85 Cutlass Supreme - Mulligan

[Algershick]

About a year and a half from my last update and a lot has happened.

My wife and I separated early last summer and I moved out. We were sorting out our divorce and I'd planned on losing the house, so I sold off nearly all of my projects and a metric ton of parts, tools, and materials.

I had several scheduled meetings to sell the Cutlass, but for one reason or another it always fell through. I just couldn't get rid of the car even as much as I tried. I resorted to parting the car out, which was tough for me. The first part to go was the complete 307 that I'd cobbled together along with the QJet I rebuilt.

We got as close to divorce as we possibly could have, but reconciled on the day of our court hearing in January. Its been a long 9 months and one step at a time we've got to a much better place, with a lot of work left to do.

Back to the car with the next post.

 

[Algershick]

Thankfully all I managed to sell off of the Cutlass was the motor prior to working things out at home. With that, I pulled the car off of Craigslist and started planning my next steps with it. Initially, this car was intended to be a driver. That's no longer the case, which opened up my options regarding drive train. It also warranted re-titling this thread from "Basketcase Driver" to "Mulligan" -- I get another do-over.

First and foremost, I needed a new engine, and I located a disassembled complete 1972 455 about 300 miles away. My wife and I decided to go on a road trip to pick it up and actually spent some quality time together on our 600 mile drive. We made a 2 day trip out of it and stopped twice along the way to go fishing. Much needed, and had a great weekend.

The block looks to be in great shape. The block is still stock bore and was 100% complete. I got the 455, a brand new set of KB pistons that I don't think I will use and a working TH400 for exactly what I sold my 307 for.

 

[Algershick]

The frame is now pulled out from under the car and will be boxed after I pick up some 1/8" material. I've got some Energy Suspension poly bushings that will be installed once its all back together.

I've got an 8.8" rear with 3.73's to install. The gears need to go if I use the TH400, but I've been contemplating a Gear Vendors unit. If I go that route I may keep the gears. Prices between building a 2004R for 600 ft lbs and the GV unit are close, and I've got big plans for this 455 so I'm thinking that the TH400/Gear Vendors is probably a safer bet.

I also picked up a set of 2007 Grand Prix bucket seats that are in great shape and I'll be fabbing seat brackets in the future.

 

[1evilregal]

glad to see you back at it, and happy to see you and the mrs. working things out. the good half and I almost came to that a long time ago, and both came to our senses early enough.

looking forward to seeing the new direction that you'll be going! did the GP survive the ordeal?

 

[Algershick]

Where to even start... I've been at it off and on since September but have really made some progress in the last month.

I've posted pictures of a lot of what I've done in the "What did you do to your gbody" thread, but I've really sunk the majority of my hours in the frame.

The open C channels have been boxed. One body mount hole on the frame was cut out and replaced, but that was basically the only rusty area on the entire frame (A/C drain).
I welded in rear upper and lower control arm mount reinforcements.

I stripped, blasted, and etched the entire frame on a redneck engine rotisserie which worked out surprisingly well.

I painted it with a product I read about called Mastercoat. It's tough stuff and was originally designed for 15 year service life on bridges. It coated very well spraying with an HVLP gun.

I used their topcoat as well, and started re-installing the front suspension immediately after the paint hardened.

 

[Algershick]

I ordered Moog tie rod ends, adjuster sleeves, center link, and pitman arm. All of the parts were stripped, painted, and installed onto my bare frame, and I gave my steering gearbox the same treatment.

After getting the second coil spring installed on the front, my spring compressor started binding up. I've had this thing for 15 years and have used it many, many times without issue during that period. I stopped, checked the threads and lubed it before slowly trying to loosen it. No-go! With about an inch of travel left, it completely seized due to galling and I had to cut it off. Fortunately I did get the spring installed, by my compressor is toast.

 

[Algershick]

I decided to go with the Explorer 8.8. There isn't a whole lot of information available on it, but the kit seems straight forward and it's been done successfully on cars far more powerful than mine will be.

I chose the most difficult path to mocking the 8.8 up because my frame has no body on it and I had already sold my 7.5" (nothing to reference).

I centered the rear measuring from the axle face to the frame rails on both sides. The housing angle should be the same as the frame rails, so I adjusted it and then began tacking the truss together. You want the truss plate mounted low to set the upper arm angles, otherwise it could negatively affect instant center.

I'm waiting to tack up the lower arms until I install the frame back under the car so I can center the tires in the wheel wells.

 

[Canon_Mutant]

I like your "redneck rotisserie" just fine. My project came to a complete stop once I realized my body bushings were toast and [if I'm going to swap those] not boxing and treating the frame while the body is loose would be stupid. But, it would also be stupid to buy a $3-5K rotisserie I'll use once, AND having the suspension all off and rear end out as it sits to put all that back in new, just to take the car to a shop to take the body loose, box the frame, blast and coat, and swap the bushings there [plus there are no shops here around Wichita I trust to do that - details]. Never even thought about using the motor stand I own and one a friend has I'm sure he'd loan me. Plus, I'd have room to slide my frame out sideways as long as it stays LOW in my "work" shop. Not enough room to do it on a large [normal] rotisserie though.

Looking good . . . 👍

 

[Algershick]

I bought a jig to drill the axles to our 5x4 3/4" pattern and it was honestly a lot of work at an awkward angle for me and my bad back. 🤔

Got it done though, and successfully installed new 1/2" wheel studs. It's got tires on the back! It's not much to look at yet, but it feels good to be making progress.

 

[Algershick]

I like your "redneck rotisserie" just fine. My project came to a complete stop once I realized my body bushings were toast and [if I'm going to swap those] not boxing and treating the frame while the body is loose would be stupid. But, it would also be stupid to buy a $3-5K rotisserie I'll use once, AND having the suspension all off and rear end out as it sits to put all that back in new, just to take the car to a shop to take the body loose, box the frame, blast and coat, and swap the bushings there [plus there are no shops here around Wichita I trust to do that - details]. Never even thought about using the motor stand I own and one a friend has I'm sure he'd loan me. Plus, I'd have room to slide my frame out sideways as long as it stays LOW in my "work" shop. Not enough room to do it on a large [normal] rotisserie though.

Looking good . . . 👍

I hear you! I didn't want to put it back together without repairing and treating everything I could. I'll be damned if I want to do it again to this car, and I try to stick to a pretty tight budget for these projects. I don't mind spending money on something I'll get a lot of use out of, but for these one-offs I'm willing to do something the hard way as long as it accomplishes the task!