LUVTruck.com

Ok i have called Trans Dapt, PAW, and Holley and out of all 3 i was getting a run around and never got a honest anwser.

Ok I have a 81 Luv Shortbed. going with a SBC stock suspension with slapper bars out back. What i need to know. from 72 to 80 Luv would the V8 swap kit interchange with a 81?

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Stick Shift Racing

1980 Ford Mustang LX Notchback
1980 Chevy El Camino Conquista

going to make my own mounts for it. thanks a ton for the help everyone.

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Stick Shift Racing

1980 Ford Mustang LX Notchback
1980 Chevy El Camino Conquista

As far as I know it does and it fits toyota and datsun. I could be wrong. Another way to install it is with a motor plate, makes it easier to mount Alt and PWS-

http://www.cachassisworks.com/c-155-mot ... assis.aspx

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i think it would interchange, i don't think they change the frame any...go look at the project section and see if yours looks like mine( it's a 76) or anybody else's.

oh ok. i will check on that. that picture of the front clip look like it might be out of my price range though.

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Stick Shift Racing

1980 Ford Mustang LX Notchback
1980 Chevy El Camino Conquista

i will check em out. see what is kinda ticking me off about this converison is i got 10 or 15 people telling me million different story's lol. and i dont think chevy back then changed the frame and suspenison on em. cause on my 81 long bed Pro Street i did years ago i got a 79 kit to work from Hooker with no probs. and Trans Dapt told me that nobody is making them kits anymore and noone had them kits in 12 years but yet on Holley site they had the 72 thru 80 right smack dab there on the site. but i will check in on it tho and if i have too ill take some pictures of my set up on the 81 and ill post it up on here if need be you know.

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Stick Shift Racing

1980 Ford Mustang LX Notchback
1980 Chevy El Camino Conquista

ok CT..i looked at you'rs and a few others. my frame is dead on almost to a T with your 76. but on mine i dont have the torson bars like you'rs has that runs from the frontend to the rear part of the front clip. but the frame is almost dead on

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Stick Shift Racing

1980 Ford Mustang LX Notchback
1980 Chevy El Camino Conquista

The pic just showed how it was mounted, you can mount it on a stock frame.
These guys used one to mount a SBC in a fox body-

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ok CT i dug up on here last night a pic of your front suspension and i went out this am to my shop and looked at mine. my frontend is simalar to you'rs and the same frame but mine doesnt have the torson bars like you'rs has that connects to the frontend and ties off to the back of the front clip. hope this help

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Stick Shift Racing

1980 Ford Mustang LX Notchback
1980 Chevy El Camino Conquista

As far as I know it does and it fits toyota and datsun. I could be wrong. Another way to install it is with a motor plate, makes it easier to mount Alt and PWS-

http://www.cachassisworks.com/c-155-mot ... assis.aspx
[/quote]

oh ok. i will check on that. that picture of the front clip look like it might be out of my price range though.[/quote]

The pic just showed how it was mounted, you can mount it on a stock frame.
These guys used one to mount a SBC in a fox body-
[/quote]

oh ok my bad sorry. i had one of them back when i did my 91 LX with the 434 SBC swap in it. im gonna check in on that plate though. the way it was in that demo i thought it was the whole clip and i was like that 2 or 3,000 bucks alone lol my bad tho man. ill deffently check in on that plate, thanks

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Stick Shift Racing

1980 Ford Mustang LX Notchback
1980 Chevy El Camino Conquista

I have a set of the Hooker engine mount kit in my for sale add in Boise. I can ship them to you. If they wont work you can just send them back.

I have a engine plate, but just exhaust manifolds. This is on my 75 Luv. Stock Frame.

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75 Luv, 350 V8, TH350, Camaro rearend. New 1975 Luv Step side. Stock for now.
Grandmaster of the "Shade Tree" way.. I can't see the yard for all the cars. Come on down and we will sit on the porch and watch the grass grow.

Contact tech@powerbyace.com give them the inside frame rail diminsion just in front of the xmember. They might want a pic if possible. Their adapter kit might bolt in.

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The light at the end of the tunnel, may just be a train coming!

Thanx for the 411, been to their site and only thought they had headers. Just notice they had mounts thanks to your post. love their mounts, their bolt in. The Hooker kits are cool if you want to set your motor back a little. They work best welded and then you got to grind the old mount out. These use the exsisting mounts.

http://www.powerbyace.com/

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over on http://www.powerbyace.com/ thats a good deal on those long tube headers for the 2 wheel drive luv .

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Stick Shift Racing

1980 Ford Mustang LX Notchback
1980 Chevy El Camino Conquista

i took a closer work and i made a mistake. my 81 does have torson bars

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Stick Shift Racing

1980 Ford Mustang LX Notchback
1980 Chevy El Camino Conquista

Hi,
Glad to help and I think I can give you the straight scoop since I own a 78 stepside Luv and a 81 original body one, both running sbc's! The frames are completely different from 80 to the 81. The front crossmember is much higher on the 81 and the engine compartments are quite different so 80 headers will not work on the 81.
Surprizingly enough almost everything from a Chevy S-10 is the same, the motor mounts on the 81 are very simple to make.
One problem you should know about the 81 is that there is virtually no way you can install the engine and trans as a unit. I've had to install the trans and then the engine each time I've had them out. I think that shorty headers will fit this swap but haven't tried them.
If you would like pictures of the two swaps I'll be glad to send them to you.
Since my 81 was a diesel powered Luv, I have the 3:42 gears and along with the 700R4 trans have a very freeway compatible truck, luve it!