Thank you, Dave, still many details to go but at least I can drive it now.

 

Old80CS, looking great, it's really coming around nicely.

Drive it while you can, a storm is coming next week.

I just put in yet another tach in my blue 79, it's NOS but the circuit board was crap. I bought one of those modern/updated style circuit boards, from that Cajun guy seller in Louisianna off e bay, and it's now working the way it should. And I have finally licked that high speed fine vibration issue by placing in that aluminum driveshaft. I also had them balance the one that came out of the car, so if I ever go back to a TH350 or an M200 (not) I'm all set. I had it out for an extended ride yesterday, no issues. I got buzzed by from someone who had a white 1980 Cutlass Supreme. How often does that happen these days. His CS sounded like he had some "extras" under that hood.

 

Thanks Gene! I bet that was something, getting passed by an almost identical car, neither of which is at all common on the roads today!

Glad you got that vibration remedied and the tach working again. Progress is always good! Most everything I’ve done lately on the car has made a difference and keeps improving my enjoyment behind the wheel.

 

Today's task: replace the piece of of c rap LH door handle on my 2 door 1994 Cutlass Supreme YET AGAIN with another aftermarket product. This is insane, these things don't last, and they don't like cold weather, either.

 

Success on the door handle. While taking the malfunctioning one off, it actually broke in 3 pieces. What junk. Hopefully the one I installed will stick around long enough to enable me to hunt down an NOS one. I'm not holding my breath, looks like I have some work to do.

 

I finally put a radio and speakers in my daily, didn’t do it all today but finished installing speakers today. I had a 2 din at the house, made a box to simulate a floor mount 8 track, made boxes for the rear speakers and used the old speaker from behind the dash to make a bracket to mount two new speakers. I did all this to avoid modifying the car for sound equipment. There are two 4” speakers behind the dash and two 5” on the package tray, radio is a kenwood 2 din with CarPlay.


I’m not done yet but I can listen to music in the car again, I’ll tidy it up with time.

 

Recently scored some cheap deals on the new Aluminum American Racing VN501 15x8 wheels and basically free little 215/65R15 tires and upgraded the red wagon. Very pleased Total cost about $400 wheels and tires

 

Had some time this morning to take the car for a drive, ended up taking a ride by the family cottage in Plymouth MA. Very cold with a big north east wind and rows of breakers crashing into the rocks out front. Glad this cold snap is winding down. The car has good heat and the roads were clean since we haven’t had much bad weather and what little salt was down got washed away with the last rain. Took one photo and got back in the warm car. Glad to be able to jump in it and go for spin again, it’s been down way too long.

 

Drive it while you can, bad weather is right around the corner. Superb photo!! Might I suggest getting this one put on an 11 x 17 canvas for the home office.

This photo prompts me to want to jump right now in my 79 and get somewhere. One problem though. For the first time since we bought this property in 2017, it's snowing.

One question, how are you liking the Cobras?

 

I think that’ll be the last drive for a bit, 1-3” of snow predicted tomorrow morning through noon time. Once they salt, game over for the car until the rain comes and cleans up.

Thank you, I like the photo but will wait until summer and retake it with a sunny backdrop and green grass before I frame it. 😁

About the Cooper Cobras, I haven’t had enough highway time and still some bugs in the car to get sorted. Around town, under 50mph, I think they are fine and they look good as well. I just installed new front coil springs so it needs another front end alignment, and the steering box has a couple inches of slop in the wheel so it doesn’t track right just yet. And lastly, when I do hit 65 I swear I feel a vibration in the trans tunnel. So all this needs to be addressed before I can say like or don’t like. On a side note, I bought a set of Cooper Pro Control A/S tires for my wife’s 2014 Impala 2LT. They were terrible from the start. Had two tires replaced within 1000 miles and finally just asked the shop to remove them and put the Michelin Primacy’s back on it and I pay the difference. Night and Day with the Michelins.
I hope the Cobras aren’t part of the problem! See what happens when I get everything sorted out. 👍

 

Finished the rebuild on my 4-speed transmission

This is a boot off a 66 mustang 4 speed I used for my install

Laid down my sound insulation

More sound deadener and adding new carpet

 

Is that weight holding down the Chevy shifter hump molded into the carpet, or did you get the automatic/flat?

 

That's where I'm at with my Olds- I just finished painting the floor where I had some minor rust repair. It's been too cold to paint up til the other day when it hit 40 degrees. I cranked up the heater in the barn, got it up to 60, then I used a heat gun to hurry it along. I need to put down the sound deadener, then install the new carpets, like you. Looks great- nice job!

 

😂 That's actually the only one I could find , I have a pair they go on my lawn tractor for snow blowing in the winter
That weight is there just to hold the carpet in place so I can pull it on the other side to get everything cut in.

 

Hi guys,

It was 65° today here in St. Louis and sunny, just beautiful. I hadn't started the 4-4-2 since mid-November, so I took the opportunity to fire her up, pull it out of the garage into the driveway and bring it up to operating temp (190°) for several minutes. All in all I had it running a little over 20-minutes. My driveway has a gentle slope towards the street, but even taking the engine up to 2K rpm's several times it did not drive any moisture out of the exhaust, which is great. Everything looked great and sounded good. Very little leakage from the Rear Main Seal after sitting 2 and 1/2-months, and no other new leaks found. Should be good to rock and roll come Spring after doing an oil/filter change and lube job. I know there are conflicting viewpoints about occasionally starting your car while it is essentially in Winter storage, but I've had good luck through the years starting it every month or so just to get lube to the internals and drive any built up moisture out by letting it run for several minutes at operating temperature.

