Round 2 (hell, its really more like round 9 for me at this point)

[Taylor]

Got started on the intake stuff today... Back is KILLING me but it will be worth it once its all done.

This is what I'm starting with... Pretty much a bone stock 3100 SFI. All I've done to the engine itself so far is a 3400 throttle body.





And this is what I'm installing...
Large port 3x00 upper and lower intake manifold and also taking care of some minor things while I've got it all apart.



Good thing I'm doing this too. My lower gaskets have failed BIG TIME and the car was now on borrowed time.

 

I'm also going to install THIS.....

so that I can get rid of THIS.....

That removes the pipe going into the bottom of the throttle body.
The pipe in the first pic runs across the back of the firewall, down the side, along the bottom towards the front and comes up by the PCM

While I have the intake off of the car, I'd be a fool to not do my oil pump drive as well, so picked up this.....

 

This is how my car sits now. Damnit I needed pizza and pain meds for my back.

New METAL lower intake gaskets are in... I also needed to look up the torque specs for the rockers

[Taylor]

Been a while since I updated.  Hell, didn't even update after getting the large port intake swap done.  Got it done successfully (a year and a half ago), been driving the car ever since without any major problems.

 

Every once in a while, the transmission will do something stupid, but its not been that bad.

 

Just finished up (last night) installing a HUD and thought I would post some pics.

 

First of all, the engine back together after doing the large port intake swap.  3400 upper and lower intakes, 3400 throttle body, and not shown in the pic, but added a Cutlass Convertible strut tower bar (since I had 2 laying around).

 

Added "puddle" lights to the doors.  Unfortunately they have the newer style Oldsmobile emblem, but I still like them.

 

 

Added HID's to the high, low and foglights.  In retrospect, adding them to the HIGH beams was a BAD idea due to them needing 5-10 seconds to "warm up".

 

The taillights started developing cracks in them, so I NightShaded them to cover it up.

 

Just finished up the biggest project in a while.  Pulled the dash out to installed a HUD, and to fix some wiring problems.

 

Dash out

 

hole cut and HUD test fitted in (the Cutlass Supreme dash already has provision for the HUD.  You just have to cut 2 slots for the clips that hold it down, and drill 2 small holes for the screw holes that hold it in place.

 

The Cutlass defroster vent cover cut to fit, and then cut out the middle part of a 2000 Grand Prix HUD cover to experiment with fiberglassing it in.

 

The cover fiberglassed.  Its NOT PERFECT, but I'm happy with it considering this was my first time EVER playing with fiberglass.

I still need to do some trimming and sanding, and maybe get some body filler to smooth it out some but all in all I think its pretty good for a first attempt.

 

Unfortunately, I don't have any pics of the cover installed in the car.  We had a cold front blow in so I didn't get to finish test fitting it.  When I installed it, the hole part goes down into the HUD unit and it presses the mirror so that you can't see the image.  I need to trim it up some, but hopefully in the next couple of days I'll get that trimmed up more and get a good pic of it installed.

 

Lastly, a pic of the test drive with it in.  The only problem is the HIGH BEAM light stays on (I think its due to the HID's).  The RADIO feature does not work, but I didn't do this for the radio, I did it for the Speed.

[RobertISaar]

for the high beams, you may want to look at 9011 bulbs, they're essentially a 9005 bulb on steroids. huge bump in light output with no increase in power consumption. noticeably more white light as well. just have to clip a tiny section out of the bulb's base and it fits into 9005 slots.

[Psych0matt]

Nice!

[Taylor]

Actually, I love the HID High beams.  Damn good light output (I live down a really long, straight dark country road).  The problem with the high beam HID's is that the LOW beams are also really bright, so if someone flashes me thinking my highs are on, It does not do me any good to flash them back since the HIGH's have to "warm up".

[vipmiller803]

That is a nice alternative for the shifter knob. The top button is somewhat offsetting to some people, but I never had a problem.

I have HID highs as well and they are awesome at night. Like you said, you lose your flashing abilities, but it is worth it.

Good job on the metal gasket. Talk about doing it right the first time.

[Taylor]

oh damn, I never posted pics of the interior.

 

2000 Grand Prix center console with Buick Regal shifter knob (since taking this pic, I put in the newer graphite airbag and added HUD.  Airbag swap was due to the contact plate of the old airbag messing up and losing horn function).

 

 

And also added a 2000 Grand Prix overhead console.

 

 

 

 

 

After I get the HUD cover finished, and the interior cleaned back up, I'll post updated pics.

[Taylor]

 

 

 

 

The top cover thingie still needs some work done too it.  Sanding, filling, smoothing, etc.  Interior needs to be vacuumed but my vacuum cleaner is on the fritz.

[Nas Escobar]

Can you be more detailed on the 2000 Grand Prix center console? Does it bolt right in or is it just hanigng in there? I used to have a 2005 Monte Carlo center console in my 94 but the way the bottom was threw the whole thing off. It had a gap in the rear and it was hanging out in the center not bolted onto anything at all. I took it out for a 95-97 console which is okay just that the cupholders suck and it's much narrower than the Monte Carlo one I had in there.

[Imp558]

The HID Hi-Beam idea, pretty soon here I'm adding them to her Bonneville and planning on re-wiring to enable high and low at once. As for the HUD cover, there was an era the Bonneville or GP had a simpler cover, I can't remember which I pulled it from but I have one I got from a PAP for mine, just a little shaping to do on it.

 

Honestly If you sand that thing you modded down and had an upholstery shop cover it in vinyl it would look really cool. 

Edited January 11, 2016 by Imp558

[Euro]

I like what you've done Taylor!

[vipmiller803]

The HID Hi-Beam idea, pretty soon here I'm adding them to her Bonneville and planning on re-wiring to enable high and low at once.

That is what I have in the buick. I didn't want to stress the high beams wiring so I ran a relay fed from the battery post with additional grounds and diodes to run the low beams with the high's. It gets nice and bright at 90 watts HID's per side...