Dead Reckon

Lotta questions, first thing I should say that the budget (currently) is (conservatively) set at $2,400. I am buying a 2001 Chrysler Sebring sedan for $700, $1,100 once I have it on the road, it has a bad cam position sensor. Easy fix, should be a profitable flip. I'll drive it for a short while, then sell it to fund the rebuild of my '89 Olds Custom Cruiser. Should be able to clear $2,500 off that Sebring.

So, my 1989 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser (Pics link below), and the questions about it. It will be a daily driver (Sometimes), it will not be garage kept, the wood grain is going away (Forever!), and, it is going to be built as a cruiser. So it has to get up and go, I want to be able to roll around town faster than the lead sled that my fathers '86 Custom Cruiser is with it's modified stock rebuilt 307.

It has a 307, T700R4 (I think, I know it's a 700 series), practically new exhaust, dry rotted Mastercraft white wall 15" tires. Tinted windows, factory woodgrain (That is going away.) The car is white, it was wrecked (we're getting a parts car, which is white, with wood grain.), or it got in a fight with the hulk. I don't know which. Factory third row bench seat, power windows, power seats, power mirrors, power everything, even a rear window defroster.

It needs tie rods, a center link, an idler arm, and a few other things. Some of them I have covered, as far as finding good parts. Others, not so much.

So, my questions are as follows

First and foremost, it needs suspension, any idea's as to where I can get good, heavy duty (Non towing, but ablet o handle cargo weight, or the weight of eight people, who knows? I might taxi some friends if they give me enough gas money.) springs and shocks? Also, is there anything else I need to look at.

I'd like to swap it to a 350 Rocket at some point, a true Olds 350. Any suggestions? Exhaust, suspension, anything that needs to be done, don't be afraid, I may only work fast food but I'd rather go broke building a car right than go into a ditch from building it wrong. Also, my father was telling me I should build a 700 series with an electronic lockout torque converter, and a performance shift kit, since I have a lead foot.

Wheels, I have some wheel vintiques series 66's picked out I'd love to put on it, even though the lug pattern is right, will these fit? I want to run them with baby moon hubcaps, paint the wheels black, and throw on some chrome valve stems, classic but functional. 235/70-16 tires, not sure which yet, some good touring A/S tires probably Better than 20 inches of blinding chrome and absurdly thin tires. Oh my insanity, where art thou if not in the ghetto?

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/WVI-66-680504/

So basically, the expectations this car has to meet aren't extremely high, it is a two ton station wagon after all. It is the image of family transportation in the 1980's and 1970's.

I want to build it for a daily driver (Gas will be murder, tasty tasty murder for the car, at least.). I do corner a bit quick, I also accelerate hard sometimes, and sometimes, on a rare occasion, I might pack rat the back of the car full of god knows what, not for long, I do not like people who keep junk in the trunk, no pun intended. I don't typically haul many people, but I'd like to know the car can still serve it's purpose as the Brady bus. Sans the creepy happy family... Emphasis on creepy... So I'll call it a party barge instead!

On a side note, stereo options, not a high priority, but I want to know my options. 3.5's in the dash, stuck with those I know, but what about rear speakers? I do not want subs sliding about int he back of the car, nor do I want the rear hole turned into a sub box. I don't want my eggs bouncing on two 10's. So, no subs. I'd like to see about putting some 6x9's or 6x8's in the rear sails though. Or some other off the wall size if I have too. 5x7's? Ford sized, meh, not the best, but good enough. For the record, I listen to metal, rock, and on an occasion, a genre of electronic music often referred too as aggrotech. In that order, I should add.

And, any other things I should know (Though I might know since we've had our '86 since '95, since I was about six years old) about this tank? Anything to be aware of, wary of, ect?

Oh, and, d'oh, edit 'cause I forgot to link to the pictures of the car

http://s55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...ser/?start=all

Anyway, thanks for the info, sorry about the short novel this post became, I tend to ramble a lot...

1976Oldswagon

nice wagon...is it your first car? mine is.

by the looks of that side damage, it might handle like doughnuts. but seriously, side damage like that can't be good for the frame.

I am fairly sure the 307 is the 350 with less stroke, but wikipedia is never accurate.

I use mine as a cruiser, and it is very popular, I have been the taxi driver for ever now...if you didn't learn to drive in a large, heavy RWD car, it is hard to make the transition to this. I have never driven anything with a 5.0 (300, 302, 305, or the olds 307) but it might make ~the same hp as my 455, but less (WAY less) torque.


anyway, update?

turbobill

Best thing for load carrying capabilities without destroying the empty ride or empty ride height is air bags in the rear springs.

