The Path of Most Resistance Revisited....

Salesmen and Sports coaches talk about taking the path of least resistance-i.e doing something the easy way instead of the hard way. For some reason auto restorers think that a project is somehow better if it was hard to do. Not true. A lot of the advice I give people is to make their restoration project cost less, and be easier to do. Here's a list of things to consider when planning a project. # 1. "Bang for the Buck". This should be obvious. You want to get as much performance and value from your money as possible. For example I had a guy ask me what kind of car / engine combo would be best for an all-out top end run at Bonneville. I suggested an '82-90 Trans-Am powered by a 454 Chevy. The reasons I suggested this are simple. Like it or not, nothing makes more power for less money than a big-block Chevy. Yes, a Chrysler Hemi or Boss-Nine Ford can make as much or more power,but at two or three times the cost. Secondly, on an all-out top-speed run, aerodynamics count as much as horsepower. The '82-90 T/A is one of the most aerodynamic vehicles ever built, with a drag coefficient of .032. One with the "Aero" package actually drops to .028!!  A more aerodynamic vehicle can slice through the air and actually go faster with less hp, than one with a tall, blunt body and more power. That's why a 225 hp '91 Mustang GT has a higher top speed ( 144 mph ) than a 380 hp  '01 Ford Lightning Pickup ( 139 mph )!!!  Anyhow, the guy then says if he was going to run a T/A he'd want to do a '70's model with a "real" Pontiac engine. Arrrggghhh!!!!  I explained that a '70's T/A-while cool-looking and aerodynamic for a car that was actually designed in the late '60s-has a drag coefficient of .048.-substantially higher than the '82-90 model. Which means the "Bandit" model would actually need MORE power to go the same speed as the "Knight Rider" model. And the chance of a 455 Pontiac making MORE power than a 454 Chevy at any level of dollar investment is almost nil. So he'd be spending more money to go slower. Great Idea. Good Luck with that.  # 2. Parts availability / Cost. To restore or race anything, you have to be able to get parts for it. Like it ot not, parts for a Camaro / Firebird are going to be cheaper and more readily available than parts for a 'Cuda / Challenger, and the Mopar parts are going to be way cheaper and more available than parts for an AMC Javelin!  And sometimes, even if price doesn't matter, you just can't certain parts, period. No one makes a replacement grille for a 1972 Gran Torino. Yet, you can get pretty much anything you need for a '55 Chevy. Where are you going to get a grille, or a 1/4 panel for a '55 Oldsmobile?  # 3. Difficulty of the Work / Conversion. Some things are better just left alone, or you need to just get a different car. I had a guy with a 403 Olds / TH350 powered '79 T/A ask me how hard it would be to convert it to a 4-speed. "Too hard and Too expensive". I said. I told him if he wanted a 4-speed, '70's T/A that he should sell his car and go buy a T/A or Formula 400 that came from the factory with the 400 Pontiac / 4-speed combo. "But there's got to be a way to convert mine." He pressed. Arrrgghh!!  Yes there is. 1st you'd have to buy the pedals, the clutch linkage, the bellhousing, the clutch disc, pressure plate, throw-out bearing, pilot bearing, a T10 or Muncie 4-speed trans, a crossmember and the shift linkage. And you'd need a stick flywheel. However, since the 403 Olds was never offered with a manual transmission in any GM vehicle,no one makes an aftermarket flywheel. One from a 350 Olds would probably work, but Hays or Zoom, or Scheifer or no one else I know of offers aftermarket 350 Olds stick flywheels! And since Oldsmobile hasn't offered a car with a 350 V8 and a manual transmission since 1974-good luck finding a 42 year old usable flywheel!!  Another guy was going to buy his neighbors 4-banger '89 Mustang. He asked me how hard it would be to swap in a V8. Again-my answer was "Too hard and too expensive." I explained that since '83-93 "5.0" Mustangs were the proverbial "dime a dozen"-( I've seen rough, but running examples as low as $1,000 and anything over 2 grand is usually pretty decent ) that he just check the want ads or local used car lots and buy a nice, used "5.0".  The he asks about turbocharging the 4-banger. Again-I said he'd be better off in terms of money and grief to just look for an '84-86 Mustang SVO. ( If you don't know, these had 16" wheels, 4-wheel disc brakes, Recaro seats and a Turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that made between 175 and 205 hp depending on year. ) He uttered an expleteive I won't repeat and called me a "naysayer".  Excuse me for trying to save you money and frustration!!  Anyhow-talk to people who have done similar projects, and for God's sake, listen to their advice when they say something won't work or isn't worth the hassle. Mastermind