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Is it bad to change a GN color scheme?

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My 87 T was originally silver with burgundy interior- plenty of patina (i.e. chips and surface rust) Talking with my wife we decided on at matte black trunk and hood. We kept the rest original dents and all because our T is a driver. Do what you thinks right. If your looking for an investment then talk to Edward Jones lol!
 
My 87 T was originally silver with burgundy interior- plenty of patina (i.e. chips and surface rust) Talking with my wife we decided on at matte black trunk and hood. We kept the rest original dents and all because our T is a driver. Do what you thinks right. If your looking for an investment then talk to Edward Jones lol!

I’d like to see a picture of that if you will. I wonder how that combination looks.
 
To do a full build: ls swap, trans, converter, , driveshaft, rear diff, fuel system, cooling system, suspension, brakes, tires, interior, bodywork, paint, tune, etc, etc not including the car will easily cost 30k, probably 50k is more realistic. That's with you doing all the fab and install. Have at it, if you have the time, money and skills.
 
I need opinions. I have been trying to get my dream car here for a while. The woman pushed me to buying a complete done car, went after a few cars that didn’t pan out and I decided that the only way that I am getting what I want was to build it myself. What I want to build is a white t top turbo clone/real T car with a navy T interior that I already have. but I am planning to do a front mount supercharged ls, yes sorry for the turbo die hards ☹. Nothing against them but I can not get past the need of a throaty v8, just my personal want. Anyways, I have committed to buying a 84 grand national t top non running car that is not in great shape but appears rust free. The condition is not an issue as I am doing a frame up build with boxed frame, pro touring suspension, c5 brakes…. and all of the fun stuff. I am only worried about rust issues on what I build. So here I am having the great debate, am I a bad g body/regal/TR owner if I turn a 1 of 2000 GN into a white and navy car non GN appearing car like I have pictured in my head? Or should I suck it up and keep it factory colors? Many people would have bought this car and parted it out anyways so in that sense I am saving a car?

Did you have any color schemes in mind??
Maybe black on the top and bottom and something like a black in the middle? Hehe
I'm just yanking your chain.
 
I need opinions.
a gn is black period.i understand you want to change things around and have to v8 stuff but at this point the color doesnt matter because you have already changed/devalued the original car.going a little further after the extensive changes you have made should not bother you at this point.like others have stated its your car.
 
Your ride... But if you paint it please consider that burnt Orange color that the 1969 Pontiac Judge came in.
I always felt that color would look sinister on a Turbo Regal..
 
To do a full build: ls swap, trans, converter, , driveshaft, rear diff, fuel system, cooling system, suspension, brakes, tires, interior, bodywork, paint, tune, etc, etc not including the car will easily cost 30k, probably 50k is more realistic. That's with you doing all the fab and install. Have at it, if you have the time, money and skills.

I fully expect to have 30k in this when I am done. I already have at least 10k in parts in the garage for just this build. Not including the cash i just laid down for the car. I will do everything that I can do without a shop myself. I do not have access to stuff like a oven to powder coat the frame or an alignment machine. I have welders, I fabricate when I need to and I have access to a welding shop with bigger welders and buddies that do all types of welding and work for beer :)

I'm sure many of you are thinking I just decided yesterday to buy a g body not knowing anything about them and I'm ruining a perfectly good turbo buick. Or I am the average dreamer that starts a project without a realistic plan or the funds which happens all of the time on the forums.

This build has been going on for 20 years. I have been building regals (and a few cutlass and own a 442) for almost 25 years, I have owned, bought, sold and parted out more of these cars then I can keep track of. At 13 years old I was obsessed with g bodies and grabbed any magazine that I could find that had anything to do with them (before the internet). My first car at 15 was a 78 regal limited gold and brown 2 tone 3.8 that had a old carbed turbo kit in the trunk when I got it. I use to go to the salvage yard 3 times a week grabbing parts, keeping what I needed and reselling the rest, like allot of stuff. I have kept all of the best parts over all of these years. I still hit the yards when a g body makes it in. My original shell that I was using a 84 hard top car that had rotted rockers that I replaced and then added a shaved and molded ASC moonroof to, shaved firewall, handles and all of that all done by me. I bought that car at 17. I had it done up well, full air ride suspension, several sets of wheels, fresh paint done by me, lots of custom stuff. I realized that what I wanted at 20 was not what I wanted at 35 so I sold that shell since it was already at the point of a frame off. Then I had a astro roof 86 shell that was pretty solid but it had vin/title issues, long story. I did not feel good about dumping a ton of cash into a car with the vin issue. That car was being built pro touring style which is what I am currently after and collected allot of parts for. I want a car that can handle. Now in in my current place in life, I make good money with all of my toys, daily driver, tow rig, boats all paid off and I am sitting well enough that I had enough money sitting here to throw down cash for a clean lower mile turbo buick, FINALLY! And I chased 4 or 5 turbo buicks around seriously just to get blown off by the owners that did not want to deal with out of state buyers. I drove 21 hours round trip to buy what I thought was "thee" car only to find that the aftermarket paint was good but not as good as I was looking for. That drive home with the woman is what put me here, there was no way that I was getting the car I want without building it myself, end of story. I have been trying to find a T top regal shell for literally years with no luck, there were times that I would find one when I didn't have spare cash or they were somewhere like California. I have tried buying turbo rollers so that I am not ruining a good turbo car and eventually I started looking at hot air project cars which is how I acquired this one. This car was the result of a ebay auction that ended at 2am, I threw a bid on it at 11pm the night before expecting to get out bid at the last second. I woke up and told the woman that I bought a car while we were sleeping, the look she gave me was priceless lol.

