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Hi, I’ve just stumbled onto this forum, and i figure I’ll probably need to post here eventually acquired my luminator last year, 2nd owner from a grandma. 70000 (got w 55000)miles. Here’s some pics; thx yall

Hey everyone, My name’s Ryan, I’m from Long Island, NY, and I’m new to the Monte Carlo platform. I recently picked up a 2003 Monte Carlo SS and I’m excited to finally start a build thread and be part of the community. By trade I’m a licensed marine engineer, so I’m very hands-on mechanically and enjoy learning the technical side of things. On the automotive side, I’ve worked on and tuned a variety of platforms, everything from basic bolt-ons and wiring to full tuning using HP Tuners, Hondata, and standalone setups. I enjoy both the mechanical and tuning sides of builds and documenting the process. For the Monte, the plan is to start simple, catch up on maintenance, fix worn components, and do some basic bolt-ons while I sort out the body and cosmetics. Once the chassis and body are in better shape, the goal is to turn things up. I’m currently torn between a Gen V M90 top swap or going turbo, but either way the end goal is a "reliable", fun street car that still rips when you get into it. I’ll be sharing progress, asking questions, and learning as I go. Looking forward to seeing everyone’s builds and being part of the community.

Greetings forum members! New member, so thought I'd take a moment to introduce myself. Last Spring (2025) I acquired a relatively pristine (54k miles) 88 Pontiac GP SE. I hadn't even known they made these with a 5-speed, so I hadn't explicitly been looking, yet lo and behold here we are. I've got it on good authority I'm only the second owner. It started life in central NY but spent the last 10 years parked in a sweltering hot garage in central Florida. It was never ever even registered in FL. So it's got some internal heat damage, which I've been repairing. The door upholstery glue had given up years ago. The stereo was a mess, but I replaced all of the capacitors on the amplifier boards and even plumbed in a bluetooth module to the cassette inputs. I'm not much of an auto mechanic myself, I do cybersecurity for a living, but I don't mind getting my hands dirty on projects like this. On the serious mechanical side, I've had it at a local "rural mechanic" who's did a flush on all of the fluids, changed out the master/slave cylinders, and replaced the brakes. I seem to have dodged the bullet of any serious rust or corrosion, but I know these are prone to rotting out their rear strut towers so I plan on installing a strut tower brace and blast the insides with as much cavity wax as they'll take. Any other "gotchas" tips, tricks, or suggestions for keeping something like this roadworthy? Google's AI guestimates, based on statistical analysis of scrap rates versus production numbers, there may only be 15-25 "roadworthy" versions of this model, trim, and transmission combinations left anywhere I didn't buy this planning on a super rare preservation "duty" yet here I am...any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Don't worry, despite living in the salt-belt, I don't plan on driving it in winter for that reason...I do hope to drive it during the warmer months though! An 88 GP was my very first car when I turned 16, so I'd always been looking for a decent one, "just for fun". I never planned on ending up with a bigfoot-riding-a-unicorn of rarity...something I'm not all together happy about...yet here we are!

The *actuator* was discontinued approx 20 years ago.......finding an NOS piece would be a challenge. The item IS serviceable..........

Its likely a pre-production thing that never carried over, as that episode was filmed prior to the 88 cutlass being released.

Automatic equipped FE3 springs from a 3.4 DOHC car seem to be the stiffest. The manual trans springs are slightly less stiff (as compared side by side, and they have different part numbers). In other words your automatic Z34 has the stiffest ever available factory.

I know it's been done before. I think the biggest issue is always switching the vehicle over to OBDII. But if you aren't going for a Series II L67 a Series I L67 from a Bonneville that is OBD 1.5 might make a better option.

