This 1969 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible came to the V8 Speed and Resto Shop in need of some serious power, performance, and reliability upgrades. This C3 Corvette was powered by a non-original and well worn 350 cubic inch V8 backed by a Muncie 4 speed manual transmission. The goal was a Corvette LS Swap to add modern power to this C3 Corvette. A C3 Corvette LS Swap seems to be a simple job at first glance, but the more you investigate, you’ll see that a C3 Corvette LS Swap isn’t quite so simple.

The V8 Speed & Resto Shop team addresses the fitment issue of the LS3 V8 swap, as well as the steps needed to perform a Tremec T56 Magnum 6 speed manual transmission swap into the C3 Corvette. The challenges included fitting the off-center LS3 engine under the hood, as well as fitting the Tremec 6 speed manual transmission into the C3 Corvette chassis. We sourced our LS swap engine from GM Performance Parts, and a Tremec T56 Magnum 6 speed manual transmission, clutch, bellhousing, and shifter from Modern Driveline.

Continue reading “1969 Chevrolet Corvette LS3 T56 6-Speed Swap Video Series at V8 Speed & Resto Shop”

This 1979 Pontiac Trans Am was originally equipped with a 403 cubic inch Oldsmobile V8, and although it was pretty hot for the time, it just isn’t enough for the owner today.    The car came to the V8 Speed & Resto Shop for some high-performace upgrades including a GM LS3 485 HP V8 engine fed by a Holley EFI system, and it will handle better thanks to a Ridetech Street Grip suspension system with YearOne wheels.   Wilwood brakes will haul it down in short order.  Before all the fun, we had to fix some rusty floors, which was a good time to fabricate a custom firewall for the car as well.   Follow along with all the progress here! 

 

Contact the V8 Speed & Resto Shop with all your Classic or Muscle Car needs today!

 

817 S. MAIN STREET – RED BUD, IL 62278

We enjoyed refreshing this 1979 Chevrolet Bonanza Pickup!  This one is still in it’s original family, and we’re honored to have had the opportunity to give it a repaint and make it look new again. We fixed some rust in the floors, rockers, and cab corners, and resprayed it in it’s original color. Lots of restoration parts form Classic Industries helped make it fresh. New interior items include Dynamat sound deadener, new dash pad, door panels, carpet, and weatherstripping. It’s not a high-profile show truck, but it means the world to our customer, so it means the same to us! Thanks to the owner and to the V8 Speed & Resto Shop crew for returning another classic to the road!

Click “Read More” for the complete photo gallery!

Continue reading “1979 Chevrolet C10 Bonanza Pickup Restoration At V8 Speed & Resto Shop”

This cool 1973 Plymouth Duster 340 arrived at the V8 Speed & Resto Shop in need of some metalwork and cosmetic restoration.     You can follow the progress in these photo galleries to see how this one progresses!  

GALLERY 1

GALLERY 2

 

Our customer wanted to drive this clean 1971 Chevrolet C-10 pickup as a daily driver, while improving performance, economy, and reliability.      

In this 3 part video series, we swap in a fresh LS3 485 HP GM Connect & Cruise engine and 4L60E automatic overdrive transmission into this sweet 1971 Chevrolet C10 pickup truck.   The benefits include reliable performance, 485 horsepower, better fuel economy, and more.    The engine came from Weir Chevrolet, our supplier for GM crate engines and such, and we tuned it with an HP Tuners suite.     

We used a Hooker engine mount set to bolt the LS3 into the truck.   A Holley accessory drive was added to mount the alternator, power steering pump, and A/C compressor.       The whole rig is kept cool with an Entropy radiator and Spal cooling fans.     The crew was able to connect to the existing A/C system in the truck and make it functional.   

The fuel system starts with a reproduction fuel tank from Tanks, Inc., which comes redesigned to house a high-pressure EFI fuel pump, and an internal pump matched to the requirements of the LS3.   The truck’s vitals are monitored by a set of Dakota Digital VHX gauges, and a Dakota cruise control module is also used for easy highway cruising.     A new rear gear set with 3.08 gears works better with the 4L60 overdrive transmission for snappy acceleration and economical highway cruising.     Click “Read More” for the complete video and photo gallery!

Contact the V8 Speed & Resto Shop with all your Classic or Muscle Car needs today!

 

Continue reading “1971 Chevrolet C-10 LS Swap Gallery and Videos at V8 Speed & Resto Shop”

How To Install A Pertronix Igniter Electronic Ignition on 1970 Buick Riviera Video V8TV

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Our 1970 Buick Riviera is an all-stock and original ride, and we don’t plan on restoring this car anytime soon. However, we do like driving it, so we elected to install a Pertronix Igniter electronic ignition module and Flame Thrower ignition coil our original distributor to eliminate the mechanical breaker points and enjoy smoother starts and better performance. Read more for the video!

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1951 Chevrolet Dump Pickup Truck Restoration Photo Gallery
 
This 1951 Chevrolet pickup truck served as our customer’s Grandfather’s farm truck for many years.   In fact, it was his Grandfather that built the original dump mechanism for the truck.    After years of labor on the farm, the truck was sent to the V8 Speed & Resto Shop for a complete restoration with some modifications to make it like new… and ready to be put back to work! 
 
Click “Read More” for the complete video and photo gallery!
Click this link to see the ’51s after-restoration cross country road trip home!  

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Watch The Transformation from Big Block to Supercharged LT4 Power at V8 Speed and Resto

This great-looking 1969 Chevrolet Camaro car arrived at the V8 Speed and Resto Shop powered by a 540 cubic inch big block Chevy V8, but the owner wanted a better handling car to match the power. In the first round the V8 Team upgraded the chassis to a Detroit Speed subframe and rear QUADRALink setup, repaired some hidden rust, and fixed a ton of other little details on the car.

 

The list of parts added is impressive, and all engineered to work together. Forgeline Wheels, Baer Brakes, Toyo Tires, Holley EFI, C&R Racing cooling systems, AutoMeter gauges, and more go-fast and handling goodies were selected to achieve the final performance and handling goal.   We removed the rowdy big-block Chevy V8 and retrofitted a modern 670 HP Chevrolet supercharged LT4 V8 engine to build an amazing Pro-Touring restomod.   

Check out the build videos of the 1969 Chevrolet Camaro LT4 Transformation!

This 1969 Chevrolet Camaro came to the V8 Speed & Resto Shop to have the body panels properly installed, then go through the bodywork and paint departments ultimately receiving a new paint job.   The color is a custom mix Axalta paint we named “Midnight Magic”, and looks awfully close to black, but actually has a purple hue with flake.    It turned out sharp!  The customer will be completing the assembly of the car.    

Continue reading “1969 Chevrolet Camaro Sheetmetal, Bodywork, and Paint Photo Gallery”

 

The V8 Speed & Resto Shop crew recently completed the restoration of this very cool and subtly modernized 1965 Chevrolet Impala.    Today, it drives better than any stock ’65 ever drove, thanks to a Ridetech suspension system, and it is powered by a retro-themed 6.0 LS V8 engine and a 6-speed manual gearbox.     The look is sharp thanks to a load of OER restoration parts from Classic Industries.   The V8 crew started with a bare shell and brought this sweet Impala back to life, completing metalwork, suspension and chassis repairs, all the body and paint work, and final assembly.    

Check out the Build Thread of this slick ’65! 

 

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817 S. MAIN STREET – RED BUD, IL 62278

 

Continue reading “1965 Chevrolet Impala SS Restoration Photo Gallery”