Last night after considering every thing, I decided that this car is going back black with stock interior. I can't bring myself to change it being a GN. I will save my navy interior for another build in the future (shhh, don't tell my other half!)

So what this car is getting done to it. the objective here is to have more of less a modern feeling car but stock appearance

allot of this stuff is already in the works and parts purchased over the years, I have a rust free bare frame in the garage with the engine, trans and allot of the suspension stuff either done or is there.

I am anal about paint, it will be taken apart and painted piece by piece and reassembled
obviously being a beat up project it will get all new bushings, weather stripping and all of that fun stuff (already own OEM GM T Top weather stripping :) )

frame is getting boxed, re enforced, blasted and powder coated
spohn arms all around
eibach springs
billstein shocks
corvette c5 brakes on blazer spindles
camaro 1LE rear discs off a early 90s F body
all poly bushings
all of the F41 and similar bracing
eventually AFX spindles but that's after the car is done
I have staggered 17s for now, that may change
8.5 3.42 posi
stock sway bars to start with. I want to get a feel for before and after i go aftermarket

Engine for now- it could become a debate to keep the hot air engine if i can get it running but....
I have a low mile 5.3LS 4l60E-I know its not a turbo engine, sorry
Fitech EFI setup-intake and everything to make it all work
holley/hooker parts-pan, mounts, exhaust... the only way to do it all correctly in my opinion, at least as of now
camaro LT1 dual cooling fans mounted to a 307 radiator bracket, it looks stock

I like the idea of a front mount supercharger, my buddy is pushing a turbo. we are going to start with no boost so we can know the before and after and not take money from other aspects of the build

interior will be all stock for the most part
dakota digital gauges
it will get a high end audio setup, I have been a car audio nut since I got into cars and I already have everything for it

Maybe in some peoples eyes, I am hacking up a good car as mentioned previously, maybe I am saving a car that was scrap yard bound? I am not sure, everyone has the right to their opinion. All I know is I want to have a nice car built the way I want it and something to show for the 25 years of time, money and research I have put into this hobby.
 
Well, you have a plan and enough skills to make it happen. One suggestion, dump the 4l60 and go for the 4l80. I would also try for a 6 liter to start with. My friend is in the process of this. Building it with all stout parts to make 1000 hp. He's shouting for high 8s. On a different note, years ago I was at Kirbans to pick up my car and he had a 10k mile white turbo T with black out and blue interior and T tops. It was absolutely mint. Since then I've never seen that combo in person again. Beautiful car.
 
The thing that kept me from seeking a 4L80E was I have read you have to modify the transmission tunnel to make it fit and I am not a fan of altering things that I can not put back to stock. The great thing about the LS engines is that once you invest the money to make them fit and work, if you want to trade up or blow one up, you can find them in the salvage yard cheap and easy. Maybe once we see what the current setup does, we will upgrade. It sounds like the car you are describing is what I have in my head, I'm trying to think black now lol.
 
My buddy didn't have to do much other than fold over that pinch weld. Just a little massaging. No cutting.
 
I'll let you tell me I hacked up a regal when it's all done and show quality. You act like I am cutting it up for a track car or putting 28" wheels on it or maybe daytons and hydros. seems more like you are starting drama like facebook folks do. good day sir

Then you're mistaken. Personally, I couldn't care less what happens to a hotair car. AFAIC there's just parts cars anyway. Still doesn't answer why this ''I'm dreaming about a mental image in the future'' post is in TECH section.

Last night after considering every thing, I decided that this car is going back black with stock interior. I can't bring myself to change it being a GN. I will save my navy interior for another build in the future (shhh, don't tell my other half!)


Sounds like you have it all figured out and locked down.
 
My buddy didn't have to do much other than fold over that pinch weld. Just a little massaging. No cutting.

Do you happen to know what mounts he used? That is one of the things that varies a bunch on these swaps and really can change where the engine and trans sit. I read that on the LStech page where the guy who engineered the holley/hooker setup was posting. But, he also mentioned that they were running into issues on some cars with tolerances being way off from other cars which has been talked about allot over the years. If I run across a 4L80E I will try to snag it. At this stage, it won't take much to swap it at all.
 
Then you're mistaken. Personally, I couldn't care less what happens to a hotair car. AFAIC there's just parts cars anyway. Still doesn't answer why this ''I'm dreaming about a mental image in the future'' post is in TECH section.




Sounds like you have it all figured out and locked down.

My apologies if I posted this in the wrong section. I assumed that general tech was the catch all for everything like other sites I use. In the future, where should I post questions like this?
 
I believe they were the Holley ones. He has done some massaging to just about every thing that was made for the swap. Nothing on these cars are totally interchangable. The specs for them were just make it close...
 
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Well, man My car is a fairly clean 87 GN (in relatively stock appearing form) and I have been filmed while driving down the interstate, pulled over by the Sheriffs Department so the deputy could check it out, mobbed in parking lots at parts stores, talked to every time I stop anywhere / get gas, watched people walk right past vipers and vettes at cars and coffee to get to my car, spotted from across the street at car shows where people come to me before I can even go see the cars in the show, have had people take selfies in front of it and much more.

So yeah, there’s a reason why Turbo Buick’s are sought after, as they have soul and they are still heavily respected! Cause red light to red light you never know what you are going up against! And although, you can most certainly walk away from everything that made them famous in the first place. However, it’ll never be the draw that these cars are day in and day out! Just saying, as they are all of this and so much more!!


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Well, you were asking about motor mounts...
 
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