[Phil334]

Long time lurker- first time poster.

Here's the deal folks, I'm a relative car newbie and I'm thinking about purchasing a 69 chevelle here in my area. I'd like to use it as a light daily driver (50-75 miles a week).

The one I'm looking at has been set up for drag racing. The owner tells me it runs on 110 octane and would need a few modifications to suit my purposes. I'd like your opinion on how much time/effort/money would be needed to convert this dragster into a light daily driver. Mainly I need it to run on 93 octance.

Here's what it's got:

406 Stroker (400 small block Four Bolt Main)
327 Double Hump Heads
Lunati Cam and Valve Trane
Keith Black 12:1 Pistons
3 Inch Exhaust with Flowmasters
456 Gears
350 Turbo Transmission
Weld ProStar Wheels 15x10.5 rear, 15x5 front

Any help would be greatly appreciated- thanks so much for taking the time to read this!

Phil

 

[ed3196499]

the compression and gear ratio seem a little steep for a street car in my opinion. I would look for around 9:1 and 3.73's to make it streetable. I have looked at allot of "drag cars" for sale down here and there is allot of hacking done to the wire harness and allot of things removed for weight that may be a hassle to fix/find

 

[Phil334]

Ed,

thanks so much for the quick reply!
any thoughts on what specifically would need to be done to get the engine taking 93 octane fuel?

phil

 

[72ElCaminoSS]

As was stated, I think you'd need to lower the compression (change the pistons) and change the rear end gearing.
This along with the other stuff that's likely removed mean you might want to keep looking if you're a newbie as you say.

 

[1968SS]

you didn't mention the $$$ amount but unless it is terribly cheap, I think I would walk, no run away from it. I agree with the guys above,there is a lot of difference between a drag car and a daily driver, and this usually translates into headaches and $$$$! Also, when buying your first muscle car,enthusiasm usually clouds common sense.Step back,take a deep breath and ask yourself if you really want the headaches involved with doing all of the modifications that this car will probably need. There are quite a few nice chevelles out there that will fit your needs as a daily driver without the associated hassles.
Just my $.02 worth!
Cheers, Steve

 

[d1_bradley]

And if it truly is a drag car, there are probably some suspension mods that aren't too street friendly. Shock rebound rates, no sway bars, soft front springs, lots of things to change to make it a good lane changer and comfortable driver. And, this doesn't even get into tags/titles, back taxes, etc. A lot depends on the state you live in.

 

[Phil334]

thanks everyone for the posts. as for the cost, it's around 6000. has good paint, brand new interior, etc. it looks exactly like i want it. the only change i'd be interested in is toning it down to a light daily driver. i have pictures of it if there's a way to post them. any idea of the cost to change out the pistons? is that really my only concern (other than springs and sway bars as previously mentioned)?

once again i greatly appreciate the help

 

[1970SS396&1967]

Might be better off to sell that motor to a drag racer then take those funds and buy a street friendly rebuilt engine!Something from Summit maybe.Or a reputable machine shop near you.The 3:73 is a great all around gear.
Gerry

 

[John D]

I'll agree with Gerry. Sell the engine and gearset, and use the funds for a nice crate motor and street gear. As stated, double check the wiring harnesses, and suspension components.

 

[bigblockbeattie]

Well, I was in a similar situation when I bought my '70 SS396. She had at one time an airbag system, so the rear springs were HUGE. The wiring was to say the least, shoddy. 4:10 drag racing gears made her fun to drive, but I had to be extra carefull on the gas cause if I hit it too hard off the line it would wheel hop to no end. I too was a new enthusiast and I jumped right into it. Figured that everything would go according to plan.... first thing I learned was that NOTHING goes according to plan with a muscle car. IF you really want it, you MUST get educated about the basic workings of an old school car. You MUST set a budget for yourself and STICK to it. Its real easy to dump a boat load of money into a car, but you have to ask yourself what do you REALLY need for it.

As everyone else has stated, I would remove the drag race motor and sell it, or trade it for a milder engine; Id recommend a basic 350 with a slightly agressive cam. this will give you plenty of power to have fun, but not be a beast to handle. If you choose a 8:1 or 9:1 compression pistons, youll be able to run off of pump gas, perhaps even 87 octane if you put the right parts together.

Good luck and remember, its easy to by a muscle car. The hard part comes when you dont take everything into account and dive right in. Keep yer head straight and checkbook conservatie and you have a great start to what is really one of the best hobbies around!