The best way to make a Gbody handle?

[YGspider]

Okay so I'm looking to slap JDM an German cars at the track this summer. I'm planning on dropping in either a 350 or a 383 with about 400 rwhp. As of now the car is just a jane plane cutlass with a 3.8 and no swaybars with shoot 25 year old springs and shocks.

What is the best bang for my buck to get decent cornering.

 

[gwhiz]

If you dont have a sway b ar get one.look at front and rear sway bars,springs,and shocks.if your suspension is worn out,get balljoints and control arm bushings.those are all relitively easy and some what cheap.you can do alot more but it all depends on how much cash you want to burn.

 

[Highwood Malibu]

I added a rear sway to my Malibu and it made a big difference in addition to the front swaybar. To get tighter steering I recommend looking for a cherokee shaft for the intermediate shaft.

 

[pontiacgp]

If you're really serious then I'd start with the body off, box the frame and install new poli body bushings...then suspension bushings, new steering components, tall upper ball joints and a tall spindle, high rated springs and shocks, upgraded sway bars, upgraded brakes, rims and sticky tires, wider rear end with a good posi and custom alignment settings. Then you have to learn to drive it. You won't beat the BMW's trying to take the corners like they do.

 

[online170]

Hotchkis TVS. Cheapest and easiest way to get there.

I tried to replicate the hotchkis kit by pieceing together parts from Summit racing, but its not as nice as the hotchkis kit. Very close though.

 

[galeaiii]

I have done all of what pontiacgp said to my Monte except for boxing the frame and the larger wheels and better tires, and let me say that it will out handle my wife's 2005 VW Jetta GLI!! I did use the Hotchkis TVS but for the shocks I went with QA-1 adjustable. I did it on a limited budget by piecing it all over a few years. I haven't had it out on an autocross track but I have plans to.

 

[pontiacgp]

I have done all of what pontiacgp said to my Monte except for boxing the frame and the larger wheels and better tires, and let me say that it will out handle my wife's 2005 VW Jetta GLI!! I did use the Hotchkis TVS but for the shocks I went with QA-1 adjustable. I did it on a limited budget by piecing it all over a few years. I haven't had it out on an autocross track but I have plans to.

isn't it a blast when they try to loose you in corner and you're still right there when they exit....

 

[galeaiii]

Yea, G-body's aren't suppose to handle this good, I can't imagine how much better it would be with one Schwartz Performance frames under it!!

 

[online170]

Yea, G-body's aren't suppose to handle this good, I can't imagine how much better it would be with one Schwartz Performance frames under it!!

My buddy's 85 Regal has the full hotchkis TVS system, as well as the hotchkis upper control arms. He also has the hotchkis TVS on his 69 cutlass with 17" wheels and tires. I thought the cutlass is scary good in the twisties and turns, but the regal is just something else (with 15" tires no less). The cutlass has KYB GR2 shocks, and the regal has the hotckis spec Bilsteins.

The difference is the regal has a fully boxed frame and the upper control arms. You can feel when youre getting close to the edge in the cutlass, but the regal is probably better than a newer Mustang GT, you never get to the limit with street tires. If you jam the steering wheel, the car darts into the direction change and goes with it while youre still trying to figure out what happened. Its amazing for autocross, and highway level speeds, but I dont know how it would do on a full race circuite type course.


Im surprised youre yearning for more with the TVS. I have always thought I wanted more, but when I actually experienced the TVS my opinion changed. Its better handling than most people will ever make use of.

 

[galeaiii]

The only other stuff I think I'm going to change to some 17" or 18" wheels with stickier tires. When I got all of my Hotchkis suspension they didn't have lower a-arms and now they do, so now I just have to get those too! Lol!!