I Am A Rookie but want to learn.

[just plain john]

If you're just looking for a "decent kick" in a daily driver, just do a sbc and be done. Common, affordable, and easy to fix. Converting to turbo Buick power will cost you a whole lot more, and your car will be off the road for a long long time. The members on this board will give you good advice, and as you can see they say sell yours, save some money, and buy an 86 or 87 intercooled/fuel injected GN or T Type. There are buttloads of parts specific to the TR's, and unless you have a complete donor car those bits and pieces are going to add up cost wise. Let me use my build as an example. I'm doing what you're thinking of doing (going from N/A to turbo Buick in a G body). I bought a complete motor and trans, complete with engine harness, frame side motormounts, fuel lines, cables, radiator, and misc bolts ect. I paid $2500 and thought it was a steal. When you price those items out, it would cost a lot more than what I paid. Then you still need a fuel tank, fuel sender and fuel pump, exhaust, rear end (not the one you already have cause turbo power will kill it), and lots of detail items. Including the initial cost of the vehicle, I have an easy $7k in mine so far (with some upgrades) and it's still not complete after 3 years. It can be done, just be aware of what's required. For what I have in mine as it sits, I could have bought a decent TR that runs and drives.

 

[need boost]

Welcome , you came here with the right attitude ! Guys like you we don't mind helping out at all. Ok you have read all the quotes above, now let me give you my thoughts. If you are going to drive it all the time and want more kick from it, go to the local pick a part and find a new model chevy truck, car, etc with the 6.0 motor and tranny in it. Get all the wiring , computer, etc and drop it in. You will have one that runs great, idles great, and dependable . You can always throw on a turbo hood to give it the look. Drive the car and enjoy it while you save for a turbo regal. These cars are great but they will destroy your pocketbook especially if you drive it all the time. They are a pain in the butt, tempermental, expensive to work on and about a million other things but when they are running right,,,,,, They ROCK. I bought mine for 6500 years ago and the econemy SUCKS now. Dig around and see what you can find. Fair warning though, bought mine 6500 latest tally little over 20,000 in it. Feeling it gives when the boost hits. PRICELESS

 

[RIFF RAFF]

half cutlass half regal

the front clip is off a cutlass only the back halfs a regal . just give me your address and i will come and tackle you . somebody needs to stop you quick ..for what you will spend making that car a tr you could have a great car from these boards sell yours now before its to late and somebody gets a parts car with alot of mods in the wrong direction .. because if you start now you might be done be the time your 60 and have to sell it to retire .. GET ONE HERE THAN SPEND MONEY ON THAT .. good luck

 

[berserker6]

i know others will disagree but i would advise against buying a TR as a daily driver. imho they are a play toy. they are well past the age of being daily driven. just my .02

 

[G-bodyRookie]

Daily driver

My current na v6 will be the daily driver. And the TR is going to be the weekender play toy as you stated

 

[Blazer406]

Since you are converting anyway..... I'd buy a 6.0L out of a 2000 - up Chevy 3/4 ton truck.... with 4L80E and stock ECM and wiring harness and drop that in..... N/A for now. You will have a pretty quick car and when you do get around to turbocharging it......you have tons more potential than a turbo V6.

You should be able to find a motor/tranny/ECM and wiring harness for around $2k or thereabouts.

You wouldn't be de-valuing a real turbo regal anyway.... and probably have more fun to boot.

Check in the V-8 conversion section.... many examples....... I'd stick with n/a until you could afford to turbo the 6.0L. It would probably run 13's with the stock 6.0L.

 

[vboost77]

WELL guys since we are in the whole rookie/ newbie , what would be the first thing you guys recomend to do to a GN? what is a good set up to start with?

 

[Blazer406]

WELL guys since we are in the whole rookie/ newbie , what would be the first thing you guys recomend to do to a GN? what is a good set up to start with?

Please start a new thread..... You will get just as much help..... and you won't dilute the OP's thread.... I'll give you my opinion there.....

 

[vboost77]

cool will do!

 

["Turbo-T"]

I was once in your shoes. I had a fairly nice n/a Regal that needed more power. I wanted to do a turbo conversion but was quickly advised that to do it would require a lot of work...I'd have to source up the engine, the transmission, the ECM, all of the associated wiring, the gas tank, the exhaust, probably a few other things I'm missing....then I'd have to remove all of that from my car just to drop in the stuff to convert it over.

You might be ok if you had a donor car with EVERYTHING you needed to do the work as long as you had the technical skills, tools, time and didn't mind removing all of everything you needed off the donor car, removing everything required off of your car and then installing the donor car's parts, then getting it running.

In the end it was much easier just to go out and buy a turbo Buick. The exception to this is if you were wanting to put the GN's turbo drive train into something that never came with it from the factory, such as a 4 door Regal or a Regal station wagon.

In fact, it's much easier to pull out the V6 you have with it's tranny and drop in it's place a 455/TH400 out of an old Le Sabre.

 

[charlief1]

My current na v6 will be the daily driver. And the TR is going to be the weekender play toy as you stated

First, welcome aboard.

Since you've got the NA V6 car right now there's quite a few things you can do to make it more fun. A 4 barrel intake would be one of the first mods you can do and get a little more power, but if you you want the most out of it you can develop roughly 250 HP out of it with a cam and ported heads. Headers are a good idea as well but keep it a single exhaust because it will develop more torque this way over dual exhaust.

Come visit us in the B4Black section, do some reading and ask questions. We'll be happy to help you.