1995 Fleetwood Brougham "The Grey Ghost"

[kudims]

Hello, everyone.

Disclaimer:

I do fully understand that 99% of you do not consider Fleetwood Broughams of 1993-1996 as something worth restoring or even detailing, but the truth is that in Russia, the country or my origin, any american car is at the same level of rareness, as cars from Russia here in United States.


With this in mind, here is the story of the frame-off detailing (as this was not the complete restoration) of the very good car, and now I can proudly say that it is the best Fleetwood Brougham of the '93-'96 era in Russia now.

First, I will share with you the exterior and interior pictures of what I had at the starting point.



From outside the car was looking great















These strips are usually totally worn

So, it all meant that the car could be brought to the state "just yesterday from the production line"

However, underneath the car, there were things that could be significantly improved...



Someone would say that it's ok. But no, I decided to make it new













Nothing serious, but not perfect



















This project already finished, and I will post each day some portion of the material as it was done chronologically. The idea is the same as I currently do with my 1953 Fleetwood. First - you "teach" the car to drive well (you fix all the mechanical bugs), and then you do all the cosmetics. It took me 1 year to fix all the technical problems (of course, I was not spending with this car 24/7). Also, during this time I was getting prepared for the frame-off, purchasing all the necessary parts, which are hard to find on these cars.

After that, in just 3 months, I did the complete frame-off and re-assembled the car.

I hope you will enjoy this technical & esthetic journey.

[kudims]

Delco Remy series CS-144

It had to be fixed and you will see why...



New rebuilt kit



New rear needle bearing



Halfs after strong pH chemistry





And this is the main problem. Dead diodes



This guy also left the chat



New part





Installed









At work



New hood gas springs



Installed. Now the hood will not drop on your neck



Meanwhile, garage photo with my lovely 2004 Escalade ESV

New turn signal switch

This is also one of the weak parts in this car. You might spend time fixing it, but the best way is to replace it with the new part, if you manage to find one...



Airbag fuse goes off



And horn as well



Disconnect airbag wiring



Use T30 to unscrew the center button on the steering wheel



Here we go



Steering wheel remover



Take this lock ring off



And take the whole plate off





Take the horn contact plate off



Unscrew all those guys shown by arrows



Then take the lower shield off



This wiring channel needs to be removed as shown by the red line



And then you are ready to gently pull all the wiring off the steering column



Yes, it is tricky... but believe me - it is possible, and it will save a huge amount of time and nerves



New part



Unpacking...



Put everything back together



Take the new stick



And click it..



This is how spring-loaded plate goes into its place

And some new parts for the future...



New front shocks - the best for the Fleetwood 93-96



New transmission oil pan



New coat for the battery



New decals



New smog pump



NOS trim





New spears



New guards





New OptiSpark



This costs a lot





Mitsubishi sensor on OptiSpark



Rear air shocks connectors and fittings - brass, not plastic!



New body mount bolts



New motor mount



New oil cooler lines





New steering dampener



New rear shocks



NOS AFM



NOS left header





Rear lenses



New cigarette lighters





New ashtrays



New flexplate



With new bolts...



NOS right header

[Roger Zimmermann]

Impressive...Did you buy the NOS parts because you had a chance to get them or by necessity?

[kudims]

It was both. For these late GM vehicles only OEM parts work correctly. And if you want to make the car perform and look like new, there is the only way. Chrome and stainless trim was the toughest to find. A lot of plastic parts were chrome plated, and chrome peels, and you can do nothing rather than buy new

[James Landi]

Thanks for posting.  It's an impressive auto.  What is its history? How many miles on the odometer? You selected to install some parts that rarely age... the flex plate comes to mind... was the original cracked? What were the mechanical issues that you initially faced?  As you mentioned, many of the plastic trim pieces don't weather well... where are you sourcing them?   Looking forward to knowing more about your beautiful car.  James

[kudims]

Thanks for posting.  It's an impressive auto.  What is its history? How many miles on the odometer? You selected to install some parts that rarely age... the flex plate comes to mind... was the original cracked? What were the mechanical issues that you initially faced?  As you mentioned, many of the plastic trim pieces don't weather well... where are you sourcing them?   Looking forward to knowing more about your beautiful car.  James

James, thanks for asking.

