It has been some time since I have posted a thread or done much on my g bodies. I have been playing with these cars buying, scavenging salvage yards, building and parting them out for over 2 decades and have taken a good part of the last few years off of the cars due to kids, career, splitting with an ex, buying a bigger house and having to move my collection of parts.... Anyways, I am getting back to my cars this winter and trying to put together a plan of attack, I have decided the only way to do this right is frame off restorations. Both cars are pretty much 100% rust free cars, I have been collecting the best of the best parts that I can find for literally longer than I can remember. I have a 84 regal astro roof car that is a T clone with the turbo hood, complete turbo interior, GN spoiler.... The second car is a 86 T top 442 that is mostly a stock build as of now with the exception of having a gm crate 350 ram jet engine except it has a holley stealth ram EFI on top of it instead of the ram jet intake. I plan to keep the 350 in one car and doing a ls6 or similar in the other car. I think as of now the 442 is keeping the 350 mainly because its easier to make it work with the KZ 200 4R trans that I am insistent on keeping in that car and I plan to keep the stock gauges (actually the 87 120 speedo). The regal is likely getting a dakota digital cluster so the ls engine in it with a electronic 4 speed trans makes sense to me. both cars need to be painted, both have the interiors about 75% done. My focus right now is going to start with the frames and undersides.
Being that I have a hard time just leavings things alone I am planning to box frames, add supports around the rear shock area, control arm mounting areas, rear bumper support and I already have all of the front F41 supports, radiator support to fender.... One car has the blazer brake upgrade, the other is getting the blazer spindle with wither LS1 or C5 brakes. So being i have not been in the game in awhile I am not super aware of all of the new stuff out there for items such as control arms, shocks, springs and so on. I am wanting to do tubular control arms front and rear, the rears don,t seem to be an issue to me considering they are farily affordable from multiple reputable manufactures and they are not nearly as important as fronts for handeling. The front ones are a different story, what brand is best bang for buck? Which ones will do the most to correct geometry issues? I have stock arms with poly bushings on both cars right now. Are the lowers even worth the cash to see anything in improving handling? I have been wanting AFX spindles since the day I drove my buddies car that had them, that car handled amazing because of them, that will be a future upgrade on one of the cars. does anyone sell plates for boxing the frame? The one set I saw somewhere seemed to be discontinued, I have access to a plasma cutter but if i can spend 100 bucks and save the time I would rather go that route. I have already read up on the process of welding them in and having to watch your heat to prevent any bending or twisting.
What kind of advice can I get on cleaning up the underside? I did my last regal body with it off the frame on stands, laying on my back and it SUCKED. We have a fab shop at work and plenty of scrap material to put together a rotissery for little of nothing out of pocket so I am planning to do that
Is powder coating worth the cash? I was quoted 750 to sand blast the frame and powder coat it locally.
Being that I have a hard time just leavings things alone I am planning to box frames, add supports around the rear shock area, control arm mounting areas, rear bumper support and I already have all of the front F41 supports, radiator support to fender.... One car has the blazer brake upgrade, the other is getting the blazer spindle with wither LS1 or C5 brakes. So being i have not been in the game in awhile I am not super aware of all of the new stuff out there for items such as control arms, shocks, springs and so on. I am wanting to do tubular control arms front and rear, the rears don,t seem to be an issue to me considering they are farily affordable from multiple reputable manufactures and they are not nearly as important as fronts for handeling. The front ones are a different story, what brand is best bang for buck? Which ones will do the most to correct geometry issues? I have stock arms with poly bushings on both cars right now. Are the lowers even worth the cash to see anything in improving handling? I have been wanting AFX spindles since the day I drove my buddies car that had them, that car handled amazing because of them, that will be a future upgrade on one of the cars. does anyone sell plates for boxing the frame? The one set I saw somewhere seemed to be discontinued, I have access to a plasma cutter but if i can spend 100 bucks and save the time I would rather go that route. I have already read up on the process of welding them in and having to watch your heat to prevent any bending or twisting.
What kind of advice can I get on cleaning up the underside? I did my last regal body with it off the frame on stands, laying on my back and it SUCKED. We have a fab shop at work and plenty of scrap material to put together a rotissery for little of nothing out of pocket so I am planning to do that
Is powder coating worth the cash? I was quoted 750 to sand blast the frame and powder coat it locally.