Thread: 99 Regal GS Build

Thanks for all the support guys. I'm not doing the rear main, but that's because I had a trans put in last year and the rear main was replaced at that time

Well ****. I suppose I'll have to pull it back apart then.. ain't no way I'm gonna put this all back together and have a leak. It definitely didn't look like it was leaking, but if it's already apart why risk it

If I could figure out how to post a vid I have a customers car with trans taken out, started up and watching the rear plate for the leak to happen. But the point Bills trying to make is that of your in there or chasing a leak you should change it. Maybe even spray tack or shalack it while your at it.

Originally Posted by BillBoost37

Looks awesome.

Bonnies 92-99 came stock with a CS144 style case alt which was 140 amp.
2000+ SSEi's and PAU's came with the right case style for 99+ W body bracket and it was a 125amp.

Ziptie is the map. Our cars def have map.

Having had an EWP, personally I'd say don't do it. It does have more flow at idle, but less at higher rpm. A buddy in AZ has to swap his off each summer to have reasonable cooling while highway driving (3.69 gearing and highly modded). Plus.. there's the potential for belt slippage because you are not wrapping the crank pulley as much.

As for taking it out the bottom. I can think of two reasons. Alighment and lack of lift.

Sorry for the highjack
Bill, you talking about Thomas in arizona? Been forever since I've seen that guy. He founded our portland chapter of the grand prix club.

Aligater: Spray tack as in copper spray-a-gasket stuff? I had thought that was typically only for head gaskets and exhaust gaskets and donuts?

So this post will be titled... I HATE MI RUST!






So it looks like I'll be getting the rockers replaced and a paint job sooner than I had planned. I was already pretty sure I was gonna replace all the brake lines and fuel lines, but now there's no question as the fuel lines are already seeping through and the brake lines look like they're real close to doing the same. Highly doubt they'd make it through another MI winter.

As for the bottom radiator support...

Managed to pick up a pretty clean one from parts galore over the weekend



Engine compartment came out pretty clean though

\
Decided to take the fenders off as well and that the entire front of the car might as well get undercoated, you know, while we're in there.


The list of parts needing to be cleaned just keeps getting bigger and bigger


Cradle as it sits right now.. Still haven't gotten the heads back yet, they should be in this week, but I'll be busy until the weekend after next.

I've gotta call the guy who put in my trans last year and double check that he didn't do the rear cover seal, I'm 99% positive I told him to do the rear main while he was in there, but I'm also willing to bet that if he did do the rear main he didn't do the rear cover seal. Might as well call and check though before I separate it again.



When I went to the junkyard I also grabbed a N* tb, but I've got a sinking feeling I grabbed the wrong one There was another style one there but it didn't have mounting holes for the maf... Can anyone help me out here? Will this work?


If it is the right one, I've got lots of cleaning to do on it. I have never in my life seen a TB so filled with gunk


Also, think I can get a replacement one of these (the firewall insulation) from a dealer? Is it really necessary? Think I could get away with some sort of insulation tape instead?


As always, thanks for the help, support, compliments, etc.

Why swap tb in the first place u dnt get why people even do the N* or lq4 ones. Requires tune and usually seem like more headache than worth.
If turbo guys use stocker why change them?

Originally Posted by 98GrandPrixIraqVet

Why swap tb in the first place u dnt get why people even do the N* or lq4 ones. Requires tune and usually seem like more headache than worth.
If turbo guys use stocker why change them?

Please correct me if i'm wrong, but larger tb and maf=more airflow through the intake into the sc=more power, more efficiently.
I have also heard throttle response improves quite a bit.

Originally Posted by Scottydoggs

damn tore it all down. you fixing the rockers?

that tb, dont think its the right one. even if it was the right one it would need a adapter plate to bolt to a gen 3 blower. not sure what your using.

the maf would have to be changed to a 04+ gtp in tube maf, or a ls1 maf set up iirc. and you need a tune for the new maf.

Originally Posted by BillBoost37

The TB most go with is the 2000+ style, that one is the older style. LQ4 aka 6.0 Chevy truck maf is the most common one used.

Nah, I don't have a welder (yet ) so I'll just take it to the body shop. Yea, I found both styles at the scrap yard, was stupid enough not to look in-depth at pics or look up years before I went and took a gamble on which one to get.. I guessed this one because I was looking for mounting holes for a maf housing. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. I'll just have to go back and grab the right one. At least I don't have to clean all that gunk out now

Well been awhile, and I've been pretty busy with work and family stuff but I finally got a chance to get some more stuff done to the regal. Be forewarned, lots of pics coming, some old, some new.


Heads ready for paint!



Engine compartment ready for undercoating


I think the rear bumper might be in even worse condition than the front was... I took a pretty thorough look around the junkyard Bill but I didn't see any azteks or rendezvous'. I'll be going to another one this weekend to see what I can find.


The ac and idler brackets before cleaning.. our head guy told us about a process his media blasting guys do called "tumbling". Anyone heard of this? It works on anything aluminum, all you have to do is put bolts in to protect the threads.. not recommended for parts that house bearings, though perfectly fine to use on gasket mating surfaces. All they do is put the parts in a large vibrating drum with glass (I believe) bead media and run it for ~30 minutes. What it does is rolls over the pores on the aluminum and makes it a real smooth almost glassy looking surface.

Anyways, here's the before, we had these done as well as the LIM, I'll try to see if I have any after pics of just those parts. I'll probably just have to snap some this weekend.


Another dirty bracket we had to clean and paint.. not the grounding surface of course


Used intercooler I bought off a member on here.. lots of RTV to clean off


My girlfriend is awesome and extremely patient... she straightened out all the fins with a pick


Hillbilly sandblasting booth. If it looks stupid, but it works; it ain't stupid


Rust.. but an original barcode!


Heads up just sitting on the motor to keep the cylinders covered.. heads unpainted still.



Aaaanndd the motor all painted, and finally together (except for the sc, lim, and ic.. waiting on lifters to come in, and I'm still missing the two long bolts to bolt it all together.. anyone know where to get these?)

Finally got some headers too! Except they didn't have the greatest quality control...lots of weld filler etc had to be grinded down.

Not as bad as the other spots, but still a lil ridge I didn't want in there


EGR tube sticking through.. it was about twice that length before I started grinding


Nasty scuff in the finish.. no one will probably ever see it but still not happy about it.


Lots of weld filler.. this was a pain in the ass to grind smooth


An idea of what the engine compartment will look like when it's finally done..we taped off the factory stickers because I wanted to keep that factory look.. yes they were taped of better than that when we sprayed that tape was just there from when we were spraying the bottom so we didn't get over spray on them lol.


Bottom partially sprayed.. once dry we'll move the front and rear jack stands/blocks into the middle and finish spraying the front and rear.


And i finally managed to get the right throttle body off a member on here


What do you guys recommend for heat insulation on the firewall, exhaust tunnel, etc.? I was looking at dynamat, but it's crazy expensive. Then I found lizard skin which I really wish I would've known about before I undercoated, but what's done is done.