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Parts Used In This Episode

Summit Racing
Goodmark Steel Cowl Induction Hood
Summit Racing
Summit Racing Wax & Grease Remover
The Industrial Depot
Tools, Hardware, Shop Supplies

Episode Transcript

(Tommy)>> You're watching Powernation!

(Tommy)>> Today on Detroit Muscle we're throwing everything along with the kitchen sink at our Hurst Olds.

(Joel)>> Whether it's brakes, body work, or bolsters, we cover a little bit of everything on our quest to finish this ride. [ Music ] [ engines revving ] [ Music ]

(Tommy)>> Hey guys, welcome to Detroit Muscle. Today we've got a hodgepodge of subjects that we're gonna cover to help you with your project. Now each one of these that we take care of gets us a step closer to being able to hear this thing sing and let the smoke out of those rear tires.

(Joel)>> So if slick paint, pedal response, fuel injection, and a cool place to sit down piques your interest you'll want to stick around for this one.

(Tommy)>> Well we ran into a slight hood clearance issue with that new power plant that we dropped in our Hurst Olds. So, to solve that problem we went to Summit Racing and found this Goodmark steel cowl induction hood that's actually designed for a G-body Cutlass. You're probably thinking that I'm just gonna get after rubbing that thing down with a red Scotchbrite, but I prefer to clean the surface before I do anything. This helps to remove any kind of contaminants that could be on there for manufacturing, shipping, or even moving it around in the shop. A couple of different ones, some glass cleaner, and wax and grease remover will go a long way whenever you go to start spraying. [ Music ] I like to use light colored rags because it tends to show the evidence of what you're trying to remove. So, when you're finished if the rag looks clean your surface probably is too. Now I'm gonna scratch this thing up a couple of different ways. First, I'm gonna start with a block and a piece of 400 grit paper. Then follow that up with a red scuff pad. This will help to remove any small imperfections from the surface to help ensure a slick finish. You want to make sure to select the correct grit for your sandpaper for the task you're trying to achieve. If you go too fine the paint may not adhere to the surface. If you go too coarse, the scratches can shrink back and show in the finished product. That should do it.

(Joel)>> If you guys are looking to respray a panel for your project and you want to get as close to that factory original color as possible, you're gonna need some information first, and that would be the paint code, which can be located on your trim tag. Depending on the manufacturer, your trim tag can be located in a variety of places, ranging from door jam, glove box, deck lid, firewall, or like in the case of our Hurst Olds, on top of the cowl just below the windshield. Your paint code can also be cross referenced by your vehicle identification number.

(Tommy)>> What we're gonna be spraying on is some base coat/clear coat. That Oldsmobile from the factory came out with lacquer. What we're gonna be using is urethane. We're gonna spray urethane because it's a bit more durable, and it sprays and covers better than that lacquer. There's a lot that goes into painting. Paint technique, material you're spraying, equipment, and so forth. Is all this required? A lot of it just helps ensure a better job. I've seen some hot rods sprayed in a homemade paint booth that turned out pretty awesome. My suggestion would be go for it. You may end up enjoying yourself. While I'm waiting for that to flash off, I'm gonna clean up my gun and mix up some clear, and it should time out just about right. Now a little tip for you guys cause everybody wants that ultra slick finish. That would be is to mix in on your last coat of material the next step up or slower evaporating thinner. What that will do is that allows the paint to flow out a little more, and that usually means a slicer reflection. [ paint gun hissing ]

(Tommy)>> When you don't step up your thinner your paint can build up an orange peel like texture. Then you have to go back and sand it down, and hit again, and again until you get that mirror like shine. Coughing up a few extra bucks right now for that extra thinner can save a lot of headaches in the long run. You also want to keep a nice and even pattern to help ensure no runs or excessive build-up. [ spray gun hissing ] [ Music ]

(Tommy)>> Painting takes patience and practice, but when you do it the right way the proof is in the pudding. For no more work than that was this thing turned out pretty slick. Still have a few pieces of trash here and there, but we'll have to nip that out a little later on. Coming up, we do a swap, add some swag, and power up.

