A year ago I bought my first G Body, a Grand Prix that I intended on making a driver out of. The car needed a lot of work and the engine was shot, and before I knew it I disassembled the entire thing and am slowly working on a total rebuild.
I often check out craigslist and other like sites to see what's out there. I happened across this 1985 Cutlass Supreme that looked pretty decent for a steal, $800.
307, 3 speed auto, pretty clean and complete interior. I went to see it in the dark and could hear exhaust leaks, but it otherwise drove okay (gutless). There was no kickdown on the transmission. It lost all power under full throttle. Bushings weren't shot like my GP, it felt pretty solid. I paid the man and drove it home.
When I got it under some lights I identified a few problems. The exhaust leaks were coming from the unplugged catalytic converter tube and AIR injection tubes. There were severe oil leaks coming from every seal on the motor. The ccc Quadrajet secondary choke plate had been removed and the secondaries didn't even open. The line from the fuel pump to the carb was wrong, an incorrect one was installed and bent into shape. When it was bent it was crimped in 2 places and wasn't allowing fuel to the carb. The coolant was a mess, oil in it and I could see exhaust bubbles from the radiator. The frame and floor pans are immaculate, thanks I'm sure to the lubrication provided by the leaky 307.
With that, I ordered timing cover/oil pan/ head/intake/valve cover gaskets and pulled the motor to get it cleaned up and sealed. I discovered the transmission had been changed at some point; it was now a dual pattern TH350 instead of a TH200C. The kickdown cable wasn't even hooked up. When I pulled the torque converter from the flex plate, I found only 2 bolts holding them together. I doused the engine in Easy Off and allowed it to soak for a few hours while I watched the Seahawks, then pressure washed all the grease from the engine.
I pulled the heads and intake and the engine is relatively clean inside. I am going to look for some 5A heads and a 4A intake at the wrecking yard on Friday to put on my 85 roller block. The carb is shot, its broken and there are tons of cut wires and busted/missing sensors. I have an entire GM TBI setup that I may consider running with an MS2. I wouldn't have to buy anything, so its tempting.
All in all, I'm happy with it for the price I paid. Looking forward to getting her back on the road!
I often check out craigslist and other like sites to see what's out there. I happened across this 1985 Cutlass Supreme that looked pretty decent for a steal, $800.
307, 3 speed auto, pretty clean and complete interior. I went to see it in the dark and could hear exhaust leaks, but it otherwise drove okay (gutless). There was no kickdown on the transmission. It lost all power under full throttle. Bushings weren't shot like my GP, it felt pretty solid. I paid the man and drove it home.
When I got it under some lights I identified a few problems. The exhaust leaks were coming from the unplugged catalytic converter tube and AIR injection tubes. There were severe oil leaks coming from every seal on the motor. The ccc Quadrajet secondary choke plate had been removed and the secondaries didn't even open. The line from the fuel pump to the carb was wrong, an incorrect one was installed and bent into shape. When it was bent it was crimped in 2 places and wasn't allowing fuel to the carb. The coolant was a mess, oil in it and I could see exhaust bubbles from the radiator. The frame and floor pans are immaculate, thanks I'm sure to the lubrication provided by the leaky 307.
With that, I ordered timing cover/oil pan/ head/intake/valve cover gaskets and pulled the motor to get it cleaned up and sealed. I discovered the transmission had been changed at some point; it was now a dual pattern TH350 instead of a TH200C. The kickdown cable wasn't even hooked up. When I pulled the torque converter from the flex plate, I found only 2 bolts holding them together. I doused the engine in Easy Off and allowed it to soak for a few hours while I watched the Seahawks, then pressure washed all the grease from the engine.
I pulled the heads and intake and the engine is relatively clean inside. I am going to look for some 5A heads and a 4A intake at the wrecking yard on Friday to put on my 85 roller block. The carb is shot, its broken and there are tons of cut wires and busted/missing sensors. I have an entire GM TBI setup that I may consider running with an MS2. I wouldn't have to buy anything, so its tempting.
All in all, I'm happy with it for the price I paid. Looking forward to getting her back on the road!
