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Thread: My '92 Sundance refresh, rebuild, & conversion log

  1. #1
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    My '92 Sundance refresh, rebuild, & conversion log

    Going to also post here my log of the refresh & rebuild of my trusty '92 Sundance. It's going to get a new personality with a tbi->turbo conversion and build up.

    I really didn't care much for the car when I first got it, mainly because of what happened to me in the acquisition. It was my first one purchased from a car lot. Got it back in '97 at one of those heavily advertised no-credit/bad credit car lots - as I had none at the time. The transmission on my first car(82 Regal 4dr - $200, crank grind & oversize bearings, lasted me a year ) went out on the way to the dealership to trade in, they gave $200. Got my choice between the sundance or a tempo with lots more mileage and wear. Paid a little over $9,000 principal at %28, ouch!

    I have to say, the car has been good to me, and that I'm now kinda fond of the P-body. Outside of regular maintenance items, up until a couple months ago I had only needed to replace a water pump, radiator, couple alternators, clutch, egr valve, and 1 cracked head in 17 years and 200k mi of ownership.

    At a little shy of 250k mi, I pulled the head off the block a couple months ago after continually having overheat issues the first few minutes into the drive and ultimately discovering exhaust bubbles/fumes in the coolant overflow bottle, couldn't smell coolant in the exhaust though. It's obvious coolant was getting into #1. Probably started as just a blown HG that I took too long to start digging into. Machine shop says the head is cracked/leaking.

    Since I took it down, I've just been keeping an eye out for, and have purchased some already, parts planned to go in the car and am just taking my time on it, getting what I can when available or when I can afford it. Right now the work is mainly focused on removing parts in preparation for repainting at some point. Before the head cracked I had started work on upgrading the suspension. I'll put up photos of some of that work soon and will try to post stuff I do with it here as I go along.
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  2. #2
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    Re: My '92 Sundance refresh, rebuild, & conversion log

    Polybushings.com 1 1/4" anti-swaybar, endlinks & bushings that got installed earlier this year.



    - - - Updated - - -

    I had the spindles and control arms powder coated not too far from me over at Chop Shop Motorsports in Keller, TX for a great price. Colors are gloss black & silver explosion. Had the anti-swaybar brackets coated in the silver also.




  3. #3
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    Re: My '92 Sundance refresh, rebuild, & conversion log

    Control arms after the installation of new Raybestos Pro ball joints and poly bushings from polybushings.com. I cleaned out all of the new joints and put in mobil 1 synthetic grease in each, packing the spindles/bearings with the same.

    Mobil 1 Synthetic Grease

  4. #4
    Rhymes with tortoise. Turbo Mopar Staff cordes's Avatar
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    Re: My '92 Sundance refresh, rebuild, & conversion log

    Silver P body? I'm in.

  5. #5
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    Re: My '92 Sundance refresh, rebuild, & conversion log

    Back on the car, for maybe a month before the head cracked.




  6. #6
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    Re: My '92 Sundance refresh, rebuild, & conversion log

    Quote Originally Posted by cordes View Post
    Silver P body? I'm in.
    At one point I did think about painting a different color, but I do really like the silver, plus there weren't that many silver ones. Going to go with a silver & black theme.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Got a pair of the recent group buy Eibach 1.25" lowering springs waiting to go in. I'd like to get a pair of the Koni strut inserts and shocks to go with them. Might be doing that come tax return time if they're still around.


  7. #7
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    Re: My '92 Sundance refresh, rebuild, & conversion log

    Recently bought the A568 transmission that will go in the car. Nice and clean, sweet deal! Thanks Harley04! The transmission extension seal took a ding during shipping, but no biggie, I'll get another if needed. Already has a drain plug installed!

    I know the transmission was gone through but I was recently reading a thread or several regarding brass/bronze shift fork pads and am now wondering if they are still available, whether or not I should look for them, and also whether to add a 3rd 12 o'clock pad. I'd really like to build the car to 500whp, and then maybe beyond if I get too used to that . The car is not going to be together for some time and if I'm going to do it, now would probably be the best time.



    - - - Updated - - -

    Pics of the removed exhaust and the engine bay. Need to get a good reciprocating saw, had to chop it with the angle grinder took longer than it should have for sure.





    - - - Updated - - -

    Got the dashboard removed the week before Christmas. Figured I'll go ahead and replace the heater core and ac evaporator while I'm at it before putting it back together. Also need to look into why the heater wasn't getting hot, as if the blend door wasn't actuating completely.



    - - - Updated - - -

    One one of the rainy weekends I started polishing on the 120amp alternator I bought off the forums. Have a little more to go but it's starting to look good.


  8. #8
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    Re: My '92 Sundance refresh, rebuild, & conversion log

    Worked on getting the power steering pump and bracket removed from the block and all motor mounts loosened up week before last.

