Some may recall, the wife and I recently acquired an '05 Impala with 150K on it. It needed some attention.

So, yesterday, me and and a friend of mine changed:
- Plugs and wires
- Belt
- Air Filter
- O2 Sensor
- Fuel Filter
My friend used something much like a turkey baster and sucked out all the brake fluid and power steering fluid from their respective resvoirs. Both fluids BLACK (brake fluid was a tint of green and the power steering was a tint of red). We then refilled those fluids with good clean stuff. We know that's not considered a full fluid flush (but given the weather and our temporary spot to work, this is better then no clean fluid in those systems).

Spark Plug Observation:
So, I typically like to use AC Delco plugs in my GM cars. I've used copper and platinum plugs. The only AC Delco plugs I saw listed for the '05, 3.4 Impala were the $7 AC Delco irridium plugs. I really wasn't feeling like spending $7 a hit on plugs when platinums by other vendors were $3. So this left me with AutoLite, NGK and BOSCH (and I'm not a fan of BOSCH plugs in GMs). Since a couple of the 3800 performance shops sell NGK, I bought NGK plugs.
When I pulled out the original plugs, which had 150K on them, I noted on the stem read "AC Delco", but on the metal band, just above where the socket grabs the plug, it read "NGK". And old and new plugs looked almost identical. So, the question I asked my friend "would these be considered original equipment plugs that I'm putting in?".
Plus side, the old plugs looked great for 150K on them. Each one looked identical (so each cylinder appears to be working correctly, no mis-firing or fouling).

The rear O2 sensor was a nightmare:
First getting it out took me an hour (could only make small movements and it was in tight). Got it out, found that the sensor I bought was a "universal one". I did not like that, my friend and I buzzed to the parts store. Per their computer, it's the same O2 sensor for both up and down stream, but they had a foot note for the '05 Impala, use this other part number for the downstream (and they were out of it).
So we went to a parts store, who's chain I try to avoid (most the time they don't have the part and the staff most the time is horrible). I forgot the foot note from the other place (man that was stupid, it woulda saved some time). Per the computer catalog at the 2nd store, they had it and we took it back... Only to find the connector was wrong (it had a female connector, I needed a male one). We went back to the store and had the connector from the old O2 sensor. The guys there were as confused as we were. THey had another vendor's O2 sensor at another store and called them to check what type of connector. In the end, I'm not sure who came up with it, but they punched up the 3.8 engine (I have a 3.4 in this Impala), and they pulled the rear O2 sensor for the 3.8 and it was the right part!!! YEAH!

Drive home:
During re-installation of the fuel filter, I the retaining ring for the quick connect broke (which unlike previous cars I worked on, this was on the fuel line not the filter). I managed to get it all back together and thought it was holding. Very, very close to home, the quick connect, disconnected. My friend who was right behind me picked me up from the side street I coasted on to. Less then 2 minutes from home. We drove to my place, I grabbed some zip ties and a flash light, went back to the car, reconnected the line and used zip ties to hold it. Got it home.
This morning, hit the part stores and found a replacement retaining clip. Got it in and all is good.

Conclusion:
For those who made it this far, thanks for humoring me and sharing in my retelling of this experience. It was a lot of work hammered out. The car ran dang good on all the original stuff, but I felt in the idea of getting the most out of it, this was all work worth doing.

 

Diffidently worth the piece of mind to have it all replaced. Glad to hear its running good.

 

Good job, now are you glad you didn't pass on this opportunity. :P

 

So far, I think this car has been a great deal (as I said before, it needs some TLC). When spring hits, we want to vacuum and then shampoo the interior. Clean it up as much as possible. Overall, Amanda is thrilled with the car. I am hoping to see it hit 200K miles (that's about 50K in our ownership) with ease.
All in all, it makes for a great winter beater.