Is a Turbo Buick a good starter/project car for a teenager?

[tquick87]

I bought mine when i was a junior in high school, and i would never trade the great times spent with my GN. I learned how to work on cars with it; made some mistakes, but in all had a blast! Plus while all his friends will be driving newer cars he'll stand out. I say surprise him and do it!

 

[charlief1]

One other option is to get a regular Regal to learn on and mod. If you find one with a 4.1 he can get decent mileage and learn how they work and later add some go fast parts or maybe drop a V8 in it. Once he gets everything under his belt then think about a GN.

 

[wb's87]

So. Your son is only 10 now? I think most ten year olds would have neither a clue about a turbo regal. Or much care. Who is the project really for dad? My 16 yr old son helps me out plenty with my GN. In between playing on 2 ice hockey teams, lacrosse and soccer. He is very mature and responsible beyond his age. However he will not be driving it anytime soon. Maybe when he is 20 something. A great friend of mine helped his friends 16 yr old mod a GN to a high 11 sec car. The first day of school as a senior honor student the kid got into a drag race after school. Two girls were crossing the street looked both ways saw the cars coming from quite some distance so they began to cross. They miscalculated the closing rate as the cars were accelerating so fast. One of the girls was killed the other seriously hurt. The kid spent 9 months in jail and the judge ordered the car to be crushed. (True story) very sad. Young people make a lot of poor decisions. My son will be getting a need car with all the modern safety devices.

Don't rush your kid growing up! I remember racing big wheels with my friends in kindergarten, foot races to see who was the fastest. Later on we raced our bicycles. My first car at age 17 was an 11 sec '68 Chevelle SS. I was always out looking for a good drag race. I was lucky I never hurt any one or myself. Accept if you want to count tickets. Lol. Let the kid grow up being a kid.

 

[wb's87]

My first car age 17

 

[turbotroy]

In a word, no.

 

[turbo nasty]

While I like the TR's IMO a newer car will have ABS, TC, airbags, etc and be safer and cheaper to maintain.

 

[TURBOPOWERED68]

IS A TURBO BUICK A GOOD STARTER/PROJECT CAR FOR A TEENAGER?

Only if you want to torture the teenager.
With the cars out today thats the last thing that i would do.
I would advise a teen to go for a
1-Camaro
2-Mustang
3-STI WRX
4-EVO
more parts available and aftermarket support.

 

[Willizm]

So. Your son is only 10 now? I think most ten year olds would have neither a clue about a turbo regal. Or much care. Who is the project really for dad? My 16 yr old son helps me out plenty with my GN. In between playing on 2 ice hockey teams, lacrosse and soccer. He is very mature and responsible beyond his age. However he will not be driving it anytime soon. Maybe when he is 20 something. A great friend of mine helped his friends 16 yr old mod a GN to a high 11 sec car. The first day of school as a senior honor student the kid got into a drag race after school. Two girls were crossing the street looked both ways saw the cars coming from quite some distance so they began to cross. They miscalculated the closing rate as the cars were accelerating so fast. One of the girls was killed the other seriously hurt. The kid spent 9 months in jail and the judge ordered the car to be crushed. (True story) very sad. Young people make a lot of poor decisions. My son will be getting a need car with all the modern safety devices.

Don't rush your kid growing up! I remember racing big wheels with my friends in kindergarten, foot races to see who was the fastest. Later on we raced our bicycles. My first car at age 17 was an 11 sec '68 Chevelle SS. I was always out looking for a good drag race. I was lucky I never hurt any one or myself. Accept if you want to count tickets. Lol. Let the kid grow up being a kid.

To be honest I really like them but it's been my sons favorite car since he was 6. true story. Besides they aren't all that fast in stock form. I figure that's how it's going to stay for quite a while and he wants to fix one up and rebuild the motor because that's what he see's me doing with my turbo TA. He'll gain that respect for it really quick when he's putting in the time and effort to get the thing running right. Also I had cars with no TCS, ABS, etc when I was younger and if anything it teaches you to be more cautious. Hell I could get him a TR that's making 250hp or get him a new mustang 5.0 like other highschoolers thats making 420hp. By today's standards a TR isn't making significant power. Hell an s2000 makes what 240hp out of a NA 2.0L granted you have to rev the piss out of them and make about as much torque as a medium sized tumbleweed.

