Cloning the GNX?

[davidf]

Why? I understand the fender flares and the wheels since the GN does look soooo much better flared out but why badge it? Someone will figure it out eventually. Are cloners frowned upon for that? Since I joined the forum I've seen various clones that Ray Charles would'nt pass for a GNX. By no means do I mean to insult anyone that has, I'm just curious.

 

[WH1_T-Type]

Cause they want to and have the spare time/money

 

[GNBRETT]

pretty much

 

[GNregistry]

I wanted GNX Clone daily driver

Cost is not the point.... it costs more and you have less car GN vs GNX,

bought 87 GN hardtop to clone becuz I have GN ttop original garage queen, equal to my GNX, never driven - in excellent condition with all paperwork, follow links in m signature... therefore I can have a daily driver GNX, who has that and enhjoys it... when you drive down the road most people will not know... tinted windows so u cant see in, the rear suspension would be the clue but then you would see the HR rear end which is better than GNX suspension, from what I have heard, HR parts are better than GNX susp.

I bought 87 GN hard top for daily driver, needed lots of fix up,
new brakes, turbo, exhaust, shocks, u name it, 21 yr old car with 88,000 miles RUST FREE... locally owned, yet military owner kept it in southern MS for 10 yrs... now in my garage... needs new paint...

Yes I would like a GNX, yet WHY???
becuz I want it!, ok...
I am original owner of 1987 GN when it had 150 miles and today it ha 38,000 miles, added ATR exhaust, tie down, power plate, new chip... garage and covered most of the time... ummmm

what should I buy next... ATV, sled, car, escalade... tow truck, bigger house... wham bam economy tanked...

Single divorced and no kids, now what,

I have spkoen to many GNX owners and have seen them in public with their GNX, owners hold their breath when people look or walk by it... don't need that stress...

lots of money tied up in a car rarely driven...
thus buy a 87 GN, daily driver, add new parts that I want in the car, turbo, HR parts N stuff suspension... cant do that with GNX...
cant hack up or modify GNX the way I can with 2nd GN and hardtop...
afterall, if I wanted to sell GN Hardtop, I could upgrade to a true GNX... then daily driver... not really....

Over the course of years from 1987 I could have sold and purchased GNX's but decied not too, bought a duplex instead, stoks, bonds, other cars... houses, travel...

If I moved south I could seel it all and buy all new stuff and get a GNX... why so many options and so much time and money... maybe one day but not today... not this year!!!

My 87 GN will be daily driver GNX Clone, becuz it can be driven and ready for race track on radials... May 2009 Bowling Green, KY, stop N go, leave on last yellow light, no turbo boost, just like on a street, brake n go

13.2 at 105 mph - and that was before adding $1100 in HR partsNstuff - HR sway bar $520, dble adj upper control arms, and lower control arms with air bags to lower 60' and get down the track quicker...

I have acquired all the GNX parts except, SW dash gauages which is $2,000 or add today version of gauges for less, new tires, new paint job...

Kicker, have the GNX turbo shield, but I added new 3" downpipe with external wastegate, so I cant install the GNX Turbo Shield... so it sit with all my other Buick Parts, I rather own Buick GN NOS parts, then stocks, mutual funds today... no capital gains tax, no uncle sam asking is that income or loss...

GN clone is somthing fun to do... Remember I have an ORIGINAL 87 GN that was purchased in 1988 with $18,000 cash... then bought my 2nd GN with CASH and modified it with Cash... few bolt on parts here and there...

now it is full blown drag or show GN for the street. stealth mode, with bumper fillers cracked or broken or falling off... will work on fixing for 2010

 

[GNregistry]

GNX Clone is not meant for people with OCD, lol

GNX Parts
Badges - $500
Rims (orig or reproduction) $1100
tires - $1600
Flares - $400
Vents (true ventilation not cut in) - $300
suspension - $4,000 or more possibly
exhaust - ???
SW Gauges - $2,000
87 GN ($6500 min)
new turbo
GNX shield $1,000 or more

GN Parts to make it daily driver so u can drive it = $10,000
GN hardtop - $6,500
GNX parts - $10,000 min to start
New paint - $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ depends on your taste of quality

the paint is my last and final touch... I bought it as a hobby to work on over the years, instead I will have it completed in 2 years... OCD, OCD, OCD

NOW buy a GNX and fix or repair old parts or bad parts ($$$$$$$$$)
will you drive it... ow many GNX's do YOU seen driven, NOT TRAILERED...

