Converted to a manual trans!

As some of you may know I currently own 2 Malibu wagons. My 79 has a 500ci big block , and the 81 is in progress. I was driving it a while ago and lost a cylinder. I picked up an 87 Camaro parts car for the engine. I decided sense it was already ready why fix what isn't broke? It was simple really. All I had to do was modify the peddle assembly, cut a hole in the floor, and shorten my drive shaft. Im using the hydraulic slave from the Camaro, it was a direct bolt in. The hole was already in the floor, it was originally for the cruse control harness. I don't care if I have cruse or not so out it went. I can re rout it if I decide to hook it up again later. All I had to do was drill 2 holes. Of course the engine was a direct bolt in, a small block is a small block. The trans cross member needed to be modified, but it was as simple as cutting the pad off, shortening it up a bit, and welding it back on. All Im waiting on now is my headers, and a steering column. I can get away with out a manual column for a while, but I would rather just change it out so the swap looks as factory as possible. Because the bench seat is in the way Im gonna eventually switch to bucket seats, but for now it's fine. I had to take the shifter apart, turn it around, and weld a new handle on it, but it clears the seat. Some of you may wanna smack me for this but I used a ford t-case handle as my new shifter handle I'll post some pix later when I get some. It's kind of dark!

 

That Ford T-handle is secret to its performance.

Sounds like a neat conversion.

 

Wouldn't the steering column be a direct bolt in from the camaro?

 

If it wouldn't have been destroyed, yes. The moron I bought the car from smashed it trying to get the lock cylinder out. I don't know why people do the things they do, I could have taken the wheel off, pulled the lock ring, and had the tumbler out in half the time it took them to break it

I got a lot done tonight. Im dirty up to my arm pits and I haven't had dinner, but Im much closer to being done. I got the headers on, got my drive shaft in, spark plugs in, and all the belts tensioned. Putting the headers on was a 3 hour job, they were tight! The headers on my big block fit better:lol2: I'll be building my Y pipe tomorrow night, that is if it doesn't snow
Oh yea, Norm, that handle added about 50HP

 

I run into the same problem at my local pull a part people tear stuff up to get a part and end up tearing up the part they want. Got pictures?

 

No pix yet, Im still working on that. I'll try and get some tomorrow night before I get all dirty. My camera doesn't like the taste of 30 year old grease

 

30 year old grease is good for you.

 

yeah....its full of essential minerals!!

 

I got my exhaust done tonight, and should be firing it soon. I won't be doing much tomorrow night, CSI is on so I won't be working on the car :lol: I used the stock Y pipe for the most part, and just tied it in to the stock pipe. Eventually I'll be redoing it with 2.5" all the way back, but for now what I have is fine. Here's some pix

 

DONE!!! She still needs a few things, but for right now, DONE!! I haven't gotten a video yet, there's no one around to operate the camera I don't know what gears I have yet, but holly crap she's fast! The difference between the auto and the manual is like night and day! Im gonna need air ride though, she floats quite a bit when over 80mph! Of course new shocks and decent tires wouldn't hurt, but I don't have money for that right now. I'll come back with a vid some time soon, hopefully in the next few days I can find someone to do it for me. I now have 2 sleepers!

 

You Rock, Rock! What a project and yet it sounds like it was pretty much trouble free. Good for you. I'm sure the difference is amazing; how about the fun to drive quotient? That probably increased 100 fold.

 

Only real problem I had was doing it all my self. It's hard to be in 2 places at once! I have a miss fire, and one of the rockers is chattering a bit. I have new plugs to go in it, and will be lashing the valves as soon as I can. I had never herd this engine run so I couldn't tell it needed to be done before I put it in the car. I can churn the tires like you wouldn't believe though I never thought a 305 would move it so well! It will be even more fun to drive as things progress, I have a few plans for this one that I can't do with my big block car. I will have to modify the peddles come to think of it, the padding under the carpet is so thick it's hard to get the clutch all the way down. I may end up "massaging" the wheel well to, Im not sure yet. I'll have to drive it a while and get use to the way she works. It's a whole different world compared to my Saturn.

 

Just thought I would come back with an up date. I took the wheels off my 79, and put them on the 81 today. I had some 1/8" spacers that were on the camaro, so I put them on the front. The camaro wheels hit the A arm a little bit, and it ether knocks the wheel weight off, or scrapes half of it off. Other then that they look ok, but I could do with out the red line. I will eventually be cleaning them up and painting them black to match the car when I paint it. That is if I decide not to use other wheels before that happens. I also got the trim off, I wish I could get ahold of the guy that screwed it on, there's holes in my body for no reason! [-X I also found out that I NEED more power! :lol: The 305 does alright, but it bogs down when the car starts to move after the tires stop spinning! :lol: Of course part of that is still the carb Im sure. I have no idea what Im gonna do with that, only carbs I have found are 650+. I could never afford a new one, so it has to be used. I'll be replacing my shocks, and an idler arm tomorrow, I didn't have time to get to it today with all the other stuff I had to do. Any way, here's some pix!

 

looks good...congrats on the mod...great close up of the screws..DA!