So I was watching old motorweek episodes on the 1st gen W-Bodies, and grabbed some screen caps comparing the times motorweek got. I realize this isnt bible but its interesting nonetheless! Of note - the quad 4 manual cutlas was the fastest of all to 60, but had a lower trap speed than the TGP and Z34. Clearly the Quad 4/manual was a good choice for this car performance wise - and their commentary on handling was that it was excellent (the most praise of the four) The TGP had the quickest 1/4 mile time, but not trap speed. The video showed very little wheelspin which clearly aided it off the line. The Z34 5-speed had a ton of wheelspin and tire smoke which seems to have limited its 0-60, but its trap speed is by far the highest. Clearly without the wheelspin this would be the “fastest” w-body and demonstrates the best power to weight. The 90 STE turbo was painfully slow compared to the rest, and especially the TGP. Given that its the same powertrain and the coupes and sedans are negligibly different weight-wise, this was either on a very hot day, or they just didnt have a very fast example (maybe a “friday car”)

The fuel lines that feed the fuel rail are not screw on nut fittings, both the pressure & the return are disconnected with a set of fuel line/ac disconnect tools. The pressure line is near the centre at the back of the engine. One pulls off the engine cover & you'll see the fuel rail. Once you've disconnected the line you'll need a lengthy section of garden hose to slip over the fuel line end & tape it up to prevent any leaking & feed it into a container size of your choosing. Now you can bypass the relay to power up the fuel pump to drain the tank.

there should be a loose red wire near the relay jump that to the positive post and it should turn the fuel pump on

Does the pump run? If it does, unhook a fuel line under the hood and jump the fuel pump relay.

Hi guys, I'm still alive and well and still have dome light switches! The site used to send me an email when someone posted on this thread, not sure if that doesn't work anymore? My direct email is mezz@benris.com if anyone else is still looking or switches.

Spammer......

absolutely

spammer?

not even a difference ABS/non abs on the gen1 front knuckles. the sensor is separate of the wheel hub - why gm couldn't have continued this into the later cars is beyond me. buy whichever brand you determine to be the highest quality or fits within your budget

Welcome aboard!

It's been a while since I've seen one of these out in traffic. These cars were mostly rotted out during the last recession in 2008. I was just thinking if I saw one today it would stand out a lot because of all the crossovers people drive now. Especially a clean one. Most people probably wouldn't know what it was. Welcome to the forum.

Looks very similar to a few buildings in Nashville so had to ask.

Welcome! I remember when those were your everyday generic GM car back in the day (`99-`04ish) but they really stand out now. 70,000 is great mileage considering the age and the only real problem spot on that 3100 is the LIM gaskets. Flush the fluids and keep the oil changed regularly and there`s no reason you couldnt see 200k on the OD if there isnt any rust. It looks like a brand new car from the pics, and that makes it extremely uncommon to rare nowadays. Great pics with the city background. What town are you in?

Welcome to the forum. That should be a good reliable car!

Here is info for the the swap based on my own experience of swapping my 88 cutlass w-body. 3800 swap w-body From 98/99 Monte Carlo z34/lumina LTZ with 3.8NA Needed - power steering lines (buy new) - Heater hoses (buy new) - Exhaust downpipe (or have one made) - AC system - all lines/parts from the engine bay (compressors can be from the gtp too) Best to have from the Monte Carlo/lumina but not mandatory - engine bay wiring harness - Cv shafts (buy new if you don’t have them) From gtp donor - motor - Trans - Trans cooler lines - rad hoses - Motor mounts - Cv shafts - PCM - Engine bay wiring harness Notes: cv shafts if using an HD trans you need to use the gtp passenger inner with the 1st Gen shaft and outer joint. If you get them from the Monte you can use the stock Monte drivers side. Wiring: if you can’t find the Monte Carlo harness you can use the gtp harnesss, and merge it into the 1st Gen c100 connector. With the Monte harness it comes with the c100 you just need to remove a few pins around and overall much easier but can be hard to find. You’ll need the GM service manuals for your donor harness and your original car to match the c100 connector. If using a Monte harness you will probably want to add the BBV wiring. This will also convert the car to obd2 PCM: you will need to get the vats/security removed(it’s possible it won’t be an issue but be aware it probably will be) and probably want to remove a few other codes. Rad: you could use your original, but the donor gtp rad will be bigger and fits into the chassis. I’d say it’s recommended but not 100% necessary.

was this badge a 88 or maybe 89 year option or standard feature? i've never seen that besides in this video