A 350 will do a nice job over the 307 for some extra power without completely destroying mileage. Just build it very mild or stock. Your car should have the 2004R transmission which will work just fine. It's a 4 speed overdrive with a locking torque converter.

Depending on the type of driving you do, a rear axle gear change will change the car's personality leaving the 307 in place also.

turbobill

The bore size is the difference. All Oldsmobile small blocks had the same stroke at 3.38".

Bores were as follows:

260.............3.5"
307.............3.8"
330.............3.93"
350.............4.057"
403.............4.36"

Dead Reckon

Sorry for the delay, been busy, really, really busy. I'll put a condensed version at the bottom. Skip to the bottom for the ADHD version.

The Custom Cruiser may be put on the back burner, I dunno yet, I sold the Sebring, but as those 2.7L V6's are prone to do, a few days after I sold it, the motor decided to starve its self of oil in the lower end. I think it's been doing it for a while, noone noticed though. Anyhow, needs a lower end rebuild, I'm deducting that from the $1,950 the guy owes me, so, somewhere around $1,350 is what I should be expecting from him.

So, updates are as follows,

Budget just took a hit, I can work that out though. I can pocket about $100 per or every other paycheck (Don't even try to tell me how slow that'll add up, I already know...)

As 1976Oldswagon said, the frame could've been damaged, and I'm not sure if it was, which is why the "parts car" may become the "project car", and this '89 may become the parts car.

Parts car (or project car), still available, will buy soon (Spring 2012, isn't going anywhere, it's "Reserved" in a junkyard). It too is white with wood grain.

I'm debating on turning my current car into a donor car, cannibalizing it to make a nice car out of the parts car. They both have bad suspension, but the parts car isn't wrecked that I know of. Think it has some rust on the drivers side fender, but that's still a good fender on the wrecked '89.

The parts car (Or fixer upper), what I know about it, is as follows

V8, of course, unknown which motor it has, most likely a 307, I don't think they offered any other motor (other than a diesel 350) in the 80's, haven't had the hood open, too hard to get to the car where it's sitting in the junkyard.

Maroon vinyl interior, color isn't a problem, vinyl is, could recover the seats, but my father said the interior is trashed. Will have to debate if this car will be a donor or a fixer. My father isn't a fan of maroon interior anyway, personally, I don't give a damn... But the seats in the '89 are very, very, very nice... They're like new... So, I could just pull those and recover 'em maroon to match the maroon wagon.. I dunno, we'll see, lots of possibilities, not enough time to think about them.

The parts car (or fixer upper) has been sitting for who knows how long, not a plus at all even for a fixer upper which you won't even be keeping the motor out of.

The parts (or fixer upper) has the same white with wood grain

Made between 81-86, no newer than that, my father thinks it's an 83.




I may only be twenty two years old, but I know body damage is a can of worms, therein, I am open to find another car since the 307 is solid in that '89. I'd do a work over of the motor, remove the emission garbage, I know how too do that properly. Good older style four barrel quadrajet, an electronic dis. Vacuum system is a bit annoying to work around, but it can be done. It won't be a long term fix, but it'll be a solid motor for the use I'll get out of it.

Damn sure yanking the AC from that '89 if I use it as a parts car, 'cause, it works, probably needs a good leak check and recharging, but it damn well works, and I ain't ever driven a car that has working AC... Man I feel like a redneck now... "Look'e thur, it's got A-SEE that wurks!"

So to sum it up, the reason I may be thinking about using my car as a motor (and cosmetic bits) donor, is simple. Including the new exhaust, tinted windows, and some other crap. I'm too cheap to retint the windows, and too cheap to buy a new exhaust system when the one on the '89 isn't even really surface rusted yet.

Both of these cars need suspension work, that includes tie rods, a center link, idler arm, possibly ball joints (Though possibly not, they seem to be pretty durable), springs, shocks, ect, ect. Same amount of work, sans the nightmare of trying to fix damage to the '89.

I dunno, either way, I will make me two Custom Cruisers into one. I'll try to keep this thing updated, but between work, and everything going sideways (Including me, into a ditch, in our '86 'cause of black ice, car isn't hurt, but the trailer hitch looked like it was growing a lawn until it thawed a few days later) lately, I'll have to see how things go.

Oh, and yeah, basically it will be my first car. I've considered buying a '92 Camaro RS from my father, but, he's kind of fond of that car (Sixty something with a another slightly beat to hell toy). That and, if the road is even SLIGHTLY moist, that Camaro seems to be magnetized t'wards everything it can possibly hit... Which quite frankly, is pretty unnerving. And of course, a Camaro isn't my kind of car, I like seats which are so comfortable, you think you're at home on the couch. V8 powered couch is my kinda car.

