TR Daily Driver

[CTX-SLPR]

Howdy,

I'm beginning to get pissed at my FWD Regal GS right now after I just put $1850 into the tranny for a stock rebuild! While I'll probably just keep it I got a dark secret that I must aire before asking the question that drew you in here. I've never ridden, muchless driven a turbo Buick and only have had WRX's as turbo vehicle experience.
Now that I have aired that laundry, what TR would be the best canidate for a sole daily driver vehicle and would I be able to pick one up for $7k with no rust and mild to no mods only?

Thanks,

 

[gnturboray]

uh no. I love these cars but they are a pain in the ass to stay tuned. Of coarse this is only my opinion,,and yes I drove one at one time as my daily driver.

 

[DKREDT]

Well if it makes you mad to put $1800 in your GS you don't want a TR for a daily driver.

You could find a car for that price. Most likely it will have some mods or be "tired".

Either way your upkeep budget for a older car as a daily driver might wear you out.

It could be done.

 

[ttypetom]

Daily TR Driver

The biggest point to make about owning a TR is the up keep, but if you are able to work on your own (which I do) it is better than any $300 - $500 a month new car payment.

Also:
TR's are not bad on GAS $.
Very good power for that GAS $.
Taxes are dirt cheap.
Insurance is reasonable.

Try getting that from a new car!!

Just one guys opinon.

Thomas

 

[scottyb]

3.5 years so far, and currently at 190k miles. I drive it every day and start to have withdrawals if I go more than 2 days without driving it. The Buick has left me stranded once for a failed tranny pump. The timing chain did let go, but I consider that a self-inflicted injury since I KNEW I should have already replaced it. I drive it 10k miles a year and I am very pleased with it's reliability. And yes, I paid less than your 7k limit.

As mentioned, it's best if you turn your own wrenches and keep up with the maintenance.

 

[jsta6]

I drive to work every day. 22 miles round trip. I drive from Ft. Lauderdale to Orlando or Bradenton or Daytona about once a year no problem. (3-4 hours)

120k miles on stock engine and no real problems to speak of. I had the front and rear seals and timing chain done. New valve springs.

I couldn't be happier. I get compliments on it just about everday. Last Friday I had the day off and I took my oldest son out to run some errands. I got three compliments on the car.

The one downside is it is hard to keep clean.

Also, I live in South Florida, so I don't have to worry about snow.

 

[Data]

If you have snow for any great length of time on the roads I would not do it. Also these cars rust out easily so if you get a lot of salt on the roads I would not do it.

Mainly it's a car from 1987 or earlier, how reliable can it be? Why not just go get a used Toyota or Honda if you want a reliable daily driver?

 

[CTX-SLPR]

Because I do not want to suffer the indignity of being the first member of my family to ever buy a non American car. I don't think any one in my family, like from my grandparents till today, has ever bought a foreign vehicle. I'll agree with you on the road salt issue but I'm pretty good about keeping up on the washing, including undercarriage, of my car and I love the power that the supercharged engine give me with a real backseat. I really don't want a car to mod or pound on, just something that is box stock fast and cool so I don't have to worry about ricers pissing me off and not being able to take revenge on them. I'd love to get a Turbo-T Limited with leather seats, can't stand the pillow top velors, its got the type of power and luxury that I want. To bad this is probably a pipe dream.... But I can dream can't I?

 

[CTX-SLPR]

(Rant mode: ON)
Why does everything cool have to be old, front wheel drive, or off the charts expensive?? I mean what do they make now thats mid to full sized, ~250+hp, rear wheel drive, have an adult useable backseat, that doesn't cost a buttload of money or beak every 5k miles? Seriously the only thing left that really fits this is the Ford Crown Vic/Mercury Grand Marquis/Lincoln Town Car and with the tiny 4.6L engine, I'd have to mod the hell out of it to get anywhere close to the power to weight ratio of my Regal GS!! An Impala SS is cool, has the room and power but they are still $10k+ even with 100k+ miles on them! I like the Caddy Fleetwood but same type deal. Man... why can't they make something cool from the factory that doesn't cost an arm and the blood of your first born anymore... I think I'm going to keep my SR because I just paid half the value of the car to get the tranny redone GRRRRRRR.... I might want a clean Limited or something to trade for my Regal GS if one came up, and if its not a turbo forgive me but I'm going to put a B-body LT1 in it and have power, gas mileage, and something I can get parts for cheap.