(Tommy)>> Now the next thing that we're gonna tackle is the fuel system. A while back we took our Hurst Olds out for a hot lap and we topped off the tank, and what we noticed was this thing was leaking. A fuel tank can rust from the inside out and the outside in and trying to repair one of these can be a little bit tricky. So, we went with a simple solution. We went to RockAuto and picked up an o-e-m replacement tank. What's great about this is one, it will simply bolt right into the car. No cutting or fabbing is required to install it. Also, this thing is nice and clean. We don't really have any idea what the condition of the inside of this tank is, and with us running fuel injection we don't want any problems later down the road. Whenever you're removing the gas tank be sure you're in a well ventilated area. Overexposure to fumes make your head spin. Plus, they are downright dangerous. And it looks like our suspicions were right. We've got some floaters in the bottom of the tank. The fuel gauge in our Oldsmobile wasn't working, but we noticed that when we were installing that suspension that the ground wire was dangling beside the tank. So, we just assumed if we would connect it that this thing would work. Now to verify that it does work I've got a simple test for you just in case you have one of these that you're working on at your place. You'll need a multimeter to do this, and you'll just simply turn it to the ohm setting. What you'll want to do next is touch one of your leads to the post, and then the other one to either the ground strap or the top of the sender. You'll have actuate the float from empty to full or full to empty, and what you're looking for is a change on your screen. Now this particular one should sweep between zero and 90. It can be a little more, a little bit less, but you're just looking for those numbers to change. We're getting some good readings. So that confirms it was just the ground strap. [ saw buzzing ]

(Tommy)>> So with a little fab work and a few inches of wire we can call this thing fixed. [ Music ] [ hammer tapping ]

(Tommy)>> If you're looking to do this type of repair one thing you need to keep in mind is your original tank usually has ports, and you want to match that to your application. When you go to RockAuto's site they have that stuff clearly listed to help you pick the right one for your project.

(Joel)>> Everyday it seems like more and more people are swapping out their old school carburetors for modern fuel injection. And honestly, I can see why, especially when you consider the added benefits of improved throttle response, more horsepower, and better fuel economy just kinda makes sense. This Go-Classic fuel injection system we got from FiTech uses their patented force fuel technology to quench your vehicle's thirst with easy plug and play installation, and versatile mounting options. [ Music ] This FiTech setup uses a throttle body that maintains a classic carburetor look with fuel injection performance. It's designed to hid injectors and e-c-u for a stealthy impression along with a nice, clean engine bay. [ Music ] [ drill humming ]

(Joel)>> Now at the heart of this setup is FiTech's Force Fuel delivery system. All you're gonna need is a supply line to fill your reservoir, a pressure out line to go to your throttle body, and a return line back to your tank. Now if you don't have a return line running back to your tank you are gonna have to plumb one in for this setup. And as far as wiring goes all you're gonna need is a key hot to your positive terminal and then a ground to complete the circuit. Alright next thing is our coolant temperature sensor, which also comes included with our FiTech kit. Included is a half inch n-p-t adapter that ties directly into our coolant passage on our intake. [ Music ] We've still got a couple of connections we need to splice into our main harness on our FiTech kit, including our 12-volt power wire that engages the pump. Now eventually we will need to build a junction block between this connection, the starter solenoid, and our battery. Having enough juice supply for all of the added electrical components to our Hurst Olds project is an absolute must. This Duralast Platinum battery with e-f-b technology that we got from AutoZone will give our Force Fuel system reliable charge acceptance, as well as powerful startups and long cycle life. We also have a few extra accessories like our Air Ride compressor that take up a whole lot of charge. When you also factor in your radio, power windows, dash lights, all that stuff having a reliable, battle tested power source just kinda makes sense. Up next, it's brake time but we're not stopping.

