MONTE CARLO "COPO" Monte Carlo SS - Turbosaurus Build (Swinging Dick Racing's c*ck got bent... she bounced a little too high & hard, & came down awkwardly)

[motorheadmike]

Ongoing great spray paint debate notwithstanding.

There were many swears getting to this point. It wasn't just the grease and grime or the process (busted knuckles, scrapes, bumping my head)... it was the relentless fight against the frozen in the frame UCA to frame bolts. My Lord. It would have been less aggravating to cut it all off and weld in a new mount.

I have had enough for today.

 

[Tony1968]

That bad huh... Yikes 😬

 

[Texas82GP]

Ongoing great spray paint debate notwithstanding.

There were many swears getting to this point. It wasn't just the grease and grime or the process (busted knuckles, scrapes, bumping my head)... it was the relentless fight against the frozen in the frame UCA to frame bolts. My Lord. It would have been less aggravating to cut it all off and weld in a new mount.

View attachment 195182

I have had enough for today.

Those upper bolts are supposed to be a press fit so they don't spin and you don't need a backup on them when you are shimming the front end. I'm probably telling you something you already know and I'm guessing that great white rust has something to do with your frustration.

 

[motorheadmike]

Those upper bolts are supposed to be a press fit so they don't spin and you don't need a backup on them when you are shimming the front end. I'm probably telling you something you already know and I'm guessing that great white rust has something to do with your frustration.

Yeah, I knew their shanks were knurled/splined going in. But they are only pressed into 1/8" thick plate, so knocking them loose isn't supposed to be rage inducing. Add the effects of 30+ years of rust and they became a real headache. Some genius just had to put a 4" down pipe in the normal working area to further complicate things - LOL.

Heat, penetrating oil, and a pneumatic chisel on the back of the head eventually got them to cooperate. Hopefully the other side goes easier.

 

[64nailhead]

No cursin’ unless you fubar.

Rust is just another day 😉

 

[motorheadmike]

Well... it sucked less. Started off real bad when my 18mm flex head gear wrench popped apart. Fortunately, I was able to reassemble it as it is a critical tool to the job.

Now it just needs a bit of degreasing and some paint before the new parts can go on.

 

[motorheadmike]

If this project had a face it would be soooooo... very... punchable.

 

[Northernregal]

If this project had a face it would be soooooo... very... punchable.

I have a cutlass you might find soothing to work on.

 

[motorheadmike]

Does this look like the expected result from 2" drop spindles and tall lower ball joints?!

Those are Moog 5660 springs. This is the exact same setup that was in the wagon went it first hit the streets. And it didn't have this problem.

Is this a function of a weight difference between the two cars? I am uncertain that the Monte is that much lighter than the wagon. Each combination has trade-offs in sprung mass: iron vs. aluminum block, fiberglass vs. steel hood, aluminum vs. steel bumper brace, iron manifolds vs. headers, turbo vs. air conditioning, no sway bar vs. sway bar, and on and on...

This isn't an obvious binding suspension issue as it has travel. The classic "springs need to settle" doesn't account for the 1.5" gain... 1/2" maybe. Double, triple, and quadruple checked the control arms (the uppers were swapped for the old ones from the wagon) to make certain they weren't placed on the wrong side.

F*ck me.

Sitting on the floor are two springs.

The blue ones just came out, and had the car resting on cut bump stops. The silver ones came in the wagon which had 2" drop spindles and was smashed on the bump stops.

I'd rather try either of those options before I start cutting up the 5660s. All that to say I am at a loss at the moment.

 

[Northernregal]

The old car project dick punch. Nice work Monte, ol' Mike never saw that one coming....

Did you measure coil spring diameter? Could they be the wrong springs? Loosen the lower arm mounts to remove possibility of bind? Turns out BMW has it as part of the suspension service procedure, I never thought it would have that much effect but it made a huge difference when I did the struts.