79 Cutlass Wagon G-machine build

[SRD art]

I've wondered about the spring height adjusters. How do you install them? Have you got photos of that?

Why didn't you like the Moog springs? What part number? Do tell, do tell 🙂.

 

[liquidh8]

Ben, I used the adjustable spring spacers from AFCO in the front and rear.

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/AFCO-Adjustable-Coil-Spring-Spacer,23948.html

There are welded to the frame. But I shorted all four of them to make the car lower, and I added tabs to the adjusting ring to better locate the springs as they are larger in diameter then the adjusters center. They have big ACME threads and adjust easily when the weight is off the suspension, giving me 2 inches or ride height adjustment. I also used AFCO coils springs, but you could use hypercoils or similar. The rear springs have one pigtail, so they are located on the rear like stock, and the uppers sit in the cup. The are just like the third gen rear springs. The front springs are AFCO's also, a bit more of a pain to adjust since the adjuster was up in the frame. I had cut a slot in the frame to move the ring for ride height. No pics of that as that was on the Malibu wagon. All four AFCO springs are shorter than stock.

Here is the rear on the bench after welding the tabs on and sitting on the spring. I also made a rubber isolator for the springs.

The front springs are 5.5" x 9.5" tall. The rears are 5.5" by 11" I think, I have to measure them. I can climb under the rear of the Buick tomorrow as I have the rear springs in. the fronts aren't in yet.

I went through 4 different suspension set-ups, going from drop springs, moog springs, drop spindles, cut springs, etc. i ended up here after some research and reading, there are a few thread on pro-touring. I just liked this set-up. After putting all the stuff in the car, I was able to get all four corners sitting just right.

The MOOGS seemed super soft to me, I had them in the malibu wagon, Iron headed SBC, glass hood and bumper. It did lower the car, but I would hit big dips and bumps and it handled like a v6 spring, I had worn out wheelwells as proof. Where the stock v8 springs controlled he car better. The shocks were bilstiens. So, I went with this set-up, another set of shocks, and voila, a totally different car. I have now track time on it. Just the same exact route to work so I am sure some more tuning could have been done with the spring rates and whatnot.

I'll be taking a few more pics and post em up for ya. This set-up works for me, and you can use any aftermarker spindles/control arms with it.

 

[SRD art]

Thanks for the info!

Updates- I have had this week off for spring break and I'm going through withdrawal symptoms for not being able to work on my car. 🙁 I am taking this time to get caught up on a bunch of client's car renderings though so it's been a good thing.

I did make a little progress on the car, sort of. The rest of my parts finally arrived from SC&C. I got the first shipment last week, in this photo you can see the Spohn adjustable rear upper control arms I ordered from them. I could have gotten them direct from Spohn but Marc assured me that when I buy from him it's a full package- not only do I get parts but I get tuning instruction / coaching. He encouraged me to set it all up, beat on it, call him and get some feedback and fine tuning instructions, and then repeat process until the car is doing what I want it too. We chatted for 2.5 hours on the first phone call and he filled me with knowledge and advice so I wouldn't doubt he meant that he'll be there to help dial the car in. You can't beat that type of customer service so I feel good about sending the $ his way. Spohn is still selling parts so it looks like a 3 way win here.

This week my front upper control arms arrived, they're the Stage 2 Plus kit, SPC adjustable arms with tall screw in upper ball joints and tall lower ball joints. These, besides the wheels and tires combined, have been my most spendy expense, over twice what I paid for the car itself, lol! They also weren't what I had wanted to buy when I called Marcus but after talking to him he obviously knows more about my car than I do so I eagerly accepted his suggestions. According to him these arms should bring my old lousy geometry pretty close to a new Vette, Camaro or Mustang. At this point I'm leaning more and more to make this thing a serious contender on the track rather than just a mild P-T car so as thrifty (read cheap and empty pocketed) as I am I'm feeling like the expense was worth it. At the very least I won't be spending more later on to upgrade from the less expensive upper arms I originally wanted.

I also ordered a pair of these progressive rate control arm bumpers. As you guys know I first lowered my car about 3-3.5" by cutting springs. Eventually they sagged and they were resting on the now squashed rubber bumpers. Every decent bump in the road the car would rebound and bounce upwards. Marc said these absorb the bumps rather than rebounding and making the suspension bounce. The way it drove before got a little scary at speed so really that was a major factor in deciding on tearing everything down and starting fresh on the wagon rather than finishing my street-strip Nova.

I'm really excited about this project. I've had fast cars in the past but never have I done a build to this caliber. I think the day I parked the car in the shop at school, even then I didn't realize just how bad this car will be when I'm done. Recently I got a call from a friend that owns his own design agency and mentioned he had another friend that needs a graphic designer for his agency and asked if I was interested. I told him about school, my car project, and going to work for Joe at Bulldawg in a couple months. All he could say was, "wow, you're living the dream." I think it really hit me then how much my life has changed since last August and I got a real feel for what the future holds. Yeah, to say I'm stoked is an understatement.

