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x2 on that, but, IMHO I wish they could have made the 2 doors with door handles in the door and not in the B-Pillar. These handles are nothing but headaches. And, the Verts would not have needed a basket handle (?) I'm needing to replace my LH Door handle. Again.

That's OEM m'boy.....no muffler shop involved, the GT coupes that were fitted with the dual exhaust, & the STE's were fitted with that small left side muffler. It was done that way to get needed clearance under the floorpan, you notice that the left side floorpan has no heatshield in place to protect the fuel filler hose & the evap lines, but the right side does have a heatshield. That small muffler is fitted with a strap-on flimsy heat deflector that does literally nothing. If you toss the original rusted out mufflers don't toss the trumpets, keep them, those are near to the point of being unobtanium.

You know, the ps2 is actually more useful then you’d think, I put one in the GTP and it’s actually quite fun to mess around with while I’m waiting for someone or whatever. i agree with Chris. Leave it how it is, this car has such a huge legacy around here, hell if I had the money and you were selling it I’d so buy it, of course, IF

I can't really say. I've done it both ways from a fully functioning factory CD deck to a early 00's era 1.5 din Pioneer and period correct components. I see it both ways, sure pure stock is great and all but I kinda like when cars are a product of the time they were built in as well or even a homage to that time. I mean how many custom cars of that era still have original PS2s integrated into the dashboard As for your specific car, likely a member here would want to buy it and would probably want to continue or at least keep the vision you had for it. I say clean it up, and take some new pictures of it out and about, it was one of my favorite cars when I joined here back in 2004. Still is.

Where just the rears are concerned...... If one wishes to do this one will also need the later design rotors as well (larger diameter), along with the entire parking brake system, that includes the pedal assembly. Where the fronts are concerned one will need the 95-96 front struts that provide for the larger diameter rotors. The calipers remain the same.

I would offer this cautionary story if you plan to build a ground pounder as they are called! I can not speak about all FWD’s as I have not built the suspensions of all manufacturers, but of all GM & the like there is a serious issue with McPherson strut/knuckle suspension vehicles, especially when it comes to building an aggressive handling suspension. This is due to the illogical application of the wheel bearing design! In a traditional rear wheel drive the bearings are installed on a traditional spindle with two tapered roller bearings. This design can not fail, I.E. the wheel falls off! Other than to have a bearing go bad, there is little else to occur beyond stranded! As it would be virtually impossible, due to bearing failure, for the wheel to come off! That is not the case with a FWD! The rear hub bearings are held in place by bolts that thread into the knuckle. Which pushes the wheel hub into the knuckle. The wheel obviously bolts to the hub. If the hub bolts that are threaded into the knuckle fail for any reason, the hub has nothing to keep it in the knuckle, or the wheel on the car! This was such the case for me! Fortunately I caught my problem before it became a dilemma or catastrophe. When I built this suspension many years ago I built everything new from the ground up, including hub bearings. They were done more than correctly! The fit to the knuckle was a little tighter than factory & the torque was 5 pounds more. And yes it has taken nearly 20 years to raise its head, but that’s only about 15,000 miles. So it went like this. For the last half of last summer & most of this past summer every time I would make a hard, I.E. aggressive right turn I would get this rattling noise from the left rear that kind of sounded like decelerating exhaust while in the cornering sequence. Straight forward driving it seemed quiet. Over & over again I would check & recheck, exhaust, brakes, tire rub, suspension clearance, suspension component torque, etc., but nothing! It drove me nuts, because I knew something was wrong. I took out the back seat pulled the access plate to the fuel pump. Now it appeared more metallic then. Took it on the freeway & now I would hear a intermittent hard metallic crack. That was it, I knew I needed to put it up in the air & go through the whole back suspension piece by piece, oh great! Well I didn’t have to go far. Removed left wheel, caliper, rotor & bingo! There it was! Looking through the access holes of the bearing hub tire mounting flange was a hub mounting bolt. Loose & bent. I replaced it & checked the torque on the other 3 bolts. All were loose! I check the other side. One needed re-torque slightly, the rest were good. My take on this is this. The hub bearing mounting setup is poor at best, but the front is better than the back. The front use 3 larger bolts mounted from the back. This is better because in hard cornering, the loaded wheel, this places the bolts in compression & the bearing receives more of a angular vertical load. So while this is far less than optimal, it’s by far better than the back. On the other hand the back is abysmal! In a hard corner the rear load wheel has a similar load as the front, but the bolts are a third of the diameter & they’re being stretched & the following wheel is also being stretched because they hold the bearing hub from the front. I have a new design for these that I am building this winter. I will share it with you folks so if you chose you’ll be able to incorporate it as well. This design will be more in the vain the a spindle type attachment that will have a means to be a fail safe design that would prevent this type of bolt failure. This post is to make anyone who wished to do any of the aggressive modifications I’ve done aware of the possibility. I wouldn’t think you would see this type of issue in a non modified vehicle. I have no doubt that the aggressive nature of the Indian’s suspension is the reason for the occurrence. When you’ve increased the track width by a foot, stiffened the suspension components so they transfer power effectively to the ground were it belongs & you actually use it in the manner you built it for; it’s not surprising! What is surprising is that any head engineer would let such a flawed design make it to production! Let alone prevail for decades & hundreds of thousands of vehicles. The simplest of design change would have kept the possibly of the catastrophic failure like the wheel coming off, should have been the mind set no matter how unlikely. I will follow up with this shortly.

