Possible?

[5.7up]

My goal is for a v8'd, 6speed/5speed buick regal. I know a v8 is possible and im sure a manual tranny can be dropped in but has anyone done this? Ive seen gbody malibus with manual trannies. Are the drivetrains on the two similar? Ive seen tranny crossmembers for gbodies to put in a t56s.

I didnt know if there would be any major problem with clutch linkage..etc...

I would love a true grand national or ttype but i cant afford there usual high prices. Plus im still into the manual transmission thing. Are there manual tranny conversions for turbo v6s?

The regal i am looking at is a straight up, no glitz regal. Id like the grand national look but Im not sure where to find the bumper cover, spoiler, and grille. Where is a good site?

BTW... this is my first post on this forum and im glad I found it

 

[SinistrV6]

First, Welcome to the site!

Second, ANYTHING is possible!
Most, but certainly not all, agree that standard trannys and Turbo Buicks is a bad combo. Use the search feature, it's been discussed at length many times.

There is no bumper "cover" on a GN. It's just a black bumper. You can buy all the other stuff. Try www.gbodyparts.com and www.musclecarsalvage.net . Excellent people to deal with and big time supporters of the turbo Buick community.

BTW, there's a T-Type on www.racingjunk.com for $3800!!


Again, welcome aboard!

 

[CTX-SLPR]

The problem with putting a manual transmission in a G-body is that the bellhousing setup has the clutch ball stud rotated from the univerasal SBC setup to clear stuff and work with the factory mechanical clutch linkage. The parts and pedal for this setup are all but extinct so finding the stuff would be a real mean trick. That being said there are people who have done it using primarly F-body stuff. The Malibu is an A-body while the Regal is a G-body, however the differences have more to do with the applications and some of the front end stuff than the driveline. The engine and transmissions are pretty much mix and match except for the A-bodies all lack the frame mounting pads for the TH200-4R transmission and that frame configuration is what the g-force (www.crossmembers.com) tranny crossmembers are based off of. I suggest getting a copy of the recent Hot Rod magazine Pit Stop about the manual tranny G-body. Also if you search on Car Craft they detail on how to fit an LT1 V8 into an A-body Malibu so the steps are identical into a G-body. Most of us on here will hate you for it though for putting an SBC into a Regal but its your car. The engine bay is big enough to fit a real Buick V8 in there like a 350 or a 455 and if www.gnttype.org ever starts working again they detail how to swap one in. Fitting a manual behind either of those would simply require a BOP bellhousing and a Muncie-style retrofit transmission. Also a good place to look for body panels is some of the sponsors of this site that specialize in salvage G-bodies or looking on www.car-parts.com for junkyard listings.

Though honestly please detail the reasons why you want a Regal to do this to instead of a Monte Carlo or Cutlass?

Thanks,

 

[5.7up]

Originally posted by CTX-SLPR


Though honestly please detail the reasons why you want a Regal to do this to instead of a Monte Carlo or Cutlass?

Personally i like the look of the regal way better than the monte carlo and cutlass. I know they are all similar but i love the GN look but I couldnt stand for an automatic. I know they are better for dragging and are consistent and blah blah blah but im not building a car for the strip. I love driving a stick on the street and my current Z28 is a 6speed and is a great car to drive.

Im sure yall here people saying there going to do this and that to a car they dont even own all the time. It was just an idea ive thrown around alot and i would really consider doing it to a regal or malibu because they are pretty easy to comeby and are pretty cheap.

Im going to look at an 84 regal this weekend with a 350 in it. Im not going to say im getting it but im just casually going to check it out. I dont plan on going extreme with this but I really want something different that I can put alot of my time this summer into.

Thanks

 

[5.7up]

Id consider a cutlass after looking at a couple. I still like the rear lights on the buick more. Who knows what Ill end up with??...