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Just a photoshop for now, but I did order some of these off ebay. I've always thought it would be fun to run these, kinda mimic the '88 Cutlass convertible pace car. The red version of these are easier to find but didn't think they'd look right on my car!

I recently purchased a 1992 Buick Regal Limited 3800 with a scant 79,000 original miles from a local scrapyard. It has a few small dings, but no rust whatsoever. I'm used to old Audis, so this is WAY out of my wheelhouse haha. What are the common problem areas? Can it be lowered without sacrificing the ride quality too much? Pics of it on my Facebook page https://m.facebook.com/eric.mongeur/albums/10156539869041793/

Here's the link to the timing belt change I did on 11 January, 2020.

Have had my one owner, garage kept 95, DOHC CSS vert for a couple months now. Had some trepidation about buying it with the bad rap the DOHC has. Previous ride was 95 Olds 88 with NA 3800. Was a great ride. Strong runner even with 265k on it. I put over 100k on it. It had its problems to but just knuckled down and fixed them. But I digress. This site has helped me realize my purchase was a good one. The DOHC can be a pain but I’m willing to deal with it. Car is absolute hoot to drive. Needless to say, handles better than the 88. Get lots of complements at gas stations. I’ve yet to see another one here in Austin. Thanks again for all the help.

Son in law runs auto shop. Told me job pays 3 hours to do plugs. “No way” to get to back plugs without pulling intake. I had never done it but invite him over to show him. Popped dogbone off, parked car on slope at end of driveway. Had to pull cowl brace off to get room to pull wires off. (95 DOHC vert).Long extension and all 3 plugs out in no time. I use a piece of fuel line with the new plug jammed in it to install new plugs. This assured I didn’t cross thread new plugs. Seated plug then tightened plug with ratchet. Gonna invite him back when I do the timing belt without a bunch of special tools.

Why do you want to lower it? If you just want it to LOOK better and less "grandpa-y" you could swap the wheels out with something that looked sportier. Wider wheels and tires, and either a spacer or a different offset to push the wheels out a little, would make the car LOOK better and fill in some of that wheel well gap. For fun, read posts on here with people arguing about 5x115 vs 5x114.3 bolt spacing and hub-centric issues on these cars. You should be able to find a set of used wheels and tires that fit and really change the look of the car without spending too much money. If you want to lower it so it CORNERS better, then there are suspension upgrades that can be done, but I'm guessing on a $500 car that just replacing the stock struts and worn out bushings will firm up the ride. Tires are also super important to handling. If you have a lot of time you could get some junkyard thicker sway bars out of sportier w-body models and swap them over. But honestly, the best thing about your car is the VALUE. You bought it cheap, and it can be pretty cheap transportation for you. Put your next $500 towards maintenance and repairs to make sure it starts, runs, and stops safely. Then a little money on upgrades, but not much. If you throw $2000 at it, sure it will be somewhat nicer but it still won't be a $2500 car, and it won't be nicer than a different car you could have bought for $2500. Feel good that you saved a car from the crusher, and got yourself a comfortable, (hopefully) reliable car.

That alloy cover in the middle of the valley is the Oil Distribution Cover. Within that assembly is a passage & check valve that opens & closes under different pressure situations. It's purpose is to (when engine running/open) supply a route for oil pressure to the heads, when engine off/closed it prevents the engine oil in the heads from draining back down into the block/oilpan. There is a gasket beneath it.

Hey all, Just picked up a 1 owner cherry 93 lumina euro sedan. 1 owner garage kept and meticulously maintained. I would really love to make it a sleeper and have been reading up on engine swaps. Seems the L67 is the way to go although I love the rumble of a V8. Anyway looking forward to being a part of the community.

