| The Cutlass Update Page |
| It's amazing how much damage a project car can accumulate while sitting in the garage! While I was assembling it , I had it out of the garage in a non running state. So, I had to push it in with my AMC and accidentally hit the lawnmower with my perfectly straight driver's door! Ouch! Then, as if to compond my misery, I accidentally hit the quarter panel while "massaging" the trunk seal lip with a hammer ( it was repaired and sat too high). It didn't dent, but boy did it chip! Then , the roof started rusting under the new paint, it got a scratch on the driver's side quarter, and the rust started bubbling under my patch panels in the roof. So, I decided to do it all over again in the same color.Oh the aggrivation! Fortunately, it is nowhere near as bad as it was when I started the first time and I will be able to paint right over the last job.It sucks, because I had just glued in the windshield, backlight, and quarter windows.I also managed to ruin the ring gear in my 3.73 rear while trying to install a posi. Note to all: GM uses reverse threads on the ring gear unlike Ford, which uses normal threads. A big impact wrench will strip them. Happily though, the Chevy 350 fired right up as soon as I put the wiring back in it, the power windows still work and even the tach works in my newly converted dash ( it came with the huge panoramic speedo and now has the Rally Gauges). I also ran the wiring for the big stereo I have planned, and wired in the remote trunk latch and the power locks I added. The car now only lacks cruise control and the Astroroof which sadly, is not easily added. As a finishing touch, I used a brand new windshield instead of trying to recycle a scratched and pitted original. 9/4/06 update: I found another rearend last week and started putting it in today. It's a 3.23 open diff assembly I got for $65 on sale at the u pull it.( I had the miserable 2.41 rear in it) I found it in a 1983 4 door Regal with a 3.8/TH200C in it. By reading the service option sticker on the trunklid of every G body in the junkyard, I found the GU5 code, which is the 3.23 axle and was only optional on 3 speed V6 cars. (Don't ask me why!) Other G body axle ratios include:GH2-2.29:1,GM8-2.56:1, GU1-2.41:1, GU2-2.73:1, GU3-2.93:1, GU4-3.08:1, GU5-3.23:1, GU6-3.42:1 and GT4-3.73:1. It's important to note that the 3.42 and 3.73 axles were only on Turbo Regals , Cutlass 442's (and Hurst models too, IIRC) and the Monte Carlo SS. The vast majority were equipped with a 7.5 in 10 bolt with the Monte SS having the slightly better 7 5/8 axle and the 442 and later (85 and newer) Turbo Regals having the world's better 8.5 in ring gear axle. If you are looking for a budget way to really improve your pedestrian G body, try to find one of the 3.23 or lower ( higher numerically) geared axles. You'll be surprised at what your $100 buys you! I also managed to find a number of factory manuals, TSB's and booklets on Ebay that contained a wealth of information for not too much money. I got the full 4 book set of factory GM service manuals for $10.50, and a box full of stuff ( most of which was not useful) including an option code decoder for $0.99. That book helped me find the rear axle. THE FSM set is also extremely useful in that it gives diagrams and flowcharts that show exactly how each new option should be wired and routed. If building a coplex , heavily optioned car like this, I would recommend procuring one. |
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