    Needed to drain the tranny so after a little read through the forums about the subject I found that the consensus is to drill and tap the boss to put in a plug. So... I got it drained and will finish up the drain plug for the A523 once it's out.


  9. #9
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    Re: My '92 Sundance refresh, rebuild, & conversion log

    Got the axles and struts removed on Thursday. On trying to separate the tie rods from the steering knuckles, the passenger side outer tie rod stud broke off at the cotter pin hole. But at that point, the block and tranny were only hanging and connected by the mounts, so I wasn't so much bothered. A friend loaned me a cherrypicker, and I was hoping maybe an extra set of hands, so I was very hopeful to get it all out before it was supposed to start raining Saturday.

  10. #10
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    Re: My '92 Sundance refresh, rebuild, & conversion log

    And then, Friday!!!: Got the engine & tranny removed even without an extra set of hands.







    Snagged the brake line. Oops.



  11. #11
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    Re: My '92 Sundance refresh, rebuild, & conversion log

    So that's where I'm at with it right now. Need to start removing stuff from the block and find some bolts to get it mounted up to my engine stand.

  12. #12
    Moderator Turbo Mopar Staff Vigo's Avatar
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    Re: My '92 Sundance refresh, rebuild, & conversion log

    Gotta love non-rusted TX cars.

    Dont push the red button.You hear me?

  13. #13
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    Re: My '92 Sundance refresh, rebuild, & conversion log

    Quote Originally Posted by Vigo View Post
    Gotta love non-rusted TX cars.
    Right!? Almost non-existant, only some surface stuff here & there, untreated parts and such like below. All of my trips in the winter to visit family up north haven't touched it.

    Got the welds dremeled on the shifter bracket in order to start work on making it a short throw.


  14. #14
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    Re: My '92 Sundance refresh, rebuild, & conversion log

    Finally got the engine into the workshop and out of the weather this weekend. Kind of proud of myself for being able to manhandle that loaded short block and carry it at least 10ft to inside the doorway. Had to run a wire brush over the numbers to get a legible pic. Will soon begin dismantling it to get ready for the machine shop and hopefully soon onto that stand for a build with some nice internals.






  15. #15
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    Re: My '92 Sundance refresh, rebuild, & conversion log

    Sneek peek at the alternator I'm almost done with.


  16. #16
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    Re: My '92 Sundance refresh, rebuild, & conversion log

    Think I'm done with the main body. I have some new SKF bearings on order to rebuild it with thanks to the writeup with part numbers by ILIKESHELBYS.






  17. #17
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    Re: My '92 Sundance refresh, rebuild, & conversion log

    Well, I am impressed!!!!!
    Great stuff for great cars! Poly engine mounts and bushings at: http://www.polybushings.com

  18. #18
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    Re: My '92 Sundance refresh, rebuild, & conversion log

    You need one of my gauge decal overlays for your speedo...
    http://www.turbo-mopar.com/forums/at...0&d=1371932515
    Here's how to order:
    http://www.turbo-mopar.com/forums/sh...484#post989484
    [SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000]47 Time NHRA/IHRA drag race champ-----84 Plymouth Horizon/1 of 84 HO equipped from the factory/1910 lbs, 2.5 with carb, nearly 315,000 miles-----04 SRT4/S2 with S3 turbo/12.17 @ 119/DOTs/93 Octane/SOLD-----2003 PT Cruiser GT, won a True Street class at the 2017 National Muscle Car Association World Street Finals-----2010 Toyota Prius/my delivery truck, 77.9 mpg best and NOT A PLUG IN, nearly 230,000 miles and way over 5600 miles per month! [/COLOR][/SIZE]

  19. #19
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    Re: My '92 Sundance refresh, rebuild, & conversion log

    Unfortunately, I didn't take any good before pics, but I did find tryingbe's csx part out thread where I picked it up.

    Before:

  20. #20
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    Re: My '92 Sundance refresh, rebuild, & conversion log

    Quote Originally Posted by Johnny View Post
    Well, I am impressed!!!!!
    Thanks Johnny. I'm kind of giddy to get the ton of stuff I have on order with ya, even though it's not gonna be on the car for a while, it's more incentive for me to get out there and get it done. It is always nice doing business with you and thanks for your advisement on the rear bar. I think I have most, if not all of the bushing & mount stuff covered for this car now, will probably just need some bump stops later.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------

    Stuff now on order & planned to go on the car upon re-assembly:

    Rear anti-sway bar
    Adjustable panhard bar
    Poly rear axle to frame bushings
    Upper & lower poly rear spring isolators
    Adjustable bobble strut
    Solid poly front engine mount
    Solid poly passenger side mount
    Poly filled transmission mount
    Poly clutch arm grommet
    Poly strut bump stops

    Also have a still practically new set of poly shift cable bushings from booger bushings I bought many years ago before I knew about the community & polybushings.com.

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