Restoring the SSEi: F40 swap, HIDs, and a HY35 turbo.

MattStrike · Post by **MattStrike** » Wed Sep 05, 2012 12:53 am

Okay, some more pics even though I've progressed beyond this point:

How to remove a broken off bolt; weld a blob on it, use a pipe wrench, and viola'! I have a video of this process as well (for later)

And finally, the mystery question of the day, the previously mentioned wire harness that I need to identify:

MattStrike · Post by **MattStrike** » Wed Sep 05, 2012 11:56 pm

Subframe: installed!

Hockey pucks: $11
3" ID exhaust coupler (x3): $12
1" OD steel hollow stock: $6
Not shelling out $200: I'd say priceless, but it's really $171 saved.

And my new control arm, no rust holes in this one:

Tomorrow I plan to get the brake lines finished, finish painting the rims, and pull the L67 from the LeSabre. Still waiting on fuel system parts and the rear struts to arrive. And I can't find that *fook* magic tub of wires...

No takers on the wire harness mystery?

95naSTA · Post by **95naSTA** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 8:56 am

Nice solution to the subframe mounts. It looked like the subframe was too rotted out to properly use them anyway.

Where is the location of that harness? A pic of it farther away should help.

MattStrike · Post by **MattStrike** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 9:04 am

It's on the cross-car beam between the rear strut towers at the top, I'll get another picture tonight.

94SilverSSEi · Post by **94SilverSSEi** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 10:56 am

Speakers in the rear deck? Wiring for tail lights?

Maybe for the ELC pump? Or the electric antenna?

That's about all that's back there.

Oh, or the trunk light.

MattStrike · Post by **MattStrike** » Mon Sep 10, 2012 9:20 am

Got a lot done, it's on all 4 wheels again! I'll have some pics up later.

Any ideas why the new rear struts seem to be holding the rear end really high? There was a cap on the air port, is there another plug there as well?

00Beast · Post by **00Beast** » Mon Sep 10, 2012 12:51 pm

New springs too? Might just need a few cycles to settle in? Shouldn't be any sort of plug, just a dust cap.

MattStrike · Post by **MattStrike** » Mon Sep 10, 2012 1:06 pm

Original springs. Rear sits as high as the front does without an engine in it, air lines not connected yet. They seem really stiff too.

Bing · Post by **Bing** » Mon Sep 10, 2012 5:04 pm

I'm gonna say that the wires are for the speakers and the trunk light.

MattStrike · Post by **MattStrike** » Mon Sep 10, 2012 10:00 pm

I know, I didn't mask off the tires that were mounted to the rims. But they are junk tires, IMO, and the Michelin's from the LeSabre are going to be put on this car once I get it on the road. You can also see what I mean about the rear end sitting high:

Sadly, I had to cut up the LeSabre. In the process, I've discovered that It will need a lot of it's own rust restoration as well. It is light-years ahead of the SSEi, but if I don't fix it now it's pointless to restore it.

It's funny how the rack broke off the pinion gear, I thought that the designed failure mode was the intermediate shaft.

I have a driver's side headlamp and side marker, but didn't have time to install them. I mis-counted the 'needed' compression unions for the brake lines, and am one line short of finishing brakes. I can't fix the headers, the flanges are warped and the flex tube is crushed; I just don't have the tools needed.

It's getting there!

MattStrike · Post by **MattStrike** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 12:58 pm

A few more questions while I'm thinking about it; The passenger side wire harness for the headlight, side marker, and fog lamp has another connector on it, IIRC it's a 2 pin or a 3 pin connector. I can't seem to find what it connects to, but that harness goes out the fenderwell, under the battery tray and where it splits for the lights is where this additional connector is at. The drivers side doesn't have this connector.

Also, does anybody know how to fix cracks, splits, and other scars on the plastic fenders and bumper covers? The SSEi has a few fender cracks and the rear bumper cover was also cracked. The SE has the mounts for the side markers broke out entirely.

I was thinking that using a harder polyurethane adhesive with a aluminum ribbing behind the crack would work on the SSEi, and making some aluminum brackets for the SE and using the same adhesive to attach them to the fender. Is there another material though that can fill in the voids in the crack to make the surface smooth again? In some areas there are gaps due to the edges of the cracks chipping off, and the bumper cover on the SSEi is actually missing a few smaller pieces where it cracked.

95naSTA · Post by **95naSTA** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 3:25 pm

MattStrike wrote:A few more questions while I'm thinking about it; The passenger side wire harness for the headlight, side marker, and fog lamp has another connector on it, IIRC it's a 2 pin or a 3 pin connector. I can't seem to find what it connects to, but that harness goes out the fenderwell, under the battery tray and where it splits for the lights is where this additional connector is at. The drivers side doesn't have this connector.

I want to say this is for the horn on that side.

MattStrike wrote:Also, does anybody know how to fix cracks, splits, and other scars on the plastic fenders and bumper covers? The SSEi has a few fender cracks and the rear bumper cover was also cracked. The SE has the mounts for the side markers broke out entirely.

Look up some videos on plastic welding. It's more or less using a soldering iron with with right temperature and a flat tip to bond parts back together again with extra material.

Zeik75 · Post by **Zeik75** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 4:34 pm

what about the washer fluid pump for the extra wire?

MattStrike · Post by **MattStrike** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 6:44 pm

Zeik75 wrote:what about the washer fluid pump for the extra wire?

Washer fluid is on the drivers side. I also thought it might be the coolant level sensor?

Thanks for the tip on plastic welding. Are these panels Polypropylene or ABS? I didn't find a material code or stamp on them anywhere.

95naSTA · Post by **95naSTA** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 10:18 pm

Honestly I'm not sure.

Actual plastic welding kits instruct to find the type of material via it's melting point. The welding iron dials have material settings instead of temp. In light of this, you might be able to narrow it down between the two via the melting point.

00Beast · Post by **00Beast** » Wed Sep 12, 2012 12:45 am

Take a chunk of the other fenders to patch it back up. That way you know you're using precisely the same material.

MattStrike · Post by **MattStrike** » Sun Sep 16, 2012 12:42 am

I got the engine mostly installed today. I need a different motor mount, and a few other small things. I found that the MAP sensor and guage sensor were both broken during the accident. Because the R-12 system in the SSEi works (it doesn't have any labels saying if it was recharged with R-134a, but that's my guess) I'll be able to use the LG3 modified set of headers I made last year for now. I've got the brakes all set to go, and need to finish the air lines for the rear struts. Oh, and I'm on my next coolant elbow already... This one is getting reinforced to make it maintain it's shape.

Tomorrow should be a good day for another junkyard run.

ga93sle · Post by **ga93sle** » Sun Sep 16, 2012 1:03 am

I've seen guys use a heat gun to fix bumper covers. I've never tried it myself, and imagine it may be testing if you've never done it before, but I've seen some magic done...

00Beast · Post by **00Beast** » Sun Sep 16, 2012 4:56 pm

Just get the Aluminum elbow....

SSEiMan01 · Post by **SSEiMan01** » Sun Sep 16, 2012 5:04 pm

PontiacBonnevilleClub.com

PontiacBonnevilleClub.com

Restoring the SSEi: F40 swap, HIDs, and a HY35 turbo.

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