The Real Reason I Bought My Project Corvette
The 1985 Corvette I purchased this fall was always going to be a project car.
It had needs from day one: When I bought the car, I had to winch it onto the trailer. Because of how it was cared for and brought back to life, it is likely always going to have some issues. The only real solution is a full mechanical restoration, and that makes exactly zero rational sense given the amount of work and mountain of cash required. My car is worth keeping on the road, but even a total restoration would result in a stock C4 that would still be a consolation prize compared to an original, unmolested version. Even then, there are plenty such survivors.
This C4 Corvette is a gateway, an opportunity to step into territory that I have never charted.
Of all the gearhead projects I’ve wanted to execute, an engine swap is high on the list. For years, I’ve been daydreaming and planning a mid-engine V-8 Corvair build. It would be a ballsy first swap, since it requires completely reengineering the car and lots of fabrication. I’ve wanted to dip my toe in the fabrication swimming pool for a while, but I also knew that V-8-swapping a Corvair was a cannonball off the high dive when I barely knew how to swim. I had fallen back on purchasing an abandoned V-8 ‘Vair project and finishing it. Some of the heavy lifting would be done, but I would still have my hands in the project like I wanted. That plan left me waiting for a car that may never come up for sale, let alone near me or at a fair price.
What to do? I have motivation. I have tools. As of September, I have a 1985 Corvette that just fell in my lap. I guess it might be time to start doing some serious thinking and gathering of parts. Wait. That sounds like planning…
After I bought the Vette, and my engine-swap dreams began anew, my first phone call was to a friend whose father has a few engines just hanging around, from a date-coded 427 coated in oil and wrapped in plastic to a grimy, crusty V-8 unceremoniously extracted from a 2003 GMC Yukon. That 427 is a dream, but the 160,000-mile LQ4 from the Yukon was both in my budget and more appropriate for my plan.
That plan is obvious by now, I hope: Swapping an LS into my Corvette. I can hear the pitchforks rattling, and the voices accusing me of cutting up a good Corvette, but if you’re familiar with the history of this car, we all agreed earlier that this car is neither sacred nor special. What is it if not the perfect blank canvas to do just about anything I want with it? And what I want is something I built with my own hands, that makes 400 hp, is fun to drive, and can be taken to the track. Do I need to yank the current engine to check all those boxes? Certainly not, but removing the L98 certainly creates fun opportunities.
Furthermore, pulling the engine is potentially the most cost-effective option. This “pulled running” LQ4 is an iron-block, aluminum-head Gen-IV small-block, and that single generational shift is a big one. To pull realistic gains out of the L98 currently under the Corvette’s hood, I would need to invest similar money and time as I would in doing the engine swap, because the LS platform is so well supported in comparison.
I’m not the first, the only, or even the most interesting person to attempt this swap and I consider that a good thing. I have my doubts that any hot rodder who pulled up to the drive-in during the 1960s with a Model T and an early small-block under the hood was told how their swap was unoriginal or boring. The relative ages of car and engine in that last sentence are the same as in my project: 40-year-old car, 15-year-old engine.
The L98 in the car is in decent health too. Just like last year, jokes in one shop turned into dynamometer runs in another. While mild, the L98 pulled strong on the rollers even if the numbers are not impressive by modern standards: 172 hp and 267 lb-ft. That’s great. Now is the perfect time to pull it and let it find a new home in a Square-Body pickup or third-generation Camaro. The L98 would be a riot to drive in either of those vehicles, and right now, I can let a buyer not only hear the engine run but drive it, too. That holds a decent amount of value, and selling the old engine would certainly help offset the price of the new one.
Another thing that puts those dyno numbers in perspective is that the middle-aged Yukon engine is rated from the factory at 300 hp and 360 lb-ft. So even if those ponies aren’t the thoroughbreds they once were, I still stand a chance at a good power bump even running the factory engine computer and tune. This says nothing of the aftermarket potential, and if you think I’m going to have an engine in my shop on a stand and not do something to it, you are mistaken.
The engine choice is not the end all, be all of a project. But even when doing a common swap like this, there are a lot of opportunities to leave my fingerprints on the project and make it my own. With car and engine in hand, it’s time to get down to business and start planning out the rest of the powertrain. The Corvette currently has a manual gearbox. While I don’t plan on changing that, only a fool rules out other options without at least some consideration, so some research and internal debate are on the horizon.
I welcomed this project car into my garage on a relative whim, and after living with it for only a few weeks, the opportunity it presents has become clear. The process likely will not be quick, easy, or fun all the time, but there may never be a better time to take on a project I’ve always wanted to tackle. Why wait?
Where do you live where you can just take a car out on the road with no plates or anything? Can’t do that in NY and get very far I’d love to but don’t dare!
That dirt road is in my neighborhood, but Michigan has a provision for transporting a vehicle home. I carried the signed title, bill of sale, and proof of insurance, along with the printed reminder for my DMV appointment to get the plate. Historically that has handled any issues that arise, though at least one of those might be due to a kind officer. It helps to not drive like a jerk and be honest if pulled over.
kyle, you’ve probably heard this before. my opinion regarding whether to restore or highly modify is at the discretion of the owner. personally, i may not like modifying in general, but who am i to tell someone what they can or can’t do with what is there’s? even if it’s a very rare car, i may be outraged. but it’s still not my call. now, if the car could be changed back to oem specs, well…
again, it’s only my opinion, but i think you have an excellent base for a fun project. enjoy like you have no restrictions!!!