A friend of mine bought this off of Ebay and wanted to share it with everyone. Pretty cool historical information of the car's development.

It's been a while since I've logged in. I was more of a lurker back in those days... But I'm glad to see the forum is still up and operating!! Happy New Year Everyone!!

Well..... one doesn't want anything that is aluminized, at the very least 409 stainless, you might look thru Walker's Quiet-Flow SS series, their recent all stainless lineup may include something close to the original mufflers. Consider that you may end up going to a pair of 4 1/2x9 3/4" 14"shell mufflers.......the left side IS a 12" shorty while the right should be a 14", the right IS a 7x9 shell.

Don't know if this will help...I just wanted to be part of the conversation. My STE's system.

When I win the Mega Millions I'm going to produce replacement door handles that don't break. If you would like to support me in this endeavor of spending tons of money on lottery tickets please write me a check.

For once I condone a thread being resurrected 22 years after the fact.

I`d keep it stock with a bluetooth receiver hidden away. Nothing aftermarket Ive come across matches that green retro display the factory units have.

I'll have to dig through my old phone to see if I took pictures, but the bar itself mounts where it needs to, It's just too wide. There are large collars circling the bar where it would meet up with the stock rear bushings on the knuckle for the Monte, if you grind those down or cut a notch in the bushing you can make it work. My car has been using it for years but I don't know if it made a difference. Next time I have the rear wheels off I'll show a picture, but it isn't pretty lol. Edit: The 1.5 bar really is the exact same shape as the first gen one, you just need the monte carlo bushings. If it was a slight amount narrower it would be a perfect fit.

I've also read the Monte rear sway bar doesn't fit the leaf spring cars. Some have been able to mod it somehow, but it's not a direct bolt-on.

They suck to work for, but I make my own hours and get to see rare stuff that comes in locally.

It took me 22 years but I finally did do that manual swap

Also of note it looks like this car has the half pop up headlights that this clay model had as well, though it looks like they are taped shut possibly? Ignore the filename, definitely not from 1988.

