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Hi, I’ve just stumbled onto this forum, and i figure I’ll probably need to post here eventually acquired my luminator last year, 2nd owner from a grandma. 70000 (got w 55000)miles. Here’s some pics; thx yall

The *actuator* was discontinued approx 20 years ago.......finding an NOS piece would be a challenge. The item IS serviceable..........

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!

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!

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.

Greetings forum members! New member, so thought I'd take a moment to introduce myself. Last Spring (2025) I acquired a relatively pristine (54k miles) 88 Pontiac GP SE. I hadn't even known they made these with a 5-speed, so I hadn't explicitly been looking, yet lo and behold here we are. I've got it on good authority I'm only the second owner. It started life in central NY but spent the last 10 years parked in a sweltering hot garage in central Florida. It was never ever even registered in FL. So it's got some internal heat damage, which I've been repairing. The door upholstery glue had given up years ago. The stereo was a mess, but I replaced all of the capacitors on the amplifier boards and even plumbed in a bluetooth module to the cassette inputs. I'm not much of an auto mechanic myself, I do cybersecurity for a living, but I don't mind getting my hands dirty on projects like this. On the serious mechanical side, I've had it at a local "rural mechanic" who's did a flush on all of the fluids, changed out the master/slave cylinders, and replaced the brakes. I seem to have dodged the bullet of any serious rust or corrosion, but I know these are prone to rotting out their rear strut towers so I plan on installing a strut tower brace and blast the insides with as much cavity wax as they'll take. Any other "gotchas" tips, tricks, or suggestions for keeping something like this roadworthy? Google's AI guestimates, based on statistical analysis of scrap rates versus production numbers, there may only be 15-25 "roadworthy" versions of this model, trim, and transmission combinations left anywhere I didn't buy this planning on a super rare preservation "duty" yet here I am...any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Don't worry, despite living in the salt-belt, I don't plan on driving it in winter for that reason...I do hope to drive it during the warmer months though! An 88 GP was my very first car when I turned 16, so I'd always been looking for a decent one, "just for fun". I never planned on ending up with a bigfoot-riding-a-unicorn of rarity...something I'm not all together happy about...yet here we are!

anyways, welcome to the site.

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

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

Its likely a pre-production thing that never carried over, as that episode was filmed prior to the 88 cutlass being released.

Automatic equipped FE3 springs from a 3.4 DOHC car seem to be the stiffest. The manual trans springs are slightly less stiff (as compared side by side, and they have different part numbers). In other words your automatic Z34 has the stiffest ever available factory.

I know it's been done before. I think the biggest issue is always switching the vehicle over to OBDII. But if you aren't going for a Series II L67 a Series I L67 from a Bonneville that is OBD 1.5 might make a better option.

What they liked the best: The brakes. What folks complain about the most on this site: The brakes. I've said it before, I'll say it again: The biggest problem with Gen 1 brakes is not the brakes per se, it's the brake booster.

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.

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

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!

I've ground the top ridge of the pump drive down slightly to allow for more room to work, then use a distributer gasket for a Lumina van with a 3.1, just give it a cut and slather it in RTV, seems to work well. and I'll be damned if I'm pulling a head just for that.

I think the mounts will fit the doors, but I don't know that they'll fit under the door panels. 95-96 used 5.25" in these angled enclosure pod things that stick out quite a bit while 88-92 used 4x6's on a flat plate.

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

Hi guys, I'm still alive and well and still have dome light switches! The site used to send me an email when someone posted on this thread, not sure if that doesn't work anymore? My direct email is mezz@benris.com if anyone else is still looking or switches.

Spammer......

spammer?

not even a difference ABS/non abs on the gen1 front knuckles. the sensor is separate of the wheel hub - why gm couldn't have continued this into the later cars is beyond me. buy whichever brand you determine to be the highest quality or fits within your budget

It's been a while since I've seen one of these out in traffic. These cars were mostly rotted out during the last recession in 2008. I was just thinking if I saw one today it would stand out a lot because of all the crossovers people drive now. Especially a clean one. Most people probably wouldn't know what it was. Welcome to the forum.

I guess I've been here long enough to say this, why are we bumping 15 year old threads? I didn't even read the comment, but it sounds like it's a bot that is advertising.

I do not believe that the 1994 Cutlass Supremes had the "Audio Bass Control" slider switch as an option, but I am not certain of this. The slider was located below the fog light button if the car were so equipped (there were two versions of the fog light switches). Here's an image of one (sorry it's so big): If the car was equipped with this feature, it also had a small amplifier located behind the dashboard, to the left of and slightly below the instrument panel. My 1992 Cutlass Supreme was pre-wired for this feature. The harness was folded and taped under the dashboard. I had a hell of a time getting the amplifier out of a junkyard car. The slider does definitely make a difference in the bass response in the 6x9s. It's been a really long time since I've posted here. I still love this site because it hasn't changed and people are still tinkering with their Ws.

Spring shops can only install what's available in the aftermarket, & FE3's are not one of them. The springs availability is *generalized*, only the basic spring would be available.

