Newbie needs advice on 1st GN

[NJVetteGuy]

I'm selling the C5 and moving to a GN, but don't know what to look at specifically on the cars I am checking out. I know about the door rust and other body rust(had a Monte SS) but need specifics on the other mechanicals. I know my way around big/small block Buicks and Nailheads but I'm not up to speed yet on the turbo V6 cars. I'm currently looking for an '87 under 70k miles. Whatever I buy will be modded to run at least mid 11s, eventually 10s depending on my financial situation(getting married soon). I am up in the air about buying a stocker and modding her myself or buying one with mods already. What do you guys think?

Thanks,
Artie

 

[jbohrer8]

I am 1000000000% for buying one that is totally stock. When I bought my gn the guy that had it did only bad things to it. It took me extra money to get it running good stock, then i had to do mods. If you buy one that is stock at least you will know what the car has gone through!


John

 

[broke1]

Buy built IMO Unless you want a money pit on your hands Just make sure you dont get someone elses **** up.

Id love to have your Vette

Ill trade you my 87(does have BPUs), my 84,LOTS of parts, and I pay off the loan on your Vette.Sound good???

 

[IrvJr]

I think in theory buying a stocker is the best bet. But i bought a stock unmodified 86 GN from the original owner and it took me a year to get it to run reliably. I think now the best way to go is find someone in your area to help you out and find one with the basics done to it. Fuel pump, injectors and possibly the turbo and IC upgrade. Good luck.

Scott

 

[NJVetteGuy]

Originally posted by broke1
Id love to have your Vette

Ill trade you my 87(does have BPUs), my 84,LOTS of parts, and I pay off the loan on your Vette.Sound good???

If your 87 is a hardtop I am interested.....

I am within walking distance of Ron's Custom Auto in Kenilworth, and I always see quite a few badass GNs down there. If I find a modded car locally that they worked on they might be able to give me the background on the car as well. I have been scanning Kirban's website looking but nothing there has really caught my eye as of yet. Am I looking in the right places? I checked the f/s forum but I'm looking local and the really interesting ones are too far away or in too much of a hurry to sell. I would like to make a move by the end of the month, haven't had any solid takers on a trade but have 2 potential buyers coming down this weekend to look at the Vette. The Vette is the only car I ever bought new, the rest were all used and most of them abused. I have access to a shop whenever I need it so doing some work won't kill me, but if it's going to be easier to start out with a stocker I'll go that route.

 

[broke1]

My 87 is a t top car thats always been garaged. Very solid.Zero rust.New weatherstrip and NO leaks.Great platform to start with.Very,very,very clean. My car would bring at least $12k thru Kirbans,probably more.

The 84 t is a hardtop though.


Buying a car that is modded is the best and most financially feasible thing to do.I know. IMO If anyone tells you any different they are an idiot that has never built one of these cars.My 85,aka "the money pit" has over $25k in it and ive got probably2 or 3k left to spend.If you like to go fast,which we all do youll end up building your own money pit.

Just my $.04

 

[Buick Beginner]

Here's 2 more cents

The website www.gnttype.org is an excellent resource for information on the Turbo Buicks. It has certainly helped me out many times. Here's a good link to start you off with, it's called the buyers guide: http://www.gnttype.org/general/buyguide.html . Good luck to you. - BB

 

[Russell Stover]

When I got mine I didn't know what the hell I was looking for and thought it was cool that it had some mods. Man was I wrong I have spent a lot of money getting it back up to speed the way it should be.

I would say check for shaft play in the turbo and make sure it has the correct tranny and conv to start. If it has had tranny work done to it some shops will swap out the trans with another one and its not a 2004r.

 

[Russell Stover]

Also remember the brake system is different in these cars . The power master is not cheap to fix when it goes ( which they all do ) Check the fluid level and color if it is full to the top in both sections when the car is off and parked it is to full. If the fluid is dark and nasty it wont be long before it goes out on ya.

 

[NJVetteGuy]

Thanks for the replies guys! This is exactly the stuff I'm looking for I'm already familiar with the powermaster brake system, just had to replace the accumulator on my friend's '90 turbo Grand Prix and swapped out my share on GNs in the early nineties. I've done general mechanical work on these cars but don't know all the little things to look for like you experienced guys do. Suspension, brake and tranny-wise I know what to look for but the most important things(engine/turbo system), I'm working on getting out of the gray area. The oiling system is similar to the other Buick mills I've built, but I don't yet know about components that are prone to cracking, warping, etc. I also don't know which body parts(grilles, etc.) don't "belong" or how to spot a clone.

 

[aperrego]

Originally posted by broke1
Buy built IMO Unless you want a money pit on your hands Just make sure you dont get someone elses **** up.

Id love to have your Vette

Ill trade you my 87(does have BPUs), my 84,LOTS of parts, and I pay off the loan on your Vette.Sound good???

AMEN! You dont know what is in it, who did it, and if it is right until the deal is done.. Lessoned learned here...

 

[JadeMonkeyStang]

Stock cars are probably a safer bet most of the time for the reasons guys have already stated. Plus you get the experience of building it yourself and you know exactly what you have in the car. That being said, the car I bought had some mods done already (turbo, injectors, power plate, exhaust cutout, fuel pump, etc.) and it saved me the time and expense of doing them myself. If you're looking to build a fast car it'll almost certainly be more expensive to build it yourself than to buy it built.

I bought my car because i trusted the guy I bought it from; he had a good rep and knew his stuff inside and out. After talking with him about the car I bought and some of his others I knew that what I was getting wouldn't be a problem or a piece of junk. I think the most important thing in the sale is who owned the car as they're the one who has either taken care of it or neglected it.

Definately check out the info here, gnttype.org and the other buick boards. Don't be afraid to ask the local guys for help either. Most would be more than willing to answer questions or even go to look at a car with you. Best of luck, they're a lot of fun.

-Jade

PS - Thanks again Nick! I love it here but really miss my baby!

 

[2QUIK6]

Every car I have is used, except my truck and look what I've done to it My GN and TTA were both stock when I bought them as I perfer to mod them myself and then I know what's been done and how it was done if a problem ever arises, but if I were to buy a modded one now that I know alot about them, I would look at how long the seller had the car..if shorter than a couple of years, that may signal a problem, generally if someone kept their car many years, then they cared for it better. also, does the seller have other "collector" type cars, if so, the condition of them may tell you something, and the fact that they "know cars" is a plus. If they are not "car people" and don't know much about the car, then beware. Another thing, try to find one from a board member in the "For Sale" section, most members that have been around since the board came back up in Spring of 2001 know their cars and if they visit the board often, they are probably passionate about their ride and take care of it.
I've seen many modded cars that I wouldn't have a problem buying from someone, just the only problem is those people that care for them the most are the one's that don't want to sell but there are always uncontrollable circumstances that will blow all of the above theories.
When looking for my 10th Anniv TA, I knew when I talked to the guy on the phone, and seen a pic of the car in his driveway with a TTA and a 30th Anniv TA in the background, that I would buy the car from him, and he was 1,400 miles away! Yet there were several others before finding that one, that I wondered how they even came across such a rare car with low mileage cause they knew nothing about cars.

And if you're that close to Ron's, have him check it out before you buy and get his opion.