I'm looking for an 84-87 GN or t-type and am wondering how well they work as a daily driver. What kind of mpg can I expect, any reliability issues? etc. My plans are to use it for my 20 mile round trip to work as well as to take it on short vacations/road trips. Should see a little over 5000 miles per year. I do have a pickup to drive on snow and ice in the winter so that is not an issue. I'd like to hear others input that use their GN/Ttype as a daily driver. As long as the gas mileage is decent and won't have to deal with many mechanical issues, these cars sound like they would make great daily drivers.
GN as a daily driver
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they are great daily drivers,and get great fuel mileage.
But cars this old, are gonna need some attention from time to time
But cars this old, are gonna need some attention from time to time
salvageV6
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No issues as a driver.
17mpg modded or stock mixed mileage use.
Keep an extra $1000 to $1500 in spare parts on hand when you purchase the car in the budget, most will fit in the trunk in a carry bag and you are good to go.
Better than any 2wd pickup in the winter as well.
Mechanical issues to deal with would depend upon whos car you buy since you can't get a new one.
Been stranded once in 18 years by the car, walked home one mile in an ice storm however if that counts, drove around closed roads and some stranded cars on hills for 3 hours another time but made it home, had to go two towns over to get by the storm and closed stuff, and another 3 hour drive-around in a tornado in 1988 but made it home.
The time I was stranded was a popped off tie rod end that had broken due to lack of grease for 2 years. My fault not the cars.
Also looped a 15 year old throttle body rubber hose as a mod. that broke a week later, that stopped me an hour but didn't strand me. Made a nice mess with anti-freeze however. :frown:
Lost an IGN module that wasn't in the trunk but got one at NAPA and installed it in 2 hours, now I carry one with me and always have some tools.
All that in 18 years ain't so bad.
I coulda been walking a lot more with other brands of slower cars.
17mpg modded or stock mixed mileage use.
Keep an extra $1000 to $1500 in spare parts on hand when you purchase the car in the budget, most will fit in the trunk in a carry bag and you are good to go.
Better than any 2wd pickup in the winter as well.
Mechanical issues to deal with would depend upon whos car you buy since you can't get a new one.
Been stranded once in 18 years by the car, walked home one mile in an ice storm however if that counts, drove around closed roads and some stranded cars on hills for 3 hours another time but made it home, had to go two towns over to get by the storm and closed stuff, and another 3 hour drive-around in a tornado in 1988 but made it home.
The time I was stranded was a popped off tie rod end that had broken due to lack of grease for 2 years. My fault not the cars.
Also looped a 15 year old throttle body rubber hose as a mod. that broke a week later, that stopped me an hour but didn't strand me. Made a nice mess with anti-freeze however. :frown:
Lost an IGN module that wasn't in the trunk but got one at NAPA and installed it in 2 hours, now I carry one with me and always have some tools.
All that in 18 years ain't so bad.
I coulda been walking a lot more with other brands of slower cars.
boosted231
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Just make sure you do every anti theft precaution you can, these cars get stolen!!! I know from first hand experience what its like to go out and find your car gone. 
Grumpy said:and they will leave you stranded without warning
****I've never been stranded by my GN, but take it for what it is: a 20 year old used car. The reality of the situation is that it has the disadvantage of father time putting wear and tear on components that are simply not that easy to get anymore. You can carry all kinds of spare parts in the car for just in case, but honestly - save yourself the trouble and just get a newer beater car as a daily driver that has the added benefits of things like airbags, remote key entry, much better gas mileage, and probably lower insurance premiums to boot.
I've had GN's for many years now, and I enjoy working on them and talking to my friends on the various sites dedicated to them. However, do a cursory examination of this and other sites and you will see the kinds of problems people experience on a very regular basis on these cars, and how quickly these problems add up to pretty big $$$. If you know enough about them, of course you can keep them on the road, and plenty of people on this site will tell you how reliable their car has been, and how great it is on gas, and how fast it goes with very few mods, etc... but it's still a 20 year old used car, and probably better off being used more as a weekend or occasional driver, than a daily driver.
Just my opinion
Billy
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for whats its worth, i drive one everyday as my daily driver and wouldnt have it any other way
JDSfastGN
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i think they can make great dailys. I have built my GN to be a great daily driver. But i do have a truck to drive if something is wrong. The car has had its problems before and has left me stranded a few times all due to trying to push a tranny too far power wise. Other than a bad stock MAF making my drive home pretty crappy and breaking the cam sensor pin... its been great. I have it at college right now and its been good to me. Can't ask for much more from a 20 year old 11 sec car.
