BUILD THREAD 86 GP 2+2~Blown 6.0

[81cutlass]

Tore the rear brakes apart to get the e-brake working last weekend and ordered some new rubber parts and adjusters since the old ones were rusted solid. Also picked up some iron to weld up some e-brake cable mounts and bought a flex fuel compatible ECM.

Looks like the weather predicting underground rodent was semi correct (so far) this year and there isn't 6 more weeks of winter. Highs in the upper 50's this weekend and lows above 32 so the melting is going to be hitting hard.

Time to get this pile ready and back on the road!

 

[81cutlass]

The 220V in the garage got used for the first time today

Took some measurements and fabbed up the new e-brake cable mount bracket

The really hot glue gun

Hey there is two

Goal is to get these wrapped up tomorrow or Sunday AM at the latest, Be nice to take a spin around the block with it forecast to be 63 🙂

 

[81cutlass]

Wrapped up the e-brake stuff today, filled the rad and put it back on the ground.

Took it for a little spin around the block and everything seems good. The rear brakes are making a light scraping sound, I think there might be a clip thats hanging up or something, I'll have to check.

Next up, getting the AC pump bracket figured out.

It's still way early in the season and the roads are still full of crap so although I want to drive it I think I'll hold off until a nice rain.

 

[81cutlass]

Well it was in the upper 40's to low 60's last weekend and I go all excited to get this car back on the road but the nice weather seems to have broken and its back to normal 20-40's. Roads are still full of garbage so not driving this car yet. Its still march though, no harm no foul.

I did pick up a brand new sanden 508 style AC compressor of FB marketplace for $75 that someone had bought for a ford 302 vintage air kit and never installed. Original plan was to try and use the factory bracket and pump in some form but the more I looked I didn't see an easy method to make it work. Eaiser to go to a known pump with published dimensions.

I did some research and this bracket is basically what I want to do except it needs to sit farther forward (on the front 6 rib drive) and have an additional idler pulley potentially. I like it, its simple, clean, and something I can fab easy. Plus, I get to try out the waterjet on campus. In person classes are cancelled until April 1st with this whole coronacircus fiasco so all the undergrads aren't in the shop so I have sorta free reign as a grad student. Ye-haw

Since I made my own belt routing to clear the blower, I think this is what the AC setup will look like. Thanks powerpoint and snipping tool (my favorite engineering tools haha). Only thing unique I have to come up with is the blue tensioner pulley and the yellow arrow for a tensioning force. The distance between the tension side of the AC pump and the slack side of the water pump seems a bit long also so I might end up throwing another idler pulley in there. If I do, I will end up putting a bracket attached to something and double up that bracket to mount a traditional idler to. I think i saw a dodge 05ish 4.7 used a 6 rib tensioner that should work for this setup so I just gotta start drawing parts and doing some fab work and see where it ends up.

I might be able to be sneaky and use the 3rd mount tab on the pump itself in between the top and bottom mounts of the mounts that bolt to the block to fasten the tensioner to. I think I will have to go with a normal coil spring instead of a clock style spring usually in a tensioner and fab something up but i think it will work out.

LS

348 - 409 Chevy Mounting Brackets

www.alangrovecomponents.com

 

[81cutlass]

I need opinions. On to the comfort and beautification of this car now that the mechanical part is doing well.

When I got this car it was missing the rear seat and the front seats were disgusting. Passenger front seat was mice infested and drivers needed a lot of cleaning. I found someone selling some used Monte SS front seat buns and covers and recovered the front passenger seat with the Monte SS stuff. The rear seat is out of an 88 Cutlass and is maroon so its grey drivers seat, blue passenger and maroon rear. Everything is in OK shape but not supportive especially for autocross and not really comfortable.

These seats don't match and GP repop seat upholstery is not sold. I am thinking of doing something totally different moving forward.

I found a 96 W body cutlass in the salvage yard with a nice set of grey leather buckets. (2nd photo) along with someone who has put them in a G body cutlass (3rd and 4th photos). I think these W body seats match the G body interior well, are pretty supportive with the bolstering but not uncomfortably supportive.

Given the 2+2 is sorta "rare", would you
A) Admit its worth it and actually spend the money to find a shop to reupholster the seats I have to match.
B) Stash these seats in the attic and buy those W body leather buckets and bolt them in with a few mods. It's reported the 98-03ish W body GP buckets bolt directly to the G body seat tracks

 

[TURNA]

Its yours

make it your own and save the original stuff in the shed

 

[Streetbu]

If you're actually going to do any kind of corner type racing, don't use any factory style seat, get some aftermarket seats and thank me later...

 

[Turbo Zach]

There is not much original to your car, why would you care about what seats to use?

 

[81cutlass]

That's enough of an answer for me! I was thinking for some reason it would be sacrilege to swap stuff out but I don't think anyone cares 🙂 The car is butchered enough as is.

Looks like I'm going to grab those seats next time I'm out there.

I want something that is comfortable. I might do a bit of autocrossing from time to time but it's not worth sacrificing the comfort for a bit more seat control. I am a sucker for leather seats for some dumb reason and these were comfy yet supportive.

I think these W body seats bolt onto 60/40 tracks from a post on the forum I was reading. Just means I loose power seats, which I don't want anyways since the car isn't wired for power seats and having them in my Cutlass I'm not sure it's really worth it.

I'm actually really looking forward to having AC and better seats in this car for the summer. Should make putting some miles on it more enjoyable for sure.

 

[motorheadmike]

That's enough of an answer for me! I was thinking for some reason it would be sacrilege to swap stuff out but I don't think anyone cares 🙂 The car is butchered enough as is.

Looks like I'm going to grab those seats next time I'm out there.

I want something that is comfortable. I might do a bit of autocrossing from time to time but it's not worth sacrificing the comfort for a bit more seat control. I am a sucker for leather seats for some dumb reason and these were comfy yet supportive.

I think these W body seats bolt onto 60/40 tracks from a post on the forum I was reading. Just means I loose power seats, which I don't want anyways since the car isn't wired for power seats and having them in my Cutlass I'm not sure it's really worth it.

I'm actually really looking forward to having AC and better seats in this car for the summer. Should make putting some miles on it more enjoyable for sure.

I put J-body seats in my Buick - zero Fs given.