Ryan Weaver's 1969 Olds Cutlass S W31 Club Coupe

[Ryan1969Chevelle]

I want one of these!!!!!

Blair "Race Brake" that is a cool DAY-2 modification:-)

Ryan

[Ryan1969Chevelle]

Another fun Muscle Car day!!!!

Jamie's hockey team won their game in the morning!!! First place in house league, so far!!!

I then visited an engine builder in Cambridge Engine Technology, I was very impressed with the engine projects on the go, his CNC machines, his manual machines, water brake dyno/break in stand. Billet Hemi heads, Olds 400, 455's, 350 Chevy's, all brands, all types, and lots of used engines for parts.

I am trying to learn as much as I can before making any engine decisions, but I would be very confident in an engine build and tested here.

Then read the Canadian hot rod magazine and found out I missed seeing a nice 69 F85 at Pumkinfest:-( looks like big rear tires:-)



Sorted through all my boxes and labelled everything, except a few misc bins like this:-)



Even the misc boxes are cool 1976.... last year the car was driven.





Have to press off the bearings and sleeves



Found out I have to heat up these plastic plugs to get the original U-Joints out:-)




On Chevelle's I see a bumper/pinion snubber in the middle of the frame.... mine has a hole but no bumper..... should I add one? Is it a bumper for full down suspension travel of a pinion snubber like in leaf spring cars?



Need to make up washers to repair the two rusted body mount areas on the frame, thickness looks like 10 gauge will do, 1.25"



Terrible sketch to show bushing sizes in the upper ears of the rear end housing, and a reminder to borrow a 1 1/4 socket to remove the pinion shaft.

[Postsedan]

If there is no visual evidence of the rear end bumper snubber.....then it never had one. No reason to remove it, why would Al remove it?
I would ask this question to the Olds guys. if it did not have one....I would not add one.

REMEMBER.....YOU HAVE A RARE OLDSMOBILE.....Treat it as it deserves [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]

Dan

[Ryan1969Chevelle]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Postsedan</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If there is no visual evidence of the rear end bumper snubber.....then it never had one. No reason to remove it, why would Al remove it?
I would ask this question to the Olds guys. if it did not have one....I would not add one.

REMEMBER.....YOU HAVE A RARE OLDSMOBILE.....Treat it as it deserves [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]

Dan </div></div>

I checked with a bunch of Olds guys and even a Buick guy (W-31-Killer Tom Miller 14K Mile car) and no indications that 68-72 Oldsmobile A-Body cars had them, other than potentially the Canadian made cars with the Chevy 12 bolt rear end.

I still don't truly know what this bumper would do.... my assumption is it would come in contact with the rear end housing after going over a set of rail road tracks at a high rate of speed (Bottom out) With a four link the geometry/pinion angle is set by the links (and the arc of travel) not like a leaf spring car with axle wrap to reduce with a snubber.....

I don't have any issue doing small GM bolt on improvements to my car, like trailing arms, and bumper/snubber for example, if it works better there is no downside. My focus is drive-abilty. &quot;Day 1.5&quot;

Kind of like using those gorgeous NOS engine mount warranty improvement cable &quot;thingys&quot; on an L78/L89 Chevelle:-)

Ryan

I have to remind myself a few hundred times a week.............. RARE CAR, NOT A RARELY DRIVEN CAR!!!!! If I meet my goal of driving my car late in the summer of 2017 the car will have sat dormant for 40 years exactly, she may be rare but she needs a good run:-)

[cook_dw]

Keep it up.. Summer of 2017 will be here before you know it.. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/burnout.gif[/img]

[JpMotorsports]

Keep chipping away at it!

[Ryan1969Chevelle]

Rick Pauley sent me detailed pictures of the body mount nuts.

This makes sense now, I assumed the nuts are square inside the cage?

Thanks Rick!!!







Ryan

[Ryan1969Chevelle]

I have done a little research in the assembly manual, what a treasure chest!!!

For example Chevelle's have a bracket to hold the brake lines above the rear end housing, but Olds is threaded right into the housing, as shown in the assembly manual.



Started digging through my Inline Tube order this stuff is gold!!! I am so happy with the quality, looks like new parts.





Lots of fun!! I also accidentally bought the rear bumper so I don't have to decide to use it or not...... I have it and I have a wrench:-)


Lines look perfect, I thought I was missing the little lines from the front wheel cylinders to the flex lines, but they are right there, complete with special fittings just like the originals from the car:-)

Ryan

[Postsedan]

Get her off to Powder Coat [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]

Dan

[Ryan1969Chevelle]

Soon, had a bit less time this week and last, and figuring out how to disassemble all the bushings.

RamblinDealer agreed to allow me to use his press so if I can make up the braces and such by the weekend I hope to wrap that up.

Ryan