I bought a low mileage Calif. 1990 Covette. The last year for the tail I liked, and the first year with real gauges, except the speed readout. Low mileage and the previous owner ordered the adjustable shocks, Gold Bose stereo and the manual (ZF). I figured I could tinker on the car as the owner said it needed some things fixed. First it would idle ROUGH on and off. NO COMPUTER CODE!!! After dealing with baffled experts I took the engine induction apart and sent the injectors to a place for rebuild. One injector had a low resistance short that was loading down the computer (yet no codes!!!). The shop said this was a common DELCO injector problem because folks do rail injector cleaning that DISSOLVES the injector coil insulation. O.K. new injector and the rest rebuilt. New EGR valve, and the throttle housing coolant plate was corroded and had to be replaced. After that the car ran great. Then there was SMOKE in the car. The Bose Gold sub amp in the rear speaker caught on FIRE – no fuse!!!!!! O.K. found a good used unit and the radio worked again. Next the seat lumbar developed a leak!. Then there was an antifreeze leak. All new hoses including the hoses to the heat exchanger at the oil filter! I also found the “dealer” had left out half the radiator fan bolts so it was moving around!!!!
The 1990 alternator was undersized and I replaced it several times!!! I learned that I had to put the car on a battery charger the night before I took it out or the alternator would fail trying to charge the battery!!!!!!!
Then there was the crappy interior plastic and weather stripping that was failing.
I was considering upgrading the L98 250HP to the LT1 (1991) 300HP engine, but a Corvette fellow said “Go look at the 1/4 mile numbers. The L98 and LT1 are nearly identical in run time because the L98 is a torque monster and will jump ahead of the LT1 off the line and the LT1 has that lousy “Opti – Spark” and the L98 has a reliable easy to fix HEI. Frankly the L98 was more than adequate and could easily smoke the tires.
After two years “fixing” the car worked fine, but I could see this was a future maintence nightmare. Frankly it was NOT a fun car to drive. Too low, too many blind spots, and unless you got it up to about 100MPH it was a snooze to drive. The handling was so competent it just was not engaging on country roads. I SOLD IT.
Now I own two old Corvairs that are great fun to drive and engaging. I suggest you put little money into your Corvette and just drive the tires off it. When something major goes, send it to the scrap yard. Even the good ones have lousy resale value. BTW Kyle – Check out the Corvair mid engine club and see if you can get a rid in one. I have and engaging with lots of tactile input is is an understatement.
I’m mostly a Porsche guy, but like the looks of the C4. I don’t really know why they get so little respect, as they are such an improvement over the C3 and the C5 and -6 are kind of ugly to me. Anyway, my lust for one led me down the path of exploring LS options. I discovered there are kits available to facilitate the endeavor. That includes wiring and hardware adapters. Go forth and swap!
Kyle, go to LT1.com for all the wiring answers. Also, have you seen John Reynolds’ youtube channel? Turbo ls4 in the middle of a corvair with ridiculous fab skills and a good sense of humor, awesome channel.
John Reynolds YouTube was part of what pushed me away from a Corvair swap for my first. He is doing great work (and has, his Beetle is awesome!) and it’s really cool to see it all come together.
I had come across and bookmarked LT1.com. Need to sit down and do some real reading there. Impressive resource!
Kyle, at the end of the day, it’s YOUR car, so do whatever you want! FWIW, I fully approve of the LS swap, but might suggest an aluminum-block variant (5.3, 5.7, 6.0 and 6.2 options available), for the weight savings of over 100 pounds. I have TWO LS swaps in the works, an LS2 Porsche 944 w/6-speed transaxle, and an AD Chevy truck with an L33 (aluminum 5.3). Pictures or it didn’t happen!
I have always wanted a corvette,. but to be honest, the “corvette crowd” has always stopped me,. and as impressive as C7-8 cars are, to me they are hard to see as corvettes,. 6 litre LS anything is great fun,. TKO has some nice ratio’s in their 5 spds,. I’m only 67, and maybe there is still time for me to own a corvette😆
Kyle, this sounds like a great project and I am excited to watch and read about your progress.
As I read your article though, I couldn’t help but think your writing was apologetic so as not to upset folks who think you are modifying a nice (enough) car. The empathetic comments seem to completely support your project, which is refreshing. it is just a shame you have to preface your plans to calm potential naysayers. It is your car, bought with your money and you will modify it to meet your taste and style – imagine if every house a person bought that may have stylistic or architectural significance to the era, was surrounded by an angry mob when the new owner went to renovate?! Never happens unless a city ordinance protects it. But with a car, people lose their minds.
Also really cool to see supportive comments from other Hagerty writers – must mean a lot your colleagues are on your side and wish you success too! Now, if they came over and helped turn wrenches… all the best!
What a waste of time and money!
Folks have started to realize the LT4 is peak C4. The prices are reflecting that knowledge. A $10-12K LT4 will have a skelton or two in the closet.
so Kyle, can we be expecting a pic of you in your Bermuda shorts and white tennies?
joking aside, i wish you only well on your next adventure!
I applaud your ambition, but I can’t help but think, swapping out a well sorted L89 for a V8 from a Yukon with 160,000 miles sounds like A LOT of work to end up with a Corvette with a different engine that has questionable reliability/performance and limited life left.
If there was ever a time to splurge a little, I’d say an engine for an engine swap would be the time to do so. Here’s what I would do, throw a dry-shot of Nox in the L89, it’ll destroy the engine, but who cares? It’ll be fun and we’ve got a long term plan anyway. Then shop and save up for a better engine. The Yukon engine only had 320hp, and that was before it was driven for 160,000 miles and then sat in a corner for years. Go bigger and better. I think you’ll be happy you did.
Built a mid engine Corvair back in my college days with the Mid-Engineering conversion kit. A sleeper at the drags! Still have the transaxle ready for the next guy that wants to build one!