When converting a regular Regal....

[RATROASTER]

What are some key items that should be changed other than the most obvious, the motor?

 

[49-blues]

Do a search-many articles on this.

 

[TurboDave]

Motor, Transmission, Drive shaft, Rear axle, Radiator (most likely), underhood wiring harnesses......

 

[RATROASTER]

Motor, Transmission, Drive shaft, Rear axle, Radiator (most likely), underhood wiring harnesses......

I've got all the hardware needed. I've got a salvage car. I'm concerned about the wiring primarily. Thanks for the polite reply....

 

[Squid4life]

Electrical-wise I think it was underhood harness as well as under dash harness. Hopefully someone like Quick6nKC will chime in, he has done it at least once. :biggrin:

 

[RATROASTER]

I've got everything I need, just curious on the extent of things that need changed out, like fuse box, and electrics back to the fuel tank, and so on.

 

[turbojustin]

If you've got a parts car, then change everything you can...within reason. I've done this swap and it's not too bad, but I changed everything I could unbolt, unscrew, unhook, etc. just to be sure it was right. As far as wiring, I THINK you can get away with leaving the dash harness in place, but since you've got a turbo dash harness you might as well swap it out. That's what I did. The only wiring I changed was the dash harness and engine harness. I've got my fuel pump hotwired and on a toggle switch so I didn't use the factory wiring for that. Let me know if you have any more specific questions.

 

[Dwayne]

I've also done this and left the under dash harness alone....pain in the ass to pull the dash pad.....got rid of the factory fuel likes and ran all new AN braided hose for the supply and return.....good luck

 

[turbodave231]

Fuel and Return lines. You can buy a complete set of replacement lines from Inline tube. You just about have to pull the body off the frame to install them. PITA

 

[Squid4life]

Fuel and Return lines. You can buy a complete set of replacement lines from Inline tube. You just about have to pull the body off the frame to install them. PITA

Not too hard to do. Great time to do poly body bushings! :biggrin:

 

[RATROASTER]

Thanks for the advice! In the wrecked T-type I've got a digital dash that I will probably swap over to the conversion car. The T-type was from Cali, so the fuel lines are perfect and will swap over nicely. The T-type took a heavy blow to front end courtesy of a ditzy woman driver blowing a stop sing. I was lucky to make it out of it alive. Needless to say I'm missing a few aesthetic T-type parts and I'm working on tearing down my motor at the moment to see if I have any damage.

 

[RATROASTER]

Here's a pic of the conversion car. I've already changed out the front swaybar, slapped my turbines on, changed out the stock body bushings, changed over to a manual steering box, added a 3-core rad from a 78 Monte and put her on a diet. I cut out the center sections of the front and back inner bumpers, and removed all those stupid little body shims and some of the other useless metal that we find underneath the hoods of these cars. For the most part I'm setting up the chasis while I determine how I will build my motor. I'll have my 8.5" rear and drive shaft in next weekend. I picked up a stock intercooler, but boy would I like a front mount. Right now I'm lacking an oil coiler, tranny coiler, an electric fan, and that goofy little fan on the harmonic balancer. I lost all the electric fan relays in the wreck, so if there is a good fan to upgrade to, now's the time. The tranny cooler is a must, but I'm curious how important it is to run an oil cooler and how important is that fan behind the intercooler? I'm also going to remove the AC/heater box and replace it with a non AC box. The conversion car is already heavily optioned and in very good condition coming from Virgina, so this is my big opportunity to build a Turbo Regal from the ground up the way I want it. Aesthetically I just need a hood, just the front spoiler (since Limited's had no rear spoiler) and some badges. Its unfortunate what happed to my T, but I guess this is my opportunity in life to build a kick butt car. I think if I can get this car to run low twelves - high elevens, I might forget about the T alot quicker....

 

[RATROASTER]

Here's a cool pic of the conversion car while I was changing out body bushings. I used the hinge method, this is obviously when I was changing out the front bushings..... :biggrin:

 

[Quick6'n'-K.C.]

Just run a new feed line from the tank and use the factory NA line as the return.
Taking the dash out and swapping harnesses out is only a 2 hour job, pull the screws for the fuse block, unhook the ecm wires, pull the speaker grill and those screws.

When i did my 87 na car to a turbo car, i was able to swap in the 8.5 rear and use the na drive shaft and keep the car on the road till i could do the motor and trans swap. Then i did the dash harness swap and the na motor still ran with the turbo harness. The only thing that didnt work was the turbo dash gauge :wink: thats cause it was still NA..

Keep the NA rear tail light harness, it wont matter because you are going to hot wire the fuel pump anyway.

Is that wrecked car a limited?
Unless the firewall is damaged, it looks like it could be repaired with a new frame????
BW

 

[RATROASTER]

The car was a limited, not to say that it can't be repaired, but the motor was into the firewall and the roof crinkled from the body being distorted. I fought with the insurance company for a month, but ended up R-titling the car to get the $$$ that I deserved. Maybe in the future an R-titled T might be worth the money to rebuild with the values rising, just not the most economical to repair at the moment......I'll keep my eyes open for a #'s matching Limited and do my swap and end up with two turbo regals.

 

[Brer Rabbit]

Im almost done with mine also...

If the car ur building was a V8 car like mine was, u will need to change or cut the front springs to get a desired ride height. I havent done that yet and the car is sitting way too high, even though the radiator and FM intercooler isnt installed, but that wont bring it down at all. Fuel lines were mentioned but I would suggest that you use the stock feed line as ur new return and run a -8 line from the tank as ur fuel supply. Good luck.

 

[Squid4life]

Nice clean cars, sorry to see the damage. Looks pretty nasty, glad to see you are alright.

 

[CHANCE]

man after looking at those pics i hope you take her for the complete amount to do you kick butt car maybe after she builds you a car shell pay more attention next time

 

[wagon]

If the new body was a 3.8 carb'd car, then you will probably need to change the throttle cable. To be correct, you will want to change the heater box, and I don't think that can be done without removing the dash, so you might as well swap the dash and harness. You are going to need the bundle of wires that plugs into the side of the fuse box and runs to the taillight wiring harness, and you will need the taillight wiring harness too. If you run a hot wire kit, then you won't need this, as long as your hot wire kit is switched on at the priming wire under the hood. If it is switched on by the FP wire in the back, then you will have to switch them out. If you do decide to keep the harness and taillight harnesses, just make sure the wiring matches. I had to move some of the wires around when I put it in my 82. I think it was only because the 82 didn't have the 3rd brake light, but double check anyways.

 

[RATROASTER]

Alright thanks, the na car was a 3.8. Correct me if I'm wrong I'll need to swap the throttle cable, fuel lines, and the taillight wiring harness. The harness underneath the dash will work. I'm glad I saved everything down to every little bolt! I noticed that the T-type had a heat shield on the AC box, but I plan to pick up a non-Ac unit so it will come out anyhow. I'm pretty no-holds-barred when it come to tearing stuff apart. Here's a few more pics of my manual steering box and oddly enough the front swaybar that was unharmed.