A 1980 REGAL T - TYPE ?

[1980 Buick]

Well, "42 years + later", I "again", got this ole ' gal out / and upon popping a battery in it her, it started immead. !.

THOUGHT: I found some 15" rims, (see pic's) ... but these old "A" cars used 14" Eagle GT's (& not 15's). Question: (if anyone would happen to know); I understand I'll need a different speedo gear opting to use a 15" tire / Speedo will be off, but AFTER THAT: does anyone know if the larger 15's will come into contact with the frame / upon turning the car (say in a full cramp) ?. The BF Goodrich Tire's pictured have only 58 miles on them, but their VERY "weather checked" / and nearing 20 years old !. I just thought something "different" would be a fun thing to try / thanks on any opinion's / facts. Finding even "Goodyears" seems all but impossible anyway.

 

[WE2Regal]

Those T Type wheels are 15"x7". The Regal frames from 78-87 are basically the same, so they fit fine. It's the size of the tire you put on the wheels that can cause rubbing.

 

[1980 Buick]

I thought that might have been the case, but I guess the whole idea's 'moot' / as the Goodyears aren't made anymore anyway ...

(Thx.)

 

[1980 Buick]

Well, after almost 2.6 years / the "Goodyear Eagle GT Tires" are FINIALLY back, (being made again) ... but for ME / "they're not".

Recall (read the above threads), I opted to use my "American Racing" Rims / along with these nicely matched Goodyear Eagle GT raised-white letter tires (I'm tired of the "BF Goodrich Style Tires), Anyway; they SEEMED to mount- up nicely, (the new 15" tires on these particular rims), but upon MOUNTING THEM (on the actual 1980' year car), the outcome (upon a final full-torque down) was that they were very LOOSE on the hubs. So, (after that was discovered), I then was told "hum" ........ "It looks like you'll need some spacers here" ($$)... "Why" I asked ?, / the lugs are to-deep and they cannot "bottom-out" ... SO: I ordered some "spacers" (some 1/4" thick ones), and when those arrived, I THEN learned that the actual "lug holes" (on those spacers), weren't 'large-enough' for the "collared-Lugnut's" (this application requires) ... The style WITH the crush-washer Rings to fit in in the Rim face depressions ... so I had them drilled-out (more $$$), and it was then (unknowingly to me), I THEN learned about the next issue: "the center caps". They slapped around / ready to literally 'fall-out' (note they "fall into the rim" on the inside (or back-side), and they have a tapered lip that prevents them from falling through) ..... and it was THEN, that I learned that a "Center Cap stationing spacer" was & "would" be needed !!!.

Pissed: I was "THEN" / that I SAID "enough" ! ... This crap ends NOW !.

"The spacers were bad-enough" (as I hate cobbling), So, I opted to go back with another set of the "Modern Wheel" Rims (GM's T-Type "OEM Rim"), and NOW I can't, or ("they can't"), seem to find the required 7/16" chromed lug nuts FOR the Factory wheel application !. Man, what an or-deal, and I NEVER Thought (even the Tire Dealer didn't), that this could occur / or could have happened !. SO, now "I wait and see what's goanna happen".

In the end, I'll have my resolve, but it sure took a long time ta FIND IT !.

I tried to load some pictures amid ALL of this HERE, .... but upon trying to do so / I kept getting an "image is too large" message ... (I'll try an figure out what to do about that soon / BUT: that may be beyond my computer skills)  "I'll keep you posted".

 

[WE2Regal]

The factory T Type wheels don't use a lug nut with a washer. They have a tapered seat. You would just need to order some long 7/16 chrome lug nuts with a tapered seat from Summit, Jeg's or possibly any local parts store.

 

[1980 Buick]

SPOT-ON !. But the "American Racing" wheels do. The tapered set for the 1980 Model year is what I'm after NOW.

Thanks for the help tho.

 

[HotAirWH1]

Have you checked Rock Auto - link Rock Auto

 

[1980 Buick]

Now Sir I have not, "but I will". THANK-YOU !

 

[HotAirWH1]

See you at Back to the Bricks "Chrome and Ice Show" in Flint this weekend !!!

 

[WE2Regal]

SPOT-ON !. But the "American Racing" wheels do. The tapered set for the 1980 Model year is what I'm after NOW.

Thanks for the help tho.

I have to admit I wasn't really sure what you were trying to say or ask . That was a pretty long and rambling post just to ask if anyone knew where to get some tapered seat lug nuts. The use of all caps, highlighted and underlined wording and double spaced sentences to emphasize your frustration didn't help.

 

[1980 Buick]

Nope, I never "asked", and no 'rambling' either. You need to read all of the above, including the beginning / the opening thought. My remarks are based on the fact that the Amer. Racing Rims (thought to easily mount right on up n' done / "their all the same") weren't. The point in the entire remark was all the frustration, amid the busyness in a lost cause ... Machine shops, then the needed spacers, and then to ice the cake: more frustration with the needed "center cap spacers". The tapered lugs are quite abundant, but nice chromed ones (with the correct depth) with that thread required a second look to find.

"It's just a silly old Regal were talking about here" ...

Anyway, I now have the lugs (on the GM Modern Rims), and I'm waiting on the plastic center caps / done.
"Boy their beautiful to" !!

