'86 Grand Prix Rehab

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pontiacgp

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Mar 31, 2006
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Kitchener, Ontario
Sorry that there haven't been any updates so far this year and for good reason. Back on April 20th the work vehicle I was in was t-boned by a person who went thru a red light. It broke my clavicle (collar bone) and I had to have surgery. Right now I am not allowed to do anything heavy. Looks like this summer is shot at this point. Very disappointed.

that's depressing but I hope you fully recover so you can get back at it. You do some really nice work.
 

justacruzr2

Greasemonkey
Jun 16, 2017
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Midlothian, Illinois
Collarbone surgery? Never heard of it; broken both of mine over the years with nothing more than an arm sling.

It was broken in 2 places. Right now there is a plate holding it all together while it mends. The car that hit me was probably doing 40-45 mph (in a 30mph zone). It struck me in the left front fender and turned the truck from facing north to facing SW. When it hit, my left side was slammed against the drivers door.
 
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pontiacgp

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Mar 31, 2006
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Kitchener, Ontario
I took a quick look at the wrokers comp and I hope you can go after the other driver instead of just replying on the workers comp compensation.
 
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justacruzr2

Greasemonkey
Jun 16, 2017
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Midlothian, Illinois
Hi everyone. Well I've been back working on the Grand Prix for 2 months now (on weekends) and have finally finished the frame rail repair and will be installing the muffler and tailpipe and gas tank this weekend. Then the rear bumper will be next and that should finish up all the work on the underneath and back of the car. Next in line will be the repair of the rear passenger side floor. It's a small repair that I will be using a piece from the rear passenger side floor patch panel I bought. I'm now looking ahead to the engine swap and would like to know if anyone knows if the main instrument panel wiring harness is different between an '84 with a 305 and an '86 with a 231.

PS My injury recovery has been going well and have all my range of motion back. Thanks to all of you for asking.
 
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justacruzr2

Greasemonkey
Jun 16, 2017
151
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Midlothian, Illinois
As many of you know, I've been working on my 86 GP to get it ready for use. I wanted to be done with everything from the rear bumper up to the firewall before winter sets in since I am working on this project outside. I've made good progress despite the setback earlier this year (getting t-boned while at work and being laid up for about 2 months). The body is done up to the firewall (both the underside, the outside and the inside) so I've been finishing up with the interior. Right now I am going over the instrument panel... disassembling it, cleaning all the instrumentation, checking all the bulbs, etc. This included a new speedo cable as I am going from a 231 V6 w/speed control to a 305 V8 w/o speed control. As you know, speed control uses 2 cables (a short one and a longer one) and my foot is all the speed control I need. I also bought a new turn signal lever, the one w/o speed control on it but w/interval wipers. While trying to remove the old turn signal lever, which I was unable to do, (I thought these came out easily) I noticed that the turn signal lever w/speed control doesn't have interval wipers. Is that the way they did it? If you have speed control you can't have interval wipers (and vica-versa)? If that's the case then it seems that I would have to install a non-speedo turn signal switch w/interval wipers and whatever relay controls the interval wiper speed. I read at least one article here that said that all you have to do is change the lever and it will work but the speed control part will just go unused. But it seems to me that you will also lose the interval wipers since there is no interval wiper circuitry with the speed control switch, unless interval wipers work in a different way than I am thinking. Anybody have the definitive answer about this? And the definitive answer about how to remove the old turn signal lever? I did change that once on my 84 GP (about 23 years ago) and I thought all I did was turn the lever a certain way and it just pulled out but it's not working this time. I guess there could be some problem with the switch (like internal damage) that is preventing it from coming out and I say this because the turn indicators blink slowly even though I put in a new signal flasher and the wipers work very slowly too. Both of which are controlled thru the lever and the turn signal switch. Thanks for any help you can provide.

This is added info since I posted this. I did find out from a repair shop that there were 4 different setups for this. Standard wipers (Off/Lo/Hi), Standard wipers w/speed control (what the 86 has) , Interval wipers w/speed control, Interval wipers w/o speed control (what the 84 has). So it looks like I will have to bring everything over from the 84 including, maybe, the instrument panel wiring harness. Unless the instrument panel wiring harness was wired for all 4 setups. The wiper motor is definitely different and there is an extra relay (white cube shaped) that is part of the circuitry too.
 
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pagrunt

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Sep 14, 2014
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Elderton, Pa
This is added info since I posted this. I did find out from a repair shop that there were 4 different setups for this. Standard wipers (Off/Lo/Hi), Standard wipers w/speed control (what the 86 has) , Interval wipers w/speed control, Interval wipers w/o speed control (what the 84 has). So it looks like I will have to bring everything over from the 84 including, maybe, the instrument panel wiring harness. Unless the instrument panel wiring harness was wired for all 4 setups. The wiper motor is definitely different and there is an extra relay (white cube shaped) that is part of the circuitry too.
It'll be four levers & two switches. The levers as noted as no delay/no cruise, no delay/cruise, delay/no cruise, delay/cruise. The actual switch is no delay or delay. '84-'88 G's can interchange wiper switches (no dealy for no dealy, delay for dealy.) Also since you ar not plaining to have cruise '82 -'88 levers will interchange (as with any GM using the same/simular desing Saginaw column.)
 
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