Lots of people have considered it, as stated. There are many reasons that they are not done more often. As with any engine swap into a car that didn't come with one (or one based off the same block) there will be issues. - 3.4L, 3400, 3500 V6 swaps are done because those motors either came in the w-body, or they decend from a motor that did. - 3800 NA and S/C swaps are done because the motor is inexpensive, has a large aftermarket, and many people have done the swap, so it is easier and cheaper to do now. - 4.9LV8 swaps are not done much cause you don't get much power out of it compared to the above swaps. Also almost no aftermarket - 4.0L Northstar V8 swaps are not done much cause they are expensive to work on, have some major issues (head gaskets) and don't really have an aftermarket. - LS4 swaps as stated are a wiring nightmare and still very expensive compared to the others. - LS1/350/305/etc swaps are not really done because while you can use some of the aftermarket for the motors, you still have to do custom mounts and exhaust routing, and even if you do get over 300hp, you'll be swapping transmissions every couple burn outs, or dropping some coin on a built trans. And that is actually one of the biggest reasons that you don't see much over 300hp in a FWD GM car is that to get the power from the motor to the wheels, you have a lot of parts that were never designed for that HP that like to break that you would have to fix constantly, or find upgraded (read as Expensive) replacement parts, and even those are not bulletproof. I have a friend who had a 300+ HP bonneville with a 3800SC and he went through 4-5 built transmissions before deciding to part the car. There is a difference between no large modification to GM and no large modification to a backyard mechanic. GM made a RWD bonneville powered by an LT1 for the hell of it. in the end it consisted of parts from 4-5 cars, all of which they had access to. Also, if you read the article on the Z50 (HERE) you will see that there were no modifications to the body, but they "came up with a special short water pump and reduced the back of the motor" to get it to work. It was also a 4 door, 5 speed AWD car. Yeah, the fiero guys are a good resource for some of the stuff, like getting it to work with certain transmission, but mounting it in the car will be w specific. I believe these are measured in couches. They were fairly large monstrosities that mounted the motor longitudinally, but powered the front wheels. They were also hooked up to Olds 455ci V8, which is a big block. And lastly, if you ever though the 4t40 trans was weak, wait til you see one of these. They were not very reliable and did not like increased HP at all. There's a reason Leno put his toronado on a Corvetter chassis to make it RWD. With all that being said, if you are serious about doing it, go for it. We will help in any way if we can. Oh, and here is a V8 swap on crack: http://www.ls1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71662&page=1

Hello, everyone, I’m hoping someone can point me in the right direction. I recently purchased a low-mileage 2001 Buick Regal LS to use as my daily driver, and it’s been a fantastic car so far. Lately, though, I’ve run into an issue where the starter doesn’t engage when I turn the key. If I move the console-mounted shifter back and forth or shift it into neutral, the car will start. Based on this, I suspected the neutral safety switch (mounted on top of the transmission) might be the culprit, so I replaced it. Unfortunately, that didn’t resolve the problem. I don’t think the issue is related to the anti-theft system or the ignition key, but I could be wrong. Has anyone experienced something similar or have any suggestions? Thank you

While my opinion may not matter, I’m an old fart. It’s a car! Driving for me is a pleasure! Concentrating on driving & it’s enjoyment when it’s for pleasure enhanced by a quality HU + an amp & speakers that are quality! That’s all lost in the digital world! A cassette tape, especially one recorded from vinyl trumps a CD! A CD is the next best. After that it’s just all 1&0! They can not replicate harmonic sound. They can be played loud. You can pump up the thump! But there is no separation, no nuance definition. Just blah ramblings. I have one particular song that has some very crisp detail that progressively becomes more & more muted & almost completely lost as you move up the line of supposed improvement! All transferred from the same original source, vinyl! Newer not always better! My two cents!

Nothing definite, but storage is expensive and I want new toys.

Correct. They will not allow the clutch master cylinder to fit. Upgrades I can think of - 94+ rear brakes on 88-93 - 96 + front knuckle (for bigger front rotor) - 3.4DOHC cars have a 34mm front sway bar - 95-97 monte carl rad(1in thick version) - 95-97 monte carlo rear sway bar (22mm I think) Will add more if I think of anything. Good add with the GXP trailing arms

Personally, I'd stick the cassette unit back in. They sell bluetooth cassette adapters now that work like the old wired ones did, except now they're wireless and are powered by a battery instead of from your phone/mp3 player. I got the cassette deck on my Datsun professionally rebuilt, it'll be going back in this summer.

