The All About My 1980 Pontiac LeMans Station Wagon Thread...

[daveismissing]

Frankenstein!

http://tinyurl.com/frunkenstein

[motorhead]

I think I might have a problem...

The weather pack connector pack is for under-hood/under-chassis wiring efforts. The rebuilt calipers are to replace the used units that I had planned on using. And the coil-over springs are a new direction from the original plan to use Matrix springs; being perfectly flat on the base will make things assemble more positively, and they are smaller and lighter.

[daveismissing]

If you know the specific weatherpack/metripacks you want mouser.ca will ship free over $200 total
You have to build up the connectors via part numbers from components tho, terminals, seals etc...

[motorhead]

If you know the specific weatherpack/metripacks you want mouser.ca will ship free over $200 total
You have to build up the connectors via part numbers from components tho, terminals, seals etc...

Do you mean: http://ca.mouser.com/ ?

Because, if so, holy crap that is one seriously detailed site!  I just needed a simple solution to my situation and I have enough GM stuff around that this is a good fit for the toolbox.  I actually have bags of Gen 2 weatherpack connectors on the shelf for the Camaro and TBSS clipped from engine harnesses.

[daveismissing]

Yep, they finally matched Digikey for canadian orders $200 and free shipping.
Digikey are $8.00 for smaller orders but don't really have those connectors.
Digikey ship overnight.

[motorhead]

Ran State-side yesterday morning to fetch my Summit orders.  Everything seems to be in order except some sketchy build quality in one of the Pypes mufflers, which has incomplete welds inside it (this should qualify for an exchange based on their Limited Lifetime warranty...).

Another slightly disappointing thing with these Violator mufflers is that they aren't built as advertised.

Here they show very few louvers:


Yet when they come out of the box they look like this inside (not my picture... I hate instagram):


For those not in the know "chambered" mufflers like the Violators (http://www.classicchambered.com/classic/faq.html) flow very poorly compared to a perforated muffler like this (ie. Magnaflow):


But, I knew what I was getting myself into - I was just hoping for fewer louvers inside.  Regardless this 3" exhaust will still flow as well as a 2.5" system with a perforated muffler; I have large-body Magnaflow perforated mufflers on body my Buick and TBSS and love them.  I simply wanted a different/classic sound with the Violators and have run a chambered exhaust (3" single glasspack) in the past on my now long-dead '91 Z28 (305, ported heads/TPI intake, big roller cam, headers...).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSXiNpl-FEg

Other than that the craftsmanship of the Pypes system is fair-to-good overall; but does not include quality clamps or the necessary hangers to install an MCSS exhaust on a car without the rear frame rail hangers - those you will have to source yourself.  The good news is that I just still happen to have a pair in my MCSS.  I don't know where else you are going to find a 3" stainless steel exhaust system with an X-pipe for $480 shipped?

Add in dual 3" cats and an X-pipe (and all the sound deadener), and this should prove to be very livable.

[motorhead]

Been up to a lot lately...

Repainting our truck's bumper, laying sod, building a play set for our daughter, and adding A/C to the garage. Plus, some vacation.

[motorhead]

But wait! There's more...

Got my LEDs from China.  And the fun part was figuring which end was up... or negative; so I made a little test fixture.  Once I was done there it was time to start filling the gauge clusters.

[motorhead]

Had a pretty busy weekend doing wiring... yeah, not exciting.  But, the payoff should be worth it.

I moved the main harness off the bench and into the car.  From there I had a great time running the wires and laying them out in their correct locations.  One of the challenges I faced was what to do with all the extra wire I added to the harness; about a 30% increase in wiring from the stock '80 harness.  The work around, and one of my side goals was wire management, in this case it was how not to reattach any wires to the dash itself.  You can see in the photos the nylon clamps used to tie everything to the firewall, HVAC box or other accessories.

The nitrous is all wired in inside the cabin (switches (the panel shown is temporary) and the window switch), the under hood hook-ups are pending things like an engine.  The remote starter is in, just need an engine to take advantage of it (see a theme developing here?); as well, the car is now fitted for remote power mirrors.

The wiring for the gauges is in but not connected to anything (pesky lack of an engine again), as is a junction box for some of the LS1 ECM wiring that needs an interface inside the cabin.

Hopefully I will have the column cleaned up and back in this week, and tear down and clean up the under hood harnesses.  After that I'll be repairing and recovering the dash.

[motorhead]

Looking at buying a Strange S60 for this thing - I was originally going to steal the 8.5" out of my Buick (which is again for sale) and try living with the 3.08s with an OD trans which may or may not work with the cam at low RPMs while cruising (plus it has the LS1 brakes already installed).  The other option was to take the 8.5" out of the Monte and fit it with LS1 brakes and 3.73s in place of the 4.56s currently in there - but, that just sounds like a lot of work and money sunk into a used rearend of questionable condition.  Or as mentioned: get an all new S60 with 35 spline axles, relocation brackets, new guts, and the brakes already set up ready to go - ready to handle 700+hp.  Might even narrow it .5-1.0" per side to improve my wheel selection options...

http://www.strangeengineering.net/high-performance-street/complete-rear-end-assemblies/s60/s60-rear-end-g-body-trac-lock-35-s-t-axles-coil-spring-mounts.html

Total damage less shipping is $2000 (half of what I paid for the car).

Here is an article I used to weigh my options:

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/general/hrdp_1009_bolt_in_rearend_buyers_guide/viewall.html

Any thoughts on this?

[motorhead]

In other news: we have POWA!

I went through and managed to test nearly every system in the car:

Interior
- Gauges (back lighting and main power);
- Dash accessory lighting (turn signals, hi-beam, seat belt etc.; still pending cruise control and SES);
- HVAC (all speeds of blower motor (A/C compressor engagement pending);
- Radio (Amps and speakers (F+R) - hit pretty hard on normal settings and the gains not turned up);
- Accessory lighting (under dash LEDs, lighted rearview mirror, dome light; LED third brake light still pending fabrication);
- Power door mirrors (currently fitted for and not equipped - but they work); and
- Nitrous (main power, purge, MSD window switch, and bottle heater).

Exterior
- Starter (purple wire (remote car starter pending);
- Underhood light (orange wire... need the mercury switch/light assembly);
- Delay wipers (working, pisser pump too);
- Headlights, turn signals and running/parking lamps;
- Brake lights;
- Reverse lights (pending validation);
- Shifter (neutral safety switch - pending requirement if the mechanical lock in the column doesn't work with the remote car starter); and
- Fuel pump (power and signal still pending - might build a hotwire to bump up the Walbro 340).

Here you can see the difference in the holes for the delay wiper motor vs. the two speed unit.  I purposely knocked out the outermost upper nut to make room for a larger nut/bolt combo.  Reason being that the early cars use smaller bolts, and that just didn't sit right with me - the bottommost bolt remains to ease installation; however, I believe this small bolt/nut could be retained if so desired.

[motorhead]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-iZrrODheM

[phil_long]

I keep forgetting you're selling your Buick.  Why don't you just take mine and give me yours.  Lmao!!!!  It's a WH1 so it must be worth something.  And that's pretty detailed work. Very smart to label the wires the way that you did.

[motorhead]

I keep forgetting you're selling your Buick.  Why don't you just take mine and give me yours.  Lmao!!!!  It's a WH1 so it must be worth something.  And that's pretty detailed work. Very smart to label the wires the way that you did.

Unfortunately Natasha wouldn't be impressed with that trade.

And thanks, but it is easier to label everything now then remember which service manual is for what wiring when something goes wrong.

[phil_long]

She's a smart lady!!!!!!!!!!! Lol