Did some suspension upgrades recently. I installed a Lares 974 quick ratio steering box (2-1/2 turns). Got it from rockauto to replace the original 3+turn, over-boosted box. It also comes with the new steering coupler. It was a direct swap and uses the same original-style flare fittings for the hoses. It now has a very tight feel to the steering instead of the heavily-sedated original steering feel. It took several fluid bleedings over a week to get all the residual air bubbles out. One of the symptoms of air still present is reduced assist at idle. After a week or so the assist at idle is good again.

Today I swapped out the original 1" front sway bar and 9/16" rear sway bar for the WS-6 optional 1-1/4" front and 3/4" rear bars that I got of ebay for around $110 for the set. (Shipping was a killer though - that front bar sure is heavy!) I also installed new Prothane bushings as well. Total time for the sway bar swap was a leisurely 3 hours.


New Lares 974:

https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/...c/IMG_6551.jpg

Old 1" bar:

https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/...c/IMG_3032.jpg


New 1-1/4" sway bar:

https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/...c/IMG_6552.jpg

And the rear bars, comparison

9/16" bar:

https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/...c/IMG_6555.jpg

3/4" bar:

https://i599.photobucket.com/albums/...%20bar%202.jpg

Steve,

Any pics of your exhaust hangers for the muffler? I'm curious to see how yours was done. Took your advice...........RA manifolds and Pypes on the way.

Thanks,
Tim

I will take a look at the archive. Pypes themselves did the install in PA. They employed a hanger bracket that uses the factory slip-in rubber bushing at the top, near the gas tank hangers.

You can just barely see the edge of them but they are the u-shaped brackets that slip under the top exhaust clamp and also slide into the bulkhead rubber grommet bracket above the muffler. Pypes sells the brackets. I think they are an extra cost items not included in the kit. (of course)

Here's the old video of the sound:

https://youtu.be/ptAubfuN8N4

and the installation:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XsgWVUQ48s

This is such a cool car, Steve. Although I’d have gotten Phoenix Graphis to make you a custom shaker decal: 455 -NJS. See, you could drum up a story at cruise-ins to further confuse the masses and spread rumors! “Oh, this is a special order car limited to one per county sold in New Jersey only. See, there was this executive at Pontiac named Steve, and he lived in New Jersey. He had an idea to amass all these cool parts that weren’t available in 1975 and make a “what if” car. He forgot that the sales orders for 1975 didn’t include the ordering option for the 455-NJS and apparently, didn’t tell anybody that they were for sale. So the “What if?” answer to that question is, one. This one.”:biggthumpup:

Nice work on this!!!! Love the Shaker!!!:3gears:

Cheers:beers:
Dave

Thanks Dave!

It's fun to have a car that you can do whatever the heck you want to, to it and it doesn't hurt the value because it wasn't a valuable car to begin with (other than to our family).
I think this is the third or fourth iteration of this heirloom in the 45 years we've owned her.

Now if I could ever find a stable, dependable painter within a reasonable distance, I would love to have her repainted. The current paint is around 28 years old and could use a refresh. Or I could just send her down to you to paint, after you finish my purple 'Cuda.

Hmmm....I don’t know, Steve. Being highly accomplished, multi-award winning, and having the incredulous and unscrupulous industry reputation that I do, you may not want me to do the paint. At $7.95/hr, and a turn around time of a week (including delivery), I make Earl Scheib look like Foose!:worship:!

You coming to MCACN this year? :dunno:

Cheers:beers:
Dave

A week? What am I paying you for anyway? What the heck you gonna be doing the other 5 days you have the car? I am writing down the mileage, I'll have you know!

:haha::haha:3gears.gif