daltongc

The T type is no GNX for sure, but it's a cousin. You could do some serious tweaking to it and probably get close. Did anyone happen to see the show on cable where the twins get two cars and pick teams to soup them up? They did some GNs recently. I think they ended up overboosting one with nitrous and blew it up? Anyway, cool cars.. not many of them around. I'd guess the Max would live longer and be more reliable, but the Ttype might be more fun?

kcidmil

I would have to go for a Grand National... it wouldn't feel right with just a Regal.

That's like getting the Camry... it looks close to our body styles... but it's still not a Maxima.

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

the only differnce between the GN and the t-type was trim (and probably a little computer programming)

he got unlucky on this one because it doesn't have the original 200-4r in it no more

DirtyErnie

do the swap.

G-body's aren't my cup of tea, and i find them kinda hideous, but if someone offered me a straight-up trade for one, i'd be on it, especially the sequential-fuel-injection model, that's hot sauce. Aftermarket for the G-body is also huge, due to two words; MONTE CARLO. For some reason rednecks love the MoundaCrapo, but that turbo-six will eat anything they have.

plus, it's a buttload less work than turboing your max.
Ern

CyMax

iTrader: (5)

WHOLLY CRAP!!!! Boy now I know why they painted the GN GNX Black that car is Slap your momma UGLY!!!!! Fast and becomming rare but DAMN hard to drive looking like that. IMO

CyMax

iTrader: (5)

For what you do everyday, Thank you. Stay as safe as you can, come back. From-- ex 12B US Army.

hadman

iTrader: (21)

All those Regal attributes are great and everything, but what about the history of the car you would be trading for? You listed some recent upgrades made, but what hasn't been mentioned? All I can say is I wouldn't make a striaght trade unless I had a thorough inspection by a class A mech. I'd want the car I'm trading for to be at least as dependable as the one I'm giving up.
I'm gauging the private party value of the Regal between $3800 to $4k based on your description.
It's understandably tempting, especially as you have a backup.

Slamnasty

That's an 82 Grand National, very few of which were made (215 or so), and those had a completely different engine that made far less than the 250hp that T-Types and GNs, in most cases, make.

The later T-Types and GNs are "prettier" because of some slight visual tweaks. The GNX is the best looking of all of them.

ArcticDC5

Don't get the T-type. I had a Buick that I meticulously maintained and it gave me hella headaches and repair bills. Every 4 weeks something went out on it ranging from coils, egr valve, oil temp sensors, alternators, ECU (speedo broke), and the list goes on and on. Buicks are "decent" for domestics, but I'm happy with my J30.

kcidmil

How well is that Exedy clutch working for you ArcticDC5?

jwmaxse

iTrader: (1)

It's hard to compare the two because they are totally classes and years of cars. It really depends on what you are looking for, if I just wanted a decent daily driver that I could make kind of fast and haul people regularly I would stick with the max, but if I wanted a car that I could make extremely fast and didn't mind keeping up with maintenance then I would go for the T-type hands down. On the other hand I just remembered that you have the DSM and it sounds like you already have a car to mod out and make pretty fast. I would do the trade just because if the cars are in similar condition the T-type is worth at least $1000 more

zzzwilliams3200

Well I did the trade yesterday. The Regal is white and has a red cloth interior (which is near perfect). I had it towed to a reputable shop which also did the transmission work for it too and they went through it and everything checked out just fine except for a minor leak in the rear window and a leaky gasket in the rear differential. Also, it turns out the owner was confused and it is a rebuilt 2004R transmission. I really like driving it around and with a half a day of sorta getting on it some times and about 30 miles of highway driving, it burned a little less then a quarter tank, which I'm pretty happy with. My mom owns a 4th gen maxima so I can still have use of the most reliable rig around I'll be happy to post some pictures of it in a few days after I get back to my house from this visit up Maine.

Slamnasty

Congrats man. You will adore that thing. Turbo Buicks have always been a dream car for me, and I should just bite the bullet and buy one. There's no shortage of help for them either.

You've probably already looked around, but:
http://www.turbobuicks.com/forums/index.php
http://www.gnttype.org/

ArcticDC5

Thread = hi-jacked. The exedy clutch is awesome. The pedal feel is so much stiffer and more firm, I really like it alot. It was worth the extra $ from the oem "mud" clutch. You will love it alot if you get one.

zzzwilliams3200

http://photobucket.com/albums/y175/zzzwilliams/

hey guys, here are some pictures of it

hadman

iTrader: (21)

Seeing it now - it looks pretty damn good. Interior is prime for some TLC, but it looks good! Enjoy!!

subs1000w

what no under hood shots

do you think thats the original paint

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

that car looks sweet in that white.
Good luck keeping it clean though

Slamnasty

I forgot you mentioned it was an 87 Turbo-T. Much rarer than the T-type...

subs1000w

whats the difference

91 Maxima Girl

My opinion is that you keep the Maxima! Maximas are good long lasting cars! My car has 250+ miles on it and other than me messing up the tranny it is a great car! No way I'd buy a Buick of any kind! Plus the Maxima looks so much better! Its alot easier on the eye!

Slamnasty

Really not much difference at all, other than perhaps some different factory colors. It's the same engine as any T-type would've gotten. It's been a while since I've studied my 80s G-body facts, but if memory serves, a Turbo T is basically just another name for an 87 T-type. You can tell the difference externally by the wheels (usually though not always) and the front quarter panel badge. Turbo Ts just have the T in the black rounded square. T-type badges will say "T-type".

There were also some Regal Limited Turbos in 1987, which, again, if memory serves, are even rarer than Turbo Ts. They're also a lot harder to detect since they look like regular Limiteds. But any way you cut it, a Turbo T is a T-type is a Limited Turbo; and the only thing that makes a GN a GN is mostly the color and wheel combo. Only the GNX stands out mechanically amongst its brothers.

shavedmax

iTrader: (6)

t types were offered in the early 80's. that i know of only GN's and gnx's were offered in 86 and 87, therefore, you could only buy them black. t-types and Gn's are the same, but there were some differences in turbo design from the early T to the GN. i had a century t type, basically a fwd 3.8. it was a great car, but i wouldnt swap it for a max. a regal though, i would. even if its just for collector's value i would

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

plain t-type can have any motor

Slamnasty

Actually the Grand National made its debut in 1982, but there were so few of them sold (215) that it's hard to consider it a watershed for the 1984 GN 2 years later. The 1982 model was also thoroughly uninteresting, and didn't make much power at all over its N/A Regal counterpart. It had a turbo 4.1 Buick V6 making something like 150-170hp (maybe even less). It's paint scheme was also an interior designer's worst nightmare.

The next GN came in 1984 in the black everyone knows, and the 10 or 12-spoke bladed wheels, and the much better 3.8 turbo V6 making 250hp. The 1985-87 models are the most sought-after though, having all the final visual/mechanical touches everyone wanted like the extra aero bits and the chrome wheels.

Turbo Regals go all the way back to 1978, but like the 1982 GN, they were very uninteresting, low-sales cars. I have yet to see an original 1978 Buick Regal Turbo Coupe on the street. The earliest Turbo Regal I've seen in person to this day is (I think) a 1983 T-type.