junkyard crawl

[1evilregal]

came across a cutlass today @ one of the yards and have a question...

car was a console equipped with a 5.0, I forgot to see what year,but think it was an 85 or 86. it must've just gotten in due to it was still sittin on it's tires and not propped up yet. I couldn't find the code sticker or any build sheet to check the rear end code, but it was equipped with a rear sway bar and the housing looked bigger that a normal 7.5(at least it did to me).

I know there's been a lot of opinions on here on what rear ends were available, and I'm not trying to start any battles...

my question is: is it highly likey to have the limited slip if it's equipped with the sway-bar? it looked to be a normal cutty with the half marshmellow roof, and not a H/O or 442... the car is located about 40 miles away, and just trying to figure out if it's worth going back to look at next weekend...


did happen to get my steering column for a console car and found a gate style console and shifter in a front-wheel drive olds(which will go nicley in my 82 "GS" project 8)

thanks! :wink:

 

[monte olrac]

the sway bar has nothing to do with it, so it's a 50/50 chance either way. to bad you can't find the option code sticker

 

[Larryg]

I'm not an expert but its easy to tell the difference between a 7.5 and an 8.5, all you do is look at the two little lugs near the bottom corners, say 7 and 5 o'clock. On a 7.5 it has two little thin finger type lugs and on an 8.5 it has two triangular lugs. It still doesnt mean its a limited slip, but if you can grab it for a good penny you'll be ahead of the game. 8)

 

[1evilregal]

appreciate the replies. I'm leaning towards going back and taking a second look... if I didn't already have 2 complete axles sitting below the back deck, I'd be over there yanking it out now! :?

 

[Minion1186]

well i think its a posi if it has a small tag on the bolt of the differential,also definitely check the rpo code listing in the trunk.gt4,g80,g87 stuff like that are good codes for a diff(373's,posi,8.5).Anyway,I kinda stuck in the same situation,with a rear that is,theres an 86 monte at a private yard and this car may have 373 gears,so next time i go i'm taking the diff off the car and looking at the codes stamped on the differential housing.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

It likely does not have any gears you would want. Plus, if it is a Cutlass Salon, it would automatically come with the F-41 suspension and console. However, there is no drivetrain difference between the Salon, base and Brougham Cutlasses. Only the 442 or H/O would have any drivetrain upgrades other than the possibility of an optional limited slip. In fact, the presence of a V8 makes it likely that the gearing is on the truly terrible side with something like a 2.29. If it was a v6, it could have the optional 3.23 axle. Here's an article I wrote detailing many of the more interesting RPO codes to be found o the SPID label under the trunk lid: http://gbodyforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=5155

 

[1evilregal]

spid label isn't there... also checked for a build sheet, but wasn't there either... if anything else, I may go back just for the sway bar... :wink:

 

[hunter_alexander]

While it may be correct that the Salon and regular Cutlass only have the 7.5 rear, but that doesnt keep me checking every G body I find in a yard. Even the wagons.

Most yards sell a rear for a specific type of car, ie. A bodies, G bodies etc.

THey dont know or care if it is a 8.5 7.5 whatever. Over the years, if someone needed a new rear for their gbody, and got one from a yard, it could have been anything.

I check any and all Gbodies for the 8.5. You might get lucky and find that one has been swapped into another type of car.