Hello Newb checking in

DrWapenshaw

New Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2017
Hello
J in Virginia checking in! After years of internal debate between an Impala SS or a Buick GN I have decided to get a GN. I dont know if I am going to go restored, preserved or modded out, but dependability is the most important thing to me, I cant stand cars that dont run when they are supposed to.
Thanks for having all this information available!
 
Hello
J in Virginia checking in! After years of internal debate between an Impala SS or a Buick GN I have decided to get a GN. I dont know if I am going to go restored, preserved or modded out, but dependability is the most important thing to me, I cant stand cars that dont run when they are supposed to.
Thanks for having all this information available!

If " Dependability is the most important thing for you " and " you can't stand cars that don't run when they are suposed to ", then GET THE SS.
Don't get me wrong these cars are in my blood and i've owned them for about 37 yrs now ,since i bought my first 78 sport coupe in 1980 or 81, and i'm pretty sure when i kick the bucket some relative somewhere will be inheriting a turbo regal or two, BUT...
1980's gm cars were not known for their great build quality to begin with and now these cars are 30+ years old and have 30+ yr old wiring, body mounts,exhaust, engines,engine parts,transmissions, etc. etc. and they have had at least 15 lbs of boost or so run thru them for decades now, and alot of them did lots of sitting around for extended periods also.
Don't know what yr ss you are talking about (I"m guessing 95-96 ish) but i would have to say it would be more of a get in and go , always starts and runs right ,limited problems type of car ( Except for maybe the optispark probs), and when they break down they are pretty easy to work on yourself and or the neighborhood garage probably couldn't do too much damage to it,(it's just a naturally aspirated small block chevy).
Its not to say that you can't find a turbo regal that will be reasonably trouble free, If it was well maintained and not beat to death,but these cars are not known for their ultra reliability, and can be finicky and troublesome at times and then get very expensive if not kept in very good tune and something goes wrong with it.
When something does go wrong you CAN NOT just bring it to speedy muffler or the gas station mechanic next door for repairs because they will almost certainly mess it up worse then when it was brought in.
I say all this not to put the cars down or talk you out of it if your heart is set on it, but to give you a shot of reality, these are great cars and can be addicting ,but when dependability and always running perfect is THE most important criteria, I'd have to say that the gn is probably not the best bet.
Spend some time going thru the tech sections,turbo lounge etc. to get a feel of potential problems and how frustrating and costly a tr can get if you are not knowledgeable of them.
But if i havn't scared you away ,then i would suggest looking for a lower mile , well maintained car as close to stock as possible, with the exception of small things done for reliability such as better fuel pump ,possibly upgraded brakes,scanmaster etc.
Oh and get an 86 or 87 skip the earlier hot air cars.
Good luck .
 
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Hello and Welcome!!!

I too was scared of the reliability reputation of these cars. It is the primary reason why they are so rare to see. They either get blown to pieces or get left to fall apart. They are 80's cars and contain some of the best and worst engineering that GM had at the time. It was only around this time that GM started to extend warranties past 36k miles. Imports had stormed on the scene and were flaunting their reliability over their American counterparts, and for good reasons.

As T-Typinator, pointed you cannot bring these cars to your average everyday local mechanic anymore. Even if you take it to your local speed shop, they can upsell you on a turbo, they aren't gonna be able to help you with your powermaster brakes. You need to be prepared to get dirty yourself. The beauty of these cars is that so far everyone I have met who works on them LOVES these cars and is happy to help share knowledge, and help you work on them.

I would check in the regional section to see who is nearby in your area, and get a sense of what your local support situation is going to be like. Many folks are willing to go with you to look at the potential purchases you are considering and give you feedback on it's condition for the price of lunch. Like I said we love these cars.

The hardest part of these cars is sorting them out once you get one. Once they are situated, they are a blast to drive, but do need regular care and attention. I have learned a LOT since owning mine. It has yet to leave me stranded (knock on wood) but some big parts have failed (Powermaster and Transmission). Mine was well cared for when i got it, but I was ignorant as to taking care of the brakes and how to drive it without melting second gear. After I was educated and those repairs made, I went on a 400 mile cruise with mine without any problems. Great memories and pics from that trip. it reminded me of why i bought the car to begin with.

Take your time and don't buy the first GN in your price range. It took 3 years to find mine. Search around on this forum and read up on them in the meantime. Look at other new owners threads, and see their stories. Spring is right around the corner. If you are thinking of buying a car, post the link here. Folks are more than happy to give you their opinions. There is nothing like driving one of these, but if all you ever want to do is wash, wax, and change the oil, it may not be the best choice.

Good Luck!
 
Hello and Welcome!!!

