BUILD THREAD 87 Cutlass EFI build: 9/13/23..NEW STUFF!

[Injectedcutty]

Eh, I have you beat.... Had my Regal for almost 15 years, and has been a project for 13 of those now... Every time I try to put it back together again, I seem to find a reason to rip it further apart... Hoping to separate the body from the frame this winter....

13 years and I am at this point..( sorry, phone wouldn't let me rotate the pic once I started this)View attachment 77554

Darin, I don't feel so bad now lol! I'm at 16 years of owning mine, it's been torn apart for a couple engine swaps. However, the 6 years into the body off resto is by far the most I've dug into it!!!! No bolt, nut, line has gone untouched and it will essentially be a "new" 30 year old Oldsmobile.

 

[Clutch]

Good to see it's in the shop Scot. Congratulations I'm shore it's going to look great

 

[Injectedcutty]

Good to see it's in the shop Scot. Congratulations I'm shore it's going to look great

Thanks Eric, I'm sure I will be grinning ear to ear when I get to see it painted! The shop that is spraying it does top notch work and the owner is excited to do it. It's been there a couple weeks now, not sure if anything has been done, but I don't wanna bother them unless they need me.

 

[melloelky]

it's a long road for sure but all these little accomplishments we achieve along the way add up.it's not always by leaps and bounds but damn all the sacrifices and money spent become so worth it in the end.

 

[Injectedcutty]

it's a long road for sure but all these little accomplishments we achieve along the way add up.it's not always by leaps and bounds but damn all the sacrifices and money spent become so worth it in the end.

You got that right! I've put WAY more into it than it's worth just being a regular Cutlass Supreme, but it's mine, I've done most of the work with my hands, and there won't be another like it when finished!!!!
The pride that accompanies that when people see it and question this or that, and I can explain it all because I've lived through it will be worth so much more!!!

 

[melloelky]

i call it smiles per gallon 😉

 

[Injectedcutty]

The weather is unusually mild here in KY this week, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to make some progress.
The LS valley pan cover was primed when I got it, but I just couldn't leave it alone. I ended up sanding off the primer, then filed down the casting flash around the sides last night. I know it won't be very visible, but getting rid of the flash makes it look so much smoother!
This morning I taped off the area where the gasket goes, and wiped it down one last time.
It's kind of breezy, so I was fighting the wind but I'm happy how it turned out. Hopefully this week I can get the lifters dropped in, heads bolted on, then measure and order a set of pushrods. That would finish off the valvetrain and get the LS to a point where it could be dropped in the Cutlass after it's painted🙂.

Until then, here are a few pics starting with before, then after.

 

[Injectedcutty]

Since it's too nice to be stuck inside, I unbagged the LS and dropped in the lifters with new trays, and torqued the bolts. Now I'm on hold until the ARP head bolts come in, but some progress is better than none!

 

[Injectedcutty]

For sh*ts and giggles, a close up pic of the valley cover. It didn't take long to file it smooth, but looks way better IMO.

 

[Injectedcutty]

I was able to get done with work an hour earlier than expected today, so I rushed home and got everything out to bolt on the heads. Dumb me forgot to chase the threads, so I had to do that first!
Anyways, I prepped the mating surfaces and got the heads torqued down now! I ran out of free time for the day, so gonna try to get the pushrod measuring done in the next couple days if time permits.
I gotta say, I like the look with the heads painted. Piece by piece, it's coming together....