I do not believe that the 1994 Cutlass Supremes had the "Audio Bass Control" slider switch as an option, but I am not certain of this. The slider was located below the fog light button if the car were so equipped (there were two versions of the fog light switches). Here's an image of one (sorry it's so big): If the car was equipped with this feature, it also had a small amplifier located behind the dashboard, to the left of and slightly below the instrument panel. My 1992 Cutlass Supreme was pre-wired for this feature. The harness was folded and taped under the dashboard. I had a hell of a time getting the amplifier out of a junkyard car. The slider does definitely make a difference in the bass response in the 6x9s. It's been a really long time since I've posted here. I still love this site because it hasn't changed and people are still tinkering with their Ws.

amended

W body spring codes *paste this into your web browser address bar* my fronts are FYB, the rear is RFK *let's try this again.......this should work*

I should have specified contacting a spring shop that specializes in making custom coil springs like this website https://www.coilsprings.com/classic-car-coil-springs No idea what numbers you'd have to give them, I wish I had a spec sheet from a discontinued aftermarket performance option for reference but I imagine those are very hard to come by.

Spring shops can only install what's available in the aftermarket, & FE3's are not one of them. The springs availability is *generalized*, only the basic spring would be available.

I did a bit of digging on this a while ago and unfortunately if you want to change anything about the suspension rate in these cars now past what FE3 gives you'll either need to contact a spring shop or figure out how to fit coilovers on the car. There were custom coilover mounts available here but the last batch sold out years ago. I'm sure there are springs out there that fit the car and provide a stiffer rate than stock but as far as I'm aware nobody has come across ones that fit.

The springs are not a *Chevy* thing....all 1st Gen W's with the FE3 got the stiffest coils available. What's under your Z34 is also under a GP with the FE3 suspension.

There are no longer aftermarket *performance* springs manufactured for the 1st gen W's, if you've got the FE3 suspension under the car then you've already got the stiffest springs available. I take it that you want lower the front to match the dropped rear's ride height?

I would`ve liked that badge to be illuminated on the door pillar with black powdercoated door handles/lockplate vs the vertical pillar handle design we got.

I had a buddy of mine take a look at my Lumina for the same issue, in the trunk opening and below the rear window. Seam sealer cracked and allowing water in. Also I can see it leaking/starting to rust underneath the taillights just below the rear bumper support. Seams of panels. Might want to look there. My body shop guy will probably sand blast it, reseal it, then paint.

I ordered one to try. Thank you. I’ll keep you posted if I have questions about it.

They're supposed to retract. They don't "fully" retract in the sense you no longer see them, but they're supposed to retract nearly all of the way. When I had my 92 Cutlass many years back, the sunroof didn't move properly. I believe the drive gear was stripped, and I ended up just pulling an entire sunroof unit from a car in the junkyard and replacing it. I also had the sunroof in my 2000 Regal break, to where it wouldn't retract properly, and would only tilt. I never looked into fixing it...but it acted similar to a power window with a broken track.

One thing to be careful of there is that 2004 was a bit of a transitional year. A 2004 Lacrosse is a 3rd gen W and came with the 3800 series 3, while the 2004 Monte/Impala was still a 2nd gen and came with the 3800 series 2. Compatibility wise, you’re very much going to be stuck running a compressor compatible with a 2004 Monte SS if you want any hope of things functioning properly. The other potential gotcha is that 2nd gens also ran a BCM. There is a possibility that the PCM requires input from the BCM in order for the AC compressor to run correctly in the first place.

Putting all of the *hardware compatibility* aside for a moment.... what ECM/PCM are you using to drive that L67? Are you using the 1227727 case or the 1614936 case?.........with a burned chip tune for an eeprom These are OBD1.. or are you using an OBD2 pcm?

I'm going to differ with you on this Kyle....... what OP needs is the necessary A/C piping from a 1st Gen Regal with the 3.8 engine. If you intend on keeping as much as your car is currently fitted with you'll need the a/c compressor manifold hose assembly that was fitted to the 3.8 Regal & a new rebuilt pre 94 compressor. Everything prior to 94 is R12 based, everything post 93 is R134 based. When GM introduced 134 in 94 they changed ALL of the A/C line fittings thread pitch so NOTHING from prior & post can be used together. My suggestion to you is to keep your 92 car all 92, get that old 92 3.8 manifold hose assembly & purchase a new *rebuilt* pre 94 A/C compressor, even the manifold hose assembly changed in 94 because GM redesigned the back end of the compressor housing for 94 so the old manifold hose will not attach to the newer design compressor housing. Purchase yourself a new receiver/dryer as well as a new orifice tube. Go into Rockauto, search 92 Regal, they still house most of what you'll need.