Dont encourage me, I really only know what I`m talking about at best 30% of the time. From what I`m reading in the FSM is recommended to rehome the motors of the ABS system with the Tech1 before flushing and bleeding. Its possible to do without a scan tool but only if no DTCs are present. Start the engine and watch the ABS light on the dash, if it doesnt go out after about 10 seconds you have an issue with your brakes and will need a scan tool or get lucky fixing the issue. If it does go out after a few seconds turn the engine off and do it all over again without pressing on the brake pedal. The FSM states the system is ready to be bled now.

Yes)))

4600 L37 1997year

THANKS TO 94CutlassSLCoupe What you need: RH&LH Calipers and Brackets 1994+ First Gen Mounting Bolts to Knuckle (they are very different) 1994+ Parking brake cables (only the rear ones, from the adjuster back)...these are only two parts Rotors (New) Brake Pads (New) Brake Fluid Slide Pin Grease Banjo Bolt for 94+ caliper (can reuse) Crush washers for banjo bolt (new) Step 1: Jack car off of the ground, remove wheels, remove bolt for brake hose to strut, loosen and remove banjo bolt (fluid will leak so be ready). Remove parking brake cable from caliper. Remove caliper, rotor and also splash shield (held on to knuckle with two very small bolts). By this time i'm sure your family will wonder if you are crazy. Step 2: Remove existing parking brake cables form car (only from equalizer back). Re-install bolts that hold the cables in where it crosses ahead of the gas tank, otherwise you'll have a leak. Save the equalizer and spring if you don't get new ones with your 94+ cables. Step 3: Either remove your auxiliary spring brackets that are on your rear lateral links OR do what i did and make a 3/4" knotch in the corner with a cut-off wheel for caliper clearance. (If you have a 94 Lumina you may not have this issue, its what I ran into on my dad's 1990 FE3 car) Step 4: Cut mounting bracket on brake hose off carefully with cut off tool (don't get it too hot). You will also have to straighten the metal part of the line near the banjo bolt so it will mount to the 94+ caliper. You CANNOT use 94+ brake hoses because they drop off of the body behind the strut and the earlier version mounts ahead of the strut. You may want to get new hoses because yours may be rusty or brittle (and possibly crack). Step 5: Now we're in the home stretch....install the 94+ rotor and use one of your stock lug nuts (put the hex toward the rotor) to hold it in place. Slide the mounting bracket over the rotor and secure it with the mounting bolts. Make sure to torque them to the factory specs (I assume you have a Haynes manual). thoroughly clean the slide pin surface (will be closest to the strut) and apply fresh SLIDE PIN grease. Slide the caliper on to the slide pin and install the abutment clips and brake pads. Finally install the bottom bolt through the bottom slide pin (captured in caliper). Make sure the boots are not leaving any of the pins exposed. Install brake hose using the 94+ banjo bolt and new crush washers. Step 6: Bleed system. I use a glass jar and some vacuum line for this job. That way, you can easily see that you got all the air out. Have someone inside pump the pedal and don't forget to check the master cylinder. Start with the right rear first. Step 7: Install 94+ cables. that is a picture of how they route in a 94 car. Route them how you please, using this as a guide. The place where the old style cables clip into the frame doesn't work anymore. I used quite a few zip ties. Adjust the cable how you please. If its an automatic car, you should not be able to pull away with the parking brake on and the car in drive. Crack a beer and enjoy more reliable brakes! My dad's car is a Non-ABS car and it stops straight and true without having premature rear lock up even on dirt. Also another good thing to do would be to look at your front rotors and make sure the inboard side (toward the engine) does not look like this. For parts, whitebox rotors are ok, although I highly suggest you use the NAPA Tru-Stop pads (about $22). Expensive pads in the rear won't do much for you.

https://www.w-body.com/topic/29805-94-rear-brake-upgrade/ https://www.w-body.com/topic/29805-94-rear-brake-upgrade/#comment-464804

Yeah that's exactly what you need to do. Then weld in a new one.

