I suspect the thermostat might be incorrect or not working correctly, might be operating a bit low. How high up on the gauge should the needle sit?

I have a 160F thermostat and the needle sits about 1/3 on the temp gauge. The fan on/off temps have been lowered in the PCM to match the 160F T-stat.

I'm wondering if your hard wired fan has more to do with the engine temp than the T-stat.

 

There's a guy named tommy gosselin that parts out cars in canada (quebec area), I've seen him list some before, may be a good chance he still has one. If you got facebook then you'll find him in the toronto area impala ss group

Would expect to pay a premium though

 

Prepare to find more problems along the way.

 

After 25 years of owning and driving old cars, I know that is how it works. That's part of the fun. The day nothing is left to fix, restore or improve, it would be boring.

 

Yesterday was the time for the inspection at the Norwegian version of the DMV, as the car came from Sweden. Basically just a check of paperwork and VIN to put it into the Norwegian registry, so it rarely causes any problems. Regular safety and enviromment inspection is every 2 years here, and first time is due one year after import.

Had plenty of time to check out the underside of the car as well, and not big surprises. However, a real need for a deep cleaning. Winter driving messes up things with dirt and grime. Luckily no body rust, just surface rust on various parts, which is easy to fix/freshen up.

Had a closer look at the engine oil leak I knew about, and also see an ATF leak I am pretty sure comes from the front oil seal. Also saw that the rear axle front oil seal needs replacement, and one rear shock absorber was leaking.

 

Not too much happened lately in between lots of working and at the same time being a part-time student, but I have ordered lots and lots of parts!

Basically:

• Radiator fans (electric, stock replacement) to replace the aftermarket hack job that is there now.
• Shocks (Bilstein HD)
• Various oil seals and gaskets for engine, transmission, rear axle
• Transmission shift kit (while I have things apart anyway..)
• Distributor cap, spark plugs, spark plug cables
• Radiator, AC condenser, AC compressor
• Body mounts
• Stabilizer bar bushings/links

Have decided to pull the engine and transmission to get access to everything I need to go through and at the same time be able to clean up 30 years of grime and winter from the engine bay + a repaint of the engine and engine bay. (factory colors, of course)

When I get a little ahead instead of behind on my master's thesis, I will dedicate some spare time to starting working on the car.

 

AC condenser, AC compressor

I think you should get the line set too. The check valves on the High and Low fill ports are upgraded. OEM has a plastic ball check that leaks, the new lines have a schrader valve on the ports.

It is also debatable to replace the evaporator. If you pull the carpet back, It's not that difficult to access.

You may be aware of this already, you'll need to add PAG150 oil to each component. Not sure how available that is for you? In total, the system uses about 8oz. I spilled some during filling, so I would recommend getting a larger than 8oz bottle.

 

Do not replace the AC lines unless you need to. The high side port assembly is replaceable, separate from the lines; just use adjustable pliers to unscrew it and replace it.

 

Finally got around to doing something after a long time of storage and busy days. Had some really nice weather here, so I wanted to be outside and not working under the car on a lift. Decided to restore the factory wiring to the taillight after someone messed with it due to European light conversion with amber turn signals, which are no longer required here - the stock setup is OK for US-market imports. And yes, the trunk is full of other new parts for the car.

Decided to do the rear first. Not much else to do than to solder back together cut wires, really. Did a real cleaning of the area as well, it was really filthy in the taillight cavity. Also needed to solder back together the white wire from the brake pedal switch, as this was used to power brake lights directly in the old setup when the reverse lights were used as turn signals.

Done, put in new bulbs, all good except finding that reverse (back-up) lights did not work. No action on the wire coming to the taillights, so will have to check further ahead, the switch on the tranmission. Seems to share a fuse with some other lights that work.

Will have to make a harness with a few diodes etc. for the trailer light socket, as all European trailers have turn signals separate from brake light, and need the diodes to avoid backfeeding the wrong circuit with a trailer connected.

The front will be done the next time I work on the car. It's a bigger project as I also plan on relay wiring the low and high beams to avoid the current draw through the light switch. A lot has been messed with - the side markers are only working as turn signals, the cornering lights are only working as parking lights, the turn signals have the parking light function disabled. Lots to fix.

 

Got around to get the super old tint off the rear side windows and rear window. I like tint, but this was turning opaque and purple at the same time, so had to go. Side windows went easy, but the rear window, even in the sun on a hot day, was a hassle and had to be done piece by piece not to damage the heating wires (not that I ever use them, though).

After getting the old stuff off and using a citrus based cleaner to take the remaining glue, it now looks much better. When the rest of the car is OK, I will look into having a tint shop put on something new. Here you're not allowed any tint in front of the B-pillar, so have to decide on something for rear sides and back window that will look good, not too dark.

Also got around to get some clearcoat dust from the repaint off the glass with a scraper, and will use clay to do the same with the painted surfaces when I have the time on an overcast day.

Also debating whether to lift the body off the frame this fall to have a project through the winter - anyway need to pull the engine and trans, anyway need to do body bushings, and the car has been winter driven so it would be nice to freshen up the frame.