Why hot rod a perfect factory GN?

[sugarandopium]

Dead horse : )

Couple reasons:

#1)
Hot rodding is ADDICTIVE

#2)
There is NOTHING like a turbo regal, i've owned fast gbodys, and the difference is night and day.
Once you've driven one of these, the last thing on your mind
is the desire to drive a built v8 regal, monte, or cutlass.
And this, I think is something we can all agree on.

#3)
Value and originality is a nice thing, but again, hot rodding is addictive.
The personal value and attachment of a car you built can easily exceed any future resale value.

I bought a semi-low mile car, just so I can start out with something solid.
Will I get back anywhere near what I paid for it after mods? No.
Do I want to sell it in the future? Absolutely not.
.... So to me, it really dosen't matter what it does to resale value.

I don't plan on selling it, if you're grabbing one and tucking it away for a
future investment, sure, very very valid point.

If you're buying one to enjoy it, do what makes you happy, regardless of
what will effect resale or the future owner.

But in another aspect..... I also do like originality..
I am actually having a hard time bringing myself to mod this car,
as it is so original and well kept, part of me wants to keep it stock,
the other part of me wants to bolt everything possible and build it for
warp speed...

So, I do understand where you're coming from, and it is really nice having
an untouched car, so much to the point where I'm just replacing vitals at the
current time, and keeping an eye out for a solid ttype to build and keep the
gn as an all original example.

 

[TURBOPOWERED68]

Hi, new guy here. I do not see a better sub forum to discuss value, so I will start here.

When i was a kid, everyone would look for good driving cars with enough years and miles to lower the price to a quarter or so of new to make it affordable to add after market parts which were superior. I bought a 1960 348hp Pontiac in 1966 and added headers, clutch, valve springs, cam, 3.90 rear end, etc. You cannot believe how weak a 1960 clutch was.

What I see on ebay are original factory GNs sell for more than modified cars that have more money in them. I would always think that a modified car has been beat to pieces and rebuilt. It might not be tight in the joints, steering and everything but the rebuilt parts could be worn out.

With this in mind, if a person wants a fast GN looking car, why not just buy a nice Regal and a 370hp+ crate motor? With OD, add a 4.56 rear end if you want a drag/street car or Maybe find GN wheels, hood, trim etc. if you want the look.

FOR ME it’s based on the foundation.
I modded an 84 Monte and after it was done it was still just a worthless 84 Monte.
Mod a GN and when your done its still a “getting hard to find and getting more expensive” GN. IMO dumping money into a NOT special car (GN, T-type Monte SS, 442) doesn’t make sense especially since the only value the car will have is the parts that you put into it.

BTW 370hp are you nuts?
Just kidding these guys will never let go of that #

 

[PHINFAN]

It a widely known "no-no" to have advertised horsepower that rivals or surpasses the Vette. This IS the reason that the ALL of the TR's were 245, with the exception of the X at 276.

Again, I do not know where you get your widely known information from. Google 1986, and 1987 corvette specs, along with 86, and 87 Grand National specs.

You will find 1986 Corvette 230hp, 1986 Grand National 235hp, when you go to 1987, you will find Corvette 240hp, Grand National 245hp.

This is NOT an elusive piece of information, GN's had 285 hp stock, they could NOT rate them that high because of the transmission manufacturer (just like I said). They had to rate them at or under 250hp, so they picked 5 MORE than the Corvette each year.

 

[dr_frankenstein]

Anybody can have a resto GN.......... just need a big enough wallet.

But it takes a crazy person to hack one up. its just boils down to human nature...... we all want to distinguish ourselfs.


What a better way to stand out.... than to hack a perfectly good car?

works for me:biggrin:

A.j.

 

[garrett]

check out my signature

I first bought my 87 GN in 1999. It was stock with 60000 miles on it. I started tinkering before I really new what happened, I ended up with aluminum GN 1 heads, GNX wheels, and everything under the hood in stainless steel. Then as I got older and more familiar with these cars, I realized that I had hurt the value of my GN. I then built my 87 Turbo T clone. It has now become the more modded car. I have even more plans for it in the near future. When my friends ask me which one I like more, it's a hard choice, but I have to say the car I built. It's like a candy apple red metallic and has chrome trim, torque thrusts, etc. It's also faster than my GN. I don't plan on selling either car. I tried to return the GN to a "stock appearing" look. I just can't bring myself to own and drive a stock car. My desires are to turn my GN into the car that Buick should have built. I have kept the GTA wheels, fake GNX dash cluster, and I'm even considering installing functional GNX vents. I think that this is the way the car should have been built in 87. I hope others feel the same way. right or wrong

 

[Phoneguy]

I too bought a very loaded low mile GN with alot of documentation. I looked for some time for the right car. I wanted a moon roof car with Twilight sentinel. I got that and Power windows, locks, drivers seat, antenna, trunk, remote pass mirror, rear defrost, digital dash, cruise, tilt, delay wipers, factory alarm. The car had 41,xxx miles and the only mods were a TA49, fuel pump with hotwire and a KB air kit.
It wasn't long before I got bit by the horsepower bug and am now contemplating a cage for the car. I pulled the original engine and put it on a stand and had a stroker built which is about to go in. I haven't driven the car for just over a year now and has under 43,xxx on it. My wife is none too happy that I spent what I did for an original low mileage car just to make a hot rod. I did not buy this car for resale value, I bought it to enjoy it so I will keep going until I get it like I want it. Some people think I am crazy...

Bryan

 

[novaderrik]

the GN and T Type are pretty impressive for a factory built car from the mid to late 80's- and really impressive for a G body- but like any other car that has to meet oem durability, emissions, fuel ecpnomy, crash, and HVH standards there is a LOT of improvement to be made on the car.
just the fact that the bottom ends of the motors are living with double the factory power and torque without being touched, and that they put a rear end that also lived with this kind of power tells me that the engineers wanted these cars to be modified by the consumers to bring out their true potential. sure, the stock trans wasn't quite up to the increased power levels that have been thrown at them, but the hot rodding community has figured out the weak spots and made them hold up to the power that the engine and rear axle are capable of holding.