 

[LSCustoms]

Crazy, I ordered some stuff from them the other day too, and I spoke to Marc for around 2 hours too. good dude and very knowledgeable, in fact i just ordered his book... gonna be making some changes to my front end set up as well and picking up a set of xtra tall upper and lower ball joints (Howe)...

 

[SRD art]

Yeah, everywhere I've seen him post he had good insight and folks always said plan on a long chat if you do call him. He obviously loves g-bodies, making them handle, and taking care of his customers. I like that in situations like this because I don't know all that much in comparison to folks like him and I feel confident I'm getting the best to make my car do what I want, not just slappin' on the popular parts of the day. I bought his book too, and although I'm only about 1/3 through it has been great reading and is easy to understand.

 

[LSCustoms]

Yeah, everywhere I've seen him post he had good insight and folks always said plan on a long chat if you do call him. He obviously loves g-bodies, making them handle, and taking care of his customers. I like that in situations like this because I don't know all that much in comparison to folks like him and I feel confident I'm getting the best to make my car do what I want, not just slappin' on the popular parts of the day. I bought his book too, and although I'm only about 1/3 through it has been great reading and is easy to understand.

you dont know all that much my *ss! you are looking to be one of the cleanest fabricators ive seen in a long time! but i know what youre getting at...

 

[SRD art]

Lol! Thanks a lot, that means a lot to me. I've been playing with building fast street motors since I was 16 in '86 and have done some minor suspension upgrades and such but nothing ever like this. Ever since Troy Trepanier at a fairly young age started showing up in mags (remember that mint green 59 impala? I loved that car!) I wanted to do this but I never thought I'd be worthy. A couple years back Hot Rod featured some articles about what it would take to work in this industry. I had been laid off and I was looking for another job in design when I read that article at Wal Mart. I had to buy it and take it home and study it again and again. I took a gamble and put life on hold for us to go back to school and I feel like this is a talent I should've tapped into a LONG time ago but I didn't have the self confidence to think I would ever succeed.

I don't say this to pat myself on the back but rather to inspire everyone else. I look at so many people who work all their life doing something they don't enjoy or what isn't their greatest avenue of success, my dad and myself included. That's really a bit unfortunate, I always believed God, or the universe depending on how you view things, has provided us with everything we need to be successful and enjoy life if we exercise enough faith to go for it and then be humble enough to ask for help along the way. I believe this even more now.

 

[LSCustoms]

Lol! Thanks a lot, that means a lot to me. I've been playing with building fast street motors since I was 16 in '86 and have done some minor suspension upgrades and such but nothing ever like this. Ever since Troy Trepanier at a fairly young age started showing up in mags (remember that mint green 59 impala? I loved that car!) I wanted to do this but I never thought I'd be worthy. A vouple years back Hot Rod featured some articles about what it would take to work in this industry. I had been laid off and I was looking for another job in design when I read that article at Wal Mart. I had to buy it and take it home and study it again and again. I took a gamble and put life on hold for us to go back to school and I feel like this is a talent I should've tapped into a LONG time ago but I didn't have the self confidence to think I would ever succeed.

I don't say this to pat myself on the back but rather to inspire everyone else. I look at so many people who work all their life doing something they don't enjoy or what isn't their greatest avenue of success, my dad and myself included. That's really a bit unfortunate, I always believed God, or the universe depending on how you view things, has provided us with everything we need to be successful and enjoy life if we exercise enough faith to go for it and then be humble enough to ask for help along the way. I believe this even more now.

well stated and keep up the great work

 

[SRD art]

Last night on date night my wife and I stopped by a store to pick up a few T-shirts for my son. I saw one there I couldn't resist so I grabbed it for myself. Although I have a degree from BYU and soon to be a degree from UVU, in honor of all my new friends in GA (and to try to somehow, when I move there in May, blend in with all those folks that talk funny)...

If any of you guys are around the Atlanta area, I'll be in Acworth, NW of Atlanta, and I look forward to meeting "y'all" at events.

🙂 🙂

 

[clean8485]

Ben, as always, I'm enjoying your updates and the photos. I have a couple of questions. When you notched the rear frame rails, did you reinforce the frame at all? Maybe its just an optical illusion for me, but the cross sectional area of the frame rails where you notched them looks alot narrower. I'm just wondering if they have the same strength in that area, or if the extra bracing that you've fabricated and installed helps out with that. I did ask before but I guess you missed it-did you see the build on MCSS.com with the new G body frame from Schwartz Performance? Just wondering what your impressions of that are. Also, you mentioned reading the book that you got from SC&C. I went over to their site and checked. Is that the "How to Make Your Muscle Car Handle" book? I'm always interested in some good hobby-related reading, and that book looks like it defintely qualifies. I think I've seen it for sale here in Canada, which would be easier for me than ordering it from the States. Also enjoyed looking through SC&Cs website. You don't see that many places that sell parts from different manufacturers as a kit.
Please keep up the good work, and the updates. Thanks.