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Well I cant wait any longer for you guys. 23.5 years is a bit long to make a guy hang on. So I just went ahead and got it myself.

UPDATE: Got the car back yesterday. A fantastic job was done by the mechanic. Maybe it's just me but the motor seems to be quieter and it's running much better, must be all those new intake gaskets(?). I checked this morning, there is no more oil coming from the oil pump drive, so it looks like the RTV will probably hold. Unfortunately the car is still leaking oil, coming from the lower part of the motor. Not anywhere near as bad as it was though, so for now it will be something I can live with. They also cleaned the engine compartment out of all the oil & grease, changed the oil, and installed a new EGR replacing the original one. Thanks to all for the advice on this one, this is one less major issue this LQ1 now has

Welcome! I think black top will look great on it. Better late than never! Not as bustling as it was back in the day, but there's a few of us W-body old timers left. I wouldn't mind seeing pics of the 4.9L in a W-body.

DOUBLE UPDATE - some really great news to report here. I was hoping for this and it just might be coming true..........I have been monitoring the amount of oil dripping in my flat pan since the return of the car, and its getting less and less. It may just be this was residual oil already on places on the motor that were not able to be wiped off, and I just might something here, an almost non-oil leaking LQ-1. Even the wife noticed how well the car is running, and if she notices, now that can't be bad, can it...........

Wow, that's awesome!

UPDATE: the car is going to the mechanic on 2/23 for this job. It will be going to a chevy dealer whose mechanic has decades of experience which is exactly what I was looking for. This mechanic is semi-retired and picks & chooses the jobs he wants to do. When he learned I'm the original and 4th owner he took the job. I was asked to supply all the parts which I think I will need. Included with these parts will be a new EGR valve and a new Low Coolant Sensor (due to the coolant being partially drained). I made a copy of Gnat's photo so thanks again for this. I will be seeing how the mechanic feels about just going the RTV route in lieu of pulling the rear head. Not only will the job be alot cheaper, I'd really prefer not opening that Pandora's box of potential additional issues if the head needs to be taken off.

Damn, that's a rare one!

Good day, I have been a W body enthusiast since high school 04. In my student parking lot, we had a 93 Gran prix, 94 olds cutlass supreme, 94 cavalier z24, 95 monte, and my lumina z34. These cars were everywhere! My first car was a 94 lumina z34 (still have it). In 2012 I put a 4.9 PFI in it and it is almost complete. I just need to replace the rear suspension and odds and ends. I have a 99 Monte (needs some work), and I just picked up a decent (needs some work) Cutlass supreme. I am buying a new top for the cutlass on Friday. I want to get black canvass instead of the white (the car has black leather interior). They come in black, grey, white, red. What do you all think would be the best color? Just curious. Very few of these ole buggies still around (at least in my area). I thought I would join the forum to see what you all are up to (I feel very late to the party). I already have seen some super nice examples of these cars (nice job everyone!). Ill post more as spring hits and I can get them out, and work on them more. Also, not adverse to loading them up on the trailer for any meets that might happen. Thank you! Hope you all have a wonderful day!

anyways, welcome to the site.

The thought here was that you don't drive your W's in the winter.

Got the fuel line disconnected and fuel can ready to go but no go on the fuel pump. Do I have it wrong here? The car has been sitting for 6 weeks so the battery may be weak but radio turns on. Edit nevermind I'm an idiot i see the number on bottom of relay and i had it wrong Works like a charm thanks all

You're in the right place because we love our W-bodies here. Welcome!

Wrong plugs altogether? Or correct plugs but gapped incorrectly? OEM plugs were always a requirement for these cars, and even 20 years ago, we had quite a few bad running engine posts where the fix was "replaced plugs with OEM". I've seen these things run nearly flawless on heavily worn OEM plugs with gaps closer to the 0.090" range...so I'm not sure the gap alone was the main issue.