The story is not as amazing as for my 1953 Fleetwood, but still what I have:
The car was sold in US. Then it was in an accident in 1996 with 10K miles on odometer. Salvage title. The Insurance company has fixed the car and sold it from the auction to United Arab Emirates. In early 1998 the car came to Russia. It was very well maintained and it served as a car for one bank executives. Then it was purchased by the Cadillac enthusiast (I am still with him in good relationship). In 2009 it was sold to one guy from the small city on the Black Sea shore. The car spent most time in the garage, but due to non-qualified service and maintenance, many things stopped working, and also that guy made several "modifications", which he thought would make the car better. No. They did not. In 2020 I purcahsed this car with the plan to restore it to its initial glory. In 2022 we were relocating to US, and I had to sell the car. Now it is in Sochi at the Black Sea (where the winter 2014 Olympiad was held).

Issues there were many of them
- Alternator
- Central Control Module
- Radio and all connections
- Many electrical problems
- Some engine problems, not serious, but still
- Worn suspension
- Propeller shaft vibration
- Rear axle noise
- Many interior and exterior problems

[kudims]

Some additional NOS parts and then we will continue...



Some new trim



This was really hard to find NOS, and it had an impressive price



More fender spears



New original windshield





NOS emblems



NOS headlamps





NOS grille





NOS turn signal and corner lamps



New exhaust from catalytic converters to tailpipes











.... and many many more

[kudims]

How to make the car flashing with high beam instead of low beam

There is a bug in 93-95 Fleetwoods that it flashes with low beams once you pull dimmer switch.
I had to fix it.



First you disconnect this connector on the steering column



And then you interchange two terminals



Here they are.
This is 10-minute job, but the effect is huge.

[kudims]

VATS disable

The anti-theft system, which is installed on these cars, "makes brains" only for the car owner (sooner or later), but    not for those, who want to theft the car.

Thus, the only proper way to get rid of this problem is to completely remove the system. Here is how you do it correctly.



Everybody knows that there is a resistor on a key, and each CCM is programmed to a special Ohm reading. There is a discrete number of combinations. Each CCM is programmed automatically once the FIRST time the key is inserted into ignition. Usually, it happens on a production line.



Here are some troubleshooting tips from the factory manual.



You can really go mad reading this



But my goal is to omit all this



I am giving you these photos just to understand how terrible the system is



First, you disconnect the terminals at the steering column, and put the correct resistor instead of key reader. Now there will be no problem with dirty or oxidized contacts...



Click all this into connector



and secure it under the steering column



Next, we need to remove the starter relay, which can be disabled by the PCM if the Ohm reading is not correct. Also, this relay is located under the dash, so in case of it's failure you can't crank the engine, but at the same time you will need to remove dash in order to fix the problem. Do you want such an exercise? I hope that no.



PCM also disables the fuel supply



These are the "problem terminals" at the CCM unit...



I removed the dash, took the relay, and connected the terminals "forever and ever"



Next, you take the TunerPro software, load the bin file that you've read previously by the EEHack software, and make changes. You disable the VATs check in PCM. So, it particularly means that the PCM will not check the Ohm reading at all, but at the same time, all the dash lamps will behave as if the system works and works correctly, which is important.

Finally, you upload the new bin file using EEHack, and enjoy your new life without this crazy system.


 

[kudims]

Propeller shaft vibration fix

There was a vibration at 60+ MPH coming from the rear end. This could cause by either wheels, axle shafts, or propeller shaft. The only way to know it is to go step by step in this process, and check each single node.



First I start with universal joints, which were not as smooth as they have to be



Process of replacement



I used these ones, and recommend it for everybody



Done

This did not help.



