springs installed!!! before and after pics! [1986 GMQ]

[Nick52284]

i used the cc-819's took a little over an hour cuz after jacking the car up putting it on jackstands and unbolting the shocks..... the rear still wouldn't drop down far enough to get the springs out and the new ones in so i had to use a small prybar to to do the job, anywho here are the results!!!!

BEFORE:



AFTER:



enjoy! comments welcome!

Nick

[Grand Marquis GT]

Great job!

That appears to be a huge improvement!

Also look like you did it way less time than that retard AOD did it in

[grandpaslincoln]

Looks lots better mang!

[Archangel]

Nick, now you only need to put your new wheels on, intil then just lose those stock chrome covers and run flat black steelies. And is it just me, or the front also sits kinda high?

[boXman]

Did you take the rear wheels off? I had the same trouble, couldn't get the rear to drop enough. Ended up takin the wheels off and then I could lift one side up to get the springs out that way.

Looks great tho, nice car.

[Paul_]

Looks like you did a good job mang!

[Southern_Pride]

Sweet. Looking good.

[Archangel]

Nick, a little offtopic, but I just noticed it - is your trunklid painted to match the color of the vinyl top? Looks very cool, and I bet there aren't too many cars out there with that paint scheme. Factory job, I assume?

[Nick52284]

thanks for the comments guys!! i love the way it sits and how much better it handels, the rear springs were so worn out that any medium bump would bottom the car out! i've been looking at the thread about using chevelle springs for the front and i'll prolly go ahead and get those when i get some more $, right now i'm waiting for the spacers, then i'm gonna get the tires and the exhaust!

Nick, a little offtopic, but I just noticed it - is your trunklid painted to match the color of the vinyl top? Looks very cool, and I bet there aren't too many cars out there with that paint scheme. Factory job, I assume?

yea it came from the factory that way, the paint on the car is nowhere near perfect, the clearcoat is fading away fast, and there are a few but small rust spots starting, in the spring i'll be taking it in for a paintjob, hopefully gloss black metallic with a single white pinstripe that starts thin at the nose and widens to about 2 inches in the rear. it will be placed under the door handles on that bodyline. i did a quick crappy photoshop of what i want it to look like:



i was wondering did the mercs ever come with a hardtop instead of a vinal top? the one on the car is cracked to hell and i'd rather a nice hardtop than another vinal being that the car doesn't have a garage to live in!

Did you take the rear wheels off? I had the same trouble, couldn't get the rear to drop enough. Ended up takin the wheels off and then I could lift one side up to get the springs out that way.

yea i had to take the wheels off, to get the old springs out i used a prybar to work the old spring out of the lower perch so it could drop out, on the one side the old isolator was completely gone from corroding! to get the new spring in i pushed down on the brake drum while my brother pushed the spring so it sat on the edge of the perch then i pry'd it into place. (the first one i did i put in upside down so i had to do it again....)

thanks for the comments guys!

Nick

[boXman]

Yea, the base model Marquis came without a vinyl top, from '79-'81 or '82. Your car tho, if you removed yours, you would need a rear window from a car with a normal vinyl top. The rear window trim as well, you can get chrome trim from a base model or P72 Vic.

[Paul_]

Yeah, the Panthers with coach roofs actually have a fiberglass extension built onto the back of the window. I think I have a pic saved of a naked coach roof car somewhere. Let me see if I can find it.

[Grand Marquis GT]

Yeah, the Panthers with coach roofs actually have a fiberglass extension built onto the back of the window. I think I have a pic saved of a naked coach roof car somewhere. Let me see if I can find it.

[Nick52284]

awesome, thanks for the pic, now what would i need to make the swap? the fiberglass extention, the rear window, and the hard top? it should all just switch over?

Nick

[Archangel]

Actually that mess is what's currently under your vinyl, so when converting to slick top you'll have to remove the extension and the rest of the stuff, and install a window from a regular GM.

[Paul_]

Tom, that's the pic I was talking about.