(Rant mode: OFF)

 

[Red Regal T]

My Red T has 275K on it. I was driving 2500 miles a month for quite a while. I'd equate TRs to the energiser bunny. Keeps going and going............ Sure, I've redone the motor but basically, I can say without a doubt, best car I've ever owned. You have to be willing to work on it yourself and keep up with maintenance and make improvements as you go. They are easy to work on. Like someone above said, beats hell out of making a big car payment. I just sold a stocker T with 96K on it for $6900, so yes, you can buy a decent one for $7K.

 

[Data]

If you get snow I wouldn't. Powerful RWD car with no traction control in the snow is no fun. Maybe if you can use studded snow tires it would be okay and if you put weight in the back.

Because I do not want to suffer the indignity of being the first member of my family to ever buy a non American car. I don't think any one in my family, like from my grandparents till today, has ever bought a foreign vehicle.

Okay. I've never understood this attitude. Considering that Honda and Toyota employ tens of thousands of workers here in the states to build, sell and maintain their cars I can't see that it matters all that much.

 

[MaxVO2]

I personally would not think about driving an 18 or so year old car as a daily driver, unless I absolutely had to (I.E broke). I love my GN, and it has never left me stranded, but it is still an old car that is getting harder and harder to find parts for.

You can get a newer model used car with decent mileage, better safety features (airbags, traction control, whatever..), and a warranty if need be. I don't know where you guys live, but insurance on a GN or Turbo T/A is NOT cheap around here. Insurance companies know what it is, it's a fast car that people tend to hop up to make even faster.

If you can afford it, get a beater car, be happy you aren't paying $400 a month in payments not including maintenance, and gas - and keep the Turbobuick for fun, weekends, racing, whatever.. The mileage on the GN is ok, but you ARE putting premium fuel in it, at $2.30ish a gallon (around here anyways), stuff breaks, and it isn't that cheap to fix even if you do it yourself.

My take on it is that if it has tits or tires, it's gonna end up giving you trouble - they are both gonna need work, better to have a newer model of each, preferably with a warranty or at least a good supply of replacement parts.

Good luck

Billy
Montgomery Village, MD

 

[Quick6'n'-K.C.]

My silver limited in my sig is my daily driver-
I used to race it alot, ran low 11s with high boost and the heads never off-

My biggest mistake was never driving the car, letting it sit for 6months to a year without starting it, i truely neglected the car letting it sit there with the car covers on it.

As of this past october i have been driving the car every single day 40-45 miles round trip. We had some -12° mornings and alot of rain so far, but the car has NEVER failed once.

Since ive been driving the car for the past 6 months, the only things that i have had to it are.

put gas in it, gets 17-20 MPG need to find out if the chip has lean cruise in it.
put rear tires on it, old ones were 6 years old
changed the oil 2 times
changed the trans fluid
changed the spark plugs and 02 sensor

Now these upgrades that i did to it werent needed,but i wanted them.
Drilled and slotted rotors with ceramic pads.
Trans cooler
Eric marshall chip for alky, its a copy of ED BREWERS 11.30 pass on the stock turbo.
Poly bushing on the front sway bar and new endlinks
Trans,oil,boost gauge on a triple pillar pod.
F-body rad with dual fan kit, not installed yet....
H4- 80watt headlight bulbs
HRpartsnstuff rear bar with wolfe upper and lower rear control arms.
alot more stuff, but those upgrades make the car sooo much better to drive...


My dad drives his 87 WE4 to work everyday once the weather breaks for the 50s and better.