I have driven 87 GN hardtop from WI to NC to GA, back to WI in 2008, then in 2009, drove from WI to KY to Portland, Maine then Maine to Wisconsin, currently has 100,500 miles... 13.2 at 105 mph with 2.60 60' times and slooooow reaction times... see you in 2010 at Buick events...

 

[DJ Red Barron]

Why? I understand the fender flares and the wheels since the GN does look soooo much better flared out but why badge it? Someone will figure it out eventually. Are cloners frowned upon for that? Since I joined the forum I've seen various clones that Ray Charles would'nt pass for a GNX. By no means do I mean to insult anyone that has, I'm just curious.

I have always wanted a GNX, but never was really able to find one I wouldn't feel guilty about driving. So I knew I would probably go the route of a GN resto-mod with a lot of GNX influence. However, I was initially not going to badge the car at all. I didn't personally want to try to pass the car off as a real X. As it turned out, no badges left the car kinda missing something IMO. So I did end up putting badges on it, but they were done using a modified version of the original GNX logo and had no color, just black letters with a silver outline.

It is kinda funny at car shows. Usually, if it's a person who knows TRs fairly well, it usually goes something like "looks under the hood... Hmm.... There's a GNX turbo shield... Maybe it is legit.... Look at the interior... Hmm... A GNX dash... But there is no number on the glove box plate... Maybe not a real X. Next, the wheels... Well, they are aftermarket, so what's next... Ahhh... The rear end... Take a peek and bam! There it is.... Not a real X." As I said earlier, I never tell anyone it's the real deal, even in situation where I could and the person I'm talking to would literally never know I was BSing them.

A real X is on my "to obtain" list, though. And I will not only drive it, but do most all of the mods to it I have done to the GN, then flip the GN to the car I put on the track on a somewhat regular basis.

 

[slowcar]

the only GNX tribute known to date--100% perfect

was built by KASH...this car is almost 100% identical to a GNX but with a $12-15k paint job ....the engine compartment looks like 1000k miles and the car looks like 5k miles overall......I own the car and it makes my friends 10k mile real GNX look like **** trust me ...........i have owned 3 GNX's over time and I as well think this tribute is a top notch build..................the original paint on those cars were just crap...the cost of building one yourself is more like over $40k with paint,car,labor and OEM parts.....

I have put this tribute car in 7 shows ...4 with real GNX's and everybody including the GNX owners thought the car was a 1200 mile original...that is what the odo says now...I have had Buick TR guys drool over it and diehard muscle car guys compliment it and tell me to drive it home and park it...it "should not be driven"

And yes I PASS it as being real...real in a sense that ASC employed hourly men to build the 547 in a shop by hand assembly ..part by part...this is exactly what this car is....a hand built part for part GNX..in a shop...but it took 2 plus years to build this car unlike a week or less at ASC....the car I have has been torn down to bare metal and rebuilt from scratch....over 400 man hours put into it-----so in so many words I feel the car is as genuine as the real deal and should be respected as it

I have seen many HEMI cudas and Chevelle LS6s sell for $100k plus that were tributes...why? because of the cost to original as well as the time and money spent to re-create a car is astounding....

LOL.....only a handful of guys would know this car is a clone...and that would be if you told them the car isnt real....they would then look...

 

[davidf]

Got any pics. I'd love to see it. That paint must be awesome for that money. Thank's.

 

[DJ Red Barron]

was built by KASH...this car is almost 100% identical to a GNX but with a $12-15k paint job ....the engine compartment looks like 1000k miles and the car looks like 5k miles overall......I own the car and it makes my friends 10k mile real GNX look like **** trust me ...........i have owned 3 GNX's over time and I as well think this tribute is a top notch build..................the original paint on those cars were just crap...the cost of building one yourself is more like over $40k with paint,car,labor and OEM parts.....

