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At some point in one of it's former lives, my 72 Supreme had been switched from a side mount battery to a top mount, so it was time to go back to a side mount, and it really cleaned things up.
To me, the minor inconvenience of side post batteries is worth it. After seeing the fireworks that result from laying a wrench across the posts, at the very minimum protective covers are a requirement. Maintain the charging system,and you won’t need to jump start the car. I do have a battery tender on my car for when it sits for a long period, I made a plug to make connecting it quick and easy.
And I’m pretty sure the “8mm” cable bolts are actually 5/16. I prefer to keep my old iron SAE fractional if at all possible. With the possible exception of the 9mm ammunition, I never really embraced the metric system. 😎
Maintain the charging system,and you won’t need to jump start the car.
Yeah, I guess I'm remembering when these cars were daily drivers and folks would have the battery drain due to leaving the headlights on, an interior light on, the glove box door or console door open, etc. Lots of things resulted in a depleted battery besides a defect in the charging system. I can't count the number of time I jump started cars in the school parking lot, the grocery store parking lot, the mall, or the gas station where I worked.
Dave,
You did a nice job. My 72 at one point also had surgery to replace the battery connections. Likely it needed a battery in the boonies and there weren't a lot of those side posts available there at the time. Snip snip and top post connections were installed.
Looks like you also bought a new battery? Which vendor did you use for the reproduction battery cables?
What is that brace doing in your engine compartment?? That looks like something that was added by a PO. The only Olds A body cars that had fender braces in 70-71 were the Vista Cruisers, but their braces went the exact opposite to what I see in your pictures.
Dave,
You did a nice job. My 72 at one point also had surgery to replace the battery connections. Likely it needed a battery in the boonies and there weren't a lot of those side posts available there at the time. Snip snip and top post connections were installed.
Looks like you also bought a new battery? Which vendor did you use for the reproduction battery cables?
What is that brace doing in your engine compartment?? That looks like something that was added by a PO. The only Olds A body cars that had fender braces in 70-71 were the Vista Cruisers, but their braces went the exact opposite to what I see in your pictures.
Thanks Alan. I actually bought the top mount battery last summer and swapped it out yesterday for the side mount. IRF to your question about the cables, I didnt buy new ones. I just bought new terminals when I swapped in the side mount battery.
Now, about those fender braces...I don't know what to tell you. I just assumed they were factory and never questioned it. They look like they belong, so I'm good with them. But it is good to know should I decide to go back to stock. Can you think of any reason why a PO would have installed them? Maybe for support when it was built for the strip...???
Here's the best pic I have right now ..maybe it will help...the end you can't see bolts to the top of the radiator supoort just to either side of the radiator.
Dave, ya know what that brace looks like? A front bumper support that's been re purposed by the PO. Just an FYI, where it's positioned now it's of no value to the fender. In fact it will create a force vector that may be dangerous if the car is ever hit on the front. You probably had to remove it to install the battery??
Dave, ya know what that brace looks like? A front bumper support that's been re purposed by the PO. Just an FYI, where it's positioned now it's of no value to the fender. In fact it will create a force vector that may be dangerous if the car is ever hit on the front. You probably had to remove it to install the battery??
I didn't have to remove it, but I did have to swing it out of the way. Should I get rid of them?
Front-end after market fender braces are designed & installed to increase the triangular rigidity of the front-end of a vehicle's sheet metal alignment. They've been around many, many years. Yes, there are areas to manually align hood bumpers, hood hinges/springs, door alignment, etc. Yet, front-end fender braces often afford long-term benefits of maintaining alignment with fenders to doors, fenders to bumpers, fenders to hood, fenders to cowling, etc. Most often the application is better suited to vehicles which receive significantly more continual cornering stress. I highly suspect there is no danger involved in maintaining the front-end fender braces. The brackets should allow you to maneuver them slightly - forwards/backwards, left & right - with slight sleeve openings to adjust for better fender alignment. I'll note however, it appears those are lower front-end fender braces. In any case, if they perform the function of maintaining front-end triangular rigidity & alignment (and removing any sloppiness in the total front-end) I'd leave them attached.
Last edited by Vintage Chief; Mar 25, 2019 at 01:19 AM.
