Taking the plunge: LS3 into '64 Tempest. Need help with shopping list. by b-man

4 minute(s) of a 224 minute read

......needs to be done in preparation for the swap. The Tempest has been mothballed in my garage for over 6 years, sitting without an engine or trans. The old 2-1/2" exhaust system had nothing holding up the front end, so eventually the over-stressed muffler hanger rubber straps gave way and let the front end of the system hang down to the garage floor.

I'm replacing the exhaust system mainly to better handle the added power of the LS3, plus I have also always wanted to try out an X-pipe system. The old 2-1/2" pipe size would probably have been okay but the mufflers on this system can only handle about 380 HP unrestricted. Having 3" pipes to the 3" mufflers is a big plus for adding horsepower. The exhaust gasses will have cooled and contracted by the time they have left the mufflers so the 2-1/2" tailpipes will be more than up to the job.

I put the car up on wood pallets up front (tires blocked on the pallets) and jack stands under the frame in the rear so I could drop the rear end down far enough to slip the old exhaust system out the rear. All of the exhaust, chassis and fuel line work will be done in a similar fashion. I really have nothing other than a good floor jack to use to get the car up in the air, there's no 4-post lift in my garage.





Old exhaust system is now removed, I just barely had enough clearance to manuever it out.



One of suspension features on this 'Poor-Touring' car, a 1-3/8" sway bar that rests on top of the owner-boxed rear lower control arms with poly bushings. I bought this sway bar after being told it was for an A-body, but I ended up finding a way to make the 'mystery bar' work by fabbing up some brackets. Note the stock rear drum brakes, a shining example of 'Poor-Touring' at it's very best.





The bar tucks up nicely, fits like a glove.



The lower control arms have poly busings that I modified to be greaseable, reinforcing plates have been welded in place next to the bushings. A set of 1978 B-body spindles with 12" discs and Hotchkis tie rod adjusters are used. The KYB gas shocks seem to work okay, hopefully to be replaced soon with a set of KONI shocks.



A pair of Hotchkis upper control arms make the B-body spindles work and a set of high-rate H-O Racing front springs help it handle. The suspension and undercarriage along with the engine compartment will have an all-day appointment with some dish soap and an old car wash mitt soon.



A shot of the old fuel delivery system that somehow managed to feed the mild 455 through the stock 5/16" fuel line. The Carter 4070 4-6 psi electric pump kept up okay, however the tank really needed to be at least half-full all of the time. I'm sure that the 3 Tri-Power float bowls to keep fuel in reserve and the tall 2.56 gears helped it all work. All of this was removed today while I was under there doing my thing.



Moving forward.