Lastly, this will not be a daily driver, sure I'll take it too work sometimes, 'cause I work no distance at all away. About ten miles round trip (Which is about a gallon of gas for two trips to work, ouch.). Anyhow, I need sleep, it's nearly midnight, and I haven't slept enough to keep a cat alive lately.


ADHD version:

Budget took a hit, dunno what it'll be exactly. All of the lint in my pockets, probably, but I'll make it work

Parts car 8x custom cruiser has many mechanical issues, much as the fixer upper '89 custom cruiser, may turn the parts car into a fixer upper since the parts car isn't wrecked

Parts car has a lousy maroon interior, vinyl, will have to be swapped for cloth seats if fixed up. '89 has tan interior, but cloth, could be recovered maroon.

If '89 is used as parts car, the '89 will have a lot stripped to make 8x as nice as the '89.

And, on a side note, for the ADHD version, I landed our '86 custom cruiser in a ditch when I hit black ice last Monday, the uh, second of January. It snowed, didn't stick, got cold real quick, what didn't stick turned to ice, I found the ice, and a ditch, and for a few days our trailer hitch looked like it was growing a lawn. The '86 isn't hurt, but I almost wiped out a mid 90's Corolla when I went into the ditch. Oh and if you're interested in seeing our beat to hell '86, we use it as a truck mostly, I've got a few albums linked below

So yeah, whichever version you read, feel free to tell me what you think, comments, questions, help me figure this out. Don't factor in money (Except to an extreme degree), think of all possibilities (Unless extremely expensive).

Our '86 Custom Cruiser I've mentioned can be seen below in the following links, my family has had her since 1995, 307, rebuilt, 80k miles, 700R4, rebuilt, 90k miles. Power windows, locks, seats, third row seat (added), few dash panels missing, spare tire continually comes loose and clunks about, rear left window leaks into the useless storage compartment, seals are gone, sounds like a wind storm inside it, the usual nonsense, I'd fix it if it where mine, but my father says it's a "Waste of money" to fix stuff like that. I've been taking pictures of it yearly since 2006. She goes by a few names, Old Maud, Squatchmobile (My brother was nicknamed Sasquatch 'cause he was so tall in high school), often we just call her the "Old Girl", more frequently in the winter, she don't like the cold, never has, always has run a little rough in the cold until the motor gets warm.

2006:

http://s55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...006/?start=all

2007/08

http://s55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...008/?start=all

2009:

http://s55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...009/?start=all

2010:

http://s55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...010/?start=all

2011:

http://s55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...011/?start=all

1976Oldswagon

ouch dude, that think is in worse shape then my car...needs a lot of work...interior, body, paint and rust...good luck...

I would suggest going with the one that isn't wrecked, less surprises, its just worn out.

good luck man

Dead Reckon

The tan one is my fathers, above are pics of my '89.

To clarify, the tan one is the workhorse, it's pretty much not restorable anymore. The white one is going to be mine, eventually.

The Tin Man

Do you want to buy one thats on the road now? My kid hates his and I drive it once a week.

Dead Reckon

Interesting offer, serious or not, but you're a tad far north for a man without his own car to go get a car :P

Anyhow, for now I'm driving my fathers '92 Camaro RS 3.1 V6 700R4, that twenty something side of me likes that car, but the more mature side of me knows it'll only get me in trouble.

I don't have the stones to drive a wagon like I do that Camaro.

Anyway, I'd love to just get me a running B body wagon, preferably Oldsmobile. I grew up in that been to hell and back '86 tan olds of ours, and I want one of my own.

Though, at the time, my funding is non existant, I have to dump $200 into that Camaro for front brake calipers, lines, pads, and a trans mount. So.. What budget I had, is soon gone..

But yeah, to clarify, I am interested in buying B body or G body olds, maybe an A body that already runs, or could be made to run with maybe a motor swap or something simpler than body repairs.

I'd love to get that '89 on the road, but day by day it seems so far out of my reach. I hate not having money, if I had a bit more I could do a lot better to get by.

So, update as of yet,

Camaro I'm driving keeps eating my cash, I hate that car for that.

'01 Sebring funding this madness has yet to bear profit, if said friend I sold it too tries to screw me out of my money, I'm going to retaliate with legal action.

Job is providing funding, but as I said, the Camaro is eating it...

And, I think the Camaro doesn't want me to stop driving it... 'Cause it's eating all my money... Knock on wood, but after shocks, the brake work, and trans mount, it shouldn't be eating my wallet anymore...

