Beretta.net

Spent the last two days at Smith Performance http://www.smithperformance.com

The California car is going under the knife in late November for a serious change.

This is after ALOT of thought about my station in life, and what I truly want to do with my Beretta at age 62 and an absolutely rust free starting point.

It's not going to be cheap, and I'm sure a bunch of you will consider me certifiable, but that's OK! Been there, done that and have the T-Shirts.

As of next spring I will have a professionally built LS powered RWD Beretta.

Which LS I don't know yet. Probably a crate engine. Will be automatic with a Moser 12 bolt on a 4-link.

Looks like about $28 to $32K all in and running.

I have made it clear to the guys at Smith, and Fred himself, that I want this to look as close to how GM might have built this car as possible. He is totally on board and loves the project.

It will have GTU wheels, 4 wheel discs but look as stock as absolutely possible. (The wheels will be re-drilled to 4 3/4" bolt circle and the design will hide most of the brakes.)

So the build thread will begin in a month or so.

Promise lots of pics. And it will be at B'Fest in June wherever it is.

Please use my car or buy another. Mine has light rust and would be great for this project. Plus it needs a new engine anyway.
What about the FWD LS? It had 300hp which is more than enough power to weight.

Nope! Already have the paint I love on this car, paid a ton for that, and it's structurally perfect for this modification.

ANY rust at all and Fred won't touch it.

Damn you! I'm not happy, so you did you job.

That Beretta is going to be so sweet...and oh so deadly to the unsuspecting eye. I'm frothing at the mouth in anticipation for its transformation, This is awesome!
It kind of reminds me of this beretta. I don't know whose it is or who took the photos, but it's rwd and looks damn near stock.

It's all in the details and the "Details List" we came up with is three pages long.

Exhaust comes out in the same place on the GTZ bumper. Fuel cell is plumbed to the stock fuel door.

Stock gauges all work with the LS swap.

This thing will "look" GM built!!

so what are you doing with the old cradle? basicly the engine, subframes, sway bar, endlinks, transmission, shift cables, center consoul, dash and wiring harness? i might be interested in everything thats taken off this car being its a perfect match to my gtz if you consider parting with the stuff.

It will all be labeled and wrapped. I will have no use for it. We can talk. It's all California perfect.

Console is staying and the shifter too. It will be made to work with the auto.

Wow, I am pumped for you Eric, let me know sup this weekend, maybe we can do a mini meet, may head to st thomas saturday too.

Well then... That's a quick way to make a quad fast... LOL

Keep us updated with the progress it will be interesting to see how well this fabrication comes out.

This sounds pretty sweet. I'd have loved to do a tube chassis RWD LS with my rotten Z26 if I had a place to keep it.

I believe this would be the first LS Beretta would it not? I'll be excited to see it come together.

They have done an LS Solstice and a Cobalt. Never a Beretta.

In fact at first he wanted nothing to do with the project til he actually saw the car up on the lift.

Pretty expensive winter storage though!

WHY am I reading about this on a forum on the internet?!!!

3400beretta wrote:WHY am I reading about this on a forum on the internet?!!!

'Because I haven't seen you since a week ago.

Just came together over the weekend.