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[81cutlass]

Had the day off so I got some stuff done!

Drove 40 miles to a salvage yard that claimed they had a 81 regal speedometer that would work for my VSS. I wanted to put the dash back together today. Got there and realized they mis labeled it and the speedometer was ACTUALLY from a 84-87 regal. Blah. I asked if I could mosy around the yard and see what they have and they said they dont let people back there. Typical....

Good news is the salvage yard back home in MN had a regal I know of with the right speedometer so I called and they will get that pulled. I'm going to end up with $250 in freaking speedometers in this car and 40 hours of time. Blah.

Stopped at another salvage yard on the way home that acually lets people back in the yard. Grabbed some LS heat sink coils I found last time I was out there, some random rainier parts, and a grand cherokee steering shaft for this car. My morning wasn't totally a waste at least.

Afternoon I swapped axles. Took the original aluminum drum 2.73 open out and put in the 3.08 posi from my 2+2. The old 2.73 had a blown wheel cylinder anyways so I had to put some effort into cleaning it up and fixing it regardless.

I realized I didn't have new brake shoes that I should replace (both sets are cracked and 80k mile factory 50% worn) and I didn't have any gear lube so I gotta pick some shoes and 80/90 up tomorrow and the rear axle will be done.

 

[CaliWagon83]

Your Century and my Regal might be fraternal twins. 😊 Other than the front clip, they look almost identical. Love the progress you’ve made with this! 👍

 

[81cutlass]

Well the posi 3.08 swap is done. Changed fluid and shoes tonight. I totally forgot how to put drum brakes together since I only ever did my Cutlass drums when I was 17 with Dad so it's been damn near a decade and he did most of it for me since I was clueless.

Anyways it's done, probably could take done a rear disk swap faster haha.

Gotta get the TCC lockup wiring plugged in and get the starter in and the work under the car is pretty much done.

Spent quite a bit at Kirbans today getting some misc. Engine stuff I don't want to buy used and can't find anywhere else. Those pieces should allow me to get back to the engine.

 

[81cutlass]

Last night was random stuff cleanup day.

Bled the brakes, put in the starter and connected the battery cables. Put the grounding lugs to the block and the chassis to block strap to the firewall. Had to modify the TCC lockup wiring plug to make it fit since the GN was keyed for 3 and 4th gear lockup and the 2+2 trans was was wired for 4th gear only.

I will hopefully get the fuel rails and lines, and throttle body and turbo stuff installed tonight. Honestly I could have this thing running by the end of the week if I can get the GN to century firewall fuse block wiring figured out.

 

[81cutlass]

I knew of a salvage yard back where I grew up that had a 81 regal mostly complete. Called and they had the speedometer so I had them pull it and ship them to me.

So thats close...

Hot damn VSS port yipee! I can get back to finishing up the dash now 🙂

 

[81cutlass]

Random g body on the street I saw today, 78-79 regal with a 4.9 badge so Pontiac 301. It never ceases to amaze me how many different engine options early bop g bodies had.

In real news

My Kirban box showed up with my last pieces to bolt the engine together. Turbo is on and I just need a tee for the oil feed line. Fuel rail and intake is on and I installed the new Casper's cam sensor cap since I think my old one was bad.

Tomorrow I'll need to keep plugging away at the turbo stuff and hopefully get the heater hoses and rad and fans in.

 

[83beater]

I knew of a salvage yard back where I grew up that had a 81 regal mostly complete. Called and they had the speedometer so I had them pull it and ship them to me.

So thats close...
View attachment 105300

Hot damn VSS port yipee! I can get back to finishing up the dash now 🙂
View attachment 105301

Install 194 led bulds! Big difference I'm running led everywhere and viktor gauge readys 14s all the time now from12ish

 

[81cutlass]

Thanks for the bulb suggestion, I put led bulb in my dome light and it made it a ton better. I'm sure led cluster bulbs will help a lot too. I'll have to add them to my Amazon cart.

In other news this is what $17 of fittings looks like. Holy crap is brass fittings expensive, and I had to trim the corner of the tee to clear the block as I tightened the fitting down, but at least I have oil turbo feed now.

 

[81cutlass]

Hit it hard tonight after work for about 4.5 hrs.

Intercooler and the piping is done, vacuum hoses are plumbed, throttle and TV cable are hooked up. Got lucky and the stock 3.8 throttle cable was too short but I found the V8 cable from my 2+2 I removed this summer and swapped that over. Perfect length!

Bad news I was going to use the stock tiny 3.8 radiator for the time being and use the intrepid electric fans but I can't. Old rad is too narrow and the upper rad hose isn't close to fitting. I have planned to put a real better dual pass LS swap radiator in the 2+2 for some time but I think that will move up in the schedule. Remove 2 year old f body rad from 2+2 and drop that in this car, buy better rad for the 2+2.

Basically just have the engine wiring to fuse box plug thing to figure out 80 to 87 harness, exhaust, and radiator and fans to finish up under the hood, along with the maf intake tube I have to buy.

I'll have to do it interior stuff like dash and radio wiring next. Yay..... Fun.....

 

[81cutlass]

Picking away at the wiring. I have all the obvious stuff marked out to splice the 80 harness plug to the 87 GN harness.

The 80 harness has a few wires I'm not sure what they do, 2 that go to the oil pressure plug and two that go to a connector that look AC related but I'm not sure.

I also think the pink 12ga wire is distributor ignition feed but I'm not sure, and I have way more power feeds than I have in the fuse block under the dash so I'll have to run sn alternative fuse block under the hood for the ecm, injector, and a few other random powers.

What is that light blue and light green plug used for. Are either hot ignition wires? What about the oil pressure tank and brown/white wire? Does the alt light on an 80 harness work the same as the alt light on the GN? The GN harness says something about power also being run across the alt wire?

The red marks are the ones I'm still missing, top is GN harness bottom is century harness plug.