Trust me, I've tried to encourage him to like Evo's, Mustangs, and TA's but he just likes G body cars and specifically TTypes and GN's.

 

[deathraider6996]

Only if you want to torture the teenager.
With the cars out today thats the last thing that i would do.
I would advise a teen to go for a
1-Camaro
2-Mustang
3-STI WRX
4-EVO
more parts available and aftermarket support.

Why run with the crowd though? I know when I pull up to car meets with people my age (21) everyone that knows what it is, is in awe. Instant respect.

You say more parts and aftermarket support and youre right...but look at this site, if you can't find a answer to your question here then you don't belong anywhere near a tb. I've never had a problem finding something I needed for my car.

Clinton

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk

 

[Pronto]

Whoa, you said your kid is 10 and people your age are 21, so you fathered a child at 11?

 

[buickpassed]

Whoa, you said your kid is 10 and people your age are 21, so you fathered a child at 11?

Pronto you got to start sometime

 

[TURBOPOWERED68]

Why run with the crowd though? I know when I pull up to car meets with people my age (21) everyone that knows what it is, is in awe. Instant respect.

You say more parts and aftermarket support and youre right...but look at this site, if you can't find a answer to your question here then you don't belong anywhere near a tb. I've never had a problem finding something I needed for my car.

Clinton

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk

I agree with you BUT
With the low HP ceiling that these cars have (compared to today's new ridiculously high standards). You end up with a "cute" nice GN.
At least thats the situation i find my self in when i hit my local hang out spot that is loaded with LOTS of big HP power cars. I know that i am one of the slowest cars there and that goes for all ten second and slower cars.
Another quick example is that i went from the fastest in my group to almost the slowest over night. The cars i am trying to compete with are 1- 2002 WS6 LSX block and nitrous Estimated HP 800 for break in time he is going for 1000. 2- 2010 Camaro Super charged or turbo coming soon his target is 800 plus and these are just street cars that will probably never make it to the track. What do i have compared to that? a GN that i hope stays together with a wishful "cute" 500 HP if i am lucky. "Guys go ahead i'll watch from way back here" yeaup thats me in the GN.

NOW if the goal is to have a nice fun car that will hold its value and be more show than go The GN is at the TOP of the list.
Don't get me wrong i love my GN but its just no longer a competitive car, time has finally caught up to it.

 

[wb's87]

Whoa, you said your kid is 10 and people your age are 21, so you fathered a child at 11?

Actually the op I believe is 34. (Willzam) even still most ten year olds need help adjusting the loose chain on there bicycle. I guess I am just missing the whole point. I held the flashlight for my dad and helped him work on cars countless times but to be honest I would rather have been doing something more fun.

 

[1fastcobra]

Hell yes buy it now
Build it together when I graduated hs ( 88 ) most of my friends came to graduate in there car they had built over the years with there dad
Chevelle. Camaro. Gto.mustang.
Etc
I was under cars at the age of 5
Built my first mini bike at 8

I say it doesn't matter what u buy
Bring him up rite . Teach him rite from wrong . And have a firm hand when need be !!!
And see what happends ( all we can do)
Please don't get me started on the kids from the last 10-20 yrs
No respect . Dont listen.

Any way. Spend all the time u can with him get his hands dirty

I say
Watch "SERIOUSLY C'MON DO IT!" on YouTube

Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app

 

[Project TNX]

To be honest I really like them but it's been my sons favorite car since he was 6. true story. Besides they aren't all that fast in stock form. I figure that's how it's going to stay for quite a while and he wants to fix one up and rebuild the motor because that's what he see's me doing with my turbo TA. He'll gain that respect for it really quick when he's putting in the time and effort to get the thing running right. Also I had cars with no TCS, ABS, etc when I was younger and if anything it teaches you to be more cautious. Hell I could get him a TR that's making 250hp or get him a new mustang 5.0 like other highschoolers thats making 420hp. By today's standards a TR isn't making significant power. Hell an s2000 makes what 240hp out of a NA 2.0L granted you have to rev the piss out of them and make about as much torque as a medium sized tumbleweed.

Trust me, I've tried to encourage him to like Evo's, Mustangs, and TA's but he just likes G body cars and specifically TTypes and GN's.

Forget the low HP number, it's the torque and the brute force way the boost comes on that makes this car very unfriendly for a teenager. Our cars still make an ungodly amount of torque even compared to these new cars, and when it comes on full.......well, it's more than I'm willing to hand over to my son. If I were to give him one, or even let him drive mine, the boost would be turned down to about 7#.