Then I replaced the rear drums to a new ones from Raybestos, it also did not help. But at least the short list of possible issues became shorter.



Then I have straighten rims. They had some imperfections.



Of course, I replaced the new, but old cracked tires







On new tires

This did not help as well. Good. we are on the way!



Here is the fast device to measure the axle runout



As now all rims are good, then we can detect, if the axles are bended. No, they were good.



Ok. Then I measure the propeller shaft runout



Then, using a chalk and a procedure for the self-balancing of the propeller shaft on a car, I have managed to detect the real issue: with these weights all the vibrations disappeared...



This is how I tightened weights



Problems were both in the front and rear ends of propeller shaft

Then I went to the propeller shaft balancing shop in order to do all this on a professional setup.
It's good that I had a spare yoke, because without it the shaft can't be secured on balancing machine





Original label



Here are new weights in the front



... and in the rear

But even this was not the end, as propeller shaft should be properly installed on a car so that the universal joints angles are within the specs.



First, you need to adjust the lever on the rear end height gauge in order to bring the car to the exactly correct suspension level



After that you need to adjust front and rear angles...



I have cut the wooden piece of the correct length, because with a measuring tape it's impossible to catch the desired level



Lever adjustment



This metal plate is held by a strong magnet, and this parallel to the pinion shaft



This plate on the front universal joint bearing cap will show the transmission shaft angle



Then I refer to the more accurate table from the Manual



The angles in propeller shaft joints should be like it is shown on a scheme



I used an app on my smartphone to measure these angles between transmission and propeller shaft, and between propeller shaft and a pinion shaft



This is another angle. These are final measurements after I have added 1/2" of shims under the transmission mount So, the problem was both in non-balanced shaft, and wrong joint angles.



All measurements and adjustments must be done with car weight at rear axle. So, you jack it under differential, but not under the frame



Correct level with wheels off the ground.

[James Landi]

Impressive mechanical engineering and diagnoses.   Did you conclude that the car, as originally produced, had out of balance drive train or were there factors, such as age and wear that cause problems?    James 

[kudims]

Impressive mechanical engineering and diagnoses.   Did you conclude that the car, as originally produced, had out of balance drive train or were there factors, such as age and wear that cause problems?    James 

Seems that the propeller shaft was not balanced well from the factory. I have experienced it on my Escalade as well.
The wrong angles are due to motor mounts and transmission mount age

[kudims]

Ok.
Let me skip describing of how I have fixed other issues, which are less interesting in terms of overall impact, and turn to the "main course".



Everything started spontaneously, when I decided to fix the EVAP system, which was not working correctly. The adsorber is located between the front right wheel and the bumper.



Dirty, but nothing critical here



But the bottom of the canister was "removed" long time ago in order to help breathing )))



The bracket is total mess



All hoses and tubes needed to be replaced with the new ones



A lot of coal...



New canister



Then I understood that I need to fix the front splash shields (which are made of the shit plastics). These shields are impossible to find new



Then I took a bender to make new stainless tubes for the EVAP system



Looks good



But then I understood that I want to fix broken bolts and studs on exhaust





Here we see metric studs instead of imperial bolts....



No, this must be fixed anyway



Then I decided to take off all the exhaust



Because many bolts and nuts were not correct



Heat shields



But when you see this, you understand that you will not want to put it back on a car as is.





After all stuff from the bottom of the body was removed, I saw many things that were hidden before...







This is a surface rust, but it has to be fixed



Frame was painted over rust by previous owners



Meanwhile, NOS engine mount (now I have both of them). Rare find



New fuel filter



Front splash shields were fixed and coated with Line-X (or Raptor). Now they will not crack









Tank on the floor, ready for further disassembly



I decided to keep original converters, so preparing them for the sandblasting



The process...





