What to do?

[94 olds vert]

Convertible deck lids and I believe the mech is 'vert only.

[95cutlass]

I'm glad that your fixing up the cutlass!! I can't wait to see the progress.

[ManicMechanic]

Coupe and convertible decklids are the same 1992-97. Hinges are convertible only.

[94 olds vert]

According to ken from the Convertible Interchange Info thread all coupe+vert 88-97 trunk lids are interchangeable.

 

http://www.w-body.com/showthread.php/26612-Convertible-Interchange-Information

 

 

Trunk Lid

interchangeable all 88-97 coupe and convertibles

the 1988 pace car convertibles have a trunk rack with an installed third brake light on the trunk lid.

[rktmanfj]

I'm glad that your fixing up the cutlass!! I can't wait to see the progress.

 

It's not a done deal yet.

 

I just grabbed those parts up in case I get a good report from the body shop... I know they are hard to come by. I'm going on vacation soon, so I dunno if I will be able to get it in for estimate before then or not. Ideally, I can leave it there before I go, if need be, and pick it up after.

 

If I end up not using them, someone here will give them a good home.

 

FWIW, PAP charged me the full taillight housing price, but termed it as a "double", so I got both tails and the panel with the backup light for that price, lol.

[rktmanfj]

According to ken from the Convertible Interchange Info thread all coupe+vert 88-97 trunk lids are interchangeable.

 

http://www.w-body.com/showthread.php/26612-Convertible-Interchange-Information

 

Thanks for pointing me to that list, it will be a big help.

 

Obviously, I haven't yet found all the archived resources this forum has to offer...

[94 olds vert]

Thanks for pointing me to that list, it will be a big help.

 

Obviously, I haven't yet found all the archived resources this forum has to offer...

 

No problem. There is a great deal of information on this forum. With some searching you can find just about all the info you'll ever need. When fixing and messing around with these Ws. Especially first gens.

[Crazy K]

EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!! yeah, I have a 95 trunk lid on my 91... however i can't get it to latch. It's only been unlatched for five years now....... but then it is parked permanently. The exterior dimensions are identical, but just like the fenders that are the same way, there might be a minor difference... (the fenders have only a difference where they have the retainers attached at the front utilized to hold the corner lights, but are in fact the same skin, 88-91 vs 92-97)

 

Manic, is your interchange information correct?

Edited May 8, 2012 by Crazy K

[1988PhantomFE3]

Cool, you got parts! I changed over our '94 Vert trunk for the '89 Coupe with no issues. I never even checked to see if it would work, just did it. I know the license plate holder is completely different on the '89, but Jeff sold me the license plate insert and I hope to pick up the back bumper cover real soon.

 

I didn't even know if those square honeycomb crash absorber things were the same until I saw RKTMANFJ's pic of his rear all mangled. It dips in the middle so I CAN use the older 'bumper cover on our '94! SWEET FORUM! You never know what's gonna help ya!

[Crazy K]

Uh, I popped by there again.... did you loose a tool in the trunk of said car at the yard? identify it and it will come back to you.

 

 

[rktmanfj]

Uh, I popped by there again.... did you loose a tool in the trunk of said car at the yard? identify it and it will come back to you.

 

 

 

 

 

I was hoping that screwdriver would be there when I went back...

[1988PhantomFE3]

My wife found a real nice leatherman on the roof of a car in the JY, I left a note on the board there and no one claimed it. Hard part was stealing it from my Honey, I got her high on chocolate and she forgot all about it! Roses, Choclate, Jewelry, leatherman...whick one doesn't belong? SCORE!

[Crazy K]

I was hoping that screwdriver would be there when I went back...

 

i have it, safe and sound..... LOL

[Ramblin Garage]

I'm glad you're going to work on it and not just throw it away, it looks like it's starting to come back together nicely. Good luck!

[rktmanfj]

I'm glad you're going to work on it and not just throw it away, it looks like it's starting to come back together nicely. Good luck!

 

 

Thanks!

 

It's back burnered for the next several days, so I can go do some more of this:

 

[rktmanfj]

Okay, so here it is June, prime ragtop weather, and no progress (dammit).

 

Since vacation, I have been trying to find the cause of why the battery drains off (it didn't do this before the accident). While letting the thing run a bit, it has also begun to spew coolant from a pinhole near the t-stat (apparently only when it's open), but it's not overheating. Also, the ABS light has been coming on intermittently since the crash, even when sitting still idling.

 

Despite my good intentions at getting this thing out to a shop for estimate, I'm going backwards...

[rktmanfj]

After several attempts to figure out the location of the short that is killing the battery, I am about to give up. I don't have the time to chase my tail on this. Upon checking impact area, I found the rear lighting harness was seriously pinched right where it bolts to the taillight housing, creating several shorts. So, I removed the harness, and found that the battery (new last fall) was now junk. Thinking that I had now eliminated the problem, I installed yet another new battery, and planned to go up to PAP for a new harness later in the week. 2 days later, I went to move the car from in front of the garage and found it dead again... grrrr.

 

After talking with a mechanic friend about this, he asked if the trunk lid was bent, and suggested that the light was staying on. Figuring that he was exactly right, I went home and removed the bulb, and found that it was burned out. I removed it anyway, and recharged the battery. No dice, dead again the next day.

 

I also filled the radiator and tank in an attempt to find the source of the coolant leak, but it didn't show itself again. good news, right? Wrong. When I came out the next day, I found almost all the coolant I had added was now on the pavement. Best I can tell, it's got a bad shaft seal on the water pump.

 

The engine does start immediately, and runs as though nothing ever happened. Driving it short distances around the area here shows no other apparent problems.

 

I'm thoroughly frustrated with all of this, and thinking about the possibility of selling it off as a parts car, or maybe someone who has a shop to work in would find it to be an easy fix, and look for another Cutty project. Regardless, because I live in an apartment complex I am pretty limited as to how much work I can do on it here. It's pretty disappointing, since it looked to be an easily done project car before the accident.

 

On the good side, I got an excellent deal and scored a 2002 Pontiac Montana last week. It's in great shape, so at least I have a reliable DD now.

[White93z34]

does it have an alarm, remote start or other aftermarket equipment?

[rktmanfj]

does it have an alarm, remote start or other aftermarket equipment?

 

The PO (one of them anyway) appears to have had some serious audio crap installed on it in the past (some of the wiring still remains), but it's all gone, and it has a stock stereo installed now. No other aftermarket stuff that I can tell.

 

I thought that since only one of the interior lights works, maybe I had it turned on at the switch, but no.

 

Everything else on the car seems to work as before, except for the inside mirror, which is unplugged (the glue broke off the glass on impact). It just occurred to me that the trunk light harness might be shorted somewhere... I'll have to check that.

Edited August 4, 2012 by rktmanfj