Over this past weekend I was re-united with my teal colored 1994 Cutlass Supreme I bought new. I gave it to my dad in 2012 and my brother got it in 2018. My Dad passed away last month and my brother decided he didn't want to look at it anymore, I get that. As I'm the original owner it has different meanings to me. It's got 90,000 miles on it (my Dad put 3000 miles on it in 6 years and my brother logged in 10,000 in 15 months). I plan on using it to drive to work 3 to 5 days in order to keep the mileage off my white 1996 CS which I'll use for long trips. The first thing it needs BADLY is a new O2 sensor, then a close 2nd is brakes, they are so bad I have to downshift all the way to 1st to get the car stopped. New Struts will follow and this will include the Rear Strut Tower Brace I got from this site from AWEB80 (I think I got his last one).The factory FTB I had my brother put on the front that only came on the convertibles stays put. If all this works out mechanically I plan to get it re-painted. My dad let the car sit for months on end facing the same way and the paint on drivers side of the car is noticeably more tired than the passengers side. Anyone have any thoughts on using MAACO to paint the car? It needs virtually no body work, no rust and it's never been in an accident. It looks like the Maaco premium they offer might be good. This is not a high value classic car so it simply is not worth dumping big money into a paint job. My biggest concern is whether they can adequately match the code 43 Bright Aqua Metallic paint that's original to the car. Not looking to spend a fortune on a car that's worth $2000.

A few pics

Great video on replacement, I went threw this same process last year and it was a challenge for sure but I did pull the belt towards the front after finding that I couldn't get enough room for my hands to pull tension in the rear . I had no problem with the new tensioner on mine fitting the bracket but that is something to keep in mind for the next one if I encounter that problem ... Once again nice job thought I would drop a few pics of my mess also ...oh by the way mine is a 1993 lumina z34

The only thing concerns me is that it's directly related to whether or not there's load on the engine. Either way, the coolant temp sensor is cheap; replace it and see where it gets you. Looks like the actual GM one is only $15 on RockAuto.

Sounds like a temp sensor or the gauge (though less likely), and since the sensor is cheap and easy, probably start there.

Good to hear from you Sean! It's good to see that beautiful vert again!

I will find myself in this exact situation, come the spring I need to get the subframe out to do clean up, replace the exhaust pipe flange fasteners, replace the PS lines for good measure. Going to the GM Nationals this year ( missed it too many times for problems that sneek up & get in the way). 1st gen Grand Prix's don't make appearances very often.

On a 1992: 1) Coil spring seats. GM powder coated most of the suspension parts in 1992, and over time, even in areas without much salt use, the powder coat breaks down, trapping moisture against the metal. Which eventually causes its failure. The coil spring seats are notorious for collecting water, holding water against the metal, and suffering failure. Can be a pretty serious issue, and the only way to fully and properly inspect is disassembly of the entire strut tower assembly off the car. On-car inspection is not possible. 2) Lower cooling hose/pipe assembly. Directly exposed to road grime/etc., and the metal part beneath the coolant recovery reservoir tends to rust out. 3) Leaf Spring seats -- the rubber "ends" of the fiberglass leaf spring often 'dissappear' over time, leaving the fiberglass leaf spring end to directly rub. Makes a bunch of noise when you hit bumps. But still worthy of inspection and of course, repair when necessary. 4) Rear brakes, especially the e-brake. Tend to seize up and become inoperable. 5) Stock front-brakes suck. If you're doing the inspection and/or addressing the coil seat problem as described in #1, do yourself a favour, hit a junkyard, and get a set of new steering knuckles/strut tower assemblies off of like a 1997 Lumina or something. Make sure to grab the brake rotors as well. Other than that, welcome to the forum! I have a 1992 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, and that's basically a synopsis of what I've gone through.

So very glad you are enjoying your vert and the LQ1 option. I have two of them myself and learning things about them almost daily. So far I haven't been frustrated at all working on these motors, in fact it's just the opposite! I've enjoyed working on them so much but I also have a lot of patience and I've been wrenching on cars for many years. If I do get a little upset while working on them, I just take a breather and come back, try again, and it always works out just like when working on any other vehicle. I dream of the day when I can actually drive my cars and hear these motors sing! We look forward to your progress and any stories you would like to share! My 91 Cutlass International Series coupe and my 93 Grand Prix STE. Both LQ1 cars.

That's it in a nutshell, accurate cam timing is dependent on the condition of the timing chain, the chain will wear/stretch over time, the longer the engine (for example...original parts) has been in use the more wear the chain will see. It's possible for an extremely worn chain (under just the right circumstances) to jump a tooth on the crank gear. The attached pic is an example of a well worn chain. Pull up the tension on one side & the opposite is extremely loose.

This it?

Wild Guess with no evidence: None of us know what the hell this is about. You have a picture of a radiator cap. I have no idea why that's important. If this is intended for a specific person--user name Jiggity--you should have done it via PM instead of a new thread.

