Car-related information
This site hosts various information about cars that I see fit to post on the Internet.
Most of the information here relates to the “A-body” series of cars from General Motors because
that's what I've spent the most time working on.
As of 8 August 2008, I no longer own an A-body (I sold it). The next day, I sold
my K-car Chrysler LeBaron convertible. I do miss both cars. You might ask, “why does this guy like these 1980s
jalopies so much?” Indeed, those cars offer little refinement compared to cars of the present day, and their
designs are not as expressive as cars of the more distant past. But they were in fact very good cars, and
nicer specimens (that is, not the stripped-down models, which constitute the bulk of production even to this day)
are worth preserving.
My current fleet is just three vehicles—a 2005 Buick Park Avenue, a 1998 Dodge B1500 cargo van, and a 1984 Peugeot
505 turbodiesel sedan. The Park Avenue
is a special car—it is one of the 176 “Special Edition” models that were produced to celebrate the
final production of those cars. Someday I'll probably update this site with information about those vehicles, as well as
anything else I feel like including. Unfortunately, keeping this site updated is a pretty low priority
right now.
General information
GM A-body information
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PCM information —PCM tuning of the 1994-1995 L82 3.1
l "3100" V6 in A-body applications (PCM 16196387).
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Stabilizer bar—I installed an Addco rear stabilizer bar.
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Replacement wheel hub/bearing assembly—An ABS trouble code 32 or 33 generally indicates that a front hub/bearing assembly needs to be replaced.
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Disc brakes on a 1994-1996 A-body with ABS IV—An idea currently being looked into.
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Replacement valve cover—Following the advice of a TSB, I replaced the valve cover to stop an oil leak.
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Seatbelt anchor safety recall—Recall 96C01 applies to 1989-1995 A-bodies with improperly designed rear seatbelt anchors.
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Additional switches for the cargo area—I added some switches in the cargo area to control the dome light and the tailgate release.
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Replacement defroster grille—Step-by-step description of the replacement of a defroster grille in the Buick.
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A very strange A-body—In Mexico, you can find Chevrolet Cutlass Eurosports, which are basically the same as Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera XC Special Editions. But they were available for a few years after XCs were no longer available in the US. Further, coupes were available in Mexico after GM discontinued them in the US.
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Springs—Aftermarket replacement coil springs available for X-, A-, and U-body cars and vans.
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Windshield washer—A simple page describing the windshield washer tank in 1994-1996 A-bodies
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Overload shocks—The new heavy-duty shock absorbers I installed. After 18 months of use, I removed these shocks because of noise.
Chrysler K-body information
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Springs—K-cars frequently have sagging rear springs. This guide may help you select replacements.
Miscellaneous
Stuart Schmitt
