BETTY RUMBLE - '87 Cutlass

[HAFROD]

Funny you mention the gauge not showing charging until a rev up. My El Camino is doing the same thing. I love your steering wheel too

 

[86MCSS86]

GP403 One last question. Did you just spice the wires for the tcc solenoid or was it plug and play. Thanks

 

[GP403]

GP403 One last question. Did you just spice the wires for the tcc solenoid or was it plug and play. Thanks

Yes! The new one just had a pigtail and came with a pair of these goofy screw on butt connectors I've never seen before. Should have taken a pic. Had to splice the wires with that. It also had a pair of mounting studs/nuts that you used in place of the old bolts. The body/brackets were offset different so you couldn't have used the old bolts to mount it. It also had a ground pigtail in case you had a one wire solenoid. I get the feeling it was a universal part.

 

[GP403]

Time to get started on the suspension, so I jacked her up and swapped out the completely used up rear springs and shocks (Gabriel Red Ryders!) for my shiny new 2" lowering set from UMI Performance (that have been sitting in the box for a year!!). While I was under there I slapped in the rear sway bar that I pulled off an '86 Grand Prix 20 years ago before I foolishly sent it off to the junkyard. Also hitched up the tailpipe hangers another notch, they were swinging around way too low and needed it.

The car actually does sit lower in the back. I really thought it would at least come out even or maybe raise it, as wasted as the 30yo stuff is. Its rock-effing-solid in the back now. Dang. I took it down to a parking lot and tried (with what little power she has) to push it around a bit, and the back is way way way better now. Definitely firmer and yeah a little harsher, was feeling the road in my butt more than before....

But can't wait to get the fronts done, but that's going to be a much bigger chore, I'm doing everything up front, steering, bushings, etc....

I will update with some pix in a while, having some issues getting them downloaded via Photo Stream and too lazy to do the obvious.

Best part is nothing broke and everything went more-or-less according to plan.

 

[GP403]

lol Red Ryders still laughing at that one.

anyway, here's a few during and after.



before...



and after...



difference in un-weighted length....




installed w/ sway bar... I discovered the one on my GP is different, fatter and goes straight across vs. wrapping around the acorn. Not sure what that bar would be off of.... and yeah, it looks like its leaking.

 

[GP403]

edit: dislike? Yeah it does sit a little lower in the back than the front now. Not a fan of that either, Haven't done the fronts yet, so I expect it to even out in the end.

 

[GP403]

if anyone has a line on a 3-series posi near me, that'd be awesome. This 2.53 stuff is great on the highway, but man, what a dog.

 

[1evilregal]

looks good, can't wait to see it lowered all the way around!

 

[liquidh8]

I'm really digging those wheels, looks good. After the front is redone it'll be a different car.

 

[GP403]

got her front jacked up, wheels off, and ready to go on round 2. Pulled the sway bar, shocks, and almost got the steering linkage. Can't get it to separate from the pitman arm, can't get a big enough swing with the hammer, and I realized I never bought a pickle fork, so she'll have to sit for now. The tierod ends looked and felt pretty wiped out.

protip: move the diagonal frame braces out of the way or the sway bar won't come out.