I was wondering the same thing. I suppose you'd have to drill out the welds and separate where needed.

Not sure why the different part numbers for the rad support. The only thing I can think of is different mounting locations. That could easily be taken care of. The rad support will interchange.

Thank you for 94 vert showing the differences. With me owning an STE and a Cutlass Supreme coupe, I know there are differences between those for the obvious reasons. When I had my 93 GTP parts car, I just remember that the header panel was a lot different compared to my 91 Cutlass coupe. Just guessing here but I'm assuming the rad supports are all the same between W body's...it's the header panels that are unique between let's say a Regal or Prix, etc. 55...maybe I have the terminology mixed up? For me, the header panel is the plastic or whatever material it is that mounts the grills, headlamps, turn signals, etc TO the radiator support.

1992 Grand prix GTP header panel for the headlights. #15 1992 Cutlass Supreme SL head panels for the headlights. #13 At one point in time I had both of these and they are different. I'm pretty sure they could be interchanged it might take a bit of work due to mounting points being different on the rad support. I have no idea about the bumpers or how the lights would align. The rad support is nearly the same. 1992 GP rad support 1992 Cutlass Supreme rad support Note the different part numbers. The work needed to do this would probably require drilling, welding, and painting.

The forum OGs started the count over when the G-body Grand Prix's went FWD into the W-body back in the 80`s. I get both sides of the argument but has there ever been an official sit down at one of the old meet ups to determine who is right over this?

Thanks Rich, I'll pass on the mufflers, for now I will keep the existing original exhaust until it's ready to drop on me.

Seek considerably more experienced help, the life you save may be your own

Now on with the modification that needs done for the other side of the knuckle. While the other 10mm threaded holes are now at around 2.250” deep you’ll need longer bolts. I would seriously suggest using 304 stainless steel! Why? Steel & aluminum don’t get along with each other & since these are blind holes the likely hood of there being electrolysis between them is inevitable with corrosion that will freeze them up, being that they are in a blind hole. This makes that corrosion difficult to effect because of that. So the difficulty of getting them out later maybe significant. So basically you I’ll make two long studs & set screw them. Where they interface with the set screws the threads will need to be removed by undercutting. For reference I used 8x32 thread set screws. I also cut a screwdriver slot into the top of each stud to use for installation.

Shine a light in the empty holes and see what, if any indicators light up. They're slots for warning indicator bulbs...likely for something your vehicle isn't equipped with. (ie. Traction off indicator on a vehicle without traction control). If you put in a bulb, they should light up for the bulb check, but might also light up permanently.

Do not blame the caliper for this situation, this particular design is a high maintenance design. Remember to constantly use the parking brake, keep the calipers clean, do not allow dirt buildup in between the parking brake lever & the caliper housing. Pull the calipers at least once a year & inspect them, ensure the sliders are moving freely. Seeing as the piston is an internal item & is protected by an external dirt shield they do not usually seize because of external dirt or corrosion, but they will seize due to lack of maintenance, where the brake fluid has not been flushed on a regular basis. Keep this in mind...brake fluid is hygroscopic, that means it attracts moisture, moisture gets into the caliper bore, works on all of the metal parts, flush the fluid & do it regularly. I can't speak for anyone else but I still have 30 year old calipers on my car, they are kept painted & clean, even tho the car sees very limited use nothing gets neglected.

