i broke a shock last week and since the springs were getting weak anyway i decided to buy new springs and shocks. i ordered the moog set that is stated to fit these cars. but after i took the original spring off, the new ones were almost two inches shorter. now the car always seemed just a tad high in the front to me. so my question is...do coil springs actually stretch instead of compressing once they are worn out?

Just because the old springs are taller when you take them out doesn't mean that the ride height will be lower when the Moogs are in. The rate of the Moogs may be higher. Compare the diamater of the wire (use a micrometer or some open end wrenches). Is the new spring thicker? How is the spacing of the coils?

Just to make sure, call a couple more parts places to make sure you got the right part number.

One tip to make sure they are in right:
Look on the bottom of the control arm. In the spring pocket, there are two small holes where the spring sits. This is to show you where the end of the coil sits. Turn the spring so ONE hole is covered by the end of the spring. This ensures the spring is in the right spot, and allows you to have matching ride height side to side.:D

yes i made that mistake many years ago. now i make sure they are positioned correctly.

the spring coils are exactly the same dia and also have the same spacing. thats why i ama little confused. although the new springs weight approx 1lb more than whats currently on the car.

i tried calling every parts store i could from east to west coast but no one carries them in -store. only through the warehouse. so i had to order another set to measure and make sure there werent packaged wrong. it is the correct part number for the car moog #6800.

Give them a try... rockauto.com lists those as the right ones:

MOOG Part # 6800 {Sold in Pairs}
Front Suspension; RWD; w/A/C $77.99