 

[1980 Buick]

Happy Easter everyone !. Well, I finally got some pictures of ole' Bessy / amid the American racing (vrs. the Modern Wheel Rims) ... and, now that Goodyears making the Eagle GT's again ? / "perfect".

"Call it the 40 year change". ANYWAY: They sure provide a good ride, and the "Modern Rim" is (again) where I landed ... and aside of the same ole same center caps, "I like it" !.

 

[1980 Buick]

Just a few more pic's of some more Regal's / & more "before and after" shots ... OH, and one other "BONUS" pic !

 

[TexasT]

I'm diggin' the cornering lamps. Great looking ride!

So, was there a part number(s) for the lug nuts(/washers) for the American racing wheels saga? Were you able to ditch the spacers? Being an '80 model and the references to the 7/16" nut above I'm guessing this was pre metric?

 

[1980 Buick]

Thanks, The Lug nuts were a C-772 / (a rather common Lug / with a crush washer). I'm not sure with the Metric remark, but your prob. right (just a 7/16" Std. thread) ... *and even the spacers were somewhat common & available. The part for me that sealed the deal (and why I abandoned the American racing Rim altogether) was not only because of that SPACER, (and I did buy 4 of them as I preface above), but it was the CENTER-CAP "plague" (after the Spacer issue) that sealed the Amer. Racing Rim fate. What that means (and I know you get this / but others might not), is that WHILE the spacer fixed the lug nut depth issue, it WAS the center-caps "flapping in the wind" AFTER THAT, ... that was the other.

It turns out that another Center Cap "backer" (spacer) was needed to remedy THAT issue ... too "JC Whitney'ish for me" / DONE.

I like (and think) the "appeal" is alot nicer NOW (esp. now that the Goodyear Tires are back / made).

Myself personally, I'd have rather stayed with a 14" tire size ... but the T-Type "Modern Rim" isn't available / because that appl. was in a 15" Rim only. ("I guess"). *Check out the 84' Hurst below ... "I think the Tire makes the car".

 

[Chuck Leeper]

The factory T Type wheels don't use a lug nut with a washer. They have a tapered seat. You would just need to order some long 7/16 chrome lug nuts with a tapered seat from Summit, Jeg's or possibly any local parts store.

DO NOT get the Gorilla product. They suck. Piss poor chrome.
We use McGard ONLY!

 

[1980 Buick]

DO NOT get the Gorilla product. They suck. Piss poor chrome.
We use McGard ONLY!

"I'm hearing about that chrome problem on ALOT of Lug Sets Chuck" !!

 

[1980 Buick]

Just got ole' Bessy out again, "and it started right up" !. I also popped on some Goodyear Eagle GT's (now that their available again) ... would love to see other A' cars like this one / anyone else out there - There MUST BE !?.

 

[THensley]

I had a white with red interior wish I had keep it. It would have been 1 of 6 different cars I wish I had kept.
That's a A list of cars

 

[1980 Buick]

Well, I got my old 1980 gal' out again, and decided to address the Front Bumper Fillers (once and for all). These "fillers" (in my experience anyway) are very hard / if not impossible to find. 1980 Regals were a one year only car (the 4 headlamp system) and perhaps THAT is why. The 1978-79 Regals were the 2 lamp headlamp system, and VERY different (as their parking lamps were fender mounted and NOT bumper housed). A quick thought: I had this Regal Somerset Built (at Buick City in Flint MI.) with every option available for the 1980 model year, (and I also partially watched it's assembly back in 1979) having worked at the Nations Flagship Dealer (back in the day). Soon it'll be 50 years that we've been together, and even the seat backs have "Buick umbrella's" (in a leather stitched pockets) on their seat backs. Some here may recall this was a "Somerset" package car (as prefaced in the above conversion) and that I decided to abandoned the (THEN) fading enamel paint / and convert it to an imaginary T-Type Regal ..."all silly, but it's done and over with now".

Anyway, I wondered if anyone else out here has made, (or attempted to 'chop' their front bumper fillers) with ANY they may have "made" or found, (or resurrected) as to TRY an fit them to this year A car. I had 5 sets made (about 20 years ago off a less then perfect set) from another 1980 I had, and these were the copies which they made me (pictured below). The issues that their "geometry" is just a bit off (amid a generally poor fit) and I've tried now 5 different places to try an find my answer for that PERFECT FIT. All these places tell me that what I'm after [in my modifying these] CANNOT be done. I left them (the dark fillers on my car that are of course not even painted yet / & pictured below) for 9 months at the last Body Shop, and when I pressed them after waiting about 6 months ... they told me to come an collect them, and to leave them alone saying "we're done with you" / and what you ask cannot be done. This was very frustrating as I NEVER begged anyone to do anything ! ... rather, they dismissed the issue (upon my taking them 9 months earlier) saying what I wanted / "was a 20-30 minute simple task" !.

So here they are, (as I've FINIALLY found someone whom was willing to cut, and 'modify' them). Thought: even the rears (and I had those made as well) are NOT perfect, *but any passer-on-by would never be able to distinguish this, (as their fit 'overall' is nearly perfect). So below are some pic's of the process, and I'd sure appr. hearing about anyone else's experience's in a similar regard / + I'd love hearing about what YOU did to find any 'resolve' here.

The LAST 2 pictures are the pic's of the modification needed (see the cut-out cardboard pieces) to correct the lack of their "fins" to finish-out the the part where the front fillers merry into the Front Bumper side tails.