I'm quite frankly getting irritated with the funding situation. It will work out sooner or later, preferably sooner. I will try to remember to update this thread, if nothing else, bump it and I'll see it when I check my email.

EDIT:

Thought I had my info updated, d'oh, now my location is shown.

turbobill

What do you have and what are you asking? You're about 120 miles from me.

Lady72nRob71

First thing I would do is to really evaluate the side damage of the '89. It looks bad, but it looks like it was caused by a glancing blow from the front and side, not straight in to the side. If I am right, the door jamb and frame ~might~ be okay. If it is, then you are a couple a doors away from the repair. When you get your parts car, try swapping doors and you will find out quickly if there is frame damage, as things will not align.

Wheel choice is good - 16" will look fine.

Suspension and steering parts can be had at Rockauto at great prices. Moog is my preferred brand.
Consider the Moog "cargo coil" variable rate rear springs - # CC623 for you car. A good sub for air bags, easier to install and only 50 bucks or so. Bilstein shocks work great - I have them on my 'vert. Not sure if they are available for yours though. KYB is another good one and Rockauto has em.

Radio upgrades should be last, but if there is room for 4x10s or 6x9's, you can get a good set along with an amp which will put out some pretty good sound.
When these cars were new, the sound was pretty darn good, just underpowered.

A 68-72 Olds 350 would be a bolt-in to the weak 307. You can even transfer all the emissions stuff over if you have to. Easiest and cheapest way to gain 60hp or more over the 307. Paint it black and it will look the same, sans the casting numbers.

turbobill

I have alll the extra parts to fix his wagon with.

Dead Reckon

Emission contorls aren't required in this state, I could remove 'em entirely from that car and it would still pass. No smog sniffer, nothing.

As for parts, if your talking doors and a fender, I have a parts car lined up.

And yeah, I think it was a run by hit, I think it happened while the car was cornering, or something else was cornering and hit it. I do not have any reason to suspect the frame is damaged since the damage is up high.

I'd really like to fix this car, but if I can't, it truly will be a shame. This car has a lot of potential. I won't be able to drive it as much as I'd like too, due to gas, but, as long as it's got gas, I'll drive it.

And yeah, the stereo is the last thing on my list, well, after paint, and other cosmetics. I'd rather hear the engine and make sure that's solid.

1976Oldswagon

wait, does it run?

Dead Reckon

Yeah, runs like a top, needs hoses and some other stuff, it's been sitting for about three years. I'm likely going to buy the aforementioned Camaro from my father, and, use it until I can afford to fix this tank.

I'm not letting this car sit another year, I will have it roadworthy by next winter.

68GS400

I've replaced the 'pillar' speakers on my '89 and a '86 CC like yours. The stock are 4" x 10" with a small magnet. The magnet is the issue for no magnet over about 3" in diameter will fit in recess provided.
In the '86 I used some good 4 x 10 but they are not available now. In the '89 I used Polk Audio 4 x 6 coax speakers which have the correct size magnet and fabricated some mounting frames to support them. I put Dynamat in area to reduce vibration. They sound good.
On the '89 Buick the front speakers are also 4 x 6 so that will be next installation along with a dash rebuild, gauge install, and Dynamat install. I'm considering some 5-6" speakers on bottom front of front doors to contribute to front bass response and field of sound. Need to take doors apart to see what fits. You could use a component system with tweeter mounted where the 3 1/2" are and as large a woofer as can fit in door. (The arm rest will be challenge.)
To make up for the loss of low frequency I will put a Infinity Basslink in the storage bin on driver's side. I've used this in a Ford CVPI and it works well. Don't know if I will simply leave off door or cut a large hole in it.I drive it all with a Kenwood HD / Sirius radio head unit

fennjones

Hi Dead Reckon,


I think you mentioned you had sold both your Custom Cruiser wagons.


Did you keep any parts at all? I was looking in your photo albums and dreaming of fiber optic parts....


Cheers.

Dead Reckon

No, sorry, didn't have time to strip the cars. Weather was getting cold, and it was kind of sudden. I am, however, headed to the junkyard this Saturday to dig around in some wagons and sedans to see if I can find an E brake pedal assembly. I'll be sure to message you if I find any of the fiber optic fender or tailgate overhead pods / cables. They're pretty common, I think a 1983 Custom Cruiser or 80's Caprice up there has 'em, both are candidates for the E brake for my '77 Delta 88, and I have a few other cars I can dig in, so I'll see what I can do.

Northern Custom Cruiser

Hi you mentioned there being an 83 custom cruiser up by you? I know the post is from years ago but would you happen to know if there are any usable headlight bezels up there?