Replaced the drivers side inner fender this past weekend. All I have to say is wow. I had never removed any body part before in my life, so this was a huge learning experience. I didn't really know what I was getting into, I guess I underestimated all the work involved. Here's some unfortunately large pics. Enjoy!!
nice cutlass, what are those metal braces attached to the fenderwells and radiator brace? is that some sorta rare brace? the cutlass and the regal didnt have those...
nice cutlass, what are those metal braces attached to the fenderwells and radiator brace? is that some sorta rare brace? the cutlass and the regal didnt have those...
Yup, Gp braces. I made absolutely sure that was the last of the rust, the pass. side fender is ruse free. I just need to weld up the hole in the frame by the steering box and she's done.
Did the broughams normally come with power windows and locks? I'm glad I have manual so I don't have to worry about anything going bad inside the door.
I just finished cleaning off the grease coating on the passenger side inner fender :shock: , and it matches the newly painted inner fender on the drivers side 8)
Went to the junkyard today to pick up some previously removed parts, and to take a look at some s-10s for the manual steering box. I got the all white reverse lights, marker lights for another guy on the forum, and the frontmost piece of the hood trim (to make a hood ornament delete)
I had never been on the other side of the yard by all the trucks and stuff, and I ended up finding a bunch of g-body montes...about 11 or 12 I didn't even know about. a couple of montes with t-tops too. I also found one with bucket seats, but no console. I've heard of this, but never seen it until today, the seats are in really good shape too. also found 2 new sets of cargo coils in the trunk of one, the powder coating isn't even cracked on them. I found a CL with fuel injection, I thought I could use the computer and stuff to put a buddy's TBI 350 in my car, but of course the computer is gone.
I made the hood ornament delete, and I like it way more than the ornament. I just found a little carrige bolt that would slide into the channel of the moulding, and bolted it to the header panel using the origional hole.
Just suprised me and i had to tell someone. Heres a couple pics.
You have inspired me to try the hood ornament delete! Now I don't have to find the damn hood ornament in my pile o parts.
BTW, your car is coming along nicely. That brown is a nice color for it.
As for the Broughams and power stuff, many of them did come with the power windows and locks as the Brougham was the "luxury" version of the Cutlass Supreme. I always find it odd that so many of them did not have the full compliment of options. Mine, for example, had power windows, power seat, A/C, cassette and that was about it. No cruise control, power locks, tilt wheel, intermittent wipers, remote trunk, etc. I am adding all of it during my restoration though, as I like the toys and they don't add as much weight as most people think they do, maybe 30-50lbs for everything but the A/C. I would also say that you should keep the power steering, but but go to a better box. The stock steering is about as numb and detached as a car can be unless you have the FE-2 or F-41 suspension. If you put the faster box in, it gets much better. I would also add the bigger sway bars if you can find them, and be sure to get the pair and all the mounting hardware. The stock suspension tuning on the standard model is amazingly awful, but the sway bar package really improves things. Also try to find the 3.23 axle. It is native to some V6 cars (yours may have it already) sold in high altitude areas to improve it's ability on hills.I will also give you one more observation. The cars without the lower body trim had wheel arch moldings that went all the way to the end of the rocker panel, while the cars with them terminated at the end of the lower moldings. I ran into this with my car as the good ones I had were from a car without them and I kept mine, otherwise I never would have known.
If you happen to see another car with good white back up lenses, let me know. I need a set and they are hard to find in decent shape in Florida due to the intense sun.
I love the ornament deleete, Its staying on there.
Thanks very much!! I have enjoyed going through your build thread and watching all of your progress, I absolutely love that Dark blue, it just fits the car really nicely.
I thought the manual steering would just feel not as "floaty" but I'll find a box fromm a z-28 or something. I do have the f-41 bars already, and I'm searching the s-10s at the yard for a posi, but I'm not really sure what to look for. I did notice the wheel well mouldings, but haven't really worried about it too much yet, maybe after it's on the road.
I know where ther is another set of all white reverse lights, but I'm not sure of the condition or price. I think the price was kind of high though. I'll find out for you. They are on the car that I'm getting my rally gauges from. He told me 80 for the lights and gauges, (40 each) from what I remember anyway.
Well...time to go to school, not really, I am going to play at a jazz fest, so I get the day off. 😀
Hood ornament delete GP braces & f41 bars are great mods/upgrades. You probably also did the thicker aftermarket poly endlinks when you did the swaybars which is a great bang for the buck mod. On the (4.3tbi) CL in the yard you can grab the sending unit out of the tank and or the whole tank if its not rusted. Not sure if it has the baffle down in the tank or not but I would bet it does. Great pieces to have for anyone wanting to upgrade to an in tank electric fuel pump regardless of whether they are useing fuel injection or not. I use an in tank electric pump on my 442 with a return style regulator and a Q-jet. Makes out of tank gravity fed pumps with sumps and cells obsolete (& expensive & a crash hazard) except for 1,000+ HP drag car or something. You can probably snag it from the yard for peanuts and it should not be hard to sell.
The manual steering will be even slower than the current power setup, so the feel will not be much better. It's main use is on drag cars to reduce that last bit of weight and parasitic drag.
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