I too was scared of the reliability reputation of these cars. It is the primary reason why they are so rare to see. They either get blown to pieces or get left to fall apart. They are 80's cars and contain some of the best and worst engineering that GM had at the time. It was only around this time that GM started to extend warranties past 36k miles. Imports had stormed on the scene and were flaunting their reliability over their American counterparts, and for good reasons.

As T-Typinator, pointed you cannot bring these cars to your average everyday local mechanic anymore. Even if you take it to your local speed shop, they can upsell you on a turbo, they aren't gonna be able to help you with your powermaster brakes. You need to be prepared to get dirty yourself. The beauty of these cars is that so far everyone I have met who works on them LOVES these cars and is happy to help share knowledge, and help you work on them.

I would check in the regional section to see who is nearby in your area, and get a sense of what your local support situation is going to be like. Many folks are willing to go with you to look at the potential purchases you are considering and give you feedback on it's condition for the price of lunch. Like I said we love these cars.

The hardest part of these cars is sorting them out once you get one. Once they are situated, they are a blast to drive, but do need regular care and attention. I have learned a LOT since owning mine. It has yet to leave me stranded (knock on wood) but some big parts have failed (Powermaster and Transmission). Mine was well cared for when i got it, but I was ignorant as to taking care of the brakes and how to drive it without melting second gear. After I was educated and those repairs made, I went on a 400 mile cruise with mine without any problems. Great memories and pics from that trip. it reminded me of why i bought the car to begin with.

Take your time and don't buy the first GN in your price range. It took 3 years to find mine. Search around on this forum and read up on them in the meantime. Look at other new owners threads, and see their stories. Spring is right around the corner. If you are thinking of buying a car, post the link here. Folks are more than happy to give you their opinions. There is nothing like driving one of these, but if all you ever want to do is wash, wax, and change the oil, it may not be the best choice.

Good Luck!
Very well said
 
The feedback is much appreciated. It does give me a lot to chew on, I will do more research, but no I am not YET scared away from getting my GN. It is funny, I remember when they were NEW sitting on the dealer floor. My dad wasn't much into looking at "sports" cars, but I remember him looking with much admiration at the GN at the dealership.
We did not get one, but I would love to have one to share that with him and relive that memory..............
 
It is worth mentioning that when they were new, and even well into the 90's there was still a LOT to figure out about these cars. Nowadays they have it all figured out in terms of do's and don'ts and what a problem likely is. Assuming your potential GN has been sorted out and you aren't dealing with a lot of unknown mods to the car, the cause of the problem is likely documented somewhere on this board, or gnttype.org. Of course finding the cause and fixing the cause are two different things. That is why support structure in your area is key.

The fun stuff guys are figuring out now is well beyond 'keeping them running'. They work on integrating new technology into their cars and of course keeping up (and passing) Hellcats and the like. Guys convert over to E85 fuel and really turn up their boost. That is how the addiction plays into it. When your fuel pump goes out, why stay stock? And why put a bigger fuel pump in unless you are gonna put in bigger injectors. And what would be the point of running bigger injectors unless you are gonna crank up the boost. But you cant crank up the boost on pump gas without an alky system or E85. And your car will run like crap with all that stuff in without a good chip upgrade.... and no good chip upgrade woudl be complete without a solid tune from a GN guru.... but now you spin your tires every time your car shifts so time to look at the tires/ suspension..... and wash, rinse, repeat hehe :)

The people at Visa/Mastercard for sure love GN owners!
 
Welcome to the site.
Just like any high performance vehicle, it will be as dependable as you make it and push it to it's limits.
The key is knowledge. The good news is that we give that away for free here. ;)

If you are the kind of person who mods a car with a credit card and not a tool box, I'd recommend buying the nicest car you can afford and don't mod it too much. You will be greatly rewarded with a very fun and fast car that will be going up in value.

If you are the kind of person who is hands on and willing to read here, I'd recommend buying the nicest car you can afford and modding the crap out of it, laying waist to everything on two and four wheels. Oh yea. Your car will be going up in value too, but chicks will dig you even more than that credit card dude. :D

Welcome to the Dark Side...

Happy spooling.
Mike Barnard
 
I love to hear they have it all "figured out" I am torn because I tend to be a bit of a traditionalist and would want one to be "100%" stock, at least look "100% stock, but I would love it to have modern performance and modern technology. Not necessarily be 1000 horsepower, but I would love to have our modern day suspension and ignition etc.

That really gets me excited to think of having a GN set up like that..... oh boy....
 
If " Dependability is the most important thing for you " and " you can't stand cars that don't run when they are suposed to ", then GET THE SS.
Till the Optispark craps out!
If you want a TB then it might help to find some experienced owners in your area. It's important to have a network of gurus and enthusiasts to help you learn about our little 6 cylinder V8 killer.
 
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