Was just going through the shop manual looking on how to remove the speedometer plastic so I can clean behind it and on how to remove the front radio speaker (both of which I still can't figure out-please help!) I noticed one of the sections (Section 15) dealt with cruise control, including cars equipped with a manual transmission. Does anyone with a 1966 manual transmission Grande Parisienne have cruise installed on their car. Would like to add it to my car. Any ideas on where I can purchase such a thing? Also can you help me out on how to remove and replace the front center dash radio speaker and speedometer plastic?
It CAN be taken out from the bottom but it's not an easy one. It's a lot easier with the dash pad removed. To do that, you have to remove the vent panel on the outside of the car, at the base of the windshield. There in the middle you will find one nut on a stud that sticks through the firewall. Then from the inside of the car, you remove each shiny windshield pillar trim, the screws that go up into the bottom of the dash pad above the speedo, gauges, glove box etc. and also a strange looking clip at each end of dash on the part of the pad that hangs down. I can try to get you some pictures later tonight.
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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
Kevin, in this picture, the red circle shows where where the screw comes in from the underside. There should be a total of 6.
The white circle shows where the single stud should be located that passes through the firewall. This one has been ripped out which is typical.
A couple more shots. The white clip at each end pokes through a retainer that you have to spread. If you just try pulling, the harder you pull, the harder the retainer grabs the white clip. I am used to this usually being a metal stud with a tapered head, not a white clip like this one has. I suspect your's will have the metal stud.
Speaker removal is self explanatory once the dash pad is off and upside down.
And with the pad off, you will be looking at this, although this is a US dash with gauges for oil and temp instead of lights. Your wiring will all go to one plug and to a printed circuit board, unlike this one.
You can see the long threaded nut by my thumb. 4 of those hold the cluster in. Once it's out, it's real simple to dismantle and clean.
For those of you guys who read this and haven't figured it out yet, Kevin is the lucky guy who owns the blue factory 4 speed 66 GP I've talked about many times. I bought it in July 81 but sold it about 9 years later. It's the only car I've ever sold that I wish I'd kept.
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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
A much easier to understand explanation. Thanks Carl. I will hopefully start on that this weekend coming up. Going to try and work on that and also get the Ferrari up and running. It's been sitting for 2 years and the electric fuel pumps are a little dodgy. A few gentle taps should free them up. Had the Pontiac's intake manifold remilled last week as it wasn't sitting quite right on the cylinder heads. This created a poor seal that destroyed the gaskets on the right side and was making a lot of blue smoke come out of the right hand exhaust. They also rejetted the carb and cleaned things up. Man the car is running well. Drove home on Saturday even in a medium rain at 80 on the highway and with the new wheel/tire setup the car was nice to drive. She tracked straight and just giving it a whiff of throttle would surge forward with ease. Took it to work this morning and had a lovely drive back. The cops at the top of the on-ramp to the highway were doing a drinking and driving check loved the car; didn't even ask if I was wearing a seatbelt (which they normally do when they don't see a shoulder belt). Slowly getting the car the way I want it. Almost 209,000 miles on it now. The car is known as "My Mistress".
Feel free to ask for more pictures if you need to see something. My dash pad is off right now so it's easy access for me.
I so loved the feel of that car with the 427. Just a nice smooth hard pull for a big boat. I don't know what you have for mufflers but I always had it quiet, it was kinda sneaky that way!
50,000 miles ago I changed the original u joints out of that driveshaft. I was impressed to own a 4 speed car with a big block that still had original joints at that mileage. That told me the car had been well taken care of.
I know of a couple of guys who are going to be happy to see you on Canadian Poncho Kevin.
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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
Thanks for the pictures Carl. For the rest of you; I bought the car from Rod Shula in Edmonton on Sept. 6th, 1989 and didn't even quibble on the price. Poor Rod didn't know what he had; and sorry Carl, but it's never leaving this family. My first born came home from the hospital in it a little over 6 years ago and we've been across the country and back, participating in a Cannonball Classic and running at Indy among other events. I love her more than my soon-to-be ex-wife lol! I will try and post some better quality pics soon. The ones I gave you Carl don't seem to do the car justice.
As for the exhaust system, I have the best of both worlds. I have some Dynomax mufflers to just putter around quietly, but hidden under the dash I have rigged up some electric exhaust cutouts which changes the flow to absolute free flow just after the headers I had installed about 20 years ago. The resulting change is dramatic. Apparently the car was heard seven (7!) miles away! The free flow helps the engine breathe when out on a track. It shocks a lot of people. Other than that, as you say, the car is a real sleeper. Not as quiet as a 1966 Cadillac or Lincoln, but the term sleeper definitely fits. I'm not into turning the thing into some all out dragster with huge tires and a 2 foot high blower sticking out of the hood.
Thanks for the pictures Carl. For the rest of you; I bought the car from Rod Shula in Edmonton on Sept. 6th, 1989 and didn't even quibble on the price. Poor Rod didn't know what he had; and sorry Carl, but it's never leaving this family. My first born came home from the hospital in it a little over 6 years ago and we've been across the country and back, participating in a Cannonball Classic and running at Indy among other events. I love her more than my soon-to-be ex-wife lol! I will try and post some better quality pics soon. The ones I gave you Carl don't seem to do the car justice.
You are so right. When I visited Rod in Edmonton only about 5 months after he bought the car, I realized I had made a mistake. He was not a car guy, just kind of bought it on a whim. He had forgotten a lot of the stuff I explained to him about the car that makes it so unique. After my visit to see him that evening, I was sad.
I'm glad the car has a great home where it's appreciated, even to the point of more than a soon-to-be-ex-wife!!!
The funny thing was, I saw it in two magazines after I sold it and both times suspected it was my old car but couldn't prove it.
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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
It's been in quite a few magazines since I've bought it, including the ones you have probably seen it in (High Performance Pontiac, Car and Driver, Old Autos etc.) Has even made it into 2 magazines in Japan, 2 magazines in England ("Car" and "Thoroughbred and Classic Cars") and was the first non-Italian car that made it into "Forza" magazine, which is dedicated to Ferraris. After doing the Cannonball the 2 cars we ran, including the Pontiac were in a feature article in the newspaper that went out on the wire and was run in over 200 major North American cities newspapers. Ego boost galore. Sorry Carl, but I am so thankful for the one that got away from you. I guarantee you that it has a loving home. My 6 and 3 year old both battle on who gets it first.
Speaking of being out of room,wait till you see what I bought tonight. A bit of a left turn but kind of the sort of thing you would have bought circa 1979.
I'll post pics tomorrow and explain when i finalize the deal.
Had to work extra long hours this week. Haven't started on it yet. Finally opened the pool today so the kids can go swimming and doing a crapload of work on the property as things are getting overgrown. It's probably going to have to wait a few weeks. I did do some detailing work on the paint today; at least she looks even better.
Kevin, here's some dash pad shots that may help. It shows how the back of the pad looks, and the clip, which I happened to stumble on tonight while looking for a different clip!
You need to remove the screws that go in under the top of the pad, then behind at each end and release the tapered stud that goes in to this clip. You need to spread the tabs/ears/wings of the clip so the ball-head of that stud will pull through the opening.
-- Edited by Carl Stevenson on Thursday 11th of July 2013 12:12:14 AM
Hey Carl, what is the dimensions of the clip below?
Thanks, Darryl.
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Prince Edward Island
'64 Parisienne CS "barn find" - last on the road in '86 ... Owner Protection Plan booklet, original paint, original near-mint aqua interior, original aqua GM floor mats, original 283, factory posi, and original rust.
