Luke's Blue Turbo Prix

**CHI2000GTP** · 08-13-2019

About a year ago, I bought this Cowl Hood for the Grand Prix from a member on here (swiggles). It's all the way out it Boston, so it's just been sitting there collecting dust. I always planned a road-trip to the East Coast to get it. I can drive for dayyys, love road-trips, so the distance never bothered me.

Welp, the guy informed me that he's selling the house and needs me to grab this hood. We would swap/install the cowl hood in the driveway, meaning old hood gets left behind. Will this old 3800 Turbo beast make it the 2,000+ miles, road-trip?! OHH BOYY. It's gonna be a palm sweater!

Always wanted a cowl hood for the GP. Some of them are too much though. This one is good. Simple, elegant, and sharp looking. Pics below. Mannn, what a FUN ride this could be.

**Scottydoggs** · 08-13-2019

sign up for AAA road service, bring tools and have some omfg cash on hand just in case lol

**wowitsfast** · 08-13-2019

Nail biter for sure.. Hope you have AAA just incase

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**FordMan77** · 08-13-2019

Maybe rent a pickup to go get the hood and then you avoid the potential issue of breaking down in god knows where with the GP + possible expensive towing bill??

You get the custom hood and you get to keep the stock one in case something happens to the new one at some point, plus the stock one is paint matched already.

I get the road trip thing. I went from Lawton, OK to Wichita, KS to pick up my MPD F1 hood from a member here, then drove it back home to STL.

**CHI2000GTP** · 08-13-2019

Haha. Nail bitter, no doubt! 1000 miles one way. 16 hours. I would take breaks. Most I've ever done is around 27 hours straight. Driving from Las Vegas to Chicago in November of 2009. Drove non-stop with the help of Coca-Cola and Twix bars. After getting home and going to sleep, the next day my eyes, the areas around my eyes, my face, all that was SO swollen with eyes tearing. Took me a couple days to get back to normal.

I will definitely bring some tools. Was even thinking to bring a full size spare and of course extra lights, cables, tow rope, flares, LOL.

I don't know about renting a pick-up truck. It would get too expensive.

Right now, planning to leave Chicago early morning on Friday 08/23 and be in Boston at 2:00pm EST on Saturday, 08-24. Gonna need to use some PTO and request off for that Friday 08-23.

**Scottydoggs** · 08-13-2019

damn its been years since ive seen any PTO..... paid time off is so nice tho.

**CHI2000GTP** · 08-21-2019

Getting around to replacing the LCA's/Ball joints. Both CV's need replacing as well. So all that is coming out! So much work.

Didn't want to mess with the tie-rods so left them attached to knuckle. Wheel wells look so empty...

The front vertical bolts were frozen in the metal sleeves in the bushings. Frozen on both sides! Tried to push them out with the "puller". Ended up cutting them off. Ordered new bolts from dealer.

PS pumps. Old and New. Tired of these ****ty pump. Bought a AcDelco official puimp. Maybe finally I will have a leak free Grand Prix. Please God!

**ItHurtz** · 08-21-2019

Ah these views, I feel right at home

**SgtMarshal** · 08-21-2019

I see good things coming your way

**black06g85** · 08-22-2019

I just had to do all that front end work on mine last weekend. thankgod last mechanic used antiseize on those bolts
thought they'd be frozen and went to knock it out with a hammer, it flew right out and hit me in the face lol.

thankfully the front suspension on these cars is fairly simple.

good to see you got it running again

**ItHurtz** · 08-22-2019

The one lca was factory, the other I put in, of course the bolt was SLATHERED in anti. As most know antisieze isnt what its made up to be.

**CHI2000GTP** · 08-27-2019

Boston trip didn't happen :\ I want that cowl hood! Instead, I took my sweet ass time putting in fresh LCAs, CVs, and new Power-Steering Pump. Just finished buttoning everything on Sunday. Took extra time to wipe everything down, lubed caliper guide pins, greased all bushings. Rides so smooth now. The front end feels so much stronger now. I feel more confident in the car now. It's great!

Pile of crap:

Fresh Parts. AcDelco LCAs and NAPA half-shafts.

Bought a grease gun. Cheap gun, expensive grease. Gun was only $16 on Amazon! And it's solid/heavy. Handles are solid and rivetes aren't loose.

**cheatah faheatah** · 08-27-2019

EVERYTHING goes better with lube ......

**Scottydoggs** · 08-27-2019

that gun looks a lot like the HF gun they sell. its a good gun if it is. we put a good 5 tubes a year through it, its dirty, but works like new still. its got to be 5 years used now.

**CHI2000GTP** · 08-30-2019

Thanks to forum member (@RareGMFan) for the hook-up on the mirror and for doing the install. Nice Gentex with auto-dim and compass.

**CHI2000GTP** · 09-03-2019

The new Power Steering pump I got failed on me on this weekend. The pulley shaft came out of the pump housing. The shaft seized and it threw the belt off.

This all happened in the Oak Brook Mall parking lot with my kids in the car. We were going shopping for Moms (wifes) birthday. All the sudden the car starts making bad noises, I pop the hood and jump out. I see the belt is off, I go back to turn the car off. At this point there are like 3 Benzos behind me and a BMW trying to leave while I'm blocking the entire parking lane, hands covered in grease and elbow's deep in my poverty Prix. Jeeze. LOL. Was a little stressful.
Anyway, got into a parking spot, and removed the belt out so it wouldn't get mangled behind the crank pulley. Left the car while we went to the mall and did our shopping. Home was pretty close so I limped it back with no belt; meaning no water pump or alternator or power steering. Pulled over twice, waited 30min each time to let the engine cool down. What a mess. These re-built pumps are known to be garbage, and that's what I got.

You can see the shaft all shinny back there:

In this photo, the pulley and shaft are even with each other, so definitely the shaft backing out of the pump:

**cheatah faheatah** · 09-03-2019

Lame-o !!

**ItHurtz** · 09-03-2019

LOL you jumped out of the car to check WITH the engine still on

DOuble LOL you drove with no water pump!

**CHI2000GTP** · 09-03-2019

Originally Posted by ItHurtz

LOL you jumped out of the car to check WITH the engine still on

Hahaha. Yep, it was urgent!! Not time to turn off. AND it was in Park! not Drive.

Originally Posted by ItHurtz

DOuble LOL you drove with no water pump!

LOL. Yep. No water pump. SMH :/ But I made it!

**CHI2000GTP** · 10-07-2019

Car had been sidelined for about a month now due to a bad rack & pinion. I took out the new rack that was in the maroon GTP, then took rack out from this Turbo, then installed new rack. Got an alignment on all four corners as well. Took the Cooper Cobras off the maroon GTP as well. They are wider (235/16 vs. 225/16) and newer than what the Turbo had, so alignment shop did the tire/rim switch, mounting and balancing etc.. Tread looks good! Car is back on the road. Driving so freaking good now!