New Gbody member with some questions about my 1983 Monte Carlo SS.

Fitzy69

Not-quite-so-new-guy
May 13, 2023
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Fitzy69

Not-quite-so-new-guy
May 13, 2023
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I’m in Trenton ON . The car is new to me . I noticed poor fender to door gaps . Large at top very close at bottom . And the front signal lights do not line up with the bumper openings height wise . I’m guessing the rad support needs new bushings or shimmed up . What bolts do I loosen to shim up the rad support so the front clip can be raised as one piece ?
 

ck80

Moderator
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Supporting Member
Feb 18, 2014
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I’m in Trenton ON . The car is new to me . I noticed poor fender to door gaps . Large at top very close at bottom . And the front signal lights do not line up with the bumper openings height wise . I’m guessing the rad support needs new bushings or shimmed up . What bolts do I loosen to shim up the rad support so the front clip can be raised as one piece ?
Well, you need to do some digging into things.

There are two radiator support mounts/bushings, one on each side, that are multiple pieces and go through the frame rails and through the core support. It's a couple inches outside each side of the vertical metal sides of where the radiator sits.

You will see a roughly 3 inch circular rubber bushing with a metal washer and bolt going through it.

The core support rots at this bushing allowing the bushing to push through and get the sag effect you describe - not always, but, not uncommon either. Most cars rust to some degree here because there is a rubber piece ok each side of the thin core support metal.

The rubber bushings also stretch and crush sometimes as well allowing sag. So, the question becomes what is going on there. You can remove the bushings without needing to remove the parts. Use a wooden block between the frame and core support to hold it elevated so there is space to insert the new bushing components. The eye is one long bolt on each side, with the head and the nut accessible from underneath where a hole.in the frame below gives access to the bolthead with extension, and, from above behind the headlight areas again with an extension and deep socket to get to the nut.

Once you have it apart you'll have the nut, bolt, 2 rubber pieces, and a couple large washers. Then you can evaluate how much crush effect was going on, do you need to weld a patch into an enlarged hole, etc etc.
 
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Fitzy69

Not-quite-so-new-guy
May 13, 2023
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Thanks for the information. How thick should that bushing be new? I guess what I’m asking is what dimension should I have between frame and rad support . I can see looking down at the bushing from the top that the top is crushed a fair bit down under the washer and nut .
 

Fitzy69

Not-quite-so-new-guy
May 13, 2023
8
5
3
Also wondering a place I can get parts for this car ? Things like interior trim pieces , I want a new Cluster , the rpm needle is all but gone . Door strap trim etc .
 

SS_Malibu

Royal Smart Person
Supporting Member
Sep 27, 2021
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Mesa, AZ
Welcome to the GbodyForum!
Nice looking Monte Carlo. Most after market companies will have the correct radiator support bushings you need. Mike's Montes, Dixie Restoration, etc. As far as parts, There are companies who sponsor this site that you can check out. (On the front page of this forum, I believe). You can also Google 83 Monte Carlo parts and tons of places will pop up.
 
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abbey castro

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Oct 31, 2015
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Harker Hts TX
THe door gaps is not just your car, they made a gazillion per day soo gaps was a more or less. Mine is also the same,, gaps are terrible. As far as parts Google G-Body parts and dozens of sites pop up. They all sell the same things for about the same price. Almost everything is available for G-Bodies
 
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64nailhead

Goat Herder
Dec 1, 2014
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Beautiful car and welcome.

Mike's Monte has been the place for me to find quality replacement parts. I've never received an ill fitting or looking piece from him. And he answers the phone if you call.


Fixing body panel gaps usually requires some intense tear down - if you're up for it. And as abbey castro mentioned, these cars came new with awful gaps. When you see one that has perfect gaps, then that is a sign that they have been corrected. Calling Donovan (Rktpwrd ) for an intense description on resolving body panel gaps hehe.
 
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ck80

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Feb 18, 2014
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THe door gaps is not just your car, they made a gazillion per day soo gaps was a more or less. Mine is also the same,, gaps are terrible. As far as parts Google G-Body parts and dozens of sites pop up. They all sell the same things for about the same price. Almost everything is available for G-Bodies
Do you mean to imply that teams of unionized, sometimes sober, autoworkers taking hundreds of scraps of metal they fit into place manually by eyesight before welding together, with little robotic alignment involvement, that are flexible by nature and include a body-on-frame approach using soft springy rubber pucks as bushings that themselves can vary as to placement in an environment of 1970s-onwards gm quality aspirations had less than standardized body gaps?
 
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