I'm going to need some help from you guys to give this old girl a new lease on life. I've been restoring cars almost 30 years and this car needs my help. I've owned 4 87 intercooled Grand Nationals and all of them I rebuilt the engines and tweaked on. I have ZERO experience in carbed hot air Buicks but not afraid to learn. I just finished a 78 aero Cutlass Salon with factory 4 speed (videos on my channel) and these aero oddities have grown on me. So I'll do all the grunt work if you guys can give me tech help. I want to save this car. I'm planning a mild resto mod but wanting to leave it a carbed turbo set up. I would like to do some mild mods to wake it up. I have purchased some hard to find parts already. I also just bought a complete 83 turbo Regal engine/trans from a salvage. I have an 87 SS Monte 3.73 rear end here and a 2004R trans I plan on using in this turbo Century
MEGA project but I'll save it. Turbo Century
- Thread starter Hafrod
- Start date
Here is the cause of the knock the salvage owner said the 83 Regal had. It's got 40 over pistons, 10 under on cast crank. One cylinder wall is the worst pitted I've seen. The head casting number is 8253 or 8263. The 3rd digit is hard to make out. I am planning on a mild port job on heads and port matching the intake. I done this on all my 87 GNs. I am curious on heads. I would like to use the best flowing set. Not sure what casting number is on my Century turbo motor yet because car is not here yet. There is another set of heads, cast iron intake, carb, turbo control box, and piping in the trunk of it. So not sure on those heads casting numbers either.
Two of my buddys are trying to get me to go LS in this car and there is absolutely no way. The car may not have much value but it is rare. It's an aero design thing for me. I like to be different. Here is my Salon that I just recently finished. I won 1st place in my class and best paint two weeks ago.
No, I missed Power Tour
b4black
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 24, 2001
Excellent project. Please keep us updated. 
I know a lot about the '83 motor and some about the '79. If you use the '83 intake manifold, you will loose the coolant heating for the carb plenum and the knock sensor mount. I think you will be OK without the heating if this is a summer only car. If you use a '79 block, make sure you drill and tap a hole for the knock sensor.
Are you going to use the '83 or '79 engine management (computer)?
The 200-4r uses a different crossmember & driveshaft than the 350 trans. You'll need to add a mount to the frame for the 200-4r crossmember. Google will have the answers on how to do this.
I know a lot about the '83 motor and some about the '79. If you use the '83 intake manifold, you will loose the coolant heating for the carb plenum and the knock sensor mount. I think you will be OK without the heating if this is a summer only car. If you use a '79 block, make sure you drill and tap a hole for the knock sensor.
Are you going to use the '83 or '79 engine management (computer)?
The 200-4r uses a different crossmember & driveshaft than the 350 trans. You'll need to add a mount to the frame for the 200-4r crossmember. Google will have the answers on how to do this.
Thanks for posting. I was beginning to think everyone hated the carExcellent project. Please keep us updated.
I know a lot about the '83 motor and some about the '79. If you use the '83 intake manifold, you will loose the coolant heating for the carb plenum and the knock sensor mount. I think you will be OK without the heating if this is a summer only car. If you use a '79 block, make sure you drill and tap a hole for the knock sensor.
Are you going to use the '83 or '79 engine management (computer)?
The 200-4r uses a different crossmember & driveshaft than the 350 trans. You'll need to add a mount to the frame for the 200-4r crossmember. Google will have the answers on how to do this.
. I have a chassis from an 87 SS monte here so I have the chassis piece, crossmember, and driveshaft. The 79 turbo control box in the trunk has no bottom on it and tan colored goopy stuff is everywhere. I doubt it's good. So using the 83 might be an idea but don't know where it is unless it's in the computer in the RH kick panel.I'm very sorry I'm about to post a noob question here so here goes. The extra Q Jet is missing from the trunk the previous owner said was there. I looked today and it's not there. The Q Jet on the car is burned and doubt it's salvageable. My question is, what do I do for a carb now? What exactly is different on the carb from a regular Q Jet? I read a lot on here about the carbs but there was an abbreviation everyone was using and I don't know what it means. I have rebuilt many NON computer controlled Q Jets and mechanically inclined and feel dumb even asking. I have the 83 carb but it's computer controlled. I wanted to keep the engine basic like 79 is. I am green on draw through turbo stuff. I have been reading on here for a couple days and learned some though
blacknight80
Active Member
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2013
I modded a qjet off of a pontiac 301. I followed someone else's steps either on here or pontiac 301 t forum. I will search around and see what I can find you. It involved epoxy in some of the vac pathways on the base plate. The throttle blades didn't work though and I was going to pull them from the original carb. If you go the non ccc route you will be using the turbo control center. The timing boxes didn't have bottoms on them unfortunately. You are gonna probably hear this eventually so I'll just say it.....look into j and s safeguard. It's pricey but provides much better timing control then the oem stuff.
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blacknight80
Active Member
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2013
Different source but same info
http://customers.skymesh.net.au/hiy_po/quadrajet/index(boost_ref).html
One of the other guys may chime in but you might need a pevr or a check valve to run one. Your 78 should have one if it didn't melt. There is an outfit called TTA Performance that rebuilds them.
http://customers.skymesh.net.au/hiy_po/quadrajet/index(boost_ref).html
One of the other guys may chime in but you might need a pevr or a check valve to run one. Your 78 should have one if it didn't melt. There is an outfit called TTA Performance that rebuilds them.
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PEVR is what I don't know what it stands for. I'm going to assume power enrichment valve something? Thank you for the link. Is the PEVR in the intake?
Another question is the three things on the Drivers side inner fender. Looks like solonoids and one relay??? They are fried on the Century but got all three from a 78 or 79 Turbo Regal. It had the hood off for years though so they got water and sun exposure. I got the harness with them but what exactly are the three things? I'd like to buy new ones but don't know what they're called or what they're for. I think one might be for the lower right turbo gauge in the dash? Again I'm very sorry for all the questions.
blacknight80
Active Member
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2013
This is a pevr. Here is an explanation of
http://www.ttaperformance.com/pevr.html
The relay is to shut off the timing box so engine noise during cranking doesn't retard the timing. The two solenoid are for your super cool boost lights on your dash. There is a cutoff year that went to a single switch. Not sure what it is but my 82 has a single switch
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http://www.ttaperformance.com/pevr.html
The relay is to shut off the timing box so engine noise during cranking doesn't retard the timing. The two solenoid are for your super cool boost lights on your dash. There is a cutoff year that went to a single switch. Not sure what it is but my 82 has a single switch
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blacknight80
Active Member
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2013
I have a complete 82 turbo setup for sale if you are interested but I'm in Canada so shipping might be a little crazy.
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I bought a complete 1983 turbo Regal 3.8 with engine harness, dash with harness, and transmission. I mainly bought it for the aluminum intake and overdrive trans. The engine and crank shaft are wasted.
b4black
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 24, 2001
The ECM for the '83 was behind the RH kick panel.
The boost light switches ground the circuit and lights come on. There are things called Hobbs switches that do the same. The vacuum line will connect to the turbo compressor - same line as the compressor to wastegate actuator.
Get a Buick Shop manual off ebay. The turbo engine is covered very well.
The boost light switches ground the circuit and lights come on. There are things called Hobbs switches that do the same. The vacuum line will connect to the turbo compressor - same line as the compressor to wastegate actuator.
Get a Buick Shop manual off ebay. The turbo engine is covered very well.