Well, one does if they intend on doing the job *by the book*. There's nothing wrong in doing the job in this manner IF the engine is not a high mileage unit. The timing chain does stretch, when it does that throws off the cam timing making it late. If one does not release the cam sprockets to *reset* them to the *new* position when rotating the crank for #1 top center & locking them down you will end up with the same late cam timing you started with.

figured I would start a thread detailing the removal of the L67 and 4t65E-HD going through both , and reinstalling in my Lumina. The victim who will be donating its organs to science and to further mankind's Knowledge of building cars that GM should have built. and the transplant receiver who will benefit greatly from the organ donation. Thanks for tuning in. received the transmission kit yesterday , its from rockauto , master kit, comes with almost everything, and has borg warner clutches and rabestos bands

That's more or less the plan... it needs basically nothing right now, and I have an A4 1.8T Quattro for going fast. That car is like a large trench that I happily keep dumping my money into, because it's bewitching the way those cars drive. I really don't need another project lol. I just want a cheap car that looks good, is comfortable, and won't give me too many troubles.

Welcome, glad you found us! In all honesty, there isn't much to go wrong on that car. The L27 will run forever and ever, usually in spite of itself. The 4T60E transmission is hit or miss, but generally okay as long as it isn't relentlessly abused. So, reliability-wise, you don't have much to worry about. Lowering is an issue because of the rear monoleaf. At one point, Intrax and a Canadian firm called Birchmount made rear lowering leafs. They've both been out of production for quite a while now. Your only hope would be to find someone selling a used/NOS one. As far as ride quality goes, I've never ridden in a lowered first gen that was anything remotely considered "comfortable". YMMV.

Dealer may have done it originally. 1990-1994 Luminas never had a factory sunroof.

Thanks guys....I'll be around as a forum is the best way to learn a vehicle in my opinion...and yes red and black is my favorite too

Hey jiggity, I also like the truck you have brings back great memory's owned many Chevrolets threw the years 68,70,72,76 now I own a diesel 2009 but used to really enjoy working on the older gas engine Chevrolets changed many motors over the years.

Maaco's level of quality 150% comes down to the prep. If you pick the cheapest, they will literally just mask off the glass and lamps and spray right over the old paint and everything else. If the car is prepped properly (e.g. you pay a bunch more) their paint jobs are fine.

Should be on the side of the radiator, drivers side. It has a clip and a plug.

Hey everyone. I joined this forum late last year and have spent the past couple of months getting a feel for things around here. I like the sense of community here and am impressed with the level of expertise and care from community members. I thought it might be time to introduce myself. I help run a service shop here in Western New York. We mostly work on imported vehicles, but we see a number of W-body vehicles coming through the shop on a fairly regular basis. I'm hoping to find some assistance from other members here as problems arise, and am hoping to be able to contribute where I can. I do have one particular issue here at the shop, and was hoping you all might be able to provide some guidance. We have a 1997 Cutlass Supreme sedan here for some rear end body work. The car needs a replacement rear bumper reinforcement -- the one that was in there was pretty rusted out. The consensus here is that the existing part is beyond repair. I've been trying to locate a good part from recyclers across the country and have had no luck... This seems to be a common problem for the W-body cars -- at least those that lived their life in the salted Northern winters. So I'm wondering how you all might have dealt with this issue? If there's a forum conversation you could point me to, that would a great start (tried searching the forums with no luck...). In case you find it helpful, I've attached a picture of the reinforcement we are working with. Thanks in advance for your help! --Greg

12524295

Welcome Greg. I live in Tennessee and we get some Cutlass Supreme sedans in the yards here from time to time. I'll be happy to pull one for you and ship it to you at cost plus shipping. There isn't any in the yards here now, so the timing might not be right for you, but I'm happy to look.

jman093 (Jesse) advertised some valve stem seals with some random parts on here last year. I thought the seals looked a lot like vert top pin cups so I bought a few. I haven't tried to put these on my car, but they do fit over the top pin nicely. The seals are shorter than the plastic cups, but it might not matter because the pins will go all the way through. Can someone verify if this matters? Also, I'm not sure how they attach to the windshield header so I'm not sure if the stock fastener will work. Can someone post a pic of the stock fastener and about how far up on the shaft it normally goes? Jesse, do you remember what application did the seals come from? Here are some pics of an original plastic one beside the slightly smaller valve stem seal. You can see on the last pic how the top pin goes all the way through the seal, but it might not matter.

