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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.

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!

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.

anyways, welcome to the site.

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!

Thanks all for this. As of the moment the car is in storage do it will be a while before I can check it out, but I will say I get more & more confident this will be the cause. It has been happening for a long time. Form the day I bought this car in Oct., 1994, I always wondered where a quart of oil was going every 1000 miles or so. My money is on this as pictured above, it was probably badly sealed to begin with. And these things don't get better, only worse. I went in and checked my 2020 repair bills from when I had the intake manifold gaskets replaced. The mechanic also replaced the gasket for the part 10130955 as you see in the photo but no mention is made on whether the distributor plug seal was addressed so I am going to assume it was not. While it's a shame all that work that was done to the motor back then would have to be re-done just to get at what needs to be repaired, so be it. Even if I decide to get the rear head pulled to replace the O-ring rather than trying my luck with sealant, that's still way better than having the entire motor pulled. I might as well go the whole 9 yards and have both head gaskets replaced for a one and done job. I should be getting the car out of storage within the next few weeks, I'll keep all posted on how things progress, and thanks again, much appreciated!

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

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

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

Does the pump run? If it does, unhook a fuel line under the hood and jump the fuel pump relay.

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.

It's that time. The oil leak in the rear main seal of my 1994 Cutlass Supreme SL with the 3.4L motor has gotten so bad that it needs to come out for repairs. In addition to this being in need of replacement, I am going to have the oil pan gasket replaced as well, along with the 3 coils and the alternator while the motor is out of the car. In addition to that, is there anything else anyone can think of that should be replaced while the motor is out, as this would be a golden opportunity to get it done. The engine compartment will also be degreased to clean up the big mess this leak has been making. It does not need a timing belt, water pump, or any intake manifold work as this was all done 5 years and 10,000 miles ago and no issues here.

That's how I'm looking at it. I wouldn't have not bought the Regal, or insisted on paying any less for it if there was a disconnected and neatly stored amp wire running back to the trunk, everything else being equal. My thought is that the target buyer for that car is the type of person to be a member here, and is likely to be relatively well versed in them to where something like that wouldn't make a difference in either case. It's not a super low mileage museum piece where I feel something like that would make a difference. If anything, that car being "The Car" of these forums makes it more desirable, but that's just me.

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'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.

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.

My grandparents had a 04 Regal GS with a "supercharged" emblem on the trunk lid. If I recall it was on the driver side.

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.

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.

It's in the valley right by where the transmission and engine block are joined together. Oil will pool around the distributor plug (also called "oil pump drive") and run down the side right where the transmission mates to the block so where it drips on the ground looks very much like a rear main seal. An O-ring goes bad on it allowing it to leak. Shine a flashlight down there, and if there's oil pooled in that area, that's your culprit. Unfortunately, yes, it's blocked by the rear head. What most people do is lift it up as high as possible and clean it and the block as well as possible. Some sandwich a thin O-ring under it, others RTV it. My memory is hazy, but I think I may have done both. On my pic, high pressure oil-resistant RTV is the stuff kind of squishing out from under it. It's dirty because this was many years later, but it worked great. Official GM procedure is to pull the rear head, but that's way, way too much trouble.

I bought some decades ago to do the same thing, but never got around to it. I was going to try to mod them for 6.5" speakers and needed a plan for how to mod the buckets, but in the modern day, it would make more sense to 3D print some custom ones rather than mod the OEM ones as I wanted to use the OEM grilles which are flat against the trim panel. I can't find them at the moment or I'd snap a pic. As for prewired, my 89 wasn't prewired, but different years might do things differently.

This is the only device that will separate the fuel line from the rail.... there is another method you might try.... raise the car up high enough to get under comfortably & disconnect the fuel filter from the fuel line (one end of the filter makes used of threaded connection , the other end is the same ac/fuel line quick disconnect slip-on connection). Once again run a length of hose long enough to clear the car & fill a gas container to drain the tank.

there should be a loose red wire near the relay jump that to the positive post and it should turn the fuel pump on

87 to 30

absolutely

Yeah, that makes it sound even more like the brake lights are the turn signal switch in the column... 1994-2001 Gen 1 and Gen 1.5 Turn Signal Switch Replacement | W-BodyTech Forums But that shifting thing...are you able to turn the key and move the steering wheel? Can you shift out of park with the steering wheel unlocked but with engine off?

"Automatic shoulder belts"

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.

Like the title says, I am a new member now, but I was a fairly regular member here around 15-20 years ago. My screen name at that time was Regal_GS_1989. I originally owned an 89 Regal GS coupe, a 92 Cutlass International Coupe, and finally a 2000 Regal Sedan. Life got busy, I stopped posting regularly, and the 2000 was sold off about 10 years ago for something newer and more family friendly. Time has marched on, and I am now in a position where I have the time and resources to be able to own a “weekend” vehicle. As luck, or possibly fate would have it, this beauty quite literally fell into my lap at the perfect moment… A 92 Regal GS Coupe. Black, Grey leather interior, low milage, One owner, garage kept its entire life, ordered new with every option box checked off…save for the sunroof. It’s truly worthy of the term survivor, and it’s exactly how I would have ordered one myself back in the day. Gotta say…it feels sort of strange to be back here posting again about a 1st gen coupe…but I can get used to that I am also surprised at how many screen names I still recognize as well!

