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I recall seeing signs like that on a trip a number of years back. I forget which state it was, but it was advising that it was the law that if your wipers were on, your headlights also had to be on. Seemed strange to me....but then I remembered that our DRL laws indicate that any vehicle 1990 or new has to be so equipped, and that vehicles without DRLs (pre-1990 or US visitors) are required to have their low beams on at all times when the vehicle is in operation....so there aren't any signs indicating when the lights are to be on since they're more or less always supposed to be on. In reality though.....that last portion is rarely if ever enforced. The DRL rules have also changed for vehicles made after 2021. They now need to either illuminate the tail lights with the DRLs, be equipped with automatic head-lights, or have the dash remain dark unless the headlights are on. There has been an issue across the country with people driving at night with just their DRLs...which historically have not illuminated the taillights. The issue was compounded by the fact that the cluster was lit up at all times, so there was no real indication to the driver about the issue. I never really understood how it could happen, as every vehicle I've owned dating back to my 89 Regal had the headlight off position double as the "auto" setting. Turns out that most imports have an actual off position as the "default" headlight switch position...and being on the turn signal stalk, it's all too easy to accidentally turn the auto lights off without realizing it.

Yeah, some states even require headlights on when it rains, and sometimes it's still quite bright out when that happens. Anytime I've turned on my lights during the daytime, the dash is too dim to see.

It never dawned on me before THAT was the reason for the max brightness setting....but it does make a ton of sense now that I think about it. Pretty sure My 89 stayed on max brightness when I had it, as the automatic headlights kicked on before I would consider it to be dark enough to warrant turning the lights on....making the digital dash too dim on any other setting.

He put the 94 style next to the instrument cluster with the knob? I always liked the pushbutton one better looks and uniqueness-wise, but I didn't realize it was functionally superior as well. The manual for the 94 doesn't mention having a MAX setting. I guess they didn't think it was needed because digital dash wasn't available in 94.

Strange, the 91 doesn’t have that… but looking at this picture from 02, it does, he must’ve put the later style headlight switch in

I just want to update everyone that it was the starter that was the problem.

The search continues. Does not look like it will work to me. I'll follow up on any leads I can get.

Move the slider all the way up to MAX, right before INT. It has its own detent. Grand Prix should have the ability too, but it says to move it to HI. Don't have a GP any more so can't verify it's truly 100% as bright as lights-off brightness, but the Cutlass one definitely is. That VFD is scorching bright at night.

definetly would do that, given it was used in EVERYTHING early 90's damn near

how do you do this? thats the 1 gripe with my dads 91 when i'm driving it at night

i may be wrong, since thats a 1.5 gen, but on the 2nd gp its a plastic ring that brings the speakers out closer to the door, that can be removed and i have personally test fit 3 different 6.5 drivers that will fit with the window, as thats gonna be your biggest issue, so it definetly depends on magnet size with the driver, but i know on gp's a few different drivers will fit. if youre gonna be using a 2 way system, youll have to cut a hole for the tweater or make a pod for it up on the a-pillar

Could be. I will look into it. I bought an SSR bracket and it's not correct, either. It's in between the 2 GMT800 ones. GMT900 won't work either.

I swear that looks like a ferd pbr caliper bracket from the mustangs.

All my Cutlasses had the feature where you could force it to full brightness at night, essentially overriding "night mode" with park/headlamps on. I can't remember if the TGP was lacking that feature or not.

Any idea what these could be from? Custom strut housings for my Monte to fit GXP brakes, but the caliper bracket is not from a GXP and I have no information on it. Tim sent me everything he had, but it's not in there. No clue who made these strut housings back in the day. The Chevy dealer crossed it to a GXP bracket, but the bolt holes are about 8 1/4" apart instead of 5-ish for 2G W-bodies. Small GMT800 brackets are too small but the larger ones are too big. I have one on order from an SSR, which should be in between sizes, but I'm not sure. It's a different Cardone number from either of the GMT800 ones, so hopefully it's different. It doesn't look the same, but as long as the holes line up. Last picture is of GXP caliper and bracket.

I’ve driven a gen 1 with FE3, my gtp, a 05 monte ss, so I haven’t drive a 3rd gen, but I will say the 2nd gens are much nicer driving. I like the cs but the gtp handles better in a lot of ways, but it depends what you consider better handling. For better cornering, the cs wins, for traction, and squat when accelerating, my gtp wins in that. So I guess it largely all depends.