Yes! Good point. I always assume everyone remembers this

For 3.1,3.4, 3.xx manual is the way to go

I usually get closer to 22 to 24, but I’m sure having a five speed definitely helps. Your mileage may vary, pun intended!

https://m.facebook.com/marketplace/item/587975595132089/?ref=browse_tab&tracking=%7B%22qid%22:%226790706821616773943%22,%22mf_story_key%22:%222676779145733135%22,%22commerce_rank_obj%22:%22%7B%5C%22target_id%5C%22:2676779145733135,%5C%22target_type%5C%22:0,%5C%22primary_position%5C%22:150,%5C%22ranking_signature%5C%22:7802712140850135040,%5C%22commerce_channel%5C%22:501,%5C%22value%5C%22:1.934793436314e-6,%5C%22upsell_type%5C%22:null%7D%22%7D

That's my current dilemma... Searching nationwide I can't find anything even remotely close to one in that kind of shape. Love the pics you have of your '92! Such an underappreciated car in my opinion.

Sounds like it's not gonna be too bad of a time. Thanks for this real valuable info, Pitzel

Hope you enjoy the car. I'm on my 3rd LQ1. Why they have their particulars, most other engines do too. A bit more difficult to work on, maybe, but not the scary devil that they are made out to be. While looking for my Cutlass Supreme vert, I saw a lot of them with 140k+ miles on them. One in the local yard had 185K+ on it. I almost bought one with 170K on it. They'll run, like most engines do.

There is a group on FB called Oldsmobile Buy - Sell - Trade you may find or get leads on parts

Yep. Spring-loaded, but oil-filled for lube. Not hydraulic.

Incase anyone searches and wants the answer to this.... Yes it possible to bolt a 2nd gen subframe to the 1st gen. However there is some Modification needed to the front mounting bolts and some spacers needed to lower the subframe height. Miko k did the swap into his old 96 cutlass. He detailed it in his thread in the members ride section.

I'm guessing I'm behind the times, but I'm just now finding the cool wheel visualizers available online these days. Not sure how long this has been around, but when I bought my wheels for my vert back in 2010, no site had the ability to visualize wheels on your car with a pic you uploaded. I'm exploring what wheels might look nice on the coupe, and I uploaded one of the vert to play too. Gold rims kinda look nice on the vert. https://www.customwheelsnc.com/wheel-visualizer https://www.autoaddictions.com/wheel-visualizer/ The one thing that's readily apparent is that I'm really struggling with not wanting to lower my coupe like I did the vert...it just sits really high. The angle of the car for the pic has to be from the front quarter, car level, with the steering wheel turned one complete turn...then the wheels can be sized to your pic. You'll notice the coupe pic is flipped because it has to be taken from the passengers side. It's really slick. Once you get the sizing right, it's just a matter of clicking on wheels you're interested in and they appear on your pic. Here's some I was looking at.

I mean, they are still there, you just can’t use their site for posting on web forums. Since they did that I only uploaded a handful of pictures, pretty much just to save as back ups

I want to lower it for a few reasons, mostly for looks. It's a low mileage car, in near perfect shape, so why not, right? I actually have that covered already... I have a set of 16" 5x115 Enkei basketweave wheels from a similar vintage Pontiac.

I finally got around to checking this thread out. Thank you for making this video! We don't get all that much technical information anymore. Are you okay with me moving this to the FAQs?

Of course all the interweb search will come up with no results but I`m taking that part number to a few dealerships to see if another might be found on the other side of BFE. First stop is a Buick dealer as that P/N came back with more Buick results than anything. It seems like such a simple circuit to make with ebay diodes, solder and wire but I want to retain that vintage green LED light, makes me happy.

Time for some new friends............

Since the above photos are photo bucket aka gone here is how I did it today one long extension one short with a swivel plug socket. Pull the wires off I just helped guide them with my end came right up except the middle one. Then pit my extension and swivel socket in without the ratchet then put on the ratchet. Got them loose. Removed the ratchet again turned them out by hand and reverse for re installation I use my hand to guide the wires back in. Super easy took about 10 minutes to change all the plugs.