If we’re talking bone stock out of the factory, it might be a very close call between the w-body2 (the MS2000 platform(“97”-“03”) GTP Grand Prix & the 1990 Cutlass international. If we’re talking modest mods, it’s going to be the GP (“97”-“03”) & if it’s a full out build, then there is no competition. It’s the GP (“97”-“03”)! Why? I have driven all of them extensively in testing & owned quite a few as well. So; I’m not being prejudiced or a smart guy! It’s just you can’t argue with physics! Now there are minor things that can be done to help improve the inherent physics incorporated into a platform/model & some more than others, but they tend to be somewhat limiting. While you might think all models in a platform have the same physics, they do not! Height, width, wheelbase, weight distribution, etc. are all different & consequencally so goes the base physics that limits the overall performance. Furthermore Super Buick is correct! The skidpad test is just one data point & while it measures lateral g acceleration, it is not a true test of an active suspension & how the suspension components work with regards to the handling. What it is, is the test of three things! The adhesion of the tire coefficient to the pavement, the stability of the components to hold their positions relative to geometrical physics that were designed into the vehicle, I.E. CG & RC, etc. Plus the moment of inertia! But the moment of inertia that is measured in the skidpad is minuscule in comparison to performance handling! Which is a critical element in car handling! What the skidpad test can’t test is suspension rollover, hard instant response handling like slalom racing, accelerometer force generated by such aggressive movements & platform resonance frequency, in which the latter can drastically influence the total performance of suspension performance.

I feel like it was a red 4-door. No real reason, just a feeling.

Agree. As I always say, your car, your call. Do it for what you want rather than what the next owner may (or may not) want. I myself am after the total factory look, but if I can hide something that will otherwise give it the factory look, that's good news. I've replaced my Retrosound rear speakers with another aftermarket brand set that fits into the hole and under the grille sufficiently. They get hit by the sun with that huge rear window so I avoided a paper coned speaker with something more durable. I'm loathing replacing the door panel speakers, but as soon as II find that set of correct NOS ones I've got in storage somewhere, I've got a job to do............

Unfortunately its the opposite of that pre-conceived notion of the south, they spread that stuff anytime the temp gets close to 32F overnight and its wet out. Ive researched a bit more into the options available and will go with the coated PowerStop kit from RA. Just trying to generate some conversation I guess...

I mean...those uncoated rotors often flash rust after a single wash and start looking pretty shabby in very short order, especially if the car has the 5 spokes or some other wheel that shows much of the brakes. Definitely won't need protection from salt, but as the coated ones do decently well against that, I can see them lasting forever on a southern car.

I'm somewhat surprised that where you are in Tennessee that you have to even concern yourself about this. Now if you lived up here.......well, that's a different matter.

Not on my W's...but I use them on my dailies. I prefer to use the rotors with the black coated hat/edge vs the silver coated ones, as I find they hold up better. They seem to hold up relatively well, even throughout the winter. In all honesty though, if your current rotors are still good you could always hit them with a bit of black spray paint. I quickly hit the rear drums of my truck over 5 years ago without any real prep work, and those have held up better than some of the coated rotors i've run.

A maroon or dark green GS, tan interior and tinted windows with "Buick" mud flaps hits a 99-04ish nostalgia spot. Would still have to have those logo puddle lights though.

Check Amazon. Just search Buick logo door light. Some are stick on with double sided tape and a magnet style sensor to activate them one the door opens.

GM if you can get them, anchor would be last resort. I just ordered a complete set of DEA mounts a couple days ago ago for my Lumina.

Welcome!

I was able to replace the o-ring and add an extra gasket with the information from the old double gasket thread all without removing the rear head. I also put RTV on it and it never leaked in the 10+ years I owned the car after the repair.

UPDATE - I believe I may have found a shop with a mechanic having the experience to have worked on these motors that will do the job. My first hunch was to go to a Chevy dealership as the Lumina had these motors as well, those Z-34's you almost never see (?). As soon as they found out I was in no rush to get the car back, they were more open to the idea of working on it. I guess they thought I wanted it done yesterday. Not the case, anytime between now and July 22 will do........ Stay tuned

One should have the service manual within reach for electrical diagnosis.

You are correct on that point, I will be checking my local independent shops to see if they want the job. Not everyone wants to work on these. The first thing I will hear is the job would cost more than the car is worth. I bought this car new in 1994. I gave it to my dad in 2012 who in turn sold it to my brother in 2018. My brother did a swell job of running it into the ground, but when my dad passed away 1/2020 my brother didn't want the car anymore and showed up at my house a month or so later and handed me the keys. That makes me the 1st and 4th owner. There is no mechanic on this earth that's going to be successful in convincing me that any job needed to be done on this car will exceed its value. I watched a 24 minute video earlier today on how to do this job. II won't be doing it as a result of watching it. These videos are valuable in that respect as well.

