stuff (SFI is the standards group for many racing organizations). None of that (SFI) is cheap. The cage must pass a tech inspection - SFI has a multi-page book on cage rules. That's why I suggested Alston, as they know the rules. Many items will need to pass tech inspection. You'll probably be required to have aftermarket axles too. There's a LOT of rules. Tearing down a car and rebuilding it isn't fun. Road racing is even more expensive.

If you think you can just go run at a track w/o inspection because you're not entering an event - Wrong. Most tracks are affiliated with racing organizations which won't let that happen - #1 reason is liability. They don't want to take responsibility for your dead/injured body.

Also start counting your pennies as you plan. You'll need them. ARP bolts and decent gaskets will cost over $200. I have a Ford 351 (high tech mech roller engine) and a Chevy 350 (tow engine) in my garage now that are nearing completion. Little things add up fast.

 

[72opelguy]

thats but your preaching to the choir
it will most likely be 10 or more point because i and going to run bars into the engine compartment

and regards less i knwo how to build a sbc and its cheaper im not going to completely hack the car i am going to build on to it a "door slammer" one day when i can build a 350- 400 hp opel 4 i can put it in and run a diff class but for now i going this route and i will be a project something i am looking to finish in atlest a year and a half
i have the tools the experts and the knowledge on hand hand and swear by doing it right the first time and trust me i am following a dream in order
1 i always wanted a sbc 302 in a light car
2 i want a fast opel with a 4 cyl
3 i want an opel with a ls1 n it
you got to have a goal before you can make the plans and they goes up as money does