If you are looking for a daily driver 86-87 turbo regal, i would get a 86t-type with a bench seat, or a 87 limited with the 60/40 split bench.
My dads car has the typical GN seats, and they hurt my back when i sit in his car too much.
The limiteds have super plush pillow seats and feel like a lazy chair when you drive the car.

My preference would be any color limited with grey interior

BW

 

[BlackBandit]

Well, if your wondering how reliable these cars are just look in the general tech section. Not really, I have one I drive every day and have it towed about once a year. That's not to bad in my book but I've driven allot of beaters. In all fairness I've spent about three years undoing what the previous owner f'd up and It has gotten ALLOT more reliable. I think the trick is to find one that's been well maintained as opposed to ridden hard and put away wet. My .02

 

[salvageV6]

18 years no real issues to speak of.

Only time I got stranded was when a tie rod end fell off from neglecting to lube the car for a year or two.

Always wondered what that loud clunk was before it let go in a parking lot tight turn.

Got a ride home and fixed it next day in the parking lot, middle of winter and it only took about 45 minutes, most of that measuring for setting the exact length so the tire wouldn't wear out on the ride home, it didn't.

Broke a hose I bypassed on the throttle body like an idiot, 15 year old hose I looped doing a mod. that doesn't really help you anyway.

That didn't strand me for more than an hour, buddy brought me water and pocket knife and fixed the hose in a commuter lot off the highway.

Lost the original 17 year old Ign. module last year also in a parking lot, got a ride 3 miles to NAPA and back, and changed it out in the parking lot.

Other than that can't think of too much.

You have to learn about the car and what it is telling you or it will be a very costly experience.

Well it will be anyway when you start all the upgrades.

Relatively easy car to work on too.

Takes a long time for them to rot out in my opinion.

 

[Haynesie]

Lincoln Mark 8s are pretty cheap, and prett y fast, they have the mustang cobra engine in it puttin out near 300, and they dont cost an arm and a leg

 

[Red Regal T]

Break some beater and just like your $1200 transmission job, it'll cost you just as much. TRs like to be driven, not sit under a car cover. When I take off in the morning, breaking down never enters my mind, because I never do. And more importantly, life's too short to drive junk!

 

[Red Regal T]

Break some beater and just like your $1200 transmission job, it'll cost you just as much. TRs like to be driven, not sit under a car cover. When I take off in the morning, breaking down never enters my mind, because I never do. And more importantly, life's too short to drive junk!

 

[vicious6]

Originally posted by Data
If you get snow I wouldn't. Powerful RWD car with no traction control in the snow is no fun. Maybe if you can use studded snow tires it would be okay and if you put weight in the back.



Okay. I've never understood this attitude. Considering that Honda and Toyota employ tens of thousands of workers here in the states to build, sell and maintain their cars I can't see that it matters all that much.

Honda and Toyota my A@#!!!! Can you say POS!!! I agree 100% with what he said about not owning some imported tin can. That is exactly what is wrong with the auto market today. Yes, they may employ many US employees, but where does all the profit go....that's right, all over seas. Let everyone just keep buying their imported junk when China and Japan etc. refuse to buy any American products. That is why the US deficit is at an all time high. I am not trying to start a flaming war here and refuse to argue the subject. I just had to express my feelings and they are very strong on this subject!

 

[CTX-SLPR]

I've actually been eyeballing the Lincoln MkVIII, especially the Gen 2 LSC (97-98), there is one big problem with them though, they are gaggeted out the wazoo so there is lots of little annoying things to break, and thier suspensions and transmissions are also known to have issues sometimes. Awesome cars but I think they'll have expensive issues.
Honestly I keep getting tempted to, again forgive me, grab an 84-87 non-turbo Regal Limited and transplant in an LT1 out of either a Corvette or B-body (Roadmasters had'em) along with the 4L60E and a G-Force crossmember and a TR gas tank with hotwired pump. Leave the thing stock except for a K&N filter setup. Sounds like a nice simple setup that should make power and good gas mileage reliably.

Just my continueing thoughts,