(Joel)>> Well guys, we mentioned earlier that we were gonna be all over the place and boy we weren't kidding. We're gonna move on to the next phase of our Hurst Olds build with a very important subject matter, the brakes system.

(Tommy)>> Some of those stock components that was left, like the proportioning valve and the master cylinder, wasn't gonna cut it since we've upgraded and put massive brakes front and rear. Originally this car rolled off the assembly line with discs in the front and drums in the back, and now we've got disc/disc on both ends. We wound up having to re-do some of the brake lines for this upgrade but that's just par for the course. We're pretty much ready to start bleeding the brakes, starting with the master cylinder. Sometimes you can do this on the car but there's a couple of things that you need to keep in mind. One is the sweep of the brake pedal. It needs to fully depress the piston inside of there because if it doesn't it can leave trapped air. Next thing is the master cylinder needs to be mounted horizontally, not kicked up or downhill, cause if it is that can give you problems trying to get the air out. With our pretty master cylinder I wrapped some tape around this ear because I don't want the jaws of this vice to chew into it and kinda scratch things up. This will help protect it. Now to do this you want to mount this thing in a nice, sturdy location because you're gonna be pressing here on the back of the master depressing that piston. If you don't, you'll end up chasing this around the shop. Normally whenever you buy a master cylinder new or rebuilt it'll come with a little baggy of goodies. You're gonna be using this to bleed that master. Then connect the tubes to those fittings and bend them over off into the reservoir. [ Music ]

For brake fluid we're gonna be using the BF-307+ by EBC Brakes. This is a high end Dot-4 brake fluid that thrives in high performance and racing applications where brake systems operate at much higher temps. You can use this in several applications. You just want to make sure if your vehicle already has fluid in it that you flush it out to maximize this stuff's capabilities. Otherwise, you're gonna compromise its integrity. Now as for the amount of fluid that we poured in is about three quarters of an inch. There's no reason to top it off. The procedure from this point is I'm gonna use a screwdriver to depress the piston, and then fluid is gonna come out of this port, flow through the tube, and empty into the reservoir. There's gonna be some air bubbles, and then once I let off the piston it's gonna draw fluid back into it. I'll keep cycling this until there's nothing but fluid emptying out into here. [ Music ]

Now you want to make sure that you completely compress that piston. Otherwise, you may have some trapped air. Also, as you do this if you constantly see a bunch of little bity bubbles and you've been doing this for a while you may want to check those fittings to ensure that they're tight. Another little helpful tip is to reinstall your cap. What this will do is help prevent the master cylinder from bleeding all that fluid out. If you're working with a freshly painted surface, we all know brake fluid and paint doesn't really gel.

(Joel)>> While Tommy's finishing up on the master cylinder I'm gonna go ahead and go through and do one last check on all of our brake lines fittings to make sure they're nice and tight. To do that I'm gonna be using our standard brake line wrench set we got from Matco. Making sure you tighten and secure your brake lines can mean the difference in losing pressure when you need to stop. Using this line wrench set from Matco makes it easier to get to these awkwardly placed fittings. They're made to fit in small spaces and adjust to a comfortable angle, so you aren't torquing your wrist along with whatever you're turning. Matco's brake line wrench set is specifically designed for maximum results with minimal effort.

(Tommy)>> Coming up, we roll out the red carpet and do an interior redesign.

(Tommy)>> The next subject that we're gonna conquer is gonna be the interior. Now with what we started with really wasn't all that ripped up, but it needed some attention. We want this thing to be a well rounded project with performance and style from front bumper to back and inside and out. So, it's time for an update.

(Joel)>> We wanted something that had the style and appeal of the original velour interior with a modern twist. So, we got a hold of our buddies at TMI to help bring that vision to life.

(Tommy)>> I can't wait to see these. Come on in here boss. [ horn beeping ]

(Tommy)>> I've been waiting for this day, not gonna lie. [ Music ] I think I need to sharpen my knife. Man oh man!

(Joel)>> What do you got over there? [ Music ]

(Tommy)>> Ahhhh!

(Joel)>> It's like Christmas.

