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

[Steve Wood]

Now, turn it into a panel wagon and you will be unique!

[motorhead]

This is an idea that I have been kicking around for a few years for a couple of reasons:

1.  Not everyone wants to pull the body to box the frame (I have the means, just not the interest for this car) or add a rollbar/cage;
2.  Improved chassis stiffness between the C-channel sections of the perimeter frame (linking the front and rear sub-frames);
3.  Ease of installation (not drilling a single hole in the stock frame) and removal (if the body mounts ever need to be serviced);
4.  Improved jacking points (ever seen a collapsed transmission cross member mount because a dumb monkey didn't look where he put the jack?);
5.  Enhance the ladder frame design combined with the G-Force trans cross member and the other tweaks/cross bars I have already added to this build.

The tubing is 1 x 2 x 1/8" square, 1" x 1/8" round,  and 1/8" plate.  The goal is to put a little pre-load into the frame/SFCs when bolted in.

Any who these will probably be the first ever bolt-in sub-frame connectors (SFCs) built for a G-body.

[Charlief1]

Before I boxed my frame I toyed with the idea of putting rectangular tubing inside the C channel. That would make it "class" legal because the frame hadn't been boxed, but I think this may be easier in the long run Mike.

[motorhead]

One down... one to go.

[motorhead]

In other news... these are done - just waiting for the paint to dry.

[good2win22]

Jason likes! 

[motorhead]

Managed to earn myself a trip to the ER and ophthalmologis t this weekend while working on this. Nothing like having debris picked, scraped, and ground out of your eye (twice)... but, big brakes are coming - LOL!

[motorhead]

The S60 has arrived!  And luckily I sold off all of my extra rearends to (help) offset the cost of entry... 

This thing is an amazing piece of of artwork - shame I am going to paint it.  The 175lb/in coil-over springs sit on the perches perfectly, and is going to work great with the adjustable perches from what I can tell.  It also comes with multiple shock mounting points as well (I didn't know that when ordering) and is fitted for LS1 brakes.

That is a stock 8.5" axle next to the Strange 35 spline bad-boy.

Sexy!

[good2win22]

Like them axles standing at attention, I got a boner looking at all that sexiness!

[motorhead]

Well since everybody was out of the house I snuck outside and started to do a little confirmatory mockup with the S60 rearend and Hellwig swaybar. My first concern was if the supplied u-bolts would fit over the 3" axle tubes - check! Next was how would the bar work with the significantly larger pumpkin - sort of does... As you can see in the pictures it is absolutely fine when level and when drooping - but quickly becomes and issue under compression. The quick fix seems to be to rotate the axle tube mounts to the rear which opens up a lot of room for compression travel. The other option will be to make some spacers/shims to lower the axle tube mounts (Spohn does this for S60 equipped 4th Gen F-bodies). Chances are it will be a combination of both. That and a piece of heater hose on the swaybar for when it does contact... LOL!

[motorhead]

Actual progress!  I am trying to make the wagon a roller again... hopefully before it has been here for two full years!

The spindles have been modified, stress relieved and deburred, rust converted,  and polished... justawaitin' on paint.  Yes, I know I started on these at the beginning of January.

[motorhead]

I was a busy boy this weekend. Finally got the control arms, spindles, and differential POR-15'd. The gloss black looks really nice (right now). The front of the rusty brake booster got the same treatment. The front sub-frame got scraped, scrubbed, degreased, and painted with Tremclad gloss because this part of the chassis takes the biggest beating and needs to be touched up easily... I think I even painted over some dirt. LOL.

But, I am getting closer to making it a roller again.

PS. I have a little POR-15 in my hair.

[larrym]

Wow looks good

[motorhead]

Thanks! I am trying to decide between putting a silver pontiac arrowhead crest sticker off ebay, or pinstriping it myself, on the diff cover to finish it off visually.  Oh and ignore the untouched upper control arms - I am shopping for some lightly used Global West arms (or some decent roundy-round tubular arms from Speedway or the like).

[good2win22]

I like the diff cover painted up like that.  Engine bay is looking nice too!  Did you Por15 the brake booster?