2017 LaCrosse Build thread (GS tribute)

[richardnewton]

There are some super cheap generic seat covers on the internet (e.g. Aliexpress, etal.). They provide an easy way to "test out" a colour scheme.

 

[Ghosthawk]

After I return from the GM Nats this coming weekend (they’re having a Buick Regal tribute I understand) Sgaile will be ready for an oil & trans fluid change. I was reading how the airbox must be removed to access the trans fill port, so while it’s out I’m going to take some measurements and fabricate a mock-up air shield for a cone filter intake. I installed one on my DD Impala last week and it sounds great! This will take some engineering but I'm up for the challenge!

 

[Ghosthawk]

HUGE Shout-Out to the talented guys-n-gals at RVA Graphics & Wraps for their outstanding job putting the vinyl work on “Sgaile”

They wrapped the window and taillight molding, honeycomb tinted the taillight lens, and added my custom "Happy the Hawk" graphic to the sunroof in laminated/perforated vinyl. The finished project is a knockout!

Sgaile has never looked more awesome!

I was amazed how different she looked with the window moldings blacked out


They also blacked the taillight moldings to match and added the honeycomb pattern light tint


Close up of the taillight tint pattern


The sunroof graphic looks amazing and you can see a shadow of the image from the inside as well...cool!


These folks were great to work with and the prices were quite reasonable I thought. I'll definitely work with them again!


Wow, she has come a LONG way since I got her!


And now, onward to the interior!

 

[Ghosthawk]

I am happy to report that I finally solved the issues with installing the K&N style intake. I picked up a stock airbox lid from a salvage, after noting the intake tube used a shaped velocity stock to direct air at the sensor. I cut away the rest of the lid and used my bench sander for finishing until I was left with a 3.5in intake tube, retaining the stock velocity stack. I then attached the tube and filter, and she started and ran smooth without a hitch. The throttle response is definitely a bit sharper and the growl at WOT is more pronounced. I still need to fabricate a heat shield where the stock bottom half of the box sat, so that will be the next order of business. Very pleased with results so far.

In other news, I found a shop in Chesapeake VA willing to take a shot at installing the C8 Vette steering wheel. I'll schedule an appointment with him when I get back from vacation in another week or so, but he sounded encouraged about making it work!

 

[Ghosthawk]

Well crap...the C8 wheel has officially been scrapped. The shop in Chesapeake called back and said his boss would have no part of it because of airbag liability. So, I boxed up the wheel, put it on eBay, and it sold in 24hrs. Shipped today. Looks like I'm back to considering exclusivesteering.com.

On the upside, I got some cool shots of Sgaile on our vacation...


Dropped by the Superman statue in Metropolis, IL



Sunset at the Chain of Rocks Bridge, Historic Rt 66, on the bank of the Mississippi, across from St. Louis.



On the Illinois Bricks, Historic Rt 66 just south of Springfield, IL



Just outside Atlanta, IL, a 1/4 mile stretch of original Rt 66, concrete laid down by horse & wagon.



Route 66 Museum, Pontiac, IL. Mural by Bob Waldemire, paving bricks recovered from the original road thru Illinois.



Visited Road America Race Course for Sunset Cruise laps...awesome, beautiful track!



Re-traced the original public road course around Elkhart Lake. A 6.5 mile loop, and it was fantastic!



Sunset at Warren Dunes State Park on Lake Michigan

We made a bunch of other stops too, but space is a consideration here! LOL

 

[Ghosthawk]

I suppose I should have put all these pics in a separate thread?

 

[Ghosthawk]

I cut the two Camaro louvers...now I have to join the two halves and send them off to TN Liquid Imaging & Custom Paint for hydro-dipping and that glossy carbon fiber finish!

 

[Ghosthawk]

I had previously installed a Wheelskins cover but was never happy with how it turned out. It was sad because their product always fit so well any other time I purchased one. I'll put the blame on my stitch work for the most part but it overlapped the trim near the spoke buttons and that always bothered my thumbs on the grip.

So today, I pulled the leather skin off and tried a clip-on carbon fiber accent. The fit is good and tight with zero slippage, but it will remain to be seen how it affects the steering wheel heat function. I do like the look though, and it goes with the rest of the carbon trim.

 

[Ghosthawk]

Got word today that I should have the louvers back by Thanksgiving! WOOT! I think the dark carbon fiber finish like the other exterior trim is gonna look great!

 

[Ghosthawk]

Today marked my 5th trip to Virginia International Raceway #VIR for their #LapsForCharity event, which happens every fall. This has always been an enjoyable, well-run event, but today, the potential for disaster became a reality. Cool temps mean cold tires and less traction. Throw in a touch of light rain, and grip is not optimal, and herein lies the difference in someone with track knowledge, and another with a fast car and too much hubris. The two guys in front of me in a MG Midget were nursing a leaky tire the whole time we spent in the grid before the start. IMO, this alone should have pulled them for safety reasons, but they were left in line. I was suspicious of this car from the start with its motorcycle width tires. The first lap always starts slow, but after the tight Oak Tree turn, the back straight opens up for speed. Cresting the hill and dropping down into Roller Coaster turns, the MG hit an early apex too fast, and a small slide quickly became a spin. I was closing fast as he counter-steered, and I needed a split-second decision. As the MG continued to slide toward the inside curb, I ducked wide and shot by while the space was still there. Once by and breathing again, I rolled past the timing tower and traffic came to stop at Nascar Bend. Shortly before the overpass and Back Esses, an Audi R8 and a Lamborghini Gallardo got tangled and plowed into the tire wall. A bundle of tires bounced loose and broken body panels littered the track. The rest of our session was suspended, and I took my photos and headed home. In retrospect, I always knew this could happen, but I'm insanely thankful it wasn't me on the rollback truck. I'm also grateful that Sgaile handled with responsive agility under high-speed conditions. She earned her stripes today with flying colors, and brought me safe home.