 

[Ed Valvo]

I just went through this. My son used to kiss my GN goodnight when he was still sleeping in a crib. He has never known life w/o a GN in the garage. My son, now 13, and my daughter have grown to love the car but it is far from stock. So we found another which needed work and we've been fixing it on weekends. Parts are definitely hard to find and we keep finding more crap to fix. I can see the argument that maybe it is more for myself than the kids, and they could be right, but I'm treasuring the time we're spoending together working on it. They are learning. It has been so long that I forgot how enjoyable a stock setup feels. Not sure what I'm going to do when they become of driving age....

 

[Willizm]

Actually the op I believe is 34. (Willzam) even still most ten year olds need help adjusting the loose chain on there bicycle. I guess I am just missing the whole point. I held the flashlight for my dad and helped him work on cars countless times but to be honest I would rather have been doing something more fun.

It's something he's always wanted to be apart of and it's a car that he likes. I'm so familiar with 4th gens and LS motors but he wants to be apart of a build. Keep in mind that when my kid was 5-6 he grabbed a wrench, ratchet and socket out of my toolbox and took off his own training wheels. He's a kid that likes mechanical things so I don't think he'd lose that interest. Yes, I'm 34

Hell yes buy it now
Build it together when I graduated hs ( 88 ) most of my friends came to graduate in there car they had built over the years with there dad
Chevelle. Camaro. Gto.mustang.
Etc
I was under cars at the age of 5
Built my first mini bike at 8

I say it doesn't matter what u buy
Bring him up rite . Teach him rite from wrong . And have a firm hand when need be !!!
And see what happends ( all we can do)
Please don't get me started on the kids from the last 10-20 yrs
No respect . Dont listen.

Any way. Spend all the time u can with him get his hands dirty

I say
Watch "SERIOUSLY C'MON DO IT!" on YouTube

Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app

This is exactly what my thoughts are. I could spoil the kid buy just buying him a car when he graduates or I can use this as a bonding/teaching thing to show him the value in working hard to make something work by building it himself.

Forget the low HP number, it's the torque and the brute force way the boost comes on that makes this car very unfriendly for a teenager. Our cars still make an ungodly amount of torque even compared to these new cars, and when it comes on full.......well, it's more than I'm willing to hand over to my son. If I were to give him one, or even let him drive mine, the boost would be turned down to about 7#.

I know it makes torque. Trust me, all the cars we have are turbo charged ones. Boost is an addictive feeling. I won't allow him to push more boost than stock and if anything I'll figure a way to bleed off the excess until he can handle it. A few strategic boost leaks and we'll be on our way. lol

The way I see it is that a stock gn is no faster than a stock ls1 fbody. He would have to learn how to respect it if he wants to drive it. No better way to do that then to spend time working on one until then.

I just went through this. My son used to kiss my GN goodnight when he was still sleeping in a crib. He has never known life w/o a GN in the garage. My son, now 13, and my daughter have grown to love the car but it is far from stock. So we found another which needed work and we've been fixing it on weekends. Parts are definitely hard to find and we keep finding more crap to fix. I can see the argument that maybe it is more for myself than the kids, and they could be right, but I'm treasuring the time we're spoending together working on it. They are learning. It has been so long that I forgot how enjoyable a stock setup feels. Not sure what I'm going to do when they become of driving age....

Thats kinda like how we are with TA's.

 

[BigReade]

FWIW, my dad bought me my first car when I was 14, it was a 72 El Camino. Within just months, we were at the drag strip with it, and so began my life of racing, 15 seconds at a time, lol. However, by time I was 16, I was running bottom 10's (best of 10.17) and it was a street legal car that I would cruise to school, take out to car shows, etc.

On the flip side, I was also sneaking it down the "the cruise" every weekend and racing everything in sight! I guess luckily for me, and everyone else, I never had any accidents or problems.

 

[Vigor 87GN]

Second car I bought was a 87' Grand National, I was 19 at the time, eons ago! I'd do it all over again Learned so much about working on cars and being young, really consumed a lot of information from people in the TR community, they were great to me, very helpful and friendly.

The one downside was using it as my sole method of transportation, I'd from time to time bite off more than I could chew and the car wouldn't be drivable for periods of time while I figured things out.

 

[Mackinblack007]

My first car was a turbo buick.