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1972 K5 Frame Off RestoMod - LS3 w/ 4L70e

brianfeiden said:
Greg - I’ve decided to leave the original dash in-tact!! I’m building a mount for inside the center console which will house the double din. Going back with factory head unit in dash. You are right and I’m heeding your advice. :)
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It’s possible to use all new gauges in the factory dash without going Dakota digital. I copied Greg’s for the most part on mine, and most people don’t even recognize the new all electric gauges. The auto meter sport comp is pretty close to the factory ones. The only old gauge I have is the fuel. It’s an option for you just in case.
 
Greg72 said:
I think in the long run you will be glad you reconsidered. :waytogo:

I'm going to get a fully-restored AM radio for my dash and have an underdash speaker to actually play it. Then a second fully-stealth system based on some kind of CarPlay type setup.

The factory radio is a cool vintage accent to the interior... it's always nice to see them in 1st Gens instead of modern radios (IMHO)


-G
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That's what I plan on doing as well.
 
Why did you go with the Dirty Dingo over the Tilden crossmember? What are your plans for the brake lines since the crossmember is in the way. Those plates you made to raise the engine are nice. I’m still in the process to figure what headers to use myself. I wonder if I will have similar issues.
 
chevy111 said:
Why did you go with the Dirty Dingo over the Tilden crossmember? What are your plans for the brake lines since the crossmember is in the way. Those plates you made to raise the engine are nice. I’m still in the process to figure what headers to use myself. I wonder if I will have similar issues.
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I wasn’t aware of the Tilden at the time and already purchased DD. Haven’t quite made it to the brake lines yet - but when we do, it may require us to do a little bending of our own, vs all pre-bent. Cross that bridge when we get there. :)

I went with the Borla headers and just had to modify frame a little. Nothing too much, so it didn’t change structurally.

If you ended up needing a couple of plates, let me know and I can have them made up for you. Great machinest just a few miles from me.
 
I may have to hit you up on that. What was the cost of the plates? If you don’t mind maybe you can take a shot from the side so I can see where the engine is in relation to the frame. I’m going with a 4l80 and I’m wondering how much further forward I am. I saw a guy on the 67-72 forum that used the dirty dingo crossmember and modified it to let the brake lines pass through. He said it was already notched on one of the brackets so he just replicated it.
 
chevy111 said:
I saw a guy on the 67-72 forum that used the dirty dingo crossmember and modified it to let the brake lines pass through. He said it was already notched on one of the brackets so he just replicated it.
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That's how I did mine. Always thought it was weird that they would notch one side but not the other. :dunno:
 
brianfeiden said:
I wasn’t aware of the Tilden at the time and already purchased DD. Haven’t quite made it to the brake lines yet - but when we do, it may require us to do a little bending of our own, vs all pre-bent. Cross that bridge when we get there. :)

I went with the Borla headers and just had to modify frame a little. Nothing too much, so it didn’t change structurally.

If you ended up needing a couple of plates, let me know and I can have them made up for you. Great machinest just a few miles from me.
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I need two of those plates. Had a local shop put my Blazer together and just realized the oil pan is sitting on the DD cross member.
 
I have the same engine, transmission, DD crossmember, advance adapter, NP 205.
Engine and transmission bought new from GM. Transmission has never worked right. Burned up at 2500 miles. Rebuilt under warranty. Works worse now. Total P.O.S.
A local mechanic told me that GM has a couple of wires in the plug wrong.
 
TuckerK5 said:
I have the same engine, transmission, DD crossmember, advance adapter, NP 205.
Engine and transmission bought new from GM. Transmission has never worked right. Burned up at 2500 miles. Rebuilt under warranty. Works worse now. Total P.O.S.
A local mechanic told me that GM has a couple of wires in the plug wrong.
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What pan are you using? Mine is a Holley set up and it clears my Tilden Crossmember. It may give you more clearance for the DD. I used Holley manfolds as well. Everything is fitting with no plates to raise the engine.
 
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chevy111 said:
What pan are you using? Mine is a Holley set up and it clears my Tilden Crossmember. It may give you more clearance for the DD. I used Holley manfolds as well. Everything is fittig with no plates to raise the engine.
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I don’t know for sure what the pan is. Used a local shop and he ordered it and put it on. He said it was a Corvette pan but he was mostly FOS. The factory manifolds would not fit in the frame so he ordered Doug Thorley shorty headers and they didn’t fit inside the frame either so he cut my frame without asking.
I’ll check out your suggestions when I tear this Blazer apart to assemble my new build.
 
The Holley has a sump similar to an older sbc pan. I have the original camaro pan from my ls3 and the sump is much longer. I do believe there are stock pans that are similar but if I remember right they were not corvette pans. The stock manifolds from a 2010+ camaro typically fit, but they kick out more than the Holley manifolds. Mine literally fit perfectly. I even have the engine slid further forward due to the 4l80 so the frame rails are a little closer to the engine.

Your story is why I pretty much do all my own work. I had an engine built years ago (Wheeler Power Products) and it was a nightmare. Nothing but trouble and shoddy work. If you research enough and dive in most things can be done on your own. Even if you screw up at least you’re not paying shop labor and can likely eat the cost of fixing the mistake.
 
Any advise on bumpers? I'm going to paint them to match the body and top - so I'm looking to find bumpers in black/primer. I have the original rear bumper in chrome which I can probably use - but need a front. Don't want to have some knock off cheap crap...ended up doing a Goodmark tailgate and LMC rockers (bought early before I received feedback)...other than that, all other metal is original.

Thoughts on finding original or close to original bumper?
 
The factory did offer plain white painted bumpers on their low-end trim packages. It would be easier to start with that vs. stripping chrome off something else.

-G
 
brianfeiden said:
Any advise on bumpers? I'm going to paint them to match the body and top - so I'm looking to find bumpers in black/primer. I have the original rear bumper in chrome which I can probably use - but need a front. Don't want to have some knock off cheap crap...ended up doing a Goodmark tailgate and LMC rockers (bought early before I received feedback)...other than that, all other metal is original.

Thoughts on finding original or close to original bumper?
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I just so happened to pick up a couple of white painted original bumpers. I might be willing to part with them, although I haven't really checked to see what kind of shape they are in.
 
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