Wow, you've almost had that car as long as I've had my 89 Cutlass! Can't remember if I got mine in late 93 or early 94. Yes, that seal goes bad in all of them. Not if, but when. Rear main seal is rare. Oil pump drive O-rings going bad I'd say is 100% rate. If you were going to DIY it, I'd say don't worry about pulling the rear head. I owned my 94 for 12-years and my fudge-fix lasted for most of that time up to the day I sold the car. If you're having a shop do it, I imagine the intake manifold R&R itself isn't cheap, so I can understand wanting to do the head gaskets at the same time so as not to have to pay for a repeat job in the future. However, head gaskets on a DOHC V-engine sounds like it could be quite expensive labor-wise.

I wanna see pictures of the Gran Prix, never seen one before! /s Welcome!

Hey everyone, My name’s Ryan, I’m from Long Island, NY, and I’m new to the Monte Carlo platform. I recently picked up a 2003 Monte Carlo SS and I’m excited to finally start a build thread and be part of the community. By trade I’m a licensed marine engineer, so I’m very hands-on mechanically and enjoy learning the technical side of things. On the automotive side, I’ve worked on and tuned a variety of platforms, everything from basic bolt-ons and wiring to full tuning using HP Tuners, Hondata, and standalone setups. I enjoy both the mechanical and tuning sides of builds and documenting the process. For the Monte, the plan is to start simple, catch up on maintenance, fix worn components, and do some basic bolt-ons while I sort out the body and cosmetics. Once the chassis and body are in better shape, the goal is to turn things up. I’m currently torn between a Gen V M90 top swap or going turbo, but either way the end goal is a "reliable", fun street car that still rips when you get into it. I’ll be sharing progress, asking questions, and learning as I go. Looking forward to seeing everyone’s builds and being part of the community.

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.

That is interesting how the sun visors disintegrated but yet the headliner was ok. My armrests are still soft and pliable, I just had to really clean them due to the years of elbows and forearms constantly touching them. They were pretty dark and black. I used a gentle mixture of Dawn soap and warm water and just gently rubbed them with a lint free cloth until the red started to appear. My headliner and sun visors are perfect in this car thankfully. The STE...not so much. The California desert pretty much baked it's interior. I'm SO THANKFUL that the International has such a nice interior. It's part of the reason why it's a 1 of 1 car. I'm actually restoring the front seats in it right now. The side bolster on the driver's seat is worn out. I'll post pics soon. I have all the hard pieces figured out and collected on the STE. It will be pricey though but I'll do a little at a time. The rear seat headrests and upper top portion of the seat will need to be reupholstered. The front seats are in great condition and just need to be deep cleaned. Same goes for the carpet. Got a new dash pad and found some really nice door panels with perfect door panels. I posted in my thread about all these parts being found. The biggest win was finding a perfect set of door speaker grills and the lenses for the door lamps. Took me years to find those! The original door armrests and the ones I pulled from a junkyard STE...again, not sticky or gooey at all. Pliable and very nice with no cracking or discoloration. I really lucked out there.

It’s been just a little over a year now since I got the Regal…so what better way to celebrate that than with some more recent pictures. Nothing much visually has changed except for the refinished wheels and new tires…which was a fairly large, yet subtle change on its own. My intent is to keep the car as stock as possible, and to keep it up to snuff mechanically to be used as a reliable, fair weather cruiser. And to shake things up…. This is the final picture I ever took of my 89 GS before it was parked for good in summer of 2008.

BEN??? Had to look at your user name a few times. Holy shit man. Its been a few minutes! How've you been?!? If for whatever ends you can find the Bose specific speaker brackets they can accommodate a bigger speaker. If you're using a 6.5 round you could make an adapter plate and then use a block of wood or something to take up the space to the bracket. Though honestly some self tapping screws would make the quickest work of it.

I like the puddle lights and overall classy/nostalgic look of those Regals. What year is it? I thought all the GS models had a "supercharged" emblem on them somewhere.