 

I think you're on the right track.
Don't listen to those "conflicting viewpoints".

 

Thanks Charlie! 👍

 

I agree it's good to start them up from time to time.

 

Been cooped up in the house in WI during the winter...I am getting parts ordered for my "2025 To Do" list. Bought new springs, tie rod ends and idler arm. Not too exciting but I'm getting the ball rolling now so I can be ready for the 2025 cruising season.

 

Removed that tachometer mounted on the steering wheel and disassembled it and put it in the dash, perfect fit.

 

Duplicate

 

That's pretty slick! The tachometer really looks like it belongs there. I actually had to look at both photos a couple of times to see where it had gone.

 

That's a great upgrade, I did the same thing to my 67.

 

Gene, you're not going to believe this. Yesterday we took the '80 out for a drive, after a productive morning removing carpet in preparation for new oak flooring. We decided an ice cream run was in order. When we started on the scenic tour home, after ice cream, we were stopped at an intersection and what comes rolling to a stop on the road to are left, a gray '80 Cutlass Calais! We both looked at each other with thumbs up and a laugh. His was stock appearing and in really nice original condition right down to white walls on SSIII's. I guess it happens more often than we think!

 

Aye, nice to know stuff like this can and still happens! And a Calais no less, one rare bird. Here's to hoping you can get out more often with the '80, better days are ahead!

In keeping with the theme of this thread, some updates. I got around to installing the upper console piece which has the extra light hole opening for a 4 speed automatic, and the lid. Unfortunately, they both will need to come out for re-dying as the color I sprayed was too light. I am making a special trip next Monday to Vinyl Pro in Marietta, GA equipped with my 3 speed console piece so I can get an exact match. Also, beware those re-pop console 4 speed upper console pieces, they are not properly constructed to accommodate the console lid latch; they do not hold it down far enough and the pressure from the console light switch forces the lid up.

On tap for this week: Installing yet again another refurbished correct Delco AM/FM Stereo Cassette player in the blue 79 to replace the existing one wherein the cassette player died.

 

Son of a bitch that's nice. Now come put one in my 67. Note to self. Steal this look. Good job.

 

Nice Cutlass! I feel your pain with the door handles. I had to replace the driver side handle on my '95 CS convertible a year or so ago. What's amusing is every site I looked at said their aftermarket handles wouldn't fit the convertible, but the original part number is the same for both the coupe and convertible. So far, the replacement is holding up okay, but I need to go in and adjust the rods, as the latch is sticking. I'll pull and pull and the door won't open, then it'll release gently as you please. I've learned not to jerk on it, just pull gently but firmly.

 

The reason the convertibles have the targa bar is so they could use the same doors on the convertible and put the door handle in the targa bar. Only makes sense they would be the same. I haven't had any trouble with the door handles on my wife 95 convertible. But then it only has 29,000 miles on it. I did have to replace the drivers side mirror after I knocked it off.

 

x2 on the door handles being the same on the verts & coupes. Glenn, watch out for opening these in cold weather, they do not like it. However, be it yours is a low mileage car I'd bet is kept inside, I'd say you are good to go for a long time. Mine suffered the abuse & neglect of my dad & brother owning it wherein it was in beater status with those two & the door handles gave them fits.

 

Correct. All of the W-body CS convertibles began life as coupes and were sent out to a third party shop to have the roofs cut off and be fitted with convertible tops. The targa bars also help retain a bit of structural rigidity in the unibody contstruction. A lot of people mistake them for roll bars, but they aren't.

 

Just got a 455 put in and got it running a 1972 442 the car belongs to a friend of mine. It's a project car. He's going to sell.

 

Took my Cutlass for ride today, maybe 100 miles or so, really nice sunny day but cold. Anyhow, I stopped by my parents place for a visit and when I started the Olds up in the driveway I heard a pop, like a backfire through the carb. The engine started but I found I had no power brakes rolling backwards. Opened the hood to find my new Dorman Filter (80195) split at the seam and in two pieces! I went back in the house and go a roll of electrical tape and jammed the two ends together and taped the heck out of it so I could finish up our drive. I just ordered an AC Delco #17056236, that I should have just looked for in the first place, to replace my broken original. Just an FYI...



Notice the metal band that holds the canister together on the AC Delco, nothing on the Dorman.

 

Nothing beats NOS, that's for sure.

 

Going to install moog cc627 rear springs to stiffen things up

 

Very true, Gene, glad I found an AC Delco replacement. The reason I needed to replace the filter was because during the steering box replacement and intermediate shaft removal to replace the rag joint, I leaned on the vacuum hose from the brake booster to the filter and manifold and heard a snap while tightening a bolt. The one that holds the steering column to the intermediate shaft. I broke the 90 degree elbow off the filter.

 

Ordered ball joints and bushings. Ouch

 

Just got the exhaust manifolds back on. Would like to reach out and touch the engineer who decided that we should put the head bolt in the heat shield, LOL.

 

Refreshed my vin sticker and put my embossed GM door stickers on.

 

if you don't mind me asking where did you get that vin sticker?

 

I bought the blank stickers from Fusick then added the details on my computer.