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ConvertiblesDiscussed here are problems and solutions to convertible specific questions, including difficult to find part numbers and other convertible tech help.
My first post. Likely not my last.
I turned 40 last year and my dad asked me if I wanted his car as a birthday present. Of course I did!!! He bought it in Michigan in 1998 with 54k miles on it.
He had it in Arizona. I live in So Cal. I got it to pass a smog check after putting in a new cat and fan motor.
1992 RS Convertible. 154k miles. 305 engine. Runs pretty solid.
It's been painted a few times. From far away, it looks pretty nice. But it was painted on a budget.
The interior is functional but needs new leather. Carpet and door panels are fine. Dash has a small crack on it.
I have seat covers on the front for now. The rear need something but I haven been able to find anything reasonable that looks decent.
Any suggestions?
I don't know much about this car. Any suggestions on things to do/not to do?
Add Subframe Connectors (SFC) and a Steering Brace (aka wonderbar). I have both in stock. If you are near to Hacienda Heights you could pick them up and save on S&H. The SFC are designed to be bolted in, but I'd recommend having the SFC welded in instead. I can recommend a local place to have them welded.
Our 1982-92 F-Bodies are a unibody construction, meaning they are not built with a body-on-frame like the older cars were. This means the entire car body IS the frame which is fine, saves weight, etc. There is a front sub-frame that the engine and transmission are mounted to and a rear sub-frame that the rear end is mounted to. In between is the formed sheet metal of the body. GM never designed this car to be a convertible from the start. To make it a convertible unfortunately they removed some of the structure (roof) of that unibody. To try and make up for the compromised rigidity they (actually ASC who designed and did the conversion with GM's blessing) added some reinforcements. I won't list all the pieces they added, but two that are somewhat easy to see are a reinforcing piece or sheet metal spot-welded underneath the plastic door trim panel ("Body by Fisher" molded in it and a honeycomb pattern). The second is much more visible, there is a formed sheet metal box section that is riveted to the under-body below the door just behind the ground effects. This doesn't fully make up for the loss of rigidity from removing the top. T-top cars and especially convertibles REALLY benefit by adding a steel structure that connects the front sub-frame to the rear sub-frame of the car. The name "sub-frame connector" properly describes it's function, to tie the front and rear sub-frames together. There are several versions of SFC on the market. Unfortunately 95% of them are what is called a "perimeter design" and designed to fit just behind the pinch-rail under the car below the door. This area is already used on our ASC converted F-Body convertibles for that sheet metal boxed section I previously mentioned. You will need to shop for one of the few versions that is designed to fit these convertibles. The Alston SFC's I recommended (and sell) are designed to fit between the front sub-frame and rear sub-frame in the shortest distance possible (hence less weight added to the car). They have a formed sheet metal cup on each end that is forced onto the front sub-frame (adjacent to the transmission cross-member) and to the rear sub-frame (adjacent to the lower control arm mount). They are designed to allow the owner to either drill and bolt them in place or simply have them welded in place (or both). I recommend having them welded at a shop that has a drive-on style lift (as opposed to the type that has adjustable arms that lift just the body). You want to install them with the chassis loaded (wheels on the ground or the ramp of the drive-on lift). Research SFC here on TGO, there is a ton of information and comparisons between brands.
The Steering Brace (aka wonderbar) is a reinforcing brace that was added to the IROC's from 1985-90. When GM went from the 15" x 7" tire/rim combo to the 16" x 8" they found that the steering gear box became stressed due to the increased cornering loads and the steering gear box mount would get cracks as a result. To reduce this stress they added a bolt-on brace that mounts between the front sway bar bushings and the frame. Unfortunately they stopped installing these braces after they discontinued the IROC model. Soon after they also discontinued the part. There are many versions of steering brace on the market, including my version. My version has two advantages over the other aftermarket designs. First, it uses a third mounting bolt per side (all others use just 2 mount bolts per side). There are two advantages to this third mounting bolt. First, that third bolt ties the brace directly into the frame. All others that use just 2 bolts are bolting to a formed sheet metal bracket that is then bolted to the frame. Mine is the only one that actually bolts directly to the frame. Second, that third mounting bolt makes installation of the brace much easier. To install a steering brace, unbolt the front sway bar mount brackets, then lower the sway bar and sway bar mount brackets and bushings away from the frame. For my version only hold the brace up and you'll see a third bolt that already exists that will be used by that third mounting hold. Remove that bolt, then hold the brace in place while you install that bolt back onto the frame. No need to tighten it yet. Now lift the sway bar back up and re-install and tighten the sway bar mount brackets. All other versions require you to lift the steering brace and the sway bar up all at the same time and fumble to install the bolts. Having the steering brace already held up in place when you raise the sway bar makes the installation much easier. Not that this next comment effects you, my version of steering brace also fits both the 1982 (straight bolt pattern) and the 1983-92 (staggered bolt pattern) of the front sway bar mount brackets. Some versions of the steering brace have the center tube mounted so far forward that you are required to modify the lower radiator fan support (especially on the dual electric fan models). They often won't tell you this, but read the comments from users and you'll see what I mean. My version of brace moves the center bar back further, just as the original GM version so clearance is never an issue.
I hope this answers your questions or at least points you in a direction to search for more information on the subject.
09-26-2015, 11:03 AM
