Build Thread-85 Cutlass Brougham-New Pics Added!

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Now you are ready for the drip rail trim. Start at the top and rotate it down into position by snapping it in place under the roof.

Your next trim piece will be the wide B pillar trim.Make sure that then you install it you lock the little tab on the drip rail trim behind it. You will also want to seal this piece to the body with strip caulk or foam weatherstripping tape. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pics of this step.

Now you are ready to start installing the weatherstripping channels. Start by putting a big wad of strip caulk in the corners. This will seal the joint of the two pieces, as well as make up for the gap where the foam tape will not bridge the gap at the bend in the main channel that bolts to the roof and A pillar.

Now, you will need to use the foam tape to seal the channels before you install them. Put the tape a little in from the edge so it is concealed when you bolt this all together and it does not squeeze out. The channels themselves have a little indentation where the factory put it's tape. Follow them and you will be fine. (bad pic of this step as it was done at 2am)

I will complete this how to later. I have to go catch up on homework right now.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

LACE HOLDER FOR REST OF WEATHERSTRIPPING HOW TO:

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Today's Progress: Went "Bolt Harvesting" after class today. Basically, that means I made a list of fasteners I was missing and umm..."got" them from the junkyard. I probably got about 5 lbs of nuts, bolts and screws. I found the stuff I needed and pulled it, but also looked at all the 80's GM stuff and took any clean bolts that were left by others who disassembled the cars. When I got home, I installed the rear trunk to window filler panel and the lower trim for the back window, and bolted the A/C suitcase back to the firewall where the bolts were missing. I also searched through my boxes of goodies and once again found stuff I needed, like a good A/C system wiring harness and the window alignment blocks I was missing. I still need to find the limit stops for the windows and the pins to finish installing them. I also ordered a 50 pack of windshield molding clips, the little white ones that are hard to find in bulk at a parts store. Price? $15.25 (with shipping) off E-Bay. (Search term: "Windshield clips GM"). I still need to find a pair of the rear lower quarter molding clips (big white ones) as I only had 2 in my collection and needed 4.

Tomorrow I need to study for my big Calc test, so I will probably not do too much. I am thinking I will get the left taillight and filler panel installed as well as finally bolting the rear bumper cover all the way in. If I have time, I will also install the trunk edge moldings. Later this week, I will be painting the mirror housings (if I have enough paint) or going back to the junkyard to try and find some backup lights and a trunk weatherstrip so I can finally seal the last of the body from rain water.

 

[Doober]

Don't you love sourcing bolts & whatnot from the junkyard? :lol:

I usually grab a few fuses while I'm out & about, same with headlight bulbs if I find the size I need. Sure they may not last as long, but they don't cost as much as a new headlight if you're at the yard for something else, now do they?

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

The sad thing is just how many of these fasteners are proprietary and can be found nowhere else but another similar car. What annoys me though is when I find a car put together with wood screws. I hate having to fix cars like that. I once worked on a Eclipse turbo that had parts of the turbo system "fixed" with bathroom caulk and wire nuts! Someone just didn't want to try too hard on that one...

 

[Blake442]

Last time I went to the junkyard, by the time I left, my pants were almost falling down I had so many fasteners in all my pockets!

 

[Doober]

Yup, been there! :lol: I've nabbed a couple other small items I've come across that could be useful (weatherpak relays, etc.).

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

On "Junkyard Monday", I will probably be going back to try and find the hood trim clips, bolts and rubber washers as well as the trim clips for the quarter panel trim. Why Junkyard Monday? Well, I am off from work on Mondays and I have school in the morning, and school is closer to the junkyard than anywhere else I go all week. It's becoming a personal tradition to hit 3 or 4 of the U pull it yards after school each week. I should probably bring the digital camera with me and take some pics of the G bodies in the yard one of these days, but the yard owners frown on cameras.

 

[Doober]

... and school is closer to the junkyard than anywhere else I go all week.

Sounds like me :lol: It's a little cool here still, so I haven't gone much yet.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Today's Progress: Finally bolted the rear bumper cover in place this afternoon, and put the driver's side taillight in tonight after work. With the taillight, I made my own gaskets to seal the bulb holes with some 3/4 in foam weatherstripping tape (seam at the bottom of the hole!), and sealed the bolt holes with strip caulk by putting the caulk on the washers that cover the holes, then bolting them in place. I also used some hand swirl mark remover to clean up the plasti-chrome bezels on the taillights as well as the lenses themselves. I just wish someone made reproduction taillights for these cars as mine show their age, and the price for NOS stuff is unreal-if you can find it. I'd rather deal with the imperfections though and use the money saved on a nitrous kit or something else that is fun to people who are not into power parking.

Also, have you ever tried counting up all of the trim pieces and shiny metal parts on a Cutlass Supreme Brougham? I stopped counting at 52! Who says 50's cars had all the chrome! Considering how long it takes to polish each piece, it may take me a little while to finish polishing and installing the rest of it.