Quantify what you don't like about ride quality.

Too soft?
Too harsh?
Body roll?

Often tires and/or shocks will resolve these issues.

Agree with the above. I have Hotchkis springs front/rear with KYB shocks and the car rode really harsh. Currently have Ridetech single adjustable shocks all around and the car rides much better. Don't know what kind of shocks you have now, but you may want to look into changing shocks first, if you're looking to save some $$$.

Tu

kyb =kill you butt

ride quality is controlled by the shocks....ride height and attitude is controlled by the springs......

simple test ...take the shocks off...and drive the car around the block...if the ride is better then you need good shocks...if the ride still sucks then you have a suspension bind somewhere...if you get that far let us know

Having built a whole bunch of cars.... I will guarantee you will be like everyone else on the planet. Which is to say -- you'll get the "well as long as I'm doing X I might as well do Y too...." The key is to control that --- and to plan for it BEFORE you get started.

$25K sounds like "plenty" -- until you get started. Then - like most builds - you'll find all manor of stuff you didn't know you needed or didn't count on.

The LS motor will eat up too much of your budget IMHO. UNLESS.... Unless you do a "take out" which is a fancy way of saying a JUNKYARD motor. Sure - you'd like to find one that has 3,000 miles on it and the car gets totaled somehow... but junkyards know what this stuff is worth too.

Frankly -- there are many more costs to this swap. Electric fuel pumps - headers - new radiator - electric fans and on and on.... it's all these little items that really add up because they're not $25 items. Just a front accessory drive for these motors can be $2500

I think first and foremost you need to be real honest to yourself - and say - how many miles am I going to drive the car - where am I going to want to drive the car - and how much time and skill do you have to build it etc.


So I'd be looking at a nice torquey small block (you can buy real decent crate motors from GM or? And all they need is a good distributor curve to wake them up) or mild big block - mechanical fuel pump - carburetor - T56 tranny - converting to a Ford 9" or built 12 Bolt (there's all kinds of "kits" out there for this) - and real decent suspension - killer wheels and tire combo... great sounding exhaust... updated headlights and taillights -- and fixing up the interior - including gauges - and steering wheel and SEATS (Camaro seats SUCK!).

I'd want a car that is reliable (we used carbs for about the last 100 years quite reliably - not to mention the reliability of the SBC).... that is fun to drive - meaning it rides and handles well - and has comfortable seats and air conditioning etc. You can get some pretty decent tires under the car with the right offset wheels and

It doesn't seem like you'd save that much dough just doing a different motor - but it's the fact that there are SO MANY options price wise for SBC's in these cars... and you don't have to run with EFI.


This motor might be too hot for a nice street cruiser -- I'm just using it for an example. This is but ONE builder - and they have several levels of performance to choose from.


Here's a pretty HOT 383 stroker motor - with 450 HP -- 460 ft lbs of torque....

http://www.smedingperformance.com/ch...orsepower.html


Couple this to a nice 5 or 6 speed and you'd have a nice cruiser.... Or if you wanted to go automatic - get a simple stage 3 700r4 with a 2800 stall torque converter and roast the tires at will.... and be under 10K -- even buying new headers and a new radiator you'd still be under. Wheels and tires - there's 5K.... now you're at 15 grand.... rear end will set you back another 5K -- with gears / axles / and coil over type kit such as SpeedTech or RideTech or BMR sell ... Then you're at 20+K -- now you have 5K left for A arms/springs/shocks/subframe connectors up front and some interior stuff.


There's nothing wrong with wanting to mini tub the car.... as long as you have some skills and the tools to complete the job. But you said you weren't interested in tracking the car particularly - so other than looks and fatter tires back there -- you're adding a lot of cost and complication for something you don't intend to use.

While 25K is a decent budget - it's going to be just barely doable IF you choose wisely.... shop for bargains when you can get them... and don't bite off more than you can chew.

All good suggestions above, from a group of folks who would not steer you wrong. Having said that, you must stay true to your wants. You said that the only thing for sure that you know you want to do to the car is an LS swap. That would be my first step if I were you. Sure, it's gonna eat up $10K, but that leaves you $15K to make the car handle better, and have a more modern interior.
You don't need an aftermarket subframe, or a 4 link rear, to have a cool looking, nor a great handling car. Your not gonna track this vert, so don't bother trying to build a race car. Very few track capable builds actually get tracked. Don't waste your money on the high end suspension items. Go with some nice control arms, maybe a kit from RideTech, with matching shocks, and match the rear stuff to the front suspension...done. Mini tubbing just plain looks mean with the huge rear tires, but the wheels and tires to get that look (and tire patch, which leads to better handling when balanced) will eat up a large sum of what you have left after the engine swap.
It's your car, and only you can make the decision based on what your wanting. Stay honest with yourself, throughout the build. Don't start a full blow apart rotisserie build, if your not completely sure that you can financially handle the ENTIRE endeavor, and have the patience to wait it out. I get tired of seeing people sell off unfinished projects because they ran out of money, and patience. If you can do a lot of this yourself, you'll save tens of thousands of dollars.
Shop for bargains. That's what I did. I never bought one single item of my build on a whim. I waited for a deal, and jumped on it. I've had my car apart for just over four years now, but I'm down to just a few more interior items, and a stereo install. I knew what I wanted then, and I kept true to my vision that I had the entire time. Make a spreadsheet with your budget, YES GUYS I SAID BUDGET, and work it out. It's doable for $25k. Check out this DEAL that just popped up, for instance...http://www.pro-touring.com/archive/i.../t-118390.html

he's listing here too. https://lateral-g.net/forums/showthread.php4?t=51741

then there is this: https://lateral-g.net/forums/showthread.php4?t=51735

who is doing the labor?

Yes you can find some killer deals. Just do your research so you know what you're getting.

Often I see deals posted that with shipping aren't any better then buying new with free ship that's offered by lots of vendors.

Remember posted prices are asking prices. You can usually get a better price if you jump on it and have cash in hand.

As stated above before you spend a dime put together a spreadsheet and leave yourself a little room.

The misc stuff can really add up. Fluids alone cost $150 - $200. If you go T56 you'll need to mod the tunnel. The cost of things like welding up the exhaust and parts needed to get the gauges working are often overlooked in the budget. Shipping of the needed parts can also add fair amount to the build cost.

Good luck with your build and enjoy the journey

working the spreadsheet
 

Thanks all, I am stacking up my spreadsheet as we speak. 70 Chevelle, I spent 4 years of my formative years in Dahlonega, so I know your neck of the woods really well, spent a bunch of time at A falls.

I live 4 miles from the falls. We eat at the lodge a lot. Small world!

The posting that me and Vince put up won't last long...hint hint...