All brake lines will go to junk



Rare view



One of the axles was "restored". Welding + grinding. But this is how it should not be done due to the requirement of high strength of this neck contacting with a needles on bearing



Fuel suction mesh was broken long time ago



All these buckets will go to zinc-plating



Everything that can be saved - will be saved



This guy will go to sandblasting too.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

The vehicle must have had a hard life with the axle needing rebuilding?   I have seen GM 12 Bolt Axles get compromised axles where the roller bearings attack the surface, but those cars were from the '60's.

Bruce.

[kudims]

The vehicle must have had a hard life with the axle needing rebuilding?   I have seen GM 12 Bolt Axles get compromised axles where the roller bearings attack the surface, but those cars were from the '60's.

Bruce.

My guess is that someone was enjoying regular burnouts with low level of hypoid oil, because in the future posts I will show what happened to the backlash between pinion and gear

[kudims]

The body is still on a frame, but meanwhile, some parts have returned from the plating shop



First, I decided to keep original catalytic converters, as they are in an excellent shape and both have AC marking



They need a hi-temp coat





A box with different hardware after zinc



Heat shields in yellow zinc



White zinc





Stainless EGR tube after electrochemical buffing



Some stuff after chemical blackening



I was surprised that there was a Cadillac script on one of the shields



Fuel tank straps in yellow zinc



This is a high temp coat for exhaust



I decided to paint all the new exhaust pipes as well, as they are made of aluminized steel, but not stainless





This all will be wrapped and put on a shelf until it's time



Rear suspension bolts





Anti-vibration dampeners



Shift lever



It should look nice





Some engine hardware and parking brake balancer



EVAP canister bracket after zinc



Rear suspension level gauge



Header bolts, however, I will replace them with ARP bolts



Rear brake plates after sandblasting and powder coat



Under transmission exhaust hanger







Rear axle after sandblasting







I don't have any idea what it's all about, but still looks good



The cast iron starts to corrode very fast, so you need to be quick and use the paint with special anti-corrosion inhibitors



I used black hammered enamel



Some additional hardware

[kudims]

Continue the previous post:



A lot of hardware should be chemically blackened - so we did it



Transmission cooler lines after zinc



From the factory they were coated with vinyl - I replicated it



Fuel sender after it was chemically tinned



Start assembly of the unit back again





These terminals should be soldered instead of fast connectors (as it was from the factory)
It will eliminate tons of problems in the future



New high pressure tube is secured with stainless force clamps



Tested and ready to go back into the tank



This is the picture to show how it was "before"



4L-60E after first wash



Before...



After



After sandblasting and powder coating



I decided to leave the original drums, as they were with zero wear, and I did the straightening them on a lathe and balancing in the special shop





Most of these will not be used, because I found NOS



However, these transmission cooler lines are impossible to find new, and they will be reused after zinc-coat



Temperature gauge housing after polishing



Not perfect, but this does not matter )))



Fuel neck after chemical tinning





Here is the NOS transmission mount. Now it becomes clear, why propeller shaft angles had to be corrected with 1/2" shims



Starter positive wire was almost off the terminal, which from time to time caused cranking issues. Soldered.



Starter motor housing



Washed and lubricated



Assembled and tested



In the next post I will disassemble the front clip and get ready for the sandblasting

[kudims]

Front side radiator deflectors were found NOS:

[kudims]

Front clip disassembly and engine off



The nice car from outside is not that nice inside



A/C Condenser. Needs replacement



Everything that was fixed, plated, painted, etc - go to the shelfs in wrap



All boxes have list of parts inside



16mm wrench is ideal to bend the flags on the throttle cable in order to remove it



This is how it works



Trolleys under the frame



They will replace the rear axle to make the car movable



A 2*6 lumber was used to connect them





Disconnect all the wiring



Signs of the accident when the car was salvaged



Ready to pull



Body bushings are really tired



The LT1 engine pulled off the bay



This is what I was not expecting to see: the bended due to the accident right engine mount bracket





Neat...



The engine took its place in the corner



Again, a bunch of hardware will go to the plating shop





This will go to the powder coat

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Don't you hate it when people shortcut and don't repair properly.

Bruce.