Handling like a Vette...?

These are just areas that could be improved. I haven't looked prices up or anything, but you can spend several thousand on direct-replacement pieces alone. G-Bodies are prone to bumpsteer, and I believe I remember reading tall ball joints aid in taking care of that.
Bushing upgrades (frame/body and suspension), stiffening/boxing (welding) the frame, matched sway bars, aftermarket control arms (front and rear), caster/camber settings, brakes, wheel/tire combo.

Braking is kind of implied, but it's not necessarily something that controls side-side movement.

Well with me, I didn't go with high end expensive parts for my car. For starters, I bought a complete front rebuild kit for roughly 450$. Most of it was polyurethane while the kit contained OE replacement tie rods, ball joints, etc. I replaced what ever bushing I could with urethane. Then I swapped out my stock O-ring steering box for a monte carlo ss steering box from autozone for 125$. The benefit to this is that turning your wheels from lock to lock or all the way to the right then to the left is only 2.5 turns instead of 3.5 turns with stock g body steering boxes.

I did not box in the frame rails. I have not had any issues with the frame and having a little flex in the frame can be a good thing. The only time you really need to box in the frame rails is if you are producing serious torque and power at the strip that is causing body flex and twist.

For the shocks, I bought regular gabriel gas shocks. Nothing fancy as at the time I was on a budget. There are coil over shocks and other high end shocks like QA1. With the springs, I bought a set of moog 5660's which are s10 springs. The weight capacity of these springs is double the rate of g body springs. They were supposed to lower my car by an inch, but it just put it back at stock ride height. So I cut out a coil and that lowered the car by two inches. This will give you a lower front, stiffer ride, but not too stiff compared to if you went with a set of 5662 moogs which are replacements for 4th gen camaros. The rear springs I just bought moog replacement springs for the car. I'm fixing to try out a set of A body rear springs to see how far the rear drops as some have had success with this spring.

Other things I did was put in the fender to core support braces, typical rear sway bar from any BOP (mine came from a monte carlo aerocoupe ss), the 3 braces located under the k frame that make the triangle (gran prix brace that connect the frame rails up front and the two that bolt from the k frame outward to each frame rail).

Another thing I plan on doing is boxing the rear lower control arms for added rigidity. But you can also buy aftermarket control arms for the front and rear as well. I just kept my stock front control arms. I'm also in the process of replacing the factory body mounts with Prothane body mounts.

patmckinneyracing said:

having a little flex in the frame can be a good thing.

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I agree with most of your post but having flex in the frame IMO can never be a good thing...that's what suspension is for

No it isn't but I don't think the flex in the frame can be that bad as mentioned in previous posts. There is a point where you can achieve a point of being too stiff. There needs to be a little play somewhere. If his car is a daily drive as my malibu was, then he does not need to go as far as boxing up the frame.

Just want to throw in an alternate option to the "norm" (ie. boxing the frame, upgrading stock suspension with coilovers, adding front/rear anti-sway bars, frame bracing, etc..). It's also a bit on the pricey side.

The option is: a complete air ride kit from Ride Tech. Many companies make air ride for various cars, universal kits etc.., but I say Ride Tech because they have been advertising the performance gains their kits give some cars. Check out this video which shows how their kits improve road handling:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWkI9Myty2Q

They have a kit called the "G-body Steet Challenge Kit" (P/N STR3200) which I have installed on my Grand Prix, which includes the air bags, front and rear antisway bars, aluminum double adjustable shocks, control arms -- the works. I haven't had a chance to test it yet, because I haven't actually driven the car yet. Still fine tuning the EFI on the motor and finishing the bodywork, but I will report with handling test results before the May 24 weekend.

I never rely on a commercial and it was clearly obvious what they did with those cars was to simulate a coil bind situation by removing the air in the suspension to go around that track. I wonder why they didn't have any cars with a conventional set up to compare times?

pontiacgp said:

I never rely on a commercial and it was clearly obvious what they did with those cars was to simulate a coil bind situation by removing the air in the suspension to go around that track. I wonder why they didn't have any cars with a conventional set up to compare times?

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Yes, good point. It's true and I was suspicous when I first saw that vid. However, since I've had this installed you can't ignore that the shocks are 24-way adjustable, you can stiffen them up or loosen them, for both compression and rebound. The sway bars and control arms alone help with handling. So it can only be a good thing as a complete kit as far as handling is concerned. We'll see after I run my tests anyways.

By the way, the main reason for the air ride in the GP is so I can raise the front up before heading up a ramp. The front skirt protrudes out a lot and is easily broken, as was the case with my first GP. This time, I will just bump it up prior to entering a ramp and we're clear.

Start here:

www.scandc.com

Marcus is the man when it comes to making a G-body handle extremely well.

They have packages that range from fairly inexpensive to really expensive depending on your budget.

I believe the G5 package is their most expensive:

http://www.scandc.com/g5.htm

and they go down from there. I have their Pro-comp stage II kit with the lightweight alumium adjustable upper controls arms on my '87.

Andrew beat me to it but I also vote for SC&C. In a PM to Marcus, even with stock spindles (not the AFX spindles) he said the Stage 2 setup gave the g-body better front end geometry than a 2002 f-body. Call Marcuc, he'll advise you without trying to sell you anything. He gives his info freely. Then you can decide. His products are what these cars need.

I don't know if it'll handle like a Vette but my plan for now is the SC&C Stage 2 front a-arms, their Sphon rear control arms and the Pro-Touring rear swaybar. I'll be running the 5662 IROC front coils, 36mm front swaybar, and steering box which all bolt in. Not sure what rear springs yet. I will get the Monte SS Bilstein shocks. I may also get the SC&C springs later.

I doubt I'll *out-handle* a Vette, but he's gonna be wondering why a 20 year old g-body is still on his *ss!