Nitroracer wrote: Thanks for all of the updates - we can't get enough of this one.
You're welcome. I'm glad that everyone is enjoying it. It's is also a great way for me to document the build for the build book we have to turn in at the Challenge. Doing it as I go means that I don't have to stress about finishing it right before the competition.
Here's a little more detail on how much we had to cut back the front doors so that they would close:
The rear tail lights, turn signals, and brake lights are wired in. Sorry, no pictures of that. Then Mrs. ShawneeCreek helped me remount the rear hatch. Good news: it's bolted on and opens and closes as designed.
Bad news: the weight of the hatch compressed the rear suspension another inch.
So I'm down to 3" of ground clearance behind the rear tires and the van now has an inch and a half rake from front to back. I think I'm going to have to look into raising the rear suspension. Anybody have any good ideas on this? Until next time.
If wait untill you have it all together, front may come down again yet
I'd trim the bottom of the bumper before I'd raise the rear ride height. 
Is there a way to check if springs from the hardtop convertible G6 would fit? I imagine they might be stiffer yet retain correct ride height.
Do you have any specs on the rear springs? Diameter, turns, thickness, free length, mounting point shapes, etc? Ebay coilover springs are cheap and stiff. Take off Nascar stuff on Ebay isn't that pricey. Another option is to buy a long single spring from a circle track supplier and cut it in half.
Just run some heavier springs in the back. Moog makes cargo-control springs for basically every car that have a higher spring rate. Should do the job nicely.
or retrofit some high rate springs from a heavier car.
cheesy
less cheasy
push come to shove I'ma going to the challenge no matter what
one inch steel rod and a selection of nuts and washers should give you whatever ride height yo want for cheap. Not much compliance, but cheap.
The factory ones appear to be free standing springs (not mac-struts) with a large diameter wind and a pigtail wind for location on each end-not good for cutting other constant diameter springs to fit. I bet you could find some rear springs from heavy FWD stuff in the junkyard that would work.
Thats turnung out nicely! The easy levelling is to fit a shim between the strut hat and tbe shock tower bur it wont give you suspension travel.
Stiffrr spring are the bext best solution but since your problem is tbe weiggt added you may listen to collin chapmans advice.. remove weight! Gut the inside of the door and try to find cheap smome plexi glass and do all of those rear windows.
That squat is probably a touch beyond my usual answer of a pair of $6 spring rubbers from the parts store , I think this is going to take stiffer springs.
Being GM stuff, I have to ask, do you have the original van springs, and do they fit?
Or you could do what the old drag guys used to do, and stuff a football into the spring and inflate it. Could also throw a set of monroe AIR shocks in there, and inflate to adjust.
Do you have any skinny springs laying around you could put inside the stock springs? 
MrJoshua wrote: The factory ones appear to be free standing springs (not mac-struts) with a large diameter wind and a pigtail wind for location on each end-not good for cutting other constant diameter springs to fit.
Correct. This is what we're working with:
It looking like the best option is to replace the springs with stiffer/taller versions from a heavier variant of this chassis. I also like the idea of a spacer above or below the spring. And air bags could work as well. Thanks for all of the ideas everyone. I'm going to hold off fixing this particular problem until I can do some more research and once I get the rest of the parts mounted to the front of the car to see how everything settles out. Until next time.
Looks like big enough diameter for airlift bags.
We seriously need to see this move under its own power and cant see why that is not happening already?
Tail dragging be cool. Just mount an upside dwon trailer hitch ball to take the brunt of the beating.
Water pump pulleys off of old V8 Chevrolet engines make surprisingly fantastic/ghetto cheap spring spacers. There's a 70 Chevelle I know of with a pair welded into the upper spring pockets. Has seen road and track time with no issues.
In reply to Crackers:
When I was a kid my job on trips to the junkyard was to pull crank pulleys. My father had a collection of different thicknesses for our stock cars. If you torch the centers out for the shocks to pass through they worked up front too.
The Malibu Maxx might be what you want to spec the springs for...
An adjustable rear perch for an e30 might work, depending on the diameter of the centering pin there
Wall-e wrote: In reply to Crackers: When I was a kid my job on trips to the junkyard was to pull crank pulleys. My father had a collection of different thicknesses for our stock cars. If you torch the centers out for the shocks to pass through they worked up front too.
LOL, same here.
If you find the specs on your original springs this might help for finding a taller/stiffer set.
http://www.moog-suspension-parts.com/universal_coil_springs.asp
Nitroracer wrote: If you find the specs on your original springs this might help for finding a taller/stiffer set. http://www.moog-suspension-parts.com/universal_coil_springs.asp
Wow! Thanks for that and thanks to Moog for offering it!
i think air shocks like mentioned above would be a quick and easy fix.
Thank you all for your suggestions. Lots of great ideas.
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