Thinking of buying a '99 Regal GS

[BuickMike]

I brought home a '99 Regal GS tonight and am becoming quickly attached to it. One of my co-workers is the current owner and he's going to sell it since his wife just bought a new Lexus and handed him her Caddy STS. He's the original owner and has all the maintenance records. He is also in his mid 60's, so he's not beating on it. It has the SE package, so it's loaded with dual climate control, leather, astro roof, touring suspension, electric everything, etc. It has 57K miles and seems to run very good. I was able to get 7.4 psi out of it at WOT in 2nd gear, so I guess that is normal boost for these things. I went through the car pretty thoroughly and found everything to look great other than an oil leak that looks to be coming from the oil pan.

He's asking $10K which I think is a good price, but I'll try to talk him down a little and see if he'll get the oil pan gasket replaced as well.

So, any impressions? Is this a good deal?

Are there any specific things I need to look into before going through with a purchse?

Also, what are some good resources for these cars and what mods can I do? I'm thinking about a K&N and pulley for the supercharger, but that's probably all.

Thanks in advance for any input,
Mike

 

[xtremexnyc]

I just got my 2000 GSE with 14,450 miles a month ago. This car rides great has all the creature comforts. I think you can bring the price down a little. Check out Edmunds and Kelly Blue book. Here is a thread that I put up asking the same questions you are. Hopefully this will help to find trouble spots. Overall it is a great reliable car.

http://www.regalgs.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4767&SearchTerms=,xtremexnyc

http://www.regalgs.org/

http://www.3800performance.com/

http://www.zzperformance.com/

 

[BuickMike]

Thanks for the input and links.

It looks like I'm going to buy it, but he's really solid on the price. According to KBB, it's a good deal. Retail is $13,900, Trade in is $9,800, and private party value is $10,890.

 

[TurboRegal84]

I have a 97' Regal GS with 69,000Miles, and it is all around an excellent car.

I added an open element Air Filter, and a Pulley and the thing really moves out with 12psi of boost!

Great car on the highway with about 26MPG, and it will go in the snow like any other front wheel drive car...EXCELLENT Daily Driver....The only issue I had with it was the rear plugs and wires are a bit difficult to change...Other then small things like that the car is very nice!

Try to get it for $9K.....the cars depreciate in value rather quickly.

 

[troGNman]

Go for it!

Get him down a little on the price.

I just purchased my GS in August and I love it! It's an awesome blend of performance and luxury. The ride and fuel economy are great too! Mine is my daily driver but I plan to boost it up a little.

The websites listed above are excellent resources.

Good luck!

 

[neverenuf]

Many people are very happy with the GS's. I have a hard time giving people asking prices for vehicles, try and get him to come down some. Herb, you can make changing the rear plugs a little easier by disconnecting the front motor mounts and rocking the engine forward a little. Good luck with the purchase.

 

[BuickMike]

Well, I'm taking it home tonight. I was only able to talk him down a couple hundred bucks, but it's worth it to me since the car is coming from someone I know and trust, and he's the original owner. I'm not sure how far I want to mod it, but that'll be down the road.

 

[arista5]

dont forget www.clubgp.com great and HUGE forum

 

[BlownZ]

I have a 2002 GS. I say forget the mods and just drive it. Mod the GN.

Here is a tech tip, the car is MUCH faster with premium fuel than plus or regular.

 

[GNFURY]

iVE HAD SEVERAL OF THOSE CARS COME THROUGH MY LOT. THEY ARE TOP KNOTCH. SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD CAR IF YOU CAN TALK HIM INTO FIXIN THE OIL PAN.

 

[BuickMike]

When I drove the car last it had 89 octane and hit 7.4 psi of boost in the top of 2nd. It now has 91, so I'll have to see what #'s I get. Does this even matter, or does the lower octane gas just give these things knock retard?

I figure if I'm going to have to use premium fuel, I might as well slap on a $65 pulley and K&N. I figure these mods with the colder plugs and a 180 Degree thermostat should make a nice power difference without losing any drivability.

 

[750H.P.V6]

Mike,

The Regal GS is a hard car to beat. I've owned a '98 and my girlfriend currently has a '99. It's a great all around package of performance, handling and creature comfort not to mention the Monsoon sound system. The point of diminishing returns comes pretty quickly from a performance standpoint but it's still a great car. I'll think you'll enjoy it. Personally I don't think the asking price is out of line either.

Take Care

Neal

 

[Phoff]

You will love the car. I had one for about a year. It went 13.88 at almost 100mph with just a pulley and filter. The higher the octane the better they run. Good luck.

Pete