Hello, I have an '79 Camaro Berlinette, and I was wondering how much trouble it would be to fit a 427ci under the hood, and a Muncie M-22 transmission. What mods are needed?

 

you have to change out the front springs and sway bar,thats pretty much it.i got a 454 in my 78,the coil springs i got in mine are for a trans am with a 455,they fit perfect

 

Ok thanks, how about header clearance...the space isn't that much as it is, with the small block. I would need to have them custom made wouldn't I. And I think I'd like to beef up my rear end, it has got the bigger 10-bolt and 2.73:1 diff, what rear axel would do the trick??

 

i bought my headers from summit and they fit with no clearance problems,but i had to settle for 1 3/4" primary tube headers.i wanted 2" headers,but with factory air and power steering my options were limited.the headers i ended up buying were a summit brand for about $86.00 and they fit right in there.you have to jack the car up and put them in from the bottom.as far as the rearend,i have the 8.5 10 bolt in my car to,with a 3:70 posi-trac,dont know if its going to hold up but we will see

 

Okay, thanks a lot for all the info. One thing I have been wondering about...is there any need for subframe connection...to prevent the body from twisting due to bigger and more powerful engine. I guess the 8.5 10 bolt in my car should be fine...a previous owner had blown 502 under the hood (well not so much under the hood but anyways) and used this rear end without problems. But thanks again for the information.

Greetings from Iceland

 

yes,you want to tie the frame together.summit or jegs have the connectors

 

not for anything but a berlenetta is a somewhat rare car and I would not mod it. That is a car to keep stock. Mod out a sports coupe. I just think youll kick yourself later.

 

It is not stock as it is, and anything that is done can be undone, so for now I think I'm going to carry on with my plans for Big block and manual

 

On the rear end, you could get a ford truck nine inch rear end. They have larger bearings than the car diffs. and most drivetrain shops will cut one down and install new perches for you. It's a much stronger rear than the 10 bolt and alot easier to set up and change. You can change gear ratios in about a half hour at the track, and if you snap an axle you can still drive home. Outfitted with 3.73's and a good limited slip or locker I think you may enjoy it.