Longevity on a modded TR.

[NY87GN]

I realize the faster you go the more stuff breaks. My car is not a track car, just zipping around on weekends and a once in blue moon road trip. I have some of the basic mods on my TR, including ALKY. A buddy of mine who is more mechanically inclined than I am, and I have had a some debates over a few beers on the issue of the longevity of my car once it is modded.
Looking for feedback on guys who had their modded TR’s a long time without major breakage.

 

[V6sleeper]

Once the car is tuned properly and you have the right combo, they are pretty reliable , I beat on one of my cars relentlessly and it keeps going., seek out a good tuner that knows these cars well that's where it all lies...

 

[TurboTnZ06]

Build everything stronger, should be good to go with the right tune and logging/monitoring for knock. What is the weakest link? On my car, my weakest link is my head gaskets, on purpose. Build a 9 sec car, run easy 10's year after year.

 

[SS/GN]

These cars are 27 years old that's pretty good for longevity and they get faster all the time.

 

[earlbrown]

After it's running correctly, replace the timing chain every 100,000 miles and beat the crap out of it.

 

[Roc87]

Bought my GN @ 107k miles, added SMC alky and ran 24# on a PT51 until around 125k, then switched to Razors alky and a PT61, ran nearly 30# until almost 157k with no engine issues until the FP reg. hose came off while at 30#

 

[SCOOBY DOO]

Three words. No knock retard.

 

[REAPER231]

I realize the faster you go the more stuff breaks. My car is not a track car, just zipping around on weekends and a once in blue moon road trip. I have some of the basic mods on my TR, including ALKY. A buddy of mine who is more mechanically inclined than I am, and I have had a some debates over a few beers on the issue of the longevity of my car once it is modded.
Looking for feedback on guys who had their modded TR’s a long time without major breakage.

Mine going 10 yrs next spring 10 second street car , same Rjc head gaskets about 48,000 miles since build and I get on it every time I take it out .

 

[TurboSmart]

build for 500...tune for 400.

 

[Mr.Spool]

So many factors,safe to say the more power they make the more upgrades and monitoring needs to happen.a fairly stock combo with the right upgrades will go a long way.

 

[SS/GN]

Biggest problem is
More boost = more power= more fun which then = potential to break parts

 

[rag231]

My daily Gn had 74K when I got it in 97 and has almost 156K on it now. I never hurt the car racing but I had a cam lobe wipe out, kept driving it, had a pushrod fall into the motor, made it home. Put another pushrod back in and drove it some more. Bought another used ESP cam from a board member( thanks Gene B.), put it in, didnt rebuild just cleaned and flushed the best that I could. Sucked a squirrel up thru my maf sensor ( needed that Kenne Bell air filter), got a used one from a board member ( thanks Gary M.), rubbed a hole in my transmission line on the crossover pipe, car smoked like a train and was pulled over by a fire marshall, got more used tranny lines, (thanks Mike McC.). The point is the mods that were made to the car were good hard core parts at the time, the parts that were breaking were items that were easily overlooked in the build. I feel that I have got some really good miles out of my car. It is at the paint shop now and then it will get the engine freshened up and be back for duty. The most it ever cost me to get it back up and running was 100 bucks. TE69, ANS Performance heads, 72lb injectors, Precision chip, ESP cam, and ESP front mount.

 

[chris kirk]

Biggest problem is
More boost = more power= more fun which then = potential to break parts

You forgot $$$$ and headaches.....

 

[SPOOLFOOL2]

Been flogging my mid ten second Lou Czarnota engine for about seven years now, with zero issues. I've got many hundreds of passes, dyno pulls and long trips. http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/threads/another-great-lou-czarnota-motor.277810/

*Good builder.
*Good combo of quality parts.
*Good tune.

If you want it done on a budget, do it once, correctly. If you've got money to burn, cut corners on any one of the three things listed above.

Mike Barnard

 

[Mackinblack007]

Its all in the tune, stronger parts wont matter with a bad tune, plenty of 100k 11 second tr's, but be prepared to have to do the transmission once you get it running right. Im done beating on my buicks, im happy to just drive it, offcourse it has to have the right combo to be able to get out of its own way.

 

[Mackinblack007]

Been flogging my mid ten second Lou Czarnota engine for about seven years now, with zero issues. I've got many hundreds of passes, dyno pulls and long trips. http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/threads/another-great-lou-czarnota-motor.277810/

*Good builder.
*Good combo of quality parts.
*Good tune.

If you want it done on a budget, do it once correctly. If you've got money to burn, cut corners on any one of the three things listed above
Mike Barnard

what kinda dyno numbers? does anybody have any crazy torque recipes for tr's on a stock long block?for my goals i love a good running stocker, with a new timing chain offcourse.

 

[Mackinblack007]

Id trust a buick with a aftermarket fuel pump, some nice 60-80 pound injectors, a tt chip, and a translator, maybe a gutted cat, and a hooker exuast, maybe a te44, and alky over a stocker on shit gas anyday for longetivity.

 

[bison]

The longevity of a modded turbo regal depends on how well the car is set up. Most often when trying to save a dollar very important things are overlooked. Trying to run 93/Alky without monitoring a/f and knowing what timing should be run and actually verifying it's correct are very important. I don't rec running much more than a couple psi over the stock boost level unless you have the tuning experience and knowledge to do it accurately. You're relying on these systems to prevent your engine from detonating. How well the system is used has a lot to do with longevity. Some can't make 12 sec power without damaging the engine. Others can make 9 sec power repeatedly for years without breaking it.


BPE2013@hotmail.com

 

[salvageV6]

The bodies go quicker than the engines for me.

You can't beat a Buick built long block.

11 second power for decades on pump and alky.

I'm expecting to see 300K miles, or I'm gonna be walking to work...

PS: Don't floor the car with Michelin snow tires on it, they go up in smoke at about 18 psi. boost.

Rockin' 215/70/15's out back kinda sucks in the nice cold winter air.

 

[Eticket]

Daily drove mine for 40k miles in low 12 second high 11 second range with 93/alky in Dallas Fort Worth Traffic. in 100+ summer heart and at least 1 winter with some snow. Engine is still running in someone else's car now almost 10 years later.