cars and can easily be upgraded with more aggressive cam timing and intake and exhaust improvements for even more power, but that's just part of the package. These cars also have the tall B-body spindles that can be combined with aftermarket upper control arms to upgrade the handling of early A-bodies (Chevelles and the like); 12-inch brakes are a bonus. Out back, rear discs with aluminum PBR calipers can also be swapped into earlier GM cars. Plus, there's close-ratio steering, an aluminum radiator with killer electric fans, a 4L60 overdrive trans, and more. We found four 9C1 Caprices during our crawl.
Amazing as it seems, even Cadillac's technological marvel of a few years back, the Northstar four-cam 32-valve V-8, has made its way to the boneyard. We spotted this '90s Eldorado among the usual front-drive, V-6, GM stuff, its 300hp, 4.6L engine ripe for the plucking; another turned up in a De Ville a week later. While these engines were, until very recently, only used in front- | 
wheel-drive applications, hot rodders figured out years ago how to turn them around to a proper north-south configuration, usually using slightly modified bellhousings from 60-degree Chevy V-6s, as found in '80s Camaros and Firebirds (2.8/3.4L). It's not exactly a bolt-in, but it is a lot of technology and power for relatively few bucks. |
We got there a bit too late, but this '89 Thunderbird Super Coupe had an Eaton supercharger on it when it came into the yard. These cars are not uncommon in the yards around here-neither are the Pontiacs and Buicks that have a similar blower on a 3.8L Buick V-6. Using one with a carburetor might be tricky, since the air inlet is at the rear of the case, not on top. But, mating one to an injected small-block could be interesting. | |
The 351 Windsor is hugely popular with Blue Oval guys these days, whether it's being used to pump up a Fox-era Mustang or a vintage Ford. But Windsor cores can be elusive, particularly because the 351W was rarely, if ever, the standard engine in a passenger car or truck. Fortunately, it remained in production until 1995. One of the later-model uses was in Crown Vic police cars until the body style changed in '92 and the modular V-8 took over. This former cop Vic looks more granny with its light-blue respray, but under the hood is a Windsor topped with Ford's miserable variable venturi carb. That's your clue for spotting the Windsor in later, boxy Vics-the 302 was injected at this point.
Speaking of late Thunderbirds, the independent rear suspension used in all '89-'97 models is used in some popular Cobra replica car packages. Pulling one here would be cheaper than having to buy a whole donor car. We've seen these under a couple of early Mustangs, too, but be warned, they're kinda heavy.