A 1980 REGAL T - TYPE ?

[1980 Buick]

Nearly 40 years ago I ordered this Buick Regal (a 1980), with every option available in 79'. The car came / and was ordered in a "Somerset Package", and I drove it for about 6 years ... zooming ahead:, later I would become discouraged with the car, why ?: because (back at that time), I had the usual enamel paint issue's where the finish would eventually start to fade, shadow, and THEN it started to crack and come off all-together, (mainly with the upper-side blue color . SO: while the car was still under warranty, I had the upper blue (again: the car came in the two-tone "Somerset" Package) all redone.

After that I parked the car, and never drove it again ...

As one can imagine: repainting anything (back at that time) in "enamel" ... didn't last "long". Later: the stripes never really fully covered-up the paint "break lines", and after that, the stripes (about 8 years later), FOR those very paint-lines were THEN unavailable. ALL the Somersets we saw at the Dealership were this way, and LATER they ALL eventually "faded-away" / gone.

Pushing the years forward: THEN the Regal "T Types" and "Grand National's" came ta be ...*I can't tell you how in "want" I was for one !, *but alas: "I couldn't afford one. Here's when I decided ta "go for broke" / and decided to work WITH what I had: I striped the entire car down (pulled the hood, trunk, fenders, doors, EVERYTHING and striped her with "Aircraft Stripper". *(I upgraded the hood with the "Turbo-Hood" as well). I sent set-out in doing MY "imaginary 80' T-Type", or DID what the car (too me), WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE. I also decided to sand-blast, and "blacked-out" ALL her chrome (later: this would come back to haunt me), and I drove it for another two years, AFTER THAT: put her away and never drove it again.

Well: after 24 years in storage I decided to get the car back out, "DID", then looked at it: and something I never expected happened: I HATED the blacked-out moldings !. Then came my usual "full-assault mode" on the project *(having just done 4 others EXACTLY like this one). There really was no real "issue" except that of the moldings themselves, I lightly sandblasted them, and after that: had the Body Shop spray an "adherer", so that my paint would "bond-well" ... "IT WORKED" ...

SO: I rubbed, polished and did / used all I could in trying to remedy my "error" all those years ago, then I decided to have them professionally polished.

SO: I took all 36 pieces to the polishing place ... I was told: 850.00 to "try" an get them back ... I then asked: "how long" ? *my answer was "DO-IT". So: each month I went there checking on my stuff, 2 months, 3, 4, 6, 8 10, then a year LATER ...

"ENOUGH": so I went there too collect them, but i could NOT ! . Asking why I never really got a solid answer ... anyway: "I NEVER DID" / now they're gone. *(A looooooooooong, loooong, long story). Luckily: having done so many of these, *(and with the value of "Craigslist"), I was able to find 90 % of my stuff, which soon changed to 100 % a short time after.

SO: HERE is my fantasy "wanna-be, would have been, could have been, "should have been" ? car. I like the white now, and it still drives like new with it's W-4 301 Pontiac Cubic Inch Engine. I figured why sell her for peanuts ? It's STILL a nice car, and it drives like a dream ... I actually insured it this summer, and before I put it away again (likely for good this time), I'd thought I'd share it / this "story" HERE.

What do YOU think ? ??? Thx, for reading !

 

[ek02]

Very nice car. These cars ride so smooth and quiet. I drove a Cutlass 100 miles a day round trip and it was relaxing to drive plus I got 24 MPG with the V6.

 

[b4black]

Nice car. I like the Somerset's, but I understand the repaint. It looks to have the right balance of white, black and chrome.


Drive it and drive it often.

 

[1980 Buick]

Thanks to both of you ... In the above, (and in this thread's 'start'), I was interrupted several times / and screwed some "finality-lines" up. ... ANYWAY: The promised "FINISH-TIME" to polish my moldings was one (1) MONTH.

1 year (and a week) later , was the line in the sand that I drew, (in my trying to get them back). *Each month I went in to check on their progress / impress upon him I was in a hurry to GET them BACK ...

I NEVER did.

Reason: ? *Because he likely ruined them "trying" ta get them "back". *still: "ALL OF THEM Couldn't have been ruined" !!!.

END thought: "I'll never know". < No receipt, NO Proof, my fault > MOVE-ON !!

After that: the interesting fact that the car came with two matching umbrella's (to match the interior), all Somerset's came this way (with one umbrella), but I suppose my having loaded this unit up, "warrantied two" ... one behind / in each seat, (in a pocket).

And the final thought: I was going to change the interior over to a console shifter / design, (amid installing two BUCKET Seats to replace the 60/40's that the car came with) ... "but: I chickened out, as the seats that were installed already (the 60/40's), were very comfortable already".

So: that' was that.

Thx. again.