Yeah, that makes it sound even more like the brake lights are the turn signal switch in the column... 1994-2001 Gen 1 and Gen 1.5 Turn Signal Switch Replacement | W-BodyTech Forums But that shifting thing...are you able to turn the key and move the steering wheel? Can you shift out of park with the steering wheel unlocked but with engine off?

What they liked the best: The brakes. What folks complain about the most on this site: The brakes. I've said it before, I'll say it again: The biggest problem with Gen 1 brakes is not the brakes per se, it's the brake booster.

When I first saw this I was wondering why this logo was placed on the door handle.

It’s been just a little over a year now since I got the Regal…so what better way to celebrate that than with some more recent pictures. Nothing much visually has changed except for the refinished wheels and new tires…which was a fairly large, yet subtle change on its own. My intent is to keep the car as stock as possible, and to keep it up to snuff mechanically to be used as a reliable, fair weather cruiser. And to shake things up…. This is the final picture I ever took of my 89 GS before it was parked for good in summer of 2008.

You should be able to OBD2 swap if you want to go that route, but I'm not sure how possible tuning is with the current options besides what GTP091 mentioned. DHP can still be obtained, but support isn't what it used to be. redzmonte had a turbo 3.4 95 Monte that he swapped the OBD1.5 to OBD2 and tuned. I had tuned my 96 3.4 GP with DHP years ago. I believe you can run a 97 PCM and use HPT, who supports 97+ 3.4 Montes, so I'm not sure how that would work. edit: after some research, looks like you can buy the DHP interface from the original manufacturer (AVT) and it SHOULD work. Setting up DHP on a Windows 10 laptop is a bit of a chore. http://www.avt-hq.com/852_hw.htm http://www.avt-hq.com/price.htm

BCC= AXSJ2368 Scan id= 2391 Part number= 16162364 Release date= 11/09/90 Engine size= 3.4 Trans Type= Auto trans ECM/PCM: ECM #16149396 Used in cars: Chevy Pontiac Oldsmobile Possibly used in: LUMINA LUMINA EUROSPORT LUMINA Z34 GRAND PRIX LE GRAND PRIX SE GRAND PRIX GT GRAND PRIX STE CUTLASS SUPREME SUPREME INTERNAT'L CUTLASS SUPREME SL CUTLASS SUPREME CONV Options: With LQ1 3.4L GAS 6 CYL (3.4X) SFI OHC V6 HO With M13 AUTO 4 SPD (4T60-E) With NA5 FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS With QGW ALL P215/60 R/16 N BL R/PE ST TL HWY With QXJ P225/60R16/N NL R/PE ST TL AL3

91 auto which is what I have in my 91 GP is the AYSZ, AUSJ is the T code engine (3.1) W body for 91, AUBU is the T code engine W body for 93 auto trans these all come out of the 16149396 ECM I have nothing on the ASXJ

AYSZ = 1992 LQ1/Auto BBUK = 1993 LQ1/Manual BCFA = 1991 LQ1/Manual BCFA is the one you'll want to use

The 4 memcal's used with the 91-93 LQ1 are AYSZ, BBUK, BCDT & BCFA. BBUK is the early manual trans memcal, & BCFA or *1441* is the later manual trans memcal.

i got the front end by exchaning the motor (0 mile dohc) and a few hundred for bumpers and hood, the hood had really bad rust on the front lip so it was junked and i bought a new one for $300 so i'm not sure how much they go for but i know it's more than a few hundred. Later Jay

did i change my front end!? LOL i changed my whole car! j/k but yeah i did i put all the parts from the Z34 coupe on my base model 4 door, and the side skirts are from Razzi. I got a n ew white paint job and all the parts and labor for about $5500. lot of money i know but i love my car, next is to sell my coilovers and get a air cylinder set up. Later Jay check out my www tab on the bottom and see what it used to look like