I have been resistant to LS swaps but I have one car that I might consider it for. Many of the drag racers in my area swear by the LS, with the 5.3 being very popular.
I'm amazed at how capable a motor the LS is. The HP it can make before disintegration is crazy. Even the plain jane stock motors can be really leaned on up to insane levels.
Seems GM really got that design right, and the aftermarket is taking it further.
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65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT.
Started working on the power lock setup for my Grande Parisienne today. So far I have both actuators mounted in the doors and the wiring harness strung across the under dash going to each door.
The actuators are GM 80's style, easy to find, easy to adapt to the earlier cars and easy to replace if one of them happens to go bad. The relay (a polarity reversing style relay) is also from a mid 80's GM. It's even simpler to use that than to use 2 of the common parts store 5 pin relays. The GM unit has a total of 5 wires to hook up. 12 volt live, an "up" input wire from the switches, a "down" input wire from the switches, an "up" output to the actuators and a "down" output to the actuators.
The 1966 door lock assembly already has a tab with a hole in it that is not being used (maybe because it's the same as the US full size 1966 Pontiacs which had available vacuum actuators for power locks?). At any rate, it's as simple as making a little rod from the actuator to that tab on the lock and then mount the actuator with the bracket and screws from the donor vehicle.
I'm thinking for anyone putting a late model power antenna into a classic and wants to keep the stock power antenna switch on the dash, one of these would work perfect.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars (now converted to a "factory" 4 speed)
The power locks are all done except for cutting the door panels to mount the switches. Next phase will be the power vent windows, thanks to the generosity of JohnneeD. I've had so many sets of those that I've sold over the years and now that I needed a set I couldn't find any. JD came to the rescue, he had a pair of gearboxes for the power vents. I made up a harness, bought a reproduction driver's side switch (dual toggle switch) and next step is to install them. The sky is the limit for power options on this car..... As Buzz Lightyear said in Toy Story, "To infinity and beyond"!
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars (now converted to a "factory" 4 speed)
The power locks are all done except for cutting the door panels to mount the switches. Next phase will be the power vent windows, thanks to the generosity of JohnneeD. I've had so many sets of those that I've sold over the years and now that I needed a set I couldn't find any. JD came to the rescue, he had a pair of gearboxes for the power vents. I made up a harness, bought a reproduction driver's side switch (dual toggle switch) and next step is to install them. The sky is the limit for power options on this car..... As Buzz Lightyear said in Toy Story, "To infinity and beyond"!!!
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars (now converted to a "factory" 4 speed)
The power locks are all done except for cutting the door panels to mount the switches. Next phase will be the power vent windows, thanks to the generosity of JohnneeD. I've had so many sets of those that I've sold over the years and now that I needed a set I couldn't find any. JD came to the rescue, he had a pair of gearboxes for the power vents. I made up a harness, bought a reproduction driver's side switch (dual toggle switch) and next step is to install them. The sky is the limit for power options on this car..... As Buzz Lightyear said in Toy Story, "To infinity and beyond"!!!
WANTED - 66 TO 70 FULL SIZE GM POWER BUCKET SEAT TRACK! I believe that will be the only power option the car will be missing.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars (now converted to a "factory" 4 speed)
What a cool option Carl, you'll be playing with them constantly. I really must find some real ambition and get those 69 windows you sent me into the car.
Can you control the passenger vent from the drivers side?
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65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT.
Can you control the passenger vent from the drivers side?
Yes, the video should have showed that but maybe it's not very clear. It's a unique dual switch for the vents. The paddles are 1/4 turn off from a power window switch in a mid 70's Firebird, otherwise it looks identical to the F body switch. Impossible to find an affordable one used now but thankfully they repro it (although you need a second mortgage to buy the repro!). I had no choice, had to cough up for a repro.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars (now converted to a "factory" 4 speed)
Can you control the passenger vent from the drivers side?
Yes, the video should have showed that but maybe it's not very clear. It's a unique dual switch for the vents. The paddles are 1/4 turn off from a power window switch in a mid 70's Firebird, otherwise it looks identical to the F body switch. Impossible to find an affordable one used now but thankfully they repro it (although you need a second mortgage to buy the repro!). I had no choice, had to cough up for a repro.
I'll admit, I just watched the first bit then went to comment. Re watching the entire vid...yes, it's clear!
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65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT.
If I can get a power seat into this car it will have every available 1966 full size Pontiac power option. My former 427 car that was featured Nov 2018 (owned by Kevin M from Ottawa) had them all except power door locks so if I can get a power seat going I'll be one up on him
And because the locks weren't available in the Canadian Pontiacs in 1966 he technically has them all.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars (now converted to a "factory" 4 speed)
Started doing some Air Compressor repairs yesterday, Pressure switch was leaking so I bought a new one, been sitting on the shelf waiting for a rainy day. Wasn't raining but I figured it was time, well not all things are considered equal. *&^&**&^%, yup part was not quite the same, although it says it will work. Holes in bottom plate not large enough for wiring loom clamps, ok enlarge holes. Electrical attachment points are closer to bottom plate and wires won't bend sharp enough to attach, *^%$^*&, cut some holes in plastic lid to make it so wires can attach. Now have to make another bracket to hold wire loom, Why can't anything be easy?? Simple 1/2 job is now into 3 hours only to find out the tank valve is leaking and not the pressure switch, #$^#$#@%$##$$. Well today I guess we will take that out and see what is making it stick. Trying to find compressor parts out west is like trying to find waldo. Parts guys look at ya with a stupid look, you want what? Keeps me out of the wife's hair so all good, LOL.
Eagle 5hp 60 gallon tank upright model.
-- Edited by Lemans64 on Wednesday 8th of May 2024 08:58:29 AM
I always like to use my parking brake. Last year I went to apply it and it went right to the floor. Too lazy to take a wheel off, I let it go.
Today I pulled the wheel and drum on the drivers side as I think I heard some sounds from it. The cable under the car was rattling on bumps as well.
The parking brake pawl that the cable is attached to had flipped over the starwheel lever (red) and pushed it off the wheel (yellow). The brake pawl was essentially stuck on the wrong side the adjustment lever. I flipped it back, gave everything a tap and all looked well. Adjusted the cable to near the end of the threads. Time for some shoes I guess.
Image from the web as I didn't take a picture. Lesson, don't let your cables get too slack.
Got my 94 Park Ave out of storage. I had a set of rotors to install as I would get a bad brake pulsation after a few miles of driving. Pulled everything apart and found both calipers siezed.
Parts are to arrive today..
I cast a few 66 beaumont reverse light lenses today... and put a new panel in the shop too.. also trying to get better acquainted with fusion 360 and the new 3d scanner I got (always something)
Made adjustments on the cables/latches on my 4 post hoist. They weren't perfectly even but I guess it's been 8 years, things change.
Also later evening, started mocking up the power seat track I recently acquired. Using a page out of Cdnpont's playbook, I mounted the seat track to plywood as it will sit in the car. It originally was about 4 inches wider so I'll have to make a new mount plate that runs between the two channels. On some models GM had to mount the motor and gearbox at an angle (like the second pic below) to make it fit and I might do the same.
Today
Doing a little bit of work on a friend's car, 1967 283. I wanted to set the timing to factory specs but it appears the outer ring on the balancer has slipped. Does anyone happen to have a balancer that they are fairly sure hasn't slipped? I'd like to know where the timing slot on the outer ring is in relation to the keyway on the inner hub. I know the early 283's don't even have a rubber mounted outer ring, just a solid hub/flange but I don't know if the timing tab is in the same spot on the timing cover so I almost need a reply that relates to the balancer with the rubber mounted ring.
