What does it take to get a GN or T in the 10's

[uknowme]

Been thinking hard about getting a GN or T Buick. Just wondering how much a stock block or motor can take and what it will take to get one of these cars to run in the low 11's or high 10's. Like to find a near stock car with low miles that I can build up myself. Got my eye on a couple of cars for sale on here. Just waiting to see what happens.
What type of mods will it take to make one of these cars run like I want it to. I currently have a '04 Cobra that runs high 10's with the assistance of a whipple and supporting mods. My Cobra responded very well to mods and was wondering if the tubo Buicks are the same way. Don't have alot of knowledge about turbo cars and was hoping you guys can lead me in the right direction.

 

[GNVYUS 1]

Welcome, one good thing about the GN's is that they are worth something but to take a low mileage car and then build it into a 10 second car might be counter productive.

I'd recommend getting a GN that has a ton of work done to it already and then beat on it. Taking a low mileage car is going to cost some $$ and then you totally lost the virgin aspect of the car and some see the virgins as more valuable.

Now that you're a member do a bunch of searches and skimming through posts, you'll see that the GN is an easy car to get into the low 11 category and responds to mods at least as well as the Supercharged Cobra's do.

With the new PTE Billet/Boosted turbo out and more hitting the market, meeting your E.T. goals is getting easier than ever for us. :biggrin:

There is a write up about going 11.3's for $1900 in some car mag not long ago, it can be done.

Oh ya, a lot of us have sigs with E.T.'s, that's an easy place to start.

 

[SS_Sean]

10sec

 

[83ttypecooled]

Hi,
I dont mean any disrespect to any of my turbo Buick brethren,but don't you think a DOHC 4.6 L supercharged/intercooled V8 has a bit of an edge? I laughed when I saw the drag race in Hotrod magazine between the '04 Stang Cobra and the Subaru WRX STi. The Subie won, by the skin of it's teeth, but the Cobra was 8 MPH faster at the top end. 4X4 VS 4X2,I guess.
Our Buicks are plenty fast, but I see remarkable potential in the DOHC Ford modular motor.It breathes better than our motors do, plain and simple.
What's Your unprejudiced opinion on this?

 

[Phoneguy]

Welcome, one good thing about the GN's is that they are worth something but to take a low mileage car and then build it into a 10 second car might be counter productive.

I'd recommend getting a GN that has a ton of work done to it already and then beat on it. Taking a low mileage car is going to cost some $$ and then you totally lost the virgin aspect of the car and some see the virgins as more valuable.

Now that you're a member do a bunch of searches and skimming through posts, you'll see that the GN is an easy car to get into the low 11 category and responds to mods at least as well as the Supercharged Cobra's do.

With the new PTE Billet/Boosted turbo out and more hitting the market, meeting your E.T. goals is getting easier than ever for us. :biggrin:

There is a write up about going 11.3's for $1900 in some car mag not long ago, it can be done.

Oh ya, a lot of us have sigs with E.T.'s, that's an easy place to start.

Listen to this man about buying a modded car!!!!!!!!!
I did not, I purchased a nice low mile car with almost no mods and have spent a TON on this car on top of what the car already cost me. Now I am at the point of making a costly decision of caging a 43,000 mile well optioned car. I wish I had done things differently. I am now looking at buying another just to cage.

Bryan

 

[83ttypecooled]

Hi,
I kept my modifications simple, and so there is little I could not reverse.But then, my car is of lesser value, being a hybrid.It's always gonna be my favorite, though. I put a LOT of sweat equity into it.It runs well.

 

[turbojimmy]

I'd have to say that if you're used to the response to modifications that you get from your Cobra that you'll be sadly disappointed with the Turbo Buick. They are still great bang-for-the-buck cars, but there are a few examples that are better and the Cobras are one of them. Doing it with 6 cylinders is doing it the hard way, but it's part of the charm of owning one of these cars. I love mine, but have been struggling to get out of the mid-11s for years mostly due to transmission troubles. There's really no such thing as 'easy 10s' with these cars but they are a blast to own for reasons other than the times they put up.

Jim

 

[Grumpy]

I wouldn't buy a modified car unless I knew about the car personally .. There are a lot of cars out there with a pile of parts in them that don't go why would ya jump in someone elses headache (the woulda, shoulda, coulda cars) ??? With the new parts out there today 10s are pretty easy. I'd look for a nice low mile car with nice paint an so forth and DRIVE it.. It's a damm car :biggrin:

 

[novaderrik]

it's easy to get a 10 second timeslip- just go run on an 1/8th mile track.

 

[gsjo]

10's

our you talk to Red Armstrong,and listen to every word he says.I did 10.67@128 1st pass right out of the trailer,still has some left in her too. Buick raceday Norwalk.Best part is if you didnt know the car with the hood shut ,you'd just think it was a really nice summerset blue limited.joe

 

[notacarlo]

10's

$$$

 

[TurboTnZ06]

Weakness is the stock cast pistons in the GN/T. You could buy my almost stock rebuilt GN with forged pistons as a good starting point LoL. 13.8 @ 97 on pump gas with no major mods. Using my 10 second T as a reference, I would get a set of ported big valve GN1 heads, forged pistons, rjc powerplate, 70mm dbb turbo, stock location stretch IC, 60# injectors, and a turbo tweak chip on AlkyControl...I'm thinking of doing that to my GN.