Factory all the way for me. But I did upgrade to CD from cassette, a factory correct unit, in my 94 CS

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.

BCC= AXSJ2368 Scan id= 2391 Part number= 16162364 Release date= 11/09/90 Engine size= 3.4 Trans Type= Auto trans ECM/PCM: ECM #16149396 Used in cars: Chevy Pontiac Oldsmobile Possibly used in: LUMINA LUMINA EUROSPORT LUMINA Z34 GRAND PRIX LE GRAND PRIX SE GRAND PRIX GT GRAND PRIX STE CUTLASS SUPREME SUPREME INTERNAT'L CUTLASS SUPREME SL CUTLASS SUPREME CONV Options: With LQ1 3.4L GAS 6 CYL (3.4X) SFI OHC V6 HO With M13 AUTO 4 SPD (4T60-E) With NA5 FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS With QGW ALL P215/60 R/16 N BL R/PE ST TL HWY With QXJ P225/60R16/N NL R/PE ST TL AL3

91 auto which is what I have in my 91 GP is the AYSZ, AUSJ is the T code engine (3.1) W body for 91, AUBU is the T code engine W body for 93 auto trans these all come out of the 16149396 ECM I have nothing on the ASXJ

If you use your resources correctly, you can get a 3800 for the same price as the 3400. The smart thing would be to look for an S3 and then get an S2 UIM to make it all work. Anyways, the flywheel between the engines are the same. Both used the same 4T65-E trans. The motor mounts should be the same as well. My understanding is that the blocks are the same but the internals are what differentiate them from a 3.1 liter and a 3.4 liter.

Use the trans that is in the 88 and the ecm from the 2.8 as well. If the 95 doesn't have the coolant temp sensor for the Guage/light in the rear head you will have to install a 3 wire temp sensor where the 2 wire is. The throttle cable from the 95 is needed as well. If your '88 has a 3spd you will have to rig up a kick down cable linkage on the throttle body some how. I welded a bracket to the throttle body myself, wasn't perfect but it made it drivable. Sure there may be some other things that I'm missing since it has been about 6 years since I swapped my old lumina!

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

Welcome to the site - are you thinking of an entire engine swap or just the top end swap? I won't have any answers for you on that but in reading your post I wasn't completely clear. As for the rear suspension, I've been looking into this matter myself recently. Everything on my car related to rear suspension and brakes is rusted beyond recognition (but somehow the body is totally solid!). These two writeups have been Very helpful to me as I've been feeling my way through what my next steps should be... converting to rear coilovers: http://www.w-body.com/showthread.php/37622-Coilovers-Adj-Mounts-Solid-Cradle-Bushings-UPDATE-3-25-Design-Done%21%21%21%21?p=651227&viewfull=1#post651227 and swapping in aluminum knuckles and bigger brakes: http://www.w-body.com/showthread.php/46209-Bob-and-Rob-s-Gen-2-Aluminum-Rear-Knuckle-and-Brake-Upgrade-How-To-with-Pics

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

you will need: -throttle cable and bracket -upper rad hose -coil bracket and module -front pass. side engine mount bracket -ac compressor (not sure if the orginal one will work) -power steering pump and H/P line -brake booster hose all from a 3100/3400 w-body You can get away with running it on the stock ECM as long as you use the stock fuel injectors and injector harness from the 3.1. You will need to change (or have one made up) front pipe/ down pipe to hook up to the rear 3400 exhaust manifold. A 3 wire coolant temp sensor and connector from a 92+ 2.2L Cavalier is the easy way of hooking up your temp guage wire from the rear head on the 3.1\ you will also need a lower rad hose for a 92-93 3.1L w-body The wiring from the coils gets re-routed to the rear of the engine from the front... then its little things like coolant hoses, and vac lines. That is all that I can think needs done right now, but I am sure I am missing a few things.

keep it simple and just bolt in the 3400 its less power than the TDC but less weight too! I would just use the stock tranny to keep cost down. you will need the front pass. side block mount from a 3100 equipped w-body because the bolt holes are in different spots, at least just on that spot of the block. use a coolant temp sensor from the 3400 (3-wire ) and wire up the temp guage to it insead of the back head cause the 3400 has no hole for the sensor. you will also need a throttle cable and exhaust manifolds for a 3100 w-body. Most people use the 3.1 injectors and harness when they do the swap untill they go to tune it. stay away from the '04+ 3400's in the equinox (I beleave it is) they have a plenum that faces the opposite way and a different crank sensor pick up on the crank that will not work with your 3.1 ecm. that is all that is comming to mind right now.

well I know tom wants a 5spd...and i have basically the same exterior package.

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