OK, I'll admit it—when I first saw small-block Chevys with Oldsmobile and/or Cadillac valve covers, "cool" wasn't quite the word that immediately came to mind. Give whomever credit for coming up with a way in which to add a bit of flavor to the most common means of motorvation found in hot rods, but for me, why not go all the way and install the Olds/Caddy beneath the tins they belong to in the first place?
That was well before this whole LS craze that hot rodding's undoubtedly inundated with. Now to me, the LS looks just as out of place, if not more, than the above-mentioned SBC with crossbred covers. Here's where I pull an opinionated flip-flop and side with the disguising, especially after I'd witnessed what SO-CAL Speed Shop had done with the LS3 in Brad Lindig's 1933 Ford Tudor, featured on page 108 in this issue. "Cool" wasn't quite the word that came to mind this time, either—if I recall, my exact words to Jimmy Shine were, "That's pretty bitchin."
The Shine was kind enough to not only reveal what he'd done at SO-CAL to achieve the backdated look, but allow me to photograph the steps and tricks that he performed in the process. Pretty neat stuff, namely considering all the hot rod performance aspects that've been worked into the puzzle.
SO-CAL started out with a plain-Jane '12 LS3 from Chevy Performance (mated with a TREMEC TKO500). The first step was fitting engine/trans into the '33 chassis—with as little compromising to the naturally aged look and feel of the original car. That comprised fabbing up one-off mounts and a handsome trans crossmember. Once the two major components were fit, they were pulled back out and the exterior transformation ensued.
1. Your run-of-the-"mill" LS3 as offered by Chevy Performance (circa 2012, displacing 376 ci, and according to SO-CAL Speed Shop, putting out over 500 hp, equipped with a four-barrel LS intake) about to undergo a backdated retrofit.
2. The components SO-CAL (namely, Jimmy Shine and crew) whipped up to facilitate the retrofit, which we'll now go behind the scenes of and highlight the steps taken to dress the late-model LS mill in vintage look.
3. First off, the LS and accompanying TREMEC five-speed needing positioning and subsequent locating/mounting in the '33 sedan's chassis. A jig was fashioned up to help accommodate the shoehorning, allowing the radiator support rods to be set in place for reference, among other things. Plate metal "legs" were cut and bolted to the engine once the initial locale was determined.
4. The original Olds tin valve covers were then set in place to figure out standoff distance to house the factory coil packs, which will remain in their stock locations, albeit in a modified manner.
5-6. The mechanical cooling fan was also configured and set up at this point. A balanced adapter flange was machined/welded up to mount the steel fan onto the stamped water pump pulley.
7-8. With the LS engine being supported by the temporary legs, custom motor mounts were fab'd up. Note the forward framerails have been step-boxed already, as well.
9-10. Similarly, an integral trans mount crossmember with K-member boxing sections was fab'd and installed to support the TKO500 as well as strengthen that portion of the chassis.
Typically, affixing off-make valve covers doesn't entail a whole lot of work—that is, unless you're doing so to also conceal factory LS coil packs, which is what was done here. Beyond that, a modified serpentine accessory bracket configuration was made up, including provision for a standard mechanical fan.
Performance wise, as mentioned, while the LS does remain electronically injected, it's now fed fuel via an MSD revolutionary Atomic EFI system, the throttle body of which is neatly hidden beneath a '50s Cadillac oil bath converted to full-flow air cleaner.
When all was said and done, the engine proper was painted early Olds green, bracketry a satin black, and Dennis Ricklefs was called in to add a bit of Rocket flare to the tins. And while I may still stand on my opinion of the simple SBC cover swap (which is just that—an opinion), if and when the opportunity comes to update my Chevy with an LS, you can bet it won't look like an ordinary LS, that's for sure.
11-13. In keeping with style of the motor mounts, bracketry for the A/C compressor and alternator were fashioned up, both hanging the components low and tight to the block, all working in harmony with the serpentine system that will run them.
14. The finished front-runner bracket/serpentine setup. (Note the mocked up—and completed—modified Olds valve cover in place … that's next.)
15-16. As mentioned, the Olds tins will "cover" the factory LS coil packs. In order to do so without having ridiculously tall valve covers, the mounting bosses on the cast-aluminum LS covers were milled down.
17. A stud mounting system was incorporated, and "skirts" added to the Olds tin covers to fully conceal the underlying electronics. The exhaust manifolds are LS.
18. With all the fabrication and modification done, the LS was doused in Oldsmobile green high-temp enamel.
19. Brush master Dennis Ricklefs was called in to add his touch to the transformed tins with One-Shot.
20. The accessory drive system was ultimately done in a contrasting stain black.
21. For the overflow, a repurposed military surplus tank was retrofit and mounted atop the firewall.
22. Done. Concealing the MSD Atomic EFI throttle body is a '50s Cadillac oil bath fitted with a full-flow air cleaner element. And though it's still clearly an LS to the trained eye, the engine's valley pan feature lends itself to an early Olds intake style.