Hey Norm thx for the comment. I'm not sure about where they bolt to the fender, but I do know that the end that bolts to the radiator support has an elongated slot about 3/4 inch long that would give me some adjustment. If they were bumper braces as you and Allan suspect, would they have the slots?
Dave- I never referred to them as bumper braces. See above. And, I’m not certain if they are bumper braces as Allan suggests. I’d need to look at my vehicle. Additionally, I can’t see the entire brace so I can’t comment on any slots but generally they do have some slot/sleeve wiggle room. Many styles are available, I believe Fusick, GM Parts, etc. sell them. Many people made their own.
Dave- I never referred to them as bumper braces. See above. And, I’m not certain if they are bumper braces as Allan suggests. I’d need to look at my vehicle. Additionally, I can’t see the entire brace so I can’t comment on any slots but generally they do have some slot/sleeve wiggle room. Many styles are available, I believe Fusick, GM Parts, etc. sell them. Many people made their own.
Oops...my bad...it was 430 this morning when I posted that...coffee hadn't kicked in yet..lol
I'll take some better pics when I get the chance.
That is a interesting brace. At first just casually looking thru the thread, I thought that was a fender brace for a 78 up Cutlass, seems like I've seen them before. But looking back i see we are working on a 72 Cutlass? I also have never seen one like that on a 68-72. ???
Hey 72455 maybe you can start another thread asking what that brace is and others will respond. The title of this thread sounds like you are cleaning your car and some may just pass over it. But everyone loves to take a shot at a question. I wouldn't take them off, looks too perfect to be something the PO made. Greg.
Hey 72455 maybe you can start another thread asking what that brace is and others will respond. The title of this thread sounds like you are cleaning your car and some may just pass over it. But everyone loves to take a shot at a question. I wouldn't take them off, looks too perfect to be something the PO made. Greg.
Thx for the suggestion Greg. I'll do that once I take better pics.
Greg, that brace is from a 71-72 A body front bumper - I'm positive.
Dave - the braces have slots so the front bumper can be positioned and the brace tightened to the bumper and frame. Does the other end look like one of these long ones??
I also think if the CS and lower models needed those braces, they would have been installed from the factory. Note the length and position of the braces for the VC I posted earlier. I would ditch them as they don't really serve any practical purpose.
Greg, that brace is from a 71-72 A body front bumper - I'm positive.
Dave - the braces have slots so the front bumper can be positioned and the brace tightened to the bumper and frame. Does the other end look like one of these long ones??
I also think if the CS and lower models needed those braces, they would have been installed from the factory. Note the length and position of the braces for the VC I posted earlier. I would ditch them as they don't really serve any practical purpose.
The ones I have look like the third set from the top in your pic, but if those ones are for the VC, then they're not the ones I have, as mine are too short to go from the rad support to the firewall.
No Dave, those are the front bumper braces for ALL the Olds A bodies in 71/72. And yes that includes VC. But the VC had different braces for the cowl to rad support. You should look and see if your car is perhaps missing a set of braces on the front bumper. There should be six of them holding the bumper in place.
No Dave, those are the front bumper braces for ALL the Olds A bodies in 71/72. And yes that includes VC. But the VC had different braces for the cowl to rad support. You should look and see if your car is perhaps missing a set of braces on the front bumper. There should be six of them holding the bumper in place.
I agree
They may not be factory installed but I doubt they are hurting anything as far as safety. They add to the cars personal story,character.
Originally Posted by Vintage Chief
Front-end after market fender braces are designed & installed to increase the triangular rigidity of the front-end of a vehicle's sheet metal alignment. They've been around many, many years. Yes, there are areas to manually align hood bumpers, hood hinges/springs, door alignment, etc. Yet, front-end fender braces often afford long-term benefits of maintaining alignment with fenders to doors, fenders to bumpers, fenders to hood, fenders to cowling, etc. Most often the application is better suited to vehicles which receive significantly more continual cornering stress. I highly suspect there is no danger involved in maintaining the front-end fender braces. The brackets should allow you to maneuver them slightly - forwards/backwards, left & right - with slight sleeve openings to adjust for better fender alignment. I'll note however, it appears those are lower front-end fender braces. In any case, if they perform the function of maintaining front-end triangular rigidity & alignment (and removing any sloppiness in the total front-end) I'd leave them attached.
