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Thread: 1989 Omni - GLH-T Clone Project

  1. #1
    turbo addict
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    1989 Omni - GLH-T Clone Project

    I've been out of the TM game for a few years now. Had an 85 shelby charger as my first car, that was unfortunately totaled by an old lady. I replaced that charger with 87 GLHS #284, while although rarer, it just never had the same feel. I have always wanted an Omni GLH-T, but could never find one close enough, rust free enough, or at a decent price.

    I am selling the GLHS to my cousin for Christmas, thus leaving me without a vehicle. Searching craigslist I came across an ad for an 89 Dodge Omni "with A/C, a 5-speed manual transmission, and perfect interior." I emailed the seller who sent me these pictures of the little Omni:







    The car looked clean enough in pictures, the price was right, and it was only an hour away, so I decided to check it out. When I got there the car had been sitting for 2 years, the brakes were very soft and the steering had some play, but the Omni ran and drove fine. Struck a deal with the buyer and other than an issue with the shift rods popping off, the car made the 100 mile trip home without incident.

  2. #2
    turbo addict
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    Re: 1989 Omni - GLH-T Clone Project

    I decided to hit the junkyard Saturday morning hoping to pick up a few things and boy am I glad I did ! Found an 86 GLHT with a ton of usable parts. Picked up an aftermarket 1" rear sway bar, rear GLHT springs, mounting strips for GLHT GFX, front bumper, Momo Shift Knob, and the GLHT 1" front swaybar. Unfortunately the parts I really wanted, the GFX, were already stripped.

    I texted Tyler (strang3majik on here) to see if he had any spare GLH parts and he just so happened to have a spare set of GLHT GFX! Picked those up from him and got to work tearing the Omni apart.

    This is how the Omni is currently residing:





    The front suspension is getting an entire rebuild. I am currently waiting on new GLH 4 lug wheel bearings/hubs, GLHT front calipers and rotors, new ball joints, new tire rod ends, polyurethane control arm bushings, new front struts, and polybushings sway bar bushings.

    The rear will be getting my used pair of GLHS shocks and the 1" rear sway bar.

  3. #3
    Hybrid booster Turbo Mopar Contributor
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    Re: 1989 Omni - GLH-T Clone Project

    Looks good. Lucky timing at the yard, good haul.

  4. #4
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    Re: 1989 Omni - GLH-T Clone Project

    The interior of the car is about 95% perfect. The only thing wrong is the headliner is sagging in two spots and the trim around the seat belt on the drivers side is cracked. I have always had plans to make a gutted Omni, street terror, but the interior is almost too nice to consider gutting.



    Can I get some opinions on gutting the Omni ? Is there a lot of weight to be saved ?

  5. #5
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    Re: 1989 Omni - GLH-T Clone Project

    Seats are light, I would leave them in. OEM carpet is sort of heavy with the rubber backing on it, but it does a good job keeping thing quiet. Under 2400 lbs isn't light enough for you? If it were me I would keep the interior in it. I have almost the same vehicle but an 88. 37K miles on it. Came out of Austin, TX.
    Todd
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  6. #6
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    Re: 1989 Omni - GLH-T Clone Project

    Nice car Todd! Looks exactly the same as mine, except yours has way nicer paint. We both even have the rear cargo cover.

    The vehicle will eventually be converted to Turbo so the weight savings from being gutted probably would not make much of a difference. For now it will stay full interior.

  7. #7
    boostaholic
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    Re: 1989 Omni - GLH-T Clone Project

    As rare as omni's are getting I would not gut the interior. Kills resale to me.

  8. #8
    Hybrid booster Turbo Mopar Contributor
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    Re: 1989 Omni - GLH-T Clone Project

    Poop before your next race and you'll save more weight than gutting it. It is built cheap, not much weight there. It does look clean inside.

  9. #9
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    Re: 1989 Omni - GLH-T Clone Project

    I love it when new parts come in ! Its like an early Christmas present.



    All new rear shocks, polybushings front and rear swaybar bushings, energy suspension control arm bushings, tie rod ends, balljoints, and brake pads.

    Still waiting on the calipers, rotors, hubs/wheel bearings, and hoses.

    The omni's front end is mostly disassembled now. Got the control arms off and cleaned up. Hoping to have her back on the road by the end of the weekend!

  10. #10
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    Re: 1989 Omni - GLH-T Clone Project

    Everything is coming along slowly. All parts for the suspension are finally in, but I have had to put the Omni on hold as I get the GLHS ready for sale. GLHS #284 is officially sold, but it has to be ready for Christmas morning and I have a lot of work left to get it ready.

    Back to the Omni. I am currently debating whether to convert the vehicle to turbo SMEC using the stock TBI harness and splicing in the needed connectors/wires/etc or converting the vehicle to megasquirt.

    Does anyone reading this have any experience with megasquirt ? It seems fairly straightforward, but I'm not sure if it offers a lot more than the stock ecu.

  11. #11
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    Re: 1989 Omni - GLH-T Clone Project

    Finally got the OMNI on the road, a few weeks behind schedule. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong.

    Pic of the Omni and my old GLHS (Dads rampage in garage)


    Getting the front GFX ready:


    All bolted up:

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