Joined
·
500 Posts
This one is a test fire after the headers and entire exhaust system were installed.
Clear Image Automotive catback system on Fleetwood
41 - 52 of 52 Posts
Joined
·
500 Posts
And finally a quick road test on a country road just outside of town. Windows were down, just pulled through 1st gear since at WOT and with the 2.56 gears out back, that's good to 55mph anyways. And if acceleration seems slow, again it has 2.56s in the rear, it was uphill, I'm overweight, someone could have hidden a few hundred pounds of weight in the trunk without my knowledge, I had the dog with me so I had to take it easy... excuses anyone? Nah, it's actually a lot happier with a free flowing exhaust, the car just seems peppier, more willing to get up and go now. Definitely satisfied with the results.
Nice work and a lot of effort -- thanks for pics. You're right the pipe is quite close to the airshock. When you ditch them for real shocks then you'll need Airlift coil bags - -- and THEN you'll be hoping you got the pipes as far away from the coils as possible. Be sure to use the heatshields that come with the bags.
All those clamps are nifty. But aside from using them just at the mufflers for changeout options later I'd think welding everything up when finally adjusted would be preferable.
All those clamps are nifty. But aside from using them just at the mufflers for changeout options later I'd think welding everything up when finally adjusted would be preferable.
Joined
·
500 Posts
Yeah, while I still haven't made up my mind what I want to do with the suspension, in the interest of not spending stupid amounts of money my initial plan so far is Bilsteins, the air bags that you mentioned that go inside the springs and maybe just keep the FE1 springs for now. From what I've read that seems to be a fairly decent combo and will only cost me a few hundred bucks or so. Long term I've got some ideas but nothing concrete yet.
So far the clamps have worked well, no leaks and with one exception nothing has shifted or come loose. There is one that has caused issue, the bend right after one of the mufflers doesn't like to stay put but it's such a tight bend the clamp can't grab onto it very well. Eventually it works a little loose, the muffler rotates a bit and I get a vibration from something under there. It's simple to fix but shouldn't be needed. I think if I pull that bend out from the muffler a little bit so the clamp can grab a straight section of pipe instead of the bend it'll cure it.
The other thought I had was anywhere that I'm not likely to take anything apart I could still use the clamps, but have it secured with a couple spot welds, that way if the need arises I can still take it apart later by breaking the spot weld. I still have a number of projects on the car that will be easier if I can drop out sections of the exhaust, so until I'm completely done modding the car (does anyone ever actually finish a car like this?) then I can have the exhaust fully welded.
This More Pertains To Suspension
Some guys report one of the two types of KYB, and also Monroe 'Severe Duty'? serve nearly as well as Bilsteins but less costly. For my last FWB I chose oem SS coils (called FE3?), SS bars and (mandatory) aftermarket LCAs with Bilsteins and Airlift bags . With rear disc brakes it was an exceptionally satisfying 140,000 miles, and would have been voted the best set up Cady at the autocross. For its replacement I've elected to replicate everything yet retain the softer springs. The result is more "smoothality" but notably less vague "floatiness" as stock. The very first thing I recommend is getting legitimate shocks back there, followed up quickly with all the rest.
Some guys report one of the two types of KYB, and also Monroe 'Severe Duty'? serve nearly as well as Bilsteins but less costly. For my last FWB I chose oem SS coils (called FE3?), SS bars and (mandatory) aftermarket LCAs with Bilsteins and Airlift bags . With rear disc brakes it was an exceptionally satisfying 140,000 miles, and would have been voted the best set up Cady at the autocross. For its replacement I've elected to replicate everything yet retain the softer springs. The result is more "smoothality" but notably less vague "floatiness" as stock. The very first thing I recommend is getting legitimate shocks back there, followed up quickly with all the rest.
Sounds great and susp info
Hey I just installed a Impala SS disk brake rear end in my Fleetwood, with a Eaton posi and 373 gears, new boxed upper and lower control arms, hotchkis rear sway bar, Bilstein rear shocks, new ACDelco 45H3011 rear springs and air bags in them. I have 1.5 spring perch spacers also, but the rake was huge and unless it sags down some, I going to remove the spring spacers.
I lost the ABS and traction control, but I dont like ABS on these older cars.
Ill take some pics this week, this car is just a fun/cheap project Fleetwood build and not on the road. Everything is dropped in, I just need a day to hook it all back up.
Hey I just installed a Impala SS disk brake rear end in my Fleetwood, with a Eaton posi and 373 gears, new boxed upper and lower control arms, hotchkis rear sway bar, Bilstein rear shocks, new ACDelco 45H3011 rear springs and air bags in them. I have 1.5 spring perch spacers also, but the rake was huge and unless it sags down some, I going to remove the spring spacers.
I lost the ABS and traction control, but I dont like ABS on these older cars.
Ill take some pics this week, this car is just a fun/cheap project Fleetwood build and not on the road. Everything is dropped in, I just need a day to hook it all back up.
Joined
·
500 Posts
Sounds pretty similar to what I'm planning. I've been in contact with Navy Lifer a couple times on his disc brake kit, eventually I'll get that ordered. And I also plan to do 3.73 gears with an Eaton posi, unfortunately what I found out was the base model Fleetwoods (not the Broughams) only came with 2.56 gears, and that's where it splits from a series 2 to a series 3 carrier. The only way I could go to a numerically higher gear set was to get an entire rear axle from a Brougham Fleetwood out of a salvage yard, which I did almost a year ago and the stupid thing is still sitting in my garage untouched. It's a long story, but I will eventually save up money to finish that upgrade, but for the moment it's still on the back burner. At any rate, I enjoy the car and if I can continue doing one or two big mods/upgrades per year, I'll have the car built up the way I want it in a few years or so, or more, or never, there's always one more thing to do before it's truly done. :wink2:
I'm not Kent's business agent by any stretch, but I hear-tell he's right straight at dialing in rears. You know Iowa's nearly a suburb of St. Louis and he's been known to commute way further. Jus' sayin'
Joined
·
500 Posts
That's good to know, I'll keep that in my back pocket should I need it. I've been looking around to see if anyone local is known to be good with them, but haven't really found anything that impresses me yet.
Joined
·
500 Posts
I'm a good couple hundred miles away, not familiar with Knoxville, never heard of it before actually. I'm not hard to track down if you're clever and good at internet research, but I don't like to advertise where I live, I'll PM you though. I am fairly close to a famous movie site. :wink2:
Joined
·
500 Posts
Came across a guy asking for video or sound clips of the clear image exhaust system on one of the facebook impala pages that I follow and I responded with the clips of mine that I had put onto my thread where I documented the install onto my Fleetwood. I answered a few other questions and one guy noted that he thought the mufflers were spintechs (which they are) and I noted that I had opted for a quieter version of them. That triggered my memory that I never did truly figure out what the difference is in the sportsman xl that's standard with Dan's kit, and the sportsman xlp that I opted for. Turns out it's not additional baffling, it is packed with a sound deadening material. In this case though they're using stainless steel wool, so I suspect that shouldn't ever breakdown or at least would take a long dang time before it ever would. But now we know in case anyone ever wanted to know.
https://spintechmufflers.com/3000xlp-sportsman-plus/
41 - 52 of 52 Posts
Join the discussion
