1979 Pontiac Trans Am LS3 Swap and Suspension Upgrades at V8 Speed and Resto Shop

Posted on by V8 Staff

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!

1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am LS Engine Swap and Suspension at V8 Speed and Resto Shop Part 1

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1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am LS Engine Swap and Suspension at V8 Speed and Resto Shop Part 2

1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am LS Engine Swap and Suspension at V8 Speed and Resto Shop Part 3

V8 Speed & Resto Shop Muscle Car Restoration Shop Tour

Muscle Car Restoration Shop Tour at V8 Speed & Resto Shop

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

817 S. MAIN STREET – RED BUD, IL 62278

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

Posted on by V8 Staff

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!

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1969 Camaro “Carbon Flash” Restoration At V8 Speed & Resto Shop

Posted on by V8 Staff

Sometimes it’s advantageous to take over a project than to start from scratch. In this case, the customer wanted a cool ‘69 Camaro, and we happened to find him one that was already undergoing a restoration. The owner of this clean Arizona car changed his mind and decided to sell his project, so we had the car shipped to the V8 Speed & Resto Shop in Red Bud, IL, where it transformed into the Pro-Touring Camaro the new owner has always wanted. Features include a Holley Terminator EFI system, Vintage Air A/C, Scat seats, restoration parts from Classic Industries, Axalta paint, ARP engine hardware, COMP cam, and much more.