I did a bit of digging on this a while ago and unfortunately if you want to change anything about the suspension rate in these cars now past what FE3 gives you'll either need to contact a spring shop or figure out how to fit coilovers on the car. There were custom coilover mounts available here but the last batch sold out years ago. I'm sure there are springs out there that fit the car and provide a stiffer rate than stock but as far as I'm aware nobody has come across ones that fit.

The springs are not a *Chevy* thing....all 1st Gen W's with the FE3 got the stiffest coils available. What's under your Z34 is also under a GP with the FE3 suspension.

I’m leaning toward an injector issue. Belt and tensioner are new with the engine install. Vacuum lines are good. I’m going to replace the MAP and TPS. Definitely seems fuel or air related.

I would`ve liked that badge to be illuminated on the door pillar with black powdercoated door handles/lockplate vs the vertical pillar handle design we got.

Ive been getting water collecting in the spare tire well in the TGP and havent been able to figure out where its coming from. Thanks for mentioning the sealer failure, I will take a closer look.

I ordered one to try. Thank you. I’ll keep you posted if I have questions about it.

Agreed. I always buckled up after closing the door. That said, I really liked the door-mounted belts for their better access to the rear seats. On my '95 convertible, the more traditional floor and ceiling mounted belts and shoulder harness become an obstacle to rear seat access. While I've never ridden back there, I have become entangled in them, and even had a couple of falls, when climbing in and out to vacuum the rear area. That's the one aspect of the updated interior that I don't like.

One thing to be careful of there is that 2004 was a bit of a transitional year. A 2004 Lacrosse is a 3rd gen W and came with the 3800 series 3, while the 2004 Monte/Impala was still a 2nd gen and came with the 3800 series 2. Compatibility wise, you’re very much going to be stuck running a compressor compatible with a 2004 Monte SS if you want any hope of things functioning properly. The other potential gotcha is that 2nd gens also ran a BCM. There is a possibility that the PCM requires input from the BCM in order for the AC compressor to run correctly in the first place.

I'm going to differ with you on this Kyle....... what OP needs is the necessary A/C piping from a 1st Gen Regal with the 3.8 engine. If you intend on keeping as much as your car is currently fitted with you'll need the a/c compressor manifold hose assembly that was fitted to the 3.8 Regal & a new rebuilt pre 94 compressor. Everything prior to 94 is R12 based, everything post 93 is R134 based. When GM introduced 134 in 94 they changed ALL of the A/C line fittings thread pitch so NOTHING from prior & post can be used together. My suggestion to you is to keep your 92 car all 92, get that old 92 3.8 manifold hose assembly & purchase a new *rebuilt* pre 94 A/C compressor, even the manifold hose assembly changed in 94 because GM redesigned the back end of the compressor housing for 94 so the old manifold hose will not attach to the newer design compressor housing. Purchase yourself a new receiver/dryer as well as a new orifice tube. Go into Rockauto, search 92 Regal, they still house most of what you'll need.

"Automatic shoulder belts"

Gotta love that quality 80s GM fit and finish! And that Regal is very oddly equipped. Bench seat, manual locks and windows, no rear reading lights.....but it has alloy wheels. Then there is this: That cluster must be from a pre-production vehicle, as the tach was never red like that on any of the production ones. My old 88 Regal was a November 87 build, and the tach was green like the rest of the cluster.

You should be able to OBD2 swap if you want to go that route, but I'm not sure how possible tuning is with the current options besides what GTP091 mentioned. DHP can still be obtained, but support isn't what it used to be. redzmonte had a turbo 3.4 95 Monte that he swapped the OBD1.5 to OBD2 and tuned. I had tuned my 96 3.4 GP with DHP years ago. I believe you can run a 97 PCM and use HPT, who supports 97+ 3.4 Montes, so I'm not sure how that would work. edit: after some research, looks like you can buy the DHP interface from the original manufacturer (AVT) and it SHOULD work. Setting up DHP on a Windows 10 laptop is a bit of a chore. http://www.avt-hq.com/852_hw.htm http://www.avt-hq.com/price.htm

The 4 memcal's used with the 91-93 LQ1 are AYSZ, BBUK, BCDT & BCFA. BBUK is the early manual trans memcal, & BCFA or *1441* is the later manual trans memcal.

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.

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

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.

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.

The '93 3100 used the exact same ECM as the 94-95 models.

i got the front end by exchaning the motor (0 mile dohc) and a few hundred for bumpers and hood, the hood had really bad rust on the front lip so it was junked and i bought a new one for $300 so i'm not sure how much they go for but i know it's more than a few hundred. Later Jay

did i change my front end!? LOL i changed my whole car! j/k but yeah i did i put all the parts from the Z34 coupe on my base model 4 door, and the side skirts are from Razzi. I got a n ew white paint job and all the parts and labor for about $5500. lot of money i know but i love my car, next is to sell my coilovers and get a air cylinder set up. Later Jay check out my www tab on the bottom and see what it used to look like