67turboCamaro
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You should be alright as long as you keep a spare coilpack, module, ECM, MAF, Crank sensor, Cam sensor, transmission, and complete set of tools with you at all times. 
my wife ,daughter an I have had a fleet of Buicks since 86 ... sorry but I drive my cars and RACE them .. we have a gazillion miles on these cars . broke one crank in half ...broke 5 or so forward clutch drums (most at the track) .. parts are getting harder and harder to come by ... like Maf's you can use them as drivers but be prepared to work on them .. well unless ya drive the car like a little ol lady 
you can use them as drivers but be prepared to work on them .. well unless ya drive the car like a little ol lady
JDSfastGN
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JDSfastGN said:
i should have knocked on wood dammit... on the way to a friends house today at the top of 2nd there was a bang and nothing but neutral... i have pump pressure so either some how my billet forward drum or billet input shaft broke or the converter blew
I knew something bad was gonna happen after i gave it propsjurassic five 7
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67turboCamaro said:You should be alright as long as you keep a spare coilpack, module, ECM, MAF, Crank sensor, Cam sensor, transmission, and complete set of tools with you at all times.
Might as well just haul a spare GN behind too!
JDSfastGN said:i should have knocked on wood dammit... on the way to a friends house today at the top of 2nd there was a bang and nothing but neutral... i have pump pressure so either some how my billet forward drum or billet input shaft broke or the converter blew
isn't that the truth !!!!! I have had good luck with them BUT I have 5-7 parts cars hanging around
tranny's have been the one thing that leaves ya stranded . I allways have a spare tranny ready to go sitting on the shelf .. :biggrin: althought we have broken the drum more often at the track But ya have to admit the car takes a beating I'm on my 4th GN and think they are the absolute best car in the world for the money. I started driving mine as a daily driver about a year ago and wish I had done that before - it is so much more enjoyable!
But - it IS a 20 year old car and so that brings with it some concerns, most of which have been mentioned here. The worst one that I can think of is the lack of anti-lock brakes! On snowy/frosty roads, YOU are your anti-lock brakes. In a way, it makes you be a better/safer driver because YOU control your fate.
No airbags is another big issue. But this should make you an even better defensive driver.
However, the reward is in the drive and the incredible amount of thumbs up and other positive attention you'll get (if you're into that). People ALWAYS come up to talk to me about the car, ask a lot of questions, and just love it. I was even stopped once by a highway patrolman just so he could see it up close!
Drive it! Every day! That is what the car was meant to be used for. Just remember to keep the underside clean if you do encounter snowy/salty roads! Rust will jump on these cars like it's magnetized if you don't take good care of it bottom to top. It's not hard - you just can't ignore a dirty car.
You'll get to know it better and you'll appreciate it for what it really is - performance that can't be rivalled in a car the likes of which you'll never see built again.
But - it IS a 20 year old car and so that brings with it some concerns, most of which have been mentioned here. The worst one that I can think of is the lack of anti-lock brakes! On snowy/frosty roads, YOU are your anti-lock brakes. In a way, it makes you be a better/safer driver because YOU control your fate.
No airbags is another big issue. But this should make you an even better defensive driver.
However, the reward is in the drive and the incredible amount of thumbs up and other positive attention you'll get (if you're into that). People ALWAYS come up to talk to me about the car, ask a lot of questions, and just love it. I was even stopped once by a highway patrolman just so he could see it up close!
Drive it! Every day! That is what the car was meant to be used for. Just remember to keep the underside clean if you do encounter snowy/salty roads! Rust will jump on these cars like it's magnetized if you don't take good care of it bottom to top. It's not hard - you just can't ignore a dirty car.
You'll get to know it better and you'll appreciate it for what it really is - performance that can't be rivalled in a car the likes of which you'll never see built again.
Raven said:But - it IS a 20 year old car and so that brings with it some concerns, most of which have been mentioned here. The worst one that I can think of is the lack of anti-lock brakes! On snowy/frosty roads, YOU are your anti-lock brakes. In a way, it makes you be a better/safer driver because YOU control your fate.
put 4 Blizzack snow tires on and have some fun !!! ya some are driven in the snow
Grumpy said:put 4 Blizzack snow tires on and have some fun !!! ya some are driven in the snow
I have snow tires on the back of my GN right now (275 Nitto Drag Radials do not get along well in ANY amount of snow!).
The car drives nice - well, as nice as an 11 second car can be driven on the street in the snow!
Thanks for the replies.
I've had an 86 Monte Carlo LS as a daily driver for the past 11 years so the switch to a GN/ttype shouldn't be too much of a stretch.
