[Nobondo]

Well maybe you guys can try to convince me of a new plan before I buy a donor car.

I'm going to spend about $2000 on a donor car with decent miles and that budget includes the car, plus parts to freshen it up, and a few goodies for the engine. They are very cheap to buy and lots of guys are finding low mileage funeral home and grandma cars. There are also many 9C1's out there that are low mileage and well cared for. I really like the fact that I buy the car and basically I'm done the 'hunt' as far as the chassis goes. I don't have to drag any more wrecks home or crawl around in a scrap yard looking for this part or that part and paying all the associated costs. Putting another alternate engine/trans in place requires a lot of time & money as well just to get all the other systems in place (noted below).

My truck currently does not run, although it likely will, but I'm thinking the I6 would need to be pulled and thoroughly gone over, new clutch, etc, before being anywhere close to the Roadmaster drivetrain. That being said, the 'other' route would most definately involve an LS transplant. Either way, I'm going to want a modern lump for the type of work the truck will be doing. I can recoup some money by selling the frame and drivetrain as a complete roller.

Remember, we are building a ratty/patina truck, starting with a relatively undesirable rusty old truck. I am not destroying a well optioned SWB BBW.

My route I get:

1. LT1 w/ mods (son has discovered what a nice cam sounds like)
2. Front, and potentially rear (9C1) disc brakes (which I know are unnecessary in a truck, but cool none the less)
3. All the associated braking upgrade components already done
4. Posi rear end, 8.5" (9C1)
5. Great highway/towing drivability, reliability, and fuel economy - I haven't looked at weights but would gather the truck body to be lighter than Buick?
5. We get the lower stance we want, plus the Roadmaster tow package has rear air ride
6. Power steering
7. Cruise control
8. 5-bolt conversion
9. Exhaust is done, likely already a dual exhaust system
10. No custom driveshaft to buy/build (alternate engine)
11. No transmission mount, cooler, lines, controls, wiring (alternate engine)
12. No gas tank/fuel pump issue (alternate engine)
13. No rad, trans cooler issue (alternate engine) although I will have to make a custom rad support of sorts, although speaking to previous builder, it is relatively simple
14. Modern instrumentation vs. aftermarket for alternate engine
15. A/C, if I go that route is halfway, or more, done

So the bigger task of grafting the body to the new chassis is going to eat up time, but not so much money. And, I think it is time well spent with the boy. There is some nice fab work, measuring, and problem solving that won't necessarily be there with the many cookie-cutter solutions that all you good folks have figured out well before my time. And, of course, don't forget he gets to dismantle the Roadmaster too - what kid wouldn't love that project. ;-)

We can no doubt recoup some funds from the Roadmaster/Caprice/C10 by selling some parts on eBay/Craigslist/Kijiji.

So, that's my case and maybe this should have been my first post.