Thanks for your post jwalker. As far as the ride goes - my wife may not like it much but it's what I prefer - and she no longer drives. As for the weight--as a matter of fact the Oldsmobile 215 aluminum V8 weighs less than a B23-and that's complete with flywheel. With my conversion to a T5 gearbox from the automatic the wagon lost about 250 lbs. I had to heat the strut springs to lower the car about 1.5 inches. I've considered whether that might contribute to my dissatisfaction but I did the same on my first Olds V8 project with no ill effects - but now that I think about it--that was a 1976 265 which has the massive, heavy Peugeot V6 mounted way far forward. I'm sure the spring rate would be considerably higher than springs for the 245. Maybe a set of sport lowering springs would get my car level with it's lower drivetrain weight. I'm not looking to spend unnecessarily so used would be fine. Years ago I purchased some used sport springs for my 144 from a Brickboarder. They're still in the car (along with used old fashioned Koni adjustable shocks - removed from a scrapped car) they've been through many tens of thousands of miles of road driving and about 40 track days. - Dave

Bilstein has only standard replacements for strut inserts - and none for the late 240. I have 3 pair of used b6 performance rear shocks on the shelf. Two pair are available at a reasonable price. - Dave