Finally Doing A Build Thread

[350_85cutty]

That has to be the nicest grille and headlight bezel set left in existence! Mine was never that nice, and I got my car in 1993! In fact, the reason mine is done in black was to hide the condition of the chrome on the front end. I also swapped to the sport mirrors for the same reason as mine were terrible looking. I wish GM had used a better chroming process on it's trim pieces in the 80's.

yeah they are in really good condition and so is the Hood Ornament. most are missing those lil red inlays but mine are still there. I'm thinking of doing the delete and storing that ornament away to preserve it lol. as for the mirrors, were the chrome ones an option? I like the sport ones better than the chrome ones personally. I did not know the mirrors were metal until i started to sand them for prime. I thought the were urethane or something. It's amazing how some of the parts on this car are in real good condition. I guess I'm a lucky guy. If I could do it all over again, meaning I'd have to have gotten this car before my cousin did, I woulda kept it stock, wire wheel hubs and all, the Brougham model just looks so classy to me. I hate to take away from the "Brougham" look but it's just seeming more practical to do so, i'm already to far ahead to turn back. I orignally wanted to put all the emblems back on as they are in great shape and I have them put away

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

The chrome mirrors I had did not have the remote mirror on them, and were just the base mirror for the Brougham I guess. I agree with keeping that stuff preserved. I just found my hood ornament about an hour ago (can't sleep and was cleaning and organizing my garage and front porch...lol) and it is in sad shape. Only one of the little red things is left and the pot metal surround is bubbling and peeling in one spot. Then again, my trim was not all that good when I got the car, and it was only 8 years old a the time. I decided to keep the lower trim on mine as well as the Brougham upper door panels because I feel it is part of the car's identity. The seats in mine are from a 36k mile Pennsylvania car that I found in the U pull it and are as near to perfect as I could ever expect to find. I was going to keep them, but they don't fit what I have planned and eventually will be replaced with buckets and a console. (For now, they will be going back in the car until I am ready for the 5 speed swap) It's a tough call on what to keep or get rid of on one of these cars. On the one hand, you want better performance as they suck stock. On the other hand, you don't want to lose what I like to call the "Essential GM-ness" of the car that makes it nice to look at and be in. I also tend to think that doing trendy modifications that stray too far from the stock feel of the car will make the car dated pretty quickly. It's a fine line to tread between a car that will be yesterday's tacky custom or tomorrow's cherished classic.

 

[350_85cutty]

my aluminum faceplate

 

[Blake442]

Where are your heater controls going to be?

 

[Doober]

What heater? :lol:

I yanked my a/c box out... nothing worked... I probably could've fixed the wiring for the blower, but the vacuum lines are another story... it was already hacked when I got the car :?

 

[2000.malibu.ls]

my aluminum faceplate

i like that, but i would have personally incorporated your gauges into that, that woulda been slick, it also looks like it needed to be a hair bigger, but it may just be the angle from the pic

 

[350_85cutty]

Where are your heater controls going to be?

i can't get it to work so i just gave up on it. i'm sure it's something simple, i just haven't really looked into it. i'm not really sure what i'm looking for, i do know the back of the bezel has a leak where all the vaccum plugs in

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Sounds like the vacuum switch at the back of the control panel. They are about $10 new at the parts store.

 

[350_85cutty]

my aluminum faceplate

i like that, but i would have personally incorporated your gauges into that, that woulda been slick, it also looks like it needed to be a hair bigger, but it may just be the angle from the pic

yeah the fit is ehhhh, I wanted to put my gauges in there, don't know if i'm gonna keep it, it's just a "prototype" i was trying to keep the face part clean, no screws on anything, the stereo is not mounted so it slides out sometimes, ghetto, i know, but i'm still undecisive on how i want to do my interior, wanted to do all engine turned aluminum over the woodgrain, and cover up the vents since i have no AC/Heat, i have the aluminum panels made, but before i go any futher, i want to decide how i want to go about the interior, keep it original, or not

 

[2000.malibu.ls]

i may copy you lol, i have been thinking some of the same things, but if i do mine it will be fiberglass probably..