(Tommy)>> Little brother needs to hurry up and get the wrapping paper off of here. I like those! Those are gonna look killer inside that car, yes sir! We've used TMI a few times here in the shop, and if you're looking for a custom style upholstery that's ready to install you may want to check them out. What we chose to go with is their low back pro series style bucket seats. This double diamond pattern really elevates the appeal of this seat at first glance. It looks elegant and aggressive all at the same time. And to up things even further we even opted for the dark silver stitching. Now we've poured performance all over our G-body and we want to continue doing that here in the interior, and that's where these bolsters are gonna come in. When we took this thing to the track, we learned that what we had didn't have much of it.

(Joel)>> Now for 40 years old these original style velour seats really aren't in that bad of shape. However, as the sands of time pass through the hourglass as does the wear and tear on your interior, especially right here on the driver's side where our seat foam is pretty much wore out and the back support is non-existent. Sure, these seats are a step up compared to the pillowtop split bench style that came as an option on '80s G-bodies. But as you can see, we got a lot more than just seats that we need to get installed. Before we get too crazy laying in carpet, sound deadener, and all that fun stuff now's the time to go ahead and start mocking up our seat brackets. And to keep this process simple and efficient we're gonna use the factory mounting studs as our anchor point. There are several factors to consider when you're mounting a custom set of seats. The first would be your height. If the seat's mounted too high, you risk smacking your head on the roof going down the road. Too low and you might not be able to see over the steering wheel. And then there's your width. If it's mounted too far over one side or the other, it could rub on the door panel or center console causing unnecessary wear. And finally, you've got your right angle as well as your slider travel, which I like to call my comfort adjustments. Now it's important that your sliders, brackets, and mounting plate are all nice and square to ensure a quality relaxing ride no matter who's in the driver's seat. When building your seat brackets you want to make sure everything is properly aligned. Shifting one or two degrees in the wrong direction can throw everything out of whack. [ welder crackling ]

(Joel)>> Once your measurements are good to go you can just spot weld the brackets into place and you're ready to line it all up. Sometimes these things can be trial and error. So, it may take a few attempts before you can get it dialed in. Feels good, plenty of adjustment. I think we're ready for some carpet.

(Tommy)>> We picked up some restoration components from Original Parts Group to doll up the interior on our Oldsmobile. We didn't realize how bad our original carpet was until we compared it to this new one. Changing out your carpet is an easy upgrade, and it's a big bang for your buck cause it doesn't cost you a whole lot of money, doesn't take a whole lot of time to install, and it can drastically improve the appearance of your interior. However, I would suggest you to get molded unit, kinda like this one that we got from OPGI, cause it makes installation way easier. This interior we got from OPGI is heat pressed and precisely molded into a high quality G-body floor pan die. It's manufactured from 100 percent nylon for a durable and long lasting carpet. [ Music ] A good tip before you go to install is to lay it out in the sun for a few hours. This helps to relax the material, and also makes it easier to fit. [ Music ] [ drill humming ]

(Tommy)>> Once we got that and our center console locked into place we popped in our new seats and put the icing on this red velvety cake, taking our Hurst Olds from a warn out ride to a rejuvenated retro rocket. Our carpet from OPGI gives our Hurst Olds a long overdue upgrade that will last for years to come.

(Joel)>> If Barry White were alive today and narrating this footage he'd say! [ Deep Voice "Oh yeah" ]

(Joel)>> Those TMI seats matched with that OPGI carpet look like you're riding on a plush red cloud that you'd take on a road trip anywhere and stay comfy for miles and miles. This and all of our upgrades gives our Hurst Olds a killer combination of relaxation and plenty of r-p-ms.

(Tommy)>> Man, we have been all over the place today, but all that hard work just means we're about to have a good time.

(Joel)>> Variety's not necessarily a bad thing, and it's all forward progress that's gonna get us across that finish line. What do you say we put the trophy back in its case and call it a day?

(Tommy)>> That is a darn fine idea!
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