Who really daily drives thier GN...need some advice

[fireberd350]

I have an 84 GN...its no show car but in great shape for its age...it is currently my only car...i have an oppurtunity to buy an 87 Old Cutlass w/ 3.8L 2bbl, 79k, mechanic owned(a friend of my dads) and runs like a top, but is not the most visually pleasing car....i drove the car and hated the way it drove, felt like a boat even though its the same car as the GN...had NO balls at all and was just not an enjoyable car to drive...

but back to the subject, do you think it would be worth the investment? it will mostly be a winter driver(comes w/ some spare rims w/ studded snow tires) but even if I drive it all winter my GN will still be on the street sitting....should I not waste my money or would it be worth it to have it around just in case the GN runs into some trouble and for winter duty?

i'd be more interested in a honda or mazda or something but for the same money i'd be afraid it would be a money pit...any advice?

 

[COPTZR]

I daily drove an 86GN and an 84GN. The 86 I drove on a daily basis for the better part of two years with no problems. The 84 for about a year with no problems. The 86 I logged about 35k miles on and the 84 I put about 9k on. Eventually I quit driving the 84 cause it's a relatively low mile car that's almost all original and I want it to stay nice(I start it up and roll it around some, but rarely has it seen the road for quite some time). Started havin flashbacks about the day the my first '86 ate it(had a guy run a stop sign and I nailed him...hard).
Cars are made to be drivin so don't feel guilty about driving it. I have to admit that it is nice having the option of driving one of several vehicles(now that the cars I own number in the double digits I have no choice but to drive something different) and keeping the miles down helps keep the value up if it's under 100k, but anything beyond that and you might as well drive it everyday and enjoy the crap out of it in my opinion.
As for what to buy...a Honda holds it's value and it'll probably be relaible.
The Cutlass...well, I dunno. I own an '86 442 and I like it just fine. Throw on some better shocks, extra bracing/good sway bars, bigger tires and it should ride just fine.
Probably wouldn't run you but about 300 bucks or less to get it handling nicely for what it is.
Especially the way I've been giving away bracing on here lately..cough cough

 

[Gothmog]

I had a Cutlass 3.8 liter. It's a god car any easy to fix. I say buy it. He couldn't be asking THAT much.
Its nice to have a backup for snow rain sleet, or the occasional trip to a bad neighborhood.

My family is big on Hondas, but no matter how well they are babied, they RUST like crazy in my experience.

Buy the OLDS. Spare the GN winter road salt.

 

[b4black]

Put some real sway bars and shocks on it and it won't handle like a pontoon boat.

Put a 4.1 4-barrel on it, some better rear gears and it will get up a little better. Might even beat a ricer or two.

 

[equalizer442]

i owned a 85 3.8l for a daily driver to keep the miles off of my 86 442 and my 87 gn but i was forced to sell it when i baught the t type. god i miss that car, tough little fawker. i jumped it off a "clif" in to a cornfield one time. me and some friends measured off the jump i beleve we cleared 53 feet but its been a while i cant remember for sure. the only damage to the car was some scratched from the corn and the front licens plate was bent under the bumper.

 

[The Radius Kid]

Originally posted by fireberd350
I have an 84 GN...its no show car but in great shape for its age...it is currently my only car...i have an oppurtunity to buy an 87 Old Cutlass w/ 3.8L 2bbl, 79k, mechanic owned(a friend of my dads) and runs like a top, but is not the most visually pleasing car....i drove the car and hated the way it drove, felt like a boat even though its the same car as the GN...had NO balls at all and was just not an enjoyable car to drive...

but back to the subject, do you think it would be worth the investment? it will mostly be a winter driver(comes w/ some spare rims w/ studded snow tires) but even if I drive it all winter my GN will still be on the street sitting....should I not waste my money or would it be worth it to have it around just in case the GN runs into some trouble and for winter duty?

i'd be more interested in a honda or mazda or something but for the same money i'd be afraid it would be a money pit...any advice?

Get the beater.
As was said,they're easy to fix and take the hit that winter dishes out.
I bought my car in 95' and until last winter,I drove it every winter except one,four years ago.
You won't believe the damage winter does to a car and what it costs to repair it.
Buy a cheap car and let it take the hit.
Besides,it's nice to have a car to drive when the G/N is down for mods.

 

[gn85]

For a short time there, I had access to a 3.8 Regal, as well as my GN. I used to like the fact that I could repair the beater easily. Since I was so familiar with wrenching on the GN, the Regal was no big deal and in some cases I already had the part(s) in storage.

With that being said, in the winter, I used my GN except when the weather went really bad. For that I had a truck so it was no big deal. I really do put a lot more miles on the GN, then I do the truck. It's just fun as heck driving to work in the morning.. even more fun when ya leave... Actually, a few times I was caught out in the elements with the GN, it did fairly well with the posi.

As far as having a daily driver period... my car is over 100k so I just ENJOY.... blasting to work with all that HP sure makes my crappiest days a little better.

Like someone else said.. the beater is also good for when the GN gets mods/repairs.

 

[turbofrank]

Get another ride. I drive the car daily except in the snow. I even drive it in the rain i just can't stop.

 

[salvageV6]

Drive the car. It ain't a show car.

The money you will save on insurance will allow you to start saving for a fast mint intercooled rocketship in the future.

You will get enjoyment daily and it's fun driving with good snow tires in the winter.

I bought a decent shape GN and still prefer to drive my daily totalled WE4.

 

[84GNTTYPE]

I'd by it just so you don't have to drive your GN during the winter. There are too many bad things that can easily happen to a nice car in the winter, especially a rear-wheel drive nice car. With the Cutlass, you won't have to worry so much if it get dinged up or if you slide it in the ditch ! Not to mention the rust that will form on your GN from driving in the salt!!

 

[fireberd350]

Picking it up tomorrow....decided it cant hurt for $1000...

for those that had the 3.8L 2bbl....how were the on gas??

and the engine looks identical to mine...minus the turbo on top and SFI...

wish me luck