Until next year!

 

[richardnewton]

Great photos. I bet track day was a lot of fun. People probably didn't know what you were driving.

 

[Ghosthawk]

Great photos. I bet track day was a lot of fun. People probably didn't know what you were driving.

I did get a lot of questions in the paddock area, and it was fun, right up until that MG spun in front of me...that was heart-stopping.

What was hilarious was the two guys in the MG went for food while we were waiting our turn. As often happens, they got back to their car with little time left to eat. As the lines began pulling forward, he hopped out with his half-eaten burger and fries, placing the cardboard tray gently in his trunk...as if there was ANY chance it would stay there? LOL Needless to say, after his spin at Roller Coaster, I'm pretty sure the inside of his trunk was painted with his leftovers. 😆🤣

 

[Ghosthawk]

Complications with the louvers and my guy asked if it would be okay if they were delayed until after the holidays. He says they keep cracking at the seam during prep but he thinks he can solve the issue with a little more time. Good thing I suppose since my wife was in a crash this week. Her car is totaled and she's in the hospital with two broken knees. The road to recovery will be a long one.

On a side note, I'm also thinking about added a remote exhaust cut-out on the LaCrosse right behind the resonator. Might be fun at Cars & Coffee?

 

[Ghosthawk]

Its been a minute, but following up on upgrading the steering wheel. My wife is back driving and she has taken the Murano for her ride, so I set out to find another daily driver. We found a local 2013 Cadillac XTS AWD in fantastic shape with 80k on the clock for $15k. I've been driving it for a couple weeks now, but I noticed from other pics the V-Sport version steering wheel has some sweet-looking polished shifter paddles. I also like the piano black button inserts. Upon closer inspection, it looks like the wire harness from the LaCrosse wheel will plug in to the modules on the Caddy unit. So I may be trying to pull this swap off. I'll need a 2018-19 airbag module to be compatible with the Buick, but that is doable. I can also get the matching carbon fiber inserts to replace the wood to go with the rest of my interior trim. Will keep you posted.

 

[Ghosthawk]

Step one is a success! I was able to grab a Caddy CTS wheel with the polished paddle shifters.
I removed the wire harness from the LaCrosse wheel and swapped it into the CTS unit.
All of the connectors fit like factory with no splicing required.
Once I get the appropriate airbag, I will need a ground wire connection which should be no problem
Here is the re-wired CTS wheel. I added the carbon fiber vinyl trim at the bottom and I'll check to see if I have any leftover GS decals that will fit in that space. I'm excited to get this installed!

 

[Ghosthawk]

After curing the horn ground problem with a new retainer plate, the CTS is installed and everything works great! It was pretty much plug-n-play after swapping the wheel wire harnesses. I've had the decals for a while but I think it looks so much more sporty/classy that the stock unit.
I did have a small issue with the back of the wheel rubbing the column switch covers, but I cut about a 1/4 inch off the spline sleeve on the back of the old wheel, ground it smooth where it fit on the shaft like a spacer, and the rub was cured.

 

[MDC58]

I love Old Towne Petersburg as a backdrop for photo shoots. I typically take my cars down here for a quick session and that gives me a baseline before the mods begin. Makes for great comparison shots.

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Beautiful car, Love old Petersburg ! We use to live in Walnut Hill off Mt. Vernon before we moved to Norfolk

 

[Ghosthawk]

The guy who was working or hydrodipping my rear window louvers informed me the bonding material he used continues to crack so he gave up on the project. However, I still want to find a way to make this work. I really loved the mock-up look from before so I'll be investigating better materials or look into fabricating a set from scratch (WOW) Did I just say that? LOL

 

[Ghosthawk]

After much deliberation, I tossed the idea of trying to mate two halves of louvers. I saw a Charger on the way to work with a set that fit the car, but only a center section was louvered flanked by an open hole on both sides. Weird.

Instead, I simply installed a set for a 2015 Camaro, which covered the visible glass area leaving the black mounting border exposed. I added some gloss carbon fiber vinyl on both sides but I may swap that out for gloss black vinyl to match the louver finish.

Mating the pads to the glass required a bit of pre-heating the 3M tape but I really like the end result. The acorn nuts make it easy to remove for cleaning.





Next project is looking into having the steering wheel wrapped to make the grip thicker and laced with tan/brandy stitching...maybe that center stripe on top.

 

[EDSELRANGER]

Looks great! That ain't your grandpa's Buick.