Just saw a 98 GS for sale and thinking of getting it for a daily driver. Been looking at some other forums....they are not set up as well as this one. What should I look for when inspecting the car? Any quarks? Looks to be a stock car. Been researching a little about performance mods. Not looking to make it a racer but I cant keep it totally sock...can I? What are the first things I should do to increase the HP but not kill my gas mileage..... I know. Just wanna get a little more fun but not crazy. By the way.... what kinda mileage are folks gettin?
Looking at a 98 Regal GS for sale. NEWBIE
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BuickPower3800
Turbo Buick's Rock!!
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2002
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- 179
Do intake and exhaust. I saw about 16 MPG int town when I had my 2000 GS
- Joined
- May 26, 2001
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I just went through this same deal last week. I owned a '98 new back in late '98 and put 93k miles on it before trading. I just picked up a '99 that was well taken care of with all highway miles.
Make sure everything works. Windows, AC, radio controls, etc etc. Also, when test driving, run the car with the Perf Shift engaged and disengaged and see if you can tell a difference. These trannies are not bullet proof if you start turning up the power. Check for signs of rust, as well as panel alignment. Indications of accidents. Look for overspray or paint differences in the jambs and in trunk. It's best if the car has all the papers and maintenance records with it. These cars are notorious for warped front brake rotors. If you have an ABS light on, or if it comes on during the test drive and you feel the brakes studdering or making loud noises when applied, they are warped. Easy fix tho. I swapped out my front brake rotors and pads in a little under 2 hours in the dark the day I got her. Really easy to do. There are some good websites with good info on the GSs'. Regalgs.org is a good one. Lot's of go fast parts for these cars now. The cold air intake setup and a good exhaust are a very good place to start for a little extra boost in power. If you decide to do the pulley, look to have the PCM flashed as well as addressing the fuel system, depending on pulley size. They typically run 5-6.8psi stock. You will also know if you have a quick one or a pig the first time you mash the gas. Also, one of the best things I can recommend is, have a Car Fax report done on the potential car you are looking at. I had picked out 5 cars within a 200 mile radius of me, of those 5, 3 were owned by 4 different owners, and 2 of them had been wrecked. The other two that I really liked were One Owner cars. My GS is averaging 21mpg city right now, and these cars are very reliable, and make for a very comfortable daily driver. I love my new to me '99 GS I just got.
Good luck and keep us posted.
HTH
Patrick
Make sure everything works. Windows, AC, radio controls, etc etc. Also, when test driving, run the car with the Perf Shift engaged and disengaged and see if you can tell a difference. These trannies are not bullet proof if you start turning up the power. Check for signs of rust, as well as panel alignment. Indications of accidents. Look for overspray or paint differences in the jambs and in trunk. It's best if the car has all the papers and maintenance records with it. These cars are notorious for warped front brake rotors. If you have an ABS light on, or if it comes on during the test drive and you feel the brakes studdering or making loud noises when applied, they are warped. Easy fix tho. I swapped out my front brake rotors and pads in a little under 2 hours in the dark the day I got her. Really easy to do. There are some good websites with good info on the GSs'. Regalgs.org is a good one. Lot's of go fast parts for these cars now. The cold air intake setup and a good exhaust are a very good place to start for a little extra boost in power. If you decide to do the pulley, look to have the PCM flashed as well as addressing the fuel system, depending on pulley size. They typically run 5-6.8psi stock. You will also know if you have a quick one or a pig the first time you mash the gas. Also, one of the best things I can recommend is, have a Car Fax report done on the potential car you are looking at. I had picked out 5 cars within a 200 mile radius of me, of those 5, 3 were owned by 4 different owners, and 2 of them had been wrecked. The other two that I really liked were One Owner cars. My GS is averaging 21mpg city right now, and these cars are very reliable, and make for a very comfortable daily driver. I love my new to me '99 GS I just got.
Good luck and keep us posted.
HTH
Patrick
i got my 99 8 months ago. i love it. it's a pig in town, but it's brilliant on the highway. i can get 7 L/100 km ( 34 mpg), and average 9l/100km in mostly hwy driving (26 mpg).
i don't know if i got a fast one, but the boost gage reads 8.5 psi, and i ran 15.79 @ 88 mph last saturday (bone stock). i drove 130+ miles to the track. i'm told that with good gas, and a cool motor, they run high 14s. hth
i don't know if i got a fast one, but the boost gage reads 8.5 psi, and i ran 15.79 @ 88 mph last saturday (bone stock). i drove 130+ miles to the track. i'm told that with good gas, and a cool motor, they run high 14s. hth