AYSZ = 1992 LQ1/Auto BBUK = 1993 LQ1/Manual BCFA = 1991 LQ1/Manual BCFA is the one you'll want to use

on to the wiring this will cover all 97-99 monte/luminas(possibly cutlass too but im not sure) on the c100 plug switch the b1 and d5 wire. literally cut both and switch positions. i also cut and taped off c1 as its unused. will post 2000 lumina and 97 and 98 monte c100 pinouts tomoro mebbe nitehawk or someone else with a3800 swapped 96 monte will post that second part of wiring theres a plug on the d side that plugs into the harness on the fender for the wipers stock has a 6 pin plug, 2000-01 is a 3 pin. cut the female end off ur original harness and the male? end off the donor car with a few inches on each plug. simply match colors splice and b VERY liberal with the electrical tape. voila you just made ur adapter harness for wipers. if ur gonna 3800 swap later this adapter will work for that too will post pics of my adapter and location tomoro also

Nevermind what I said. I just re-read what was posted above. The factory speakers on these cars must be some complete shit. Nobody these days bi-amps a DVC speaker with two entirely different signals. Sounds like the only way to correctly fix this problem is what has already been suggested, to buy a cheap and weak 2-channel amp like an old Coustic Power Logic Amp-160 for like $40 and amplify the fullrange signal. Then again, I never really believed in dumping money into rear speakers anyway.

A DVC speaker doesn't create a hole in a specific range of frequencies. What you're looking at is more of a multi-way speaker. A DVC speaker has two voice coils on the exact same cone, acting in conjunction, wired to a specific impedance together. Sounds like there are two terminals here and two independent coils on two independent cones. The question I have, is whether or not there's a low pass filter in the amplifier on what used to be the tweeter's output, or if the low pass is filtered by a capacitor on the speaker itself.

No, that will not give full range sound! The amplifier is low-passed at around 100 hz or so. It is a subwoofer amp. The factory speakers played a dual role of full range and providing extra bass. Hooking up the amplified wires to a speaker only gives low bass. It does not give any midrange. There is not any midrange on the amplified signal. NO MIDRANGE. If you hook the amplified wires to a 6x9 and the other wires to a tweeter you will have deep bass out of the 6x9 and high frequencies out of the tweeter. There will be no midrange! No guitars, no voices, no snare drum. It will sound like crap. I have my speakers hooked up with only the amplified signal. There is only bass coming from my rear deck. Just like if there were only a subwoofer back there. There is NO midrange. Only bass. Deep bass. It is not some muddy sounding mix of bass and mid. I'm sorry for repeating myself so many times, but I don't want anyone to get confused and ruin a set of speakers or just otherwise be disappointed. To clarify some more... 1 set of wires provides amplified bass-only signal. Those wires are hooked up to one voice-coil on the 6x9. The other set of wires is a low-power, full range signal. It is hooked up to the OTHER voice-coil on the 6x9 AND the tweeter. Just like a regular co-axial speaker. The factory 6x9 has dual voice coils on the 6x9. The wires do not power only the 6x9 and only the tweeter. One set powers the 6x9, the other set powers the 6x9 AND the tweeter. The wires that power the 6x9 AND the tweeter are not amplified by the factory amplifier. Those wire simply pass through the amplifier and are only powered by the factory head unit. If you want full-range, powerful sound from a replacement set of 6x9s, you will have to add an amplifier and use the signal from the full-range wires as the amplifier's input. That's the only way I can see to do it.

get it tuned and at a minimum, adjust the TV cable so it shifts later, the LA1 makes more power past 4700, think more along the lines of a 6000 RPM shift. better yet would be to replace the th125C with a 4T60-e

any '96-03 3400 will drop right in with the 1st gen OBD2 harness. You will have the easiest time with a '97 system (harness and PCM), I'd go with that. A '96 system would work as well (though it's less tunable should you go that route), but with either setup you go with, grab a PCM from a '96-97 Venture/Montana/Silhouette.

Yup, it was the ECM. Cars running fine now. Now i just have a spare MAP sensor in my garage,lol.

Well i tryed a new ECM last night and it worked fine. It stood on for 30min and that was with shutting it off twice in between. The cars idle is even smoother than before now. In a little bit im going to drive around and test it out so ill let you guys know how it goes. I think im still going to test that fuel pressure thing out though. Just to make sure...

LOL I drove a quad 4 Grand prix. it was actually pretty quick. That was one of the VERY few quad 4 w-bodies i have seen. I would like to get my hands on one of thoes. Turbo Quad 4 GTP. i think the one i drove was a 1992 or a 1993 (not sure on the year anymore). it was blue (Very nice condition). It seemed quicker then i bet it actually was. I assume that maybe due to gear ratios being lower so it has more off the line get-up. RedZ

Being it's an I series, that should be the HO quad 4, even rarer!

That's no shit! That'd be a keeper!

I would probably keep it as-is just for the novelty of it! A Quad4 W-body is rare enough, a Quad4 5-speed is extremely rare!

OMG tom lets buy that car....since I could use it for a parts car