I think youd have to do it by generation, as there are some significant changes by generation as well as intent (when you get to the later years there was more of a focus on handling handling vs the earlier focus on comfort handling). In addition, its important to consider that skidpad Gs do not equal handling. Ive driven race cars that would do an epic skidpad number but are so ill handling in transition/under braking/whatever, that they are virtually undriveable. I have the most experience with 1st gen w-bodies, and my vote there would be for the FE3 level Grand Prix coupe with the 245 wide tires. Though I suspect/wonder if the 1990 olds international with FE3 and the quad 4 would be the ultimate iteration for handling. Ive never driven one (almost nobody has) so I cant say definitively, hence my mention above of the 245 tire equipped GP. For gen 1.5, Im not sure. For the last generation, its most likely the 2008 GP GXP. The fact they fitted reverse stagger tires (and engineered the suspension to utilize this setup) tells me someone understood how to make an FWD car handle.

I've driven a decent amount of W-body cars over the years. I really like my 2000 GTP compared to the 1st gens that I've owned. I've only driven a base model 3rd gen so I'm sure that isn't a fair comparison. I've never owned a 3rd gen GP. But I guess a GXP is always on the list. Not sure what the best handling one is I can only go with what I've driven and what cars I've owned over the years.

Just wondering which factory w body was the best handler. My initial thought was the 04 grand prix gtp comp g which had a 0.81g skidpad rating. however after doing some more research I found that the 2002 oldsmobile intrigue GLS had a 0.84g skidpad rating just wondering from those who have owned many w bodies which one handled the best

Does anyone live near by Springfield, Missouri or Wichita, Kansas? They have 88 regal’s and I need a part off it. I would really appreciate if you can look for me if you are not far from them. It’s a one year design only and my 89 regal has it being the early 89s built it has some 88 parts still. I would not know where to find it else where. I have looked on Google and this is what I found. It’s the hood latch bracket that is inside the car to open the hood that has the handle on it to open the hood. It’s not the cable itself. It’s the bracket that the handle goes on. I would need the handle and the bracket. For a photo pm me. here are the u pull it yards that have the regals. https://www.lkqpickyourpart.com/inventory/wichita-1246/1988-buick-regal/ https://www.row52.com/Vehicle/Index/2G4WD14W6J1405977

Are you sure there isn’t another notch on the dimmer? Or is there a chance the dimmer switch could be defective? I can turn everything off when the lights are on, then it goes to full backlight brightness with all of the VFDs dimmed a bit. Then there is detent that brings all of the VFDs to full brightness level. After that, you have the detent that turns on the interior lights. I know for certain my 88,89 and 92 Regal had/have this, as did my 94 Silverado. The 88 and 89 both had the digital dash, and I could run it at full brightness level when the lights were on.

Yes, even at full brightness on the dimmer setting the interior instrument lights dim considerably when the headlights are on. When its day time and raining or just a heavy low level cloud layer the cluster/HUD would be easier to read in a quick glance if they were brighter. Especially in Nashville driving the TGP when you have to have your eyes on every car assuming its going to do something stupid.

Depends on how many phone books I`m sitting on. Good point, I dont drive at night too much but might on occasions and didnt think of that. The interior lights are bright enough at night so I suppose I should be looking to add a switch for a rain/overcast mode in the circuit. New bulbs and clean lenses still don't provide sufficient light when its raining or heavy overcast skies during the daytime though. Its during times like this is when I want brighter cluster and HUD lights, not necessarily at night. The HUD is barely visible and both the Cutlass and Turbo Grand Prix instrument clusters are recessed a fair bit in and surrounded. So I`m really not trying to disable anything at all just add a switch in the right place. I buy Sylvania bulbs only, they make `em in Kentucky and come in every size needed. Ive yet to have one burn out.

Doesn't the dimmer switch already allow this? My Regal has a detent immediately before it turns on the interior lights where the cluster and all the displays are at full brightness. I seem to recall my 92 cutlass being the same way, as well as my parents old 97 Lumina....so I just assumed they all worked the same way.

The radiator should never have air in it after it's been properly bled, if there's coolant in the overflow bottle, and there's no other problems with the cooling system. Doesn't have to be as serious as a head-gasket issue, though. Could be as simple as a failed seal on the radiator cap, a leaking hose between the rad and the overflow, or a loose clamp on that hose. Could even be a leaking radiator, where the leak is so small that not much coolant leaks out, but air gets in on shutdown/cooldown.