BUILD THREAD 81 Buick/Olds Turbo Wagon 02/15/2024 More Parts!

[bbarbulo]

Re: 81 Century/GN Wagon Update 12/22/14 Downpipe and Exhaust

this is looking great. I hope you make the april paint deadline, but even if not... as long as every day you are a little further along than you were the previous day.

 

[ssbrewskyaz]

Re: 81 Century/GN Wagon Update 12/22/14 Downpipe and Exhaust

Looks good Jim.

It's easy to get off task on these projects, I mean with life and all going on all around us. Especially if you have a family or youngen's at home. It's ok to go up on two wheels once in a while as long as there's still a plan when the other two hit the pavement again. Some of the crappy things that happen to us add to our character. I can't speak for you but I'm sure most would say I'm quite a character. I only wish I had some of your fabrication talent.

What mufflers did you end up going with? The car is going to be neat when it's done. I give you credit, I don't think I could drive anything every day in all conditions after I'd put that much work into it. By the same token, driving the car every day is when you really appreciate the engineering. Good for you! ...

Scott. ...

 

[liquidh8]

Re: 81 Century/GN Wagon Update 12/22/14 Downpipe and Exhaust

this is looking great. I hope you make the april paint deadline, but even if not... as long as every day you are a little further along than you were the previous day.

Well, after talking to my friend with the paint booth, the April deadline is now a soft deadline, so the pressure is a bit less. And you are right, ever bit of progress is progress.

Re: 81 Century/GN Wagon Update 12/22/14 Downpipe and Exhaust

Looks good Jim.

It's easy to get off task on these projects, I mean with life and all going on all around us. Especially if you have a family or youngen's at home. It's ok to go up on two wheels once in a while as long as there's still a plan when the other two hit the pavement again. Some of the crappy things that happen to us add to our character. I can't speak for you but I'm sure most would say I'm quite a character. I only wish I had some of your fabrication talent.

What mufflers did you end up going with? The car is going to be neat when it's done. I give you credit, I don't think I could drive anything every day in all conditions after I'd put that much work into it. By the same token, driving the car every day is when you really appreciate the engineering. Good for you! ...

Scott. ...

Scott, this is very true. With the military, daily drivers breaking, etc, it is hard to keep on task. I have been in Marietta GA for the last 10 days, got home Friday night late.

The mufflers I am using are 3" SLP Loud Mouths. I heard a few videos on YouTube with a GN running them and really liked the sound.

There has been some progress over the weekend. I installed the ministarter, managed to fix all the fuel leaks, finally! I finished up the "testpipe" and bolted it in with new SS hardware. I also cut the stock inlet off the intercooler and welded on the Dutt big neck.

Corvette mini starter.


Testpipe with flex fitting, cutout and stainless flanges.




Dutt big neck.


Cut off for test fit.



welded on and after some cleanup.



With a quick coat of pain on the new stuff. In the spring I will repaint the whole thing.

 

[Blake442]

Pretty fancy stuff, Jim!

 

[liquidh8]

After replacing the trans in my Denali again, after the rebuilt failed after 29 miles, I was able to get on the wagon. I have to moved to interior wiring. Fuse panel, behind dash, etc, everything.

I have to make some progress here, Blake is making me look like a slacker. 🙂

 

[Flyinhillbilly]

Very cool, keep up the good work.

 

[liquidh8]

thank you!
Well, I am almost complete the monumental task of rewiring the dashboard harness, ECM harness, and fuse panel. There was a lot of additional functionality the EBL SFI-6 added to the vehicle. I also had to make all the wiring for the autometer gauges in the dashboard, and the a-pillar, factory wire colors. Call it a pet peeve. I have also added a viper alarm / remote starter system to the vehicle. I removed the factory wiring for the theft deterrent system since it was outdated. I can lock and unlock the doors, have dome light entry / exit delay, hatch glass release, remote defog activation, and some additional functionality.

I don't really have a whole lot of pics, because I was busy soldering and making new wiring diagrams for the vehicle. There's no way in hell I will remember what I done four years from now if I ever had a problem. So the vehicle rewiring, engine compartment and everything else, have taken a lot of time.

 

[Blake442]

That's good progress!
Wiring is one of those tasks where you can work all day but not get much of a visual payoff...

 

[Longroof79]

Wiring is indeed one of those tedious tasks, but a necessary one at that. I could see where it would be difficult to recall how you wired and routed everything unless everything was documented.
Glad to hear you're making more headway.

 

[liquidh8]

Thanks guys, I am making some progress. This is one of those steps that is just taking long, but has to get done for me to move forward. I am almost at a point where I can get to the body again. I have the remote start/alarm functioning, and all the circuits for the aux ports and carpc, etc. are run. I have to wait till the interior and dash panel is in to finish the plugs and final tie-ins. I'll snap a few pics in the coming evenings. But it looks just like every other factory g-body harness, just as I intended.