87 GN, after a year and a half refresh. Back to a showy version of stock.

[87 WE2]

This should have been a 6 month project, now I understand why everyone says wait till you have kids. I decided to tear into the GN and take it back to a show version of the stock setup, paint my door jambs, fire wall, and powder coat & jet hot anything I can.
I installed new door hinges, weather stripping, the list goes on and on. I have had parts to rebuild my front suspension and then some since 2002 in box's just kept putting off the work.
I have now in stages since 2001 done everything to this car but take the body completely off. Its body on restored however the body was lifted for new body bushings.
Also took the entire engine harness apart, repaired splices not made correctly by the previous owner but mainly to route all of my gauge wiring into the stock wire harness hide vacuum lines and installed HID headlights and the wiring for them as well hidden up behind the header panel to try to clean up the under hood clutter very time consuming but worth it in the end.

Old Look:
Modified

GNX style wheels

GNX style gauge cluster

Coming Apart

After a lot of power washing

Front clip, suspension removed & cleaning up the chassis:

Chassis, spindles, new steering components painted with 3 coats of satin black POR15.
I had the control arms, sway bar, coil springs powder coated.

 

[87 WE2]

Motor back together with new sensors, powder & jet hot coated parts

Back in the car

Out of the garage under its own power

HID ballast/wiring install

And finally back to the stock instrument cluster with a few gauges off to the side.

I still have some work to do after the winter brakes. It needs an alignment check, ac charged, I have a set of stock GN rims out being restored for it, it’s getting new tires, a carpeted trunk kit, a few final touch up items under the hood and last but not least a good detailing. I put about 25 miles on it last Sunday and it felt great to get back behind the wheel can’t wait for summer…

Its been a slow day today so I thought I would share where its at now, I'll post more pics when its completely finished

 

[augie1010]

looks terrific, how long did it take you to do all that? btw, where did you get the gnx style dash cluster, I have never seen one like that? good luck with the new look, car looks great in either form
DWS, 87 GN

 

[87 WE2]

Thanks, I was shooting for 6 months but it took a year and a 1/2 total. However I did not work on it at all last winter so it sat for 5 months so really a year total of random weekends and late week nights.

The GNX cluster was from performance instruments no longer in business. I installed it when I did my entire interior restoration back in 2005, pulled it to go back to the stock cluster this year and before anyone asks its been sold now for over a year, its long gone...

 

[87 WE2]

I finally finished it:

Underside of hood painted and 9 hole insulation on.

Pin stripe removed

Paint looked terrible from neglect during the project.

All taped put for clay and polish

Paint after

Underside on the lift for front end alignment

Sun glare in this one

 

[87 WE2]

Pics from Kirbans on Saturday

 

[Steve V]

Very Very nice!

 

[X Ray]

Very Very nice!

I will second that...and add another very..
You should be proud of the work you did....

 

[Phoneguy]

WOW!!!!!!!!!
Very well done !!!

Bryan

 

[longball]

WOW! Great job, it came out beautiful!!!

 

[megawatt]

Raising the bar of stock restoration! Fantastic!!

 

[Rafs-T-Type]

That is unreal. Nice work!

 

[87 WE2]

Thanks guys, its sure is my best work yet and tons of it but I'm really happy with how it came out. Felt great to drive it Saturday up to Kirbans after nearly 2 years off the road.

 

[GNICETRY]

That engine was THE NICEST stock type engine that you will EVER see. EVERY bolt, wire, nut, screw was perfect. It looked stock but NO buick, NO OEM car has EVER left the factory looking like that.

However long it took, however how many tears were shed and however much it cost, rest assured your engine is in a category by itself.

And it looks twice as nice in person.

 

[richburke03]

AMAZING!!

 

[truckindude]

Got to see it firsthand at kirban on saturday,I can only dream of mine looking that good.Great job you have every right to be proud of yourself.

 

[Gunmetal87]

Great job on the paint! Big difference without the pin stripes. I like the restoration back to stock.

 

[pmoore4321]

Was your spare tire well dented?

 

[87 WE2]

Yes before I bought the car. Its always bugged me and at some point I will fix it the right way.

 

[pmoore4321]

The reason I ask is because mine is dented and it drives me crazy. What did you use to knock it out? I was tempted yesterday to use my BFH, but thought I might make it worse. I would think yours would not be noticeable when it's on the ground.