When converting a regular Regal....

[RATROASTER]

Down to Metal

 

[RATROASTER]

In Primer

In Primer. Does anyone know if GM used a gasket on the non-Landau T-types with Coach Lights? Any idea where I can find a set of Coach Lights? My mounting clips have broken off....

 

[Blazer406]

I just want to say.... WOW!

You did an outstandig job. This is something you should be very proud of. I guess it is safe to say.... you really know every bolt on that car!

Again.... congrats.

 

[RATROASTER]

New Makeover

Thanks man! Its been a long time in the making. Its hard to believe I bought this car almost 10 years ago and I'm still working on it and loving every mile along the way! That first Regal is always a good one. I'm glad I've managed to keep it. I got it back from the paint shop yesterday. I'll have to figure out how to mount the Coach Lights as the mounting tabs were broken and figure out why I'm pulling code 44. Here are a couple of pics:

 

[JC Turbo]

Dave car looks great!! Few questions, who painted it and did you use non landau quarter glass? There is a difference between the two. I'd like to see it in person sometime.

 

[RATROASTER]

Oh yeah, the windows. I've got a set to swap out and I'm just a couple of clips short of hanging my rear window trim. I figured out code44. It was another bad MAF. The cold air kit is great, but driving the T everyday allows for the solenoid to fail much quicker when picking up all the cold wet air from close to the road.

 

[RATROASTER]

I turned 147,000 miles this month, and I've driven the car every day for the last 4-1/2 years. The car had 90,500 miles on the odometer when I did the Turbo/NA swap. That's a healthy 56,000 miles on this build. I feel like I've had a good return on this build and I have begun to think about freshening up the drivetrain. I rebuilt the rearend two years ago. The transmission was rebuilt by Vince Janice at the time of the drivetrain swap. I plastigaged the bearings on the bottom end of the motor and found they were in spec at the time of the swap. That was 56,000 miles ago and the motor had somewhere in the neighborhood of 45,000 miles on it. I'm going to be proactive and start building another motor. There is only one motor that I can think that will take this build to the next level and it is the 4.1. It just so happens that I have one sitting on the floor of my garage for the last three years (yeah a good Buick guy never passes up a good deal on a 4.1, especially when it was a simple parts trade!). It is from an '83 Regal and I took it too the machine shop last month. More details too follow once I nail down my build. The plan is to keep it street because I am going to drive this car until someone pries my hands off the steering wheel and puts me in a pine wood box.

 

[RATROASTER]

Its been several years, and I've taken time off from the motor sports hobby to do other types of racing, mtb, open water swimming, marathon running, triathlons, etc. I must have racing in the blood. However, yesterday I pulled the blue T-Type out of storage over the weekend. Its been tucked away several years, while I started a railroad company in Ohio. Needless to say some components have failed over time do to the lack of use I suppose. The digital dash, one coach light, and the driver's side power seat are no longer working. I unplugged and cleaned the connections on the power seat today. I have a list of others I want to do such as change the torque converter, switch back to rubber body bushings, and convert it back to power steering (had a mountain bike crash a few years ago.....now I have four plates in my arm). I had the digital dash upgraded and repaired by Postons around 2004-2005. Any recommendations on who does digital dash work repair now?

 

[davelostmissing]

Caspers IIRC

 

[RATROASTER]

Caspers IIRC

Thanks Dave. My digital dash came back from Caspers. It took some damage in shipping to the odometer button, but luckily it still works. Although I can forget about resetting the odometer ever again. Also changed most of the brake lines and the primary fuel line to stainless steel. I had a few brake line blow outs that were annoying.

 

[RATROASTER]

I've been working on giving the blue buick a refresh. Also switched back to rubber body bushings from the poly, and re-installing power steering. I'm glad I kept all of the power steering components, its been interesting digging through my bolt collection and finding all of that hardware. Never throw out a good OEM bolt!