I looked at my first GN.

[eazy e]

I looked at my first GN at a dealer Friday. It was an '86 with 49K. The car looked perfect from the outside and the interior looked almost new. The car had everything except a moonroof or t-tops. The car looked as if it was repainted in he past few years. The salesman claimed that the car has had three owners. The car had the following mods:
42.5 lb injectors
K&N TPS
Terry Houston 3" down pipe
Exhaust dumps
2"3/4 mandrel exhaust
Chip red 93
Adjustable wastgate
Oil fill tubre breather
Adjustable FPR
V-volt booster
XP-Plus feul pump
Under hood braces
Aluminum drive shaft
Rebuilt transmission with about 3K on it

I test drove the car, and it was great. The trunk had a folder full of receipts and some of the stock parts. How much is this car worth? The dealer was asking on the sticker 12.5K. I have been looking for a low mileage GN or T-type, and this is the first one I have seen. How reliable is a '86 or '87 turbo regal as a daily driver? I will use this car to drive to college and home once a week. I do have another car that I could drive at times, but it's not a beater.

 

[PEACHS]

Beat her or not

A GN is a nice car to drive, gets many great looks from all. If you are gonig to drive it as daily beater, i would invest in a good security system. Because you might come out to find your beater gone. Seems there is a wave of G-body SS Monte Carlos,Regals,Cutlass, and Malibu getting taken from the school parking lots. Hope this helps
Peachs

 

[eazy e]

I was thinking of a good security system. In my other car, I have a hidden switch that blocks the electric fuel pump from working, thus the car won't start. I also take the wire from the ignition coil. And the car has an audible alarm, but theft isn't that big of a problem in my small town of 3500.

 

[TR Custom Parts]

Sounds like too nice of a car for a beater but that's JMO. Seems like a good price and be thankful that it is a hardtop, less creaking and leaks plus it is stronger if you are going to hammer on it.

Like others have said, you stand a good chance of it being gone if you leave it unattended, doesn't matter where you live. We have had a couple of members' cars taken in recent weeks, nothing will stop a good thief.

Went to the movies the other night and saw a nice TR sitting in the parking lot (North Haven, CT) and was hoping that it was still going to be there for the owner when he/she came out of the movies. Wonder if it was anyone on the board?

 

[FlyinGN]

that sounds like a sweet deal.. All the stuff that you would o dare there already.. Should be a fine runner too. But an everyday driver? wow.. Bad in the winter.. Buy that and a old Toyota to drive everyday.

 

[Vendor Defendor]

Re: Beat her or not

Originally posted by PEACHS
Seems there is a wave of G-body SS Monte Carlos,Regals,Cutlass, and Malibu getting taken from the school parking lots. Hope this helps
Peachs

dont forget el caminos....

 

[2quiktocare]

After seeing what happens to cars in college parking lots, drive a beater to school, lock the GN at home or it will be gone regardless of how you secure it
Mark

 

[eazy e]

Thanks for the advice. I forgot to mention that the GN I looked at also had a CAI and an aftermarket intercooler. Right now I have an '86 Olds Delta 88 with 67K and an '80 Datsun 280ZX. I wish I could keep the Olds, but if I get another car, it will most likely have to go, because three cars for just me is too many. How much should one pay for a low mileage '86/87 GN in excellent condition? Is it blue book or a little bit above blue book value? Does the same value apply for T-types, or are they cheaper?

 

[MeanBuicks]

Go to www.kbb.com, input the proper mileage & options and see what it says.

 

[DCEPTCN]

I think that you'll get a better idea of the REAL value of these cars by watching them on ebay than checking with say, Kelley Blue Book. I really believe that I speak for alot of TR owners when I say that looking at those types of price guides is valuable to someone buying a Dodge Caravan, but little more than insulting when it comes to these cars. I think the last time I looked at kbb on a GN (it's been a long time) they listed an 'excellent' condition GN at around 12 to 13k....now I don't know what others consider 'excellent', but I see GNs with 10 to 15 thousand miles going on ebay for 18 to 20k. Or better yet, go to the Haggerty insurance website. They insure (strictly) special interest cars and have a good idea what they are worth. They list the '84 through '87 GNs in the category of 'Exotics', and have a way to value your car on the website. As far as 'daily driving' goes, there's two sides to that coin: On the one hand, they are reliable in the sense that everybody has seen these cars running 12 or 11 second E.T.s even when the car has 150 to 200 thousand miles (of course very well maintained and modded) but you must also consider how poorly they are in the snow! I once left a friends house to go to the mall years ago, I told him I'd be back in about 20 minutes--it snowed truckloads in the short time I was in the building (this was Colorado) and I had to call my buddy to come pick me up and leave the car at the mall overnight! In conclusion, I'm no expert- but if I were you, I'd get that car before somebody else does...it sounds like a great deal.

 

[buickman69]

There's KNOW WAY i'd drive a T-R everyday. They are fun to get out and punch on a pretty day and a few days outta the year but that's all for me. Everyone I know around here has a different daily driver. As mentioned above the theft is a good point. I also look @ how rare they are and valuable in the long run. Therefore, I believe in keeping them outta the weather.

I'd try and get the GN as cheap as possible but $12,500 isn't a rip-off either in my opinion. I agree that whatever sells on E-BAY is about market price. I'd love to see the values on these cars rebound UP where they should be.

Just my .02

 

[Lee_Burough]

I remember a post about a year ago about a GN stolen from a campus parking lot at Tennessee University. Security would be a big concern for me if I was driving as you describe.

If you insist on a GN, send a private message to Twobrians or dhauser on this board and see what is available. They both have first class cars.

 

[turbojimmy]

Don't forget to run a Carfax. Don't believe anything a car salesman tells you unless you have a second source backing him up. If the receipts seem to back him up, that's good. Carfax will tell you the truth (and whether it's been rebuilt).

Jim

 

[eazy e]

Thanks for the replies. I am kind of concerned with the winter ability. I almost never go anywhere when it snows. Maybe some snow tires would be a good investment. I think I would have a mechanice inspect the car and run a carfax too. I think I could really knock some of that money off of the price because it will be paid in cash. Something tells me that car isn't going anywhere for a while.

Thanks again.