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I do like the idea of the narrow body sleeper.....I see no reason to be concerned about putting a nicely freshened 3.2 in the car. Terrific motors that are very reliable and drivable.
my comment is based on the assumption that the O P would run the 3.2 w/its motronic inj... thus they'll go with the ease the 3.2 package which will require the trans swap or mod as stated.
And these days that will run you $10-15K, which is part of why I suggested he just rebuild the stock engine better.
Nine years ago my car was just another abandoned manual top cab the original owner had grown tired of. I spent a few years restoring it here and there.....then came to the conclusion she was never going to be a concourse contestant or even a car show participant.
So we headed down the resto-mod road.
Last edited by Amber Gramps; 07-14-2016 at 02:49 PM.
the ECU for the 3.2L can just be tucked away nearby - not a huge undertaking
I'm not sure where those cost estimates are coming from; it was less for me but I did a lot of my own work and sold the 2.7 a PO had put in the car.
the Op here should certainly consider an option that includes building up the existing motor & run all the numbers on each option: repl. motor, buildup existing motor, repl. with a built-up motor and those numbers include hp, torque and cost.
I'm not sure where those cost estimates are coming from; it was less for me but I did a lot of my own work and sold the 2.7 a PO had put in the car.
How long ago was that? Try finding me a running driving 3.2 and mated 915 gearbox for under $10k. The days of $5-6K running 3.2s ended several years ago. That's the price of a core today.
Regardless, once you slip that 3.2 in there which will require a trans swap, or a "window" mod to the existing 915. And you cut that hole in the lower tub bulkhead for the harness, she is now a resto-mod.. tacky stuff or not.
Originally Posted by GTgears
How long ago was that? Try finding me a running driving 3.2 and mated 915 gearbox for under $10k. The days of $5-6K running 3.2s ended several years ago. That's the price of a core today.
Originally Posted by GTgears
His gearbox would need to be notched then, so that's machine work.
Take a $5k core from a wreck and $10-12k to rebuild it.
We are right back at my $10-15k number. Even if he provide his own labor to rebuild the engine he will be pushing the lower number.
^^ GT spot-on... not sure what the debate is or why this is so hard for some to digest? These days, it is what it is!!
RESTO-MOD! I think the midyears are great to build sleeper hotrods, I've got a 76 narrow body sleeper hotrod under construction at the moment. Build what suits you, good luck!
So I am in the same boat, not really. I have a '77 Targa with a 3.2 motronics and obviously non-matching numbers. My issue is, it also has some rust :-(. I got it for a song, though. The plan is to make it a driver, with a refresh interior, suspension and some minor motor maintenance. The car currently drives straight and pulls well. The plan is to leave somethings as is to save money and call it patina (i.e. cracked dash etc.). I hope to keep all costs below 12k which will leave my total cost under 19k. The big question is what to do with the few rust spots.....
Rust on door.
Remove aftermarket A/C, new carpet and recover seats.
It's a 30 footer. Under carriage, rockers and door jams seem good.
Most common place to find rust on a middie Targa I hear.
Pressure wash the bottom & remove the pedal cluster (rebuild while out) & remove upholstery to check very carefully for rust. You may have a problem, and it will get a LOT worse if not fixed.
I would not worry about the paint right now - you can sand it a bit and treat with a rust remover to hold things at bay.
^^ Yep, what he said...
and it could get interesting once you get into the repair of that area. To do it right, you'll need to remove all the trim shown including the Targa band cover, and the rear window.
Be prepared to paint the entire car, unless you can live with a slight mis-match. At bare minimum you will paint the quarter or at least the back half of the car depending on what you find on the other side.
Thanks guys, good advice and I like it. Assuming it is just surface rust in several areas and maybe a little metal replacement repairs how much should I expect a decent paint job would be? BTW, it has been repainted at some point, thus there is a lot of paint on it.
r911. What do you mean by "rebuild while out". I assume it is the pedal cluster but what should I do to them? Replace with Rennline pedals or? I do notice my clutch pedal is super close to left side floor wall. Thanks for any suggestions.
07-14-2016, 10:26 AM
