BUILD THREAD The Mullet Maurader, The Epic of the LS swapped Buick

[olds307 and 403]

There is a guy who builds G body 9" rears in Melfort, SK. Contact Cutlassefi on this site about your Holley EFI. He is an aftermarket EFI tech and a parts guy/ builder for us Olds V8 guys. His personal ride is an Olds Cutlass Convertible that had the Accel sequential EFI on an Olds 350, I believe he now has the AEM Infinity on it. The Terminator is supposed to be the best TBI system and the AEM Infinity the best sequential EFI on the market. Your car looks solid. My 88 days are numbered due to rot. Unfortunately these cars are pretty worthless here in Saskatchewan, so I am focusing on my 70S instead for a performance build, my 88 Cutlass is 30 mpg or die trying.

 

[Northernregal]

Got some progress in today. Picked up my 5.3 from my buddy where I used to live. Just a little 7 hour round trip to get it. Then I had to spend a few hours cleaning the garage again. Christmas and momma bear really destroyed my sanctuary, plus I had to get rid of a mountain of cardboard boxes.

Anyway. Here we go.

C pillar repair 90% on drivers side. Some fine finishing and I can move on to the passengers side. This was my first major body repair so it isn’t pretty, but I learned a ton so I feel like the other side will be much easier and better quality.

My oldest was having a sleepover so the middle was bored.... Sounded like an opportunity for some cheap labor so I gave her a wire brush and set her to work on the motor. Then I showed her how to spray on some cheap paint I had kicking around and now I have a pretty blue block. Very impressed at my girl, only 9 yrs old, she did most of it by hand before I gave her a drill and a wire wheel. She is pretty excited to see how it’s going to look with the heads buffed up and the water pump scuffed and painted. The paint just is very temporary, very little prep, but it sure looks better.

 

[Northernregal]

DAYS OFF!!!

Back to work on the car!

Time to get the passenger side B&C pillar dressed up and ready for welding. Removed the window and discovered the rust wasn’t “as bad” as the drivers side but the factory really didn’t do a great job on the seam connection. They also cross threaded the seatbelt top bolt in the B pillar. 😡

Got her cleaned out and mostly ready for some welding tonight. Hopefully this side is quicker with what I learned on the drivers side. 😀

 

[Rktpwrd]

Looking great so far Duke!
Good luck with the repairs man.

 

[Northernregal]

I just found an SSR output housing for my T56. My woman doesn’t care so I have to tell someone.

I’m gonna have a 32 spline mainshaft, SSR spec T-56 with a one piece countershaft.

It’s the holy grail of T-56 unobtainium.

I’m not even sure this is really happened....

😀 😀 😀 😀

 

[Northernregal]

Got a fair amount done this weekend. Considering I didn’t have a lot of time I did pretty good.

New fuel tank got prepped

Then got some paint over undercoating.

Got the drivers side B and C pillar from the amazing GM finish to this.

To this.

It’s not Rktpwrd pretty but he gave me a few tips and I think it’ll fill nice and end up with clean lines.

Found a little surface rust in the passenger side door so I ground it out and I’m going to do some POR to seal it before I paint the door frames. It had some pitting but I think it’ll survive.


Next lower rear quarter patch panels and the major body metal is done. Fingers crossed I don’t find more.

 

[O. D. Showtime]

Nice progress Duke!

 

[Northernregal]

Thank you! Your rear window trim will come in handy pretty quick.

Nice progress Duke!

 

[Northernregal]

Found a little more cancer in the drivers rear wheel well than I hoped for. Officially venturing into territory that I have never been, bending metal and making panels.

Any body guys out there have a suggestion or two for the right tools to make the complex curves for the inner fender? I’m thinking bead roller and brake. The bottom flange shouldn’t be too hard but that complex curve makes me nervous. Never done anything like that before.

 

[Injectedcutty]

Blame Donovan lol! He makes metalwork look so easy, but most if not all of us know it's anything but!
Duke, I'm sure one of the metal guys will chime in with good advice.