 

[TurboTnZ06]

$$$

At least the first time doing it. Second GN/T is is much cheaper to go tens...

 

[uknowme]

Hi,
I dont mean any disrespect to any of my turbo Buick brethren,but don't you think a DOHC 4.6 L supercharged/intercooled V8 has a bit of an edge? I laughed when I saw the drag race in Hotrod magazine between the '04 Stang Cobra and the Subaru WRX STi. The Subie won, by the skin of it's teeth, but the Cobra was 8 MPH faster at the top end. 4X4 VS 4X2,I guess.
Our Buicks are plenty fast, but I see remarkable potential in the DOHC Ford modular motor.It breathes better than our motors do, plain and simple.
What's Your unprejudiced opinion on this?

It all depends how much money you spend to how fast you go. It doesn't matter what make of car you have, speed cost. I have spent around $7000 on my car, all name brand parts, and it will hold its own at the track or on the street. You say its a V8 but it is only 280ci. I dynoed 610 rwhp on pump gas with factory exhaust, factory long block, and 17# boost. You can't even here my car running until I drop the hammer and all you here then is blower whine. People are making 700 to 1000 rwhp with these cobras with factory long blocks when they go turbo. My unprejucdiced opinion is there probably isn't another car on the market that can make the power the Cobras make for the cost. That Subaru probably had $25000 invested in his car. Just think what it would have done to your Buick! LOL I have always been a Ford guy but have also loved the GN and T Buicks. My buddy had a GN when we got out of school back in the early 90's and that car rocked. It was a real sleeper.
As for the higher mph, it is the IRS in the Cobra. These cars don't transfer weight that good and their 60's suck most of the time. First time to the track my car cut a 1.90 sixty and trapped 104 mph in the 1/8. The torque on these cars is unbeleiveable and that explains the high mph. Have a nice day.

 

[hemi8]

Here is the reality, go to one of those GN's you are looking at, jack up the front-end and put jack stands underneath it. Lower it down onto the jack stands ans step back and take a picture of this. Now, everytime you think about buying one, pull that photo out and look at it because if you buy one thats where the car will spend 95% of it life, up on stands, being repaired. These engines are a piss-poor design for running boost. Cast cranks/4 bolts around each cyl. and weak blocks, 2 bolt mains etc.. There are waay better choices out there to throw your money at.
Just something to chew on,
Mike
86 GN

 

[87NAT]

I wouldn't buy a modified car unless I knew about the car personally .. There are a lot of cars out there with a pile of parts in them that don't go why would ya jump in someone elses headache (the woulda, shoulda, coulda cars) ??? With the new parts out there today 10s are pretty easy. I'd look for a nice low mile car with nice paint an so forth and DRIVE it.. It's a damm car :biggrin:

That is the 100% truth. Dont buy someone elses "hotrod". Not with these cars unless you know for a fact who turned the wrenchs and what they did to it.

 

[JSTTA]

Here is the reality, go to one of those GN's you are looking at, jack up the front-end and put jack stands underneath it. Lower it down onto the jack stands ans step back and take a picture of this. Now, everytime you think about buying one, pull that photo out and look at it because if you buy one thats where the car will spend 95% of it life, up on stands, being repaired. These engines are a piss-poor design for running boost. Cast cranks/4 bolts around each cyl. and weak blocks, 2 bolt mains etc.. There are waay better choices out there to throw your money at.
Just something to chew on,
Mike
86 GN

Sounds like you need to sell your's. The TTA I own has 82 k on it, runs 12.00 and gets driven hard. Knock on wood , no problems yet! It's only on jack stands for fluid changes.

 

[uknowme]

our you talk to Red Armstrong,and listen to every word he says.I did 10.67@128 1st pass right out of the trailer,still has some left in her too. Buick raceday Norwalk.Best part is if you didnt know the car with the hood shut ,you'd just think it was a really nice summerset blue limited.joe

Who is Red Armstrong?

 

[Sleeper-6]

Here is the reality, go to one of those GN's you are looking at, jack up the front-end and put jack stands underneath it. Lower it down onto the jack stands ans step back and take a picture of this. Now, everytime you think about buying one, pull that photo out and look at it because if you buy one thats where the car will spend 95% of it life, up on stands, being repaired. These engines are a piss-poor design for running boost. Cast cranks/4 bolts around each cyl. and weak blocks, 2 bolt mains etc.. There are waay better choices out there to throw your money at.
Just something to chew on,
Mike
86 GN

Now ain't that sweet. Looks like it's time for you to sell it and throw your money at something else.

 

[benoitthegr8]

$$$ + ALKY + 25+ lbs BOOST = 10's or bottom end failure