80's GM-- "F" body "G" body. etc-- What's what....

[james]

I'm using a 86 olds cutlass supreme as a donor and am wondering what other GM cars share the suspension parts. The 2nd # on the vin is a G, so is this a g body? Just wondering in case I go to find dropped spindles, and maybe factory cars with bigger brakes, etc?

[spudshaft]

A g body is the Regal, Cutlass, Monte Carlo and Gran Prix trough 87 or 88. An f body is the Camaro and Firebird.

[stoggie]

what he said - S10 used most of the same front suspension as G bodies.

[james]

S10 dropped spindles are cheap-- would they fit? (ball joint and bearing wise?)

[38Chevy454]

I am pretty sure the second VIN digit, the "G" is a reference to GM as the manufacturer, not the model designation. But you do have a G-body, along with the related clones as states previously.

Far as i know the G-body and S-010 share the front end components, so the dropped spindles should interchange just fine.

[whitewallslick]

[ QUOTE ]
A g body is the Regal, Cutlass, Monte Carlo and Gran Prix trough 87 or 88. An f body is the Camaro and Firebird.

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't forget the Malibu is a G-body also ... WWS

[CURIOUS RASH]

[ QUOTE ]
I am pretty sure the second VIN digit, the "G" is a reference to GM as the manufacturer, not the model designation. But you do have a G-body, along with the related clones as states previously.

Far as i know the G-body and S-010 share the front end components, so the dropped spindles should interchange just fine.

[/ QUOTE ] <font color="green">The G does in fact mean GM

Why do you suppose they would put G in the vin to designate that it's a GM?

I think if you got to the VIN without being able to figure it out, you probably wouldn't know what the G stood for anyway, assuming you know what a "g" is.</font>

[CURIOUS RASH]

<font color="green">OOPs!

I did it again!

I wasn't directing my musings at 38Chevy454, just meant to say that he is correct on the G thing and commenting on the VIN process in general.

I re-read that and realize it sounds shitty.

Soory, but it will probably happen again.

RASHY</font>

[Mojo]

Do a google search for monte carlo - buick GN sites. These chassis can be hopped-up real good. Long story short, you can use 80's Caprice 12" disk up front, which have a taller spindle which helps the handling a lot. There's 600lb springs from Camaro IROCs, heavy sway bars front and rear... tons of stuff. If you can find it, the 80's station wagons with tow packages were rumored to have 8.5 rears instead of the stock 7.2's. I had a 79 Malibu that I used 84 S-10 v-6 a/c springs on, stock rear springs, stock swaybars, and poly bushings. I also boxed the rear trailing links... it turned that wishy washy grandma car into a real corner carver.

Forgot to add that I used S-10 dropped spindles with those S-10 springs, and it dropped the front 3.5 inches. Drove fine, other than the tires rubbed the fenderwheel bolts when i'd hit a dip in the road.

Just check the frame every once in a while.. they were made from shit steel, they sometimes crack at the back of the front suspension crossmember, where it meets the frame. They rust at the front corners (where they widen for the side frame rails), and very rear rails.

[james]

Thanks for all the info. I'm channeling tha plymouth body down even with the frame and it's gonna be bagged. The body is in about 10 peices right now, so no pics until its more presentable....

[Mojo]

What model is the plymouth? Does the wheelbase match up ok? Just wondering, as the G-bodies seem to have the right wheelbase to match a lot of different cars...

[james]

The plymouth is a 4 door belvedere (1954). The wheelbase on the olds is about 7" shorter than the plymouth, but I'm cutting apart thr body. I'm swapping the b pillar and making it a 2 door, so I'll take the extra inches out behind them. I'm taking the hinge area from the rears, flopping them with the b pillar to make factory hinge suicides. The rockers are worse than I thought and need to be redone, and I wasn't happy with the chop......
The bad thing about the plymouth is the nose is kinda short, I'll have to lose the engine fan and run an electric. I'm using the olds cause it only has 40,000 miles and was free, and narrow enough to tuck the tires, and the 4 bar rear should be easy to bag.