Change your procedure. Stop replacing parts, start diagnosing. The only parts you should be replacing are the sort of "tune-up" items that would be expected to fail after a normal service life. The Usual Three: Verify fuel pressure at prime, at idle, and under load. Most fuel pressure gauge assemblies have a push-button pressure release connected to crappy vinyl tubing. Route the tubing so it empties into a drain pan, then push the button while the engine is running. This simulates higher fuel demand if you can't check fuel pressure on the highway. Fuel pressure should remain steady even with fuel flowing down the pressure-relief tubing. TBI systems don't hold pressure when the pump stops running, but the other fuel injection styles should. How old is the fuel filter? Have you ever dumped a bottle of Chevron Techron Complete Fuel System Cleaner into the gas tank? (Recommended at every oil change.) How old are the usual “tune-up” parts and procedures? Inspect/replace plug wires, spark plugs. Use quality parts sourced from an authorized seller (NO COUNTERFEIT PARTS FROM AMAZON, EBAY, OR OTHER SKETCHY SELLERS!) Be sure the ignition coils will reliably fire a spark-tester calibrated for HEI when the coils are fully warm, and misted with water from a squirt-bottle. Cranking compression test of all cylinders while the spark plugs are removed. Verify EGR, PCV, EVAP, and Heated Air Intake (if used) systems for proper operation. Verify proper electronic spark advance. Replace old O2 sensors unless you can PROVE that they're working properly—old O2 sensors get lazy, they don't provide accurate data, but they do provide “data” that fools people into thinking they're “working”. Connect a scan tool (NOT a crappy “code reader”) and look for “codes”. More important, look at the data stream to verify EVERY sensor and computer output. Verify fuel trims during the time that the vehicle is not running properly. Look for misfire counts for each cylinder (OBD2 only.) “Codes” have official diagnostic procedures that will be found in the service manual set for your vehicle.

How many pins total, and what wire colors? At that angle, I see only 8 pins. Does the car have an aftermarket stereo? If so, my total shot-in-the-dark guess would be maybe it's for a factory amp that was bypassed.

It must be. my alternator bracket couldn’t even clear the strut tower and water pump bracket hit my frame rail What year GP is that??

Does anyone know the dimensions of the 3.1 v6's. I'm looking into motor swap ideas and have two two options but I can't find the dimensions to compare. Any help and advice is greatly appreciated.

Up to you. I think any v8 swapped w body, (even the factory installed ones) are cool. I’ve had engines out of both 4.9 and 4.6 Cadillacs. I’d wager money the northstar is no way no how going to fit in a Grand Prix. I used to daily a 2003 Deville and that is a huge car. With a huge hood, wide, and all that size, the engine is still shoehorned into the chassis. Good luck!

I’m pretty sure there is a guy in Russia who did a 4.9 before swapping it to something else. I love the north star engines, I’ve worked on many. But it is gigantic and would be very surprised if it fit. Why not an LS4?

I'm going to attempt to attach photos (yay it worked, but they're not in order). I'd say it loses about a quart a week. 182,000 miles, plan on taking it on a long trip (~1300 miles). She's all I got right now I'll try to explain. There's a recesses area just to the right (perspective of someone standing in front of the hood/engine) of the plenum?/throttle body?, oi the thing that says "3.1 Multiport FI". Basically just behind (same perspective) the filler cap. It's oily down in there. It leaks out apparently, then travels toward the rear of the car. You can see the pathway in one of the pictures. Sometimes it even seems like coolant comes out of there also. No oil is not smokey or anything like that, looks normal. Assuming it is a crack, I'm planning on getting in there, cleaning it thoroughly, then jamming epoxy putty in there. I should think it would hold for a while. Oh it's a one way trip

.. BXX i know this is an older thread but do you have or still offer swapping harnesses??.. i have a 1989 GPSE with a 3.1 and i also have a complete 3.8 series II out of a 2000 GPGT .. i've already had the engine installed mechanically and it was mint but i got burned on a harness..so i pulled it and stuffed in a stock 3.1.. but i really wanna finish the 3.8 swap if i can find a harness..let me know

What car(s) does this guide apply to? I have a 95 Lumina, with drums and I am doing a rear disc upgrade. I plan on buying new brake lines for the calipers, so I need to remove the flex brake hose, where it meets the solid brake line to the master cyclinder. Do I need any special parts/tools to do this? I assume i need flex brake hose from a 95-99 Lumina with rear disc. Also, do i need new bolts or bushings between the knuckle and the link rods/trailing arm?