As an example, I've spent around $8000 on my wife's Pontiac Grand Am over the past 5 years - new engine, transmission and a whole host of other minor repairs at $200-400 a pop. All on a car that is maybe worth $1000 today. I definetly want to avoid making this mistake in the future. I'd rather buy a car that will hold its value or maybe even increase over time, and own something that I actually enjoy driving even if it means getting 22 mpg instead of 30.
The imports or FWD cars in general don't appeal to me at all. I've grown up on American rear wheel drive cars, I doubt that will ever change.
I've had an 86 Monte Carlo LS as a daily driver for the past 11 years so the switch to a GN/ttype shouldn't be too much of a stretch.
As an example, I've spent around $8000 on my wife's Pontiac Grand Am over the past 5 years - new engine, transmission and a whole host of other minor repairs at $200-400 a pop. All on a car that is maybe worth $1000 today. I definetly want to avoid making this mistake in the future. I'd rather buy a car that will hold its value or maybe even increase over time, and own something that I actually enjoy driving even if it means getting 22 mpg instead of 30.
The imports or FWD cars in general don't appeal to me at all. I've grown up on American rear wheel drive cars, I doubt that will ever change.
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I drive one everyday but not when it snows, i have 2 trucks that i can drive when its nasty out.
They really are great daily drivers, i love to blast it on the highway and get after it as much as anyone else would :biggrin:
Knock on wood, but the only "issue" that i was faced with was when i was at the race track and my upper rad hose developed a pretty good leak near the thermostat housing.
I was stranded.... But i knew what to do, i let the car cool off and topped the radiator and coolant overflow with water, then put the radiator cap on HALF WAY. This would allow the coolant system to do its job but not build pressure and push the fluid out the hole in my upper rad hose.
Worked great, the car didnt overheat and i made it home with no issues.
If the maf goes out, unplug it and take the up-pipe off and drive the car home NA.
I do keep a small track tool box in the trunk, but honestly havent used it in about a year. Screw drivers, zip ties, spare chips,wrenches,dikes, spare multimeter,lugnuts,gloves,red rags,ic hoses,hose clamps,ect....
On my daily driver i put 7,000 miles on it last year with no roadtrips and no break downs warranting a tow.
I drive 20 miles one way 5 days a week.
It did recieve a new rear HR bar,new meth kit,6 new speakers, new drilled rotors and ceramic pads, upgrades are awesome!
My car gets 15-20 mpg depending on how many times i floor it, usually get 17mpg combo of city and highway, i get after it at least 4 times per day.
If you get one, buy a hardtop (no worries about leaks) no rust, less than 160,000 and the buyer that knows these cars.. Dont buy one from someone who cant figure something out about it.
Buy one with simple mods, cat back,chip,airfilter,suspension....
Mods add up quick!
BW :biggrin:
They really are great daily drivers, i love to blast it on the highway and get after it as much as anyone else would :biggrin:
Knock on wood, but the only "issue" that i was faced with was when i was at the race track and my upper rad hose developed a pretty good leak near the thermostat housing.
I was stranded.... But i knew what to do, i let the car cool off and topped the radiator and coolant overflow with water, then put the radiator cap on HALF WAY. This would allow the coolant system to do its job but not build pressure and push the fluid out the hole in my upper rad hose.
Worked great, the car didnt overheat and i made it home with no issues.
If the maf goes out, unplug it and take the up-pipe off and drive the car home NA.
I do keep a small track tool box in the trunk, but honestly havent used it in about a year. Screw drivers, zip ties, spare chips,wrenches,dikes, spare multimeter,lugnuts,gloves,red rags,ic hoses,hose clamps,ect....
On my daily driver i put 7,000 miles on it last year with no roadtrips and no break downs warranting a tow.
I drive 20 miles one way 5 days a week.
It did recieve a new rear HR bar,new meth kit,6 new speakers, new drilled rotors and ceramic pads, upgrades are awesome!
My car gets 15-20 mpg depending on how many times i floor it, usually get 17mpg combo of city and highway, i get after it at least 4 times per day.
If you get one, buy a hardtop (no worries about leaks) no rust, less than 160,000 and the buyer that knows these cars.. Dont buy one from someone who cant figure something out about it.
Buy one with simple mods, cat back,chip,airfilter,suspension....
Mods add up quick!
BW :biggrin:
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cool 84 said:
How in the world could you spend $700.00 a month / $8400.00 in maintenance on your car each year?
If you started from scratch, 3000.00 for a killer motor, 3000.00 for a killer trans, you would still have 2400.0 left over for a new turbo,brakes,and suspension work....Thats just one year!
BW