I have put this tribute car in 7 shows ...4 with real GNX's and everybody including the GNX owners thought the car was a 1200 mile original...that is what the odo says now...I have had Buick TR guys drool over it and diehard muscle car guys compliment it and tell me to drive it home and park it...it "should not be driven"

And yes I PASS it as being real...real in a sense that ASC employed hourly men to build the 547 in a shop by hand assembly ..part by part...this is exactly what this car is....a hand built part for part GNX..in a shop...but it took 2 plus years to build this car unlike a week or less at ASC....the car I have has been torn down to bare metal and rebuilt from scratch....over 400 man hours put into it-----so in so many words I feel the car is as genuine as the real deal and should be respected as it

I have seen many HEMI cudas and Chevelle LS6s sell for $100k plus that were tributes...why? because of the cost to original as well as the time and money spent to re-create a car is astounding....

LOL.....only a handful of guys would know this car is a clone...and that would be if you told them the car isnt real....they would then look...

I have looked over pics of your car I'm pretty sure. If so, it IS EXTREMELY nice. But at the end of the day, I don't care who spent how long building it by hand, it isn't a real GNX. You can "feel the car is as genuine as the real deal should be respected as such" all you want to. But IMO, that's absolutely beyond ridiculous and laughable. I could easily (albeit expensively) take a bone stock, base model crapbox Regal with a good body & frame and have it built into an exact duplicate of your car. When all was said & done, it still wouldn't be a car one would be able to truly pass off as a real GNX.

As far as HemiCuda clones and the like going for six figures... Yea... They do. And the build expense is completely astounding on them without a doubt. But any guy who has one of those tribute cars and tried to pass it off as the real deal or thought somehow it should be looked at as such would be laughed at equally as hard.

 

[slowcar]

I agree and disagree

at the shows if someone asks me if it is a real GNX ...i simply say "you tell me" nothing else is much said.....but I will tell you this ...driving the car and parking it in over 100 plus places...restaurants...theatres...car auctions...malls...stores...flea markets....12 car dealerships...everywhere!!...I get compliments and questions...but 99% of the people looking at it says "nice Grand National" or "what is a GNX".... "it is a grand national right but you hooked it up?" I have had 4 people know what it is and 96 people think it was a GN....not a clone but a GN....when I tell someone the car is worth 10's of thousands of dollars...they look at me like I was in a fantasy....so the only person I truly impress with this car is myself...and for paying half of the price that a real ASC one would cost...I think it was a great investment...that will always have value...for those who buy ones for extreme amounts of money and assume everybody knows what they have is a bit confused....and not worth the money or time to store it away and not drive it.....

in reality this car is a great example of the best looking GN/GNX someone can own and drive without worry....it simply is like owning and driving a new car...

you can take a clean GN and convert it to what I have...but you will spend more then it takes to get a real one...so why bother?

car cost $12k clean rust free...great drivetrain and body panels needing nothing--includes car with ALL GN options...as my car is...except t-tops
paint $12k (INCLUDES 60 HOURS WET SANDING and BODY MEDIA BLASTED)
cost of GNX parts $13k
wheels and tires...correct offset rebuilt new $2500
seals all new trim body moulding etc. $2000
replace interior with 10k mile interior (like new) $1500
extra parts including exhaust gas tank and new brakes etc. $2000
LABOR TO INSTALL PARTS(everything including gauges,interior,rear end,moulding,seals and engine parts).includes detailing engine bay to true GNX APPEARANCE $7000

TOTAL $52000

 

[WH1_T-Type]

At the end of the day it is still a clone.

 

[TR Custom Parts]

I have seen the car being discussed and it IS gorgeous. There was an extensive thread on it about a year ago on the board.

That being said, passing it off as the real deal just isn't right BUT it's your car so do what you want. Nothing bad about having a clone, especially the one you possess.

My insurance agent had a GNX and we were talking about what he should get for a vanity plate and I suggested REAL X as I am sure a lot of people were going to ask him if it was a real one or not.

Maybe a good one for yours would be UNREAL!

I would be real leery of parking that car at a theatre, mall or store, might not be there when you return.

 

[davidf]

Pics. I'm dying to see this paint. I've been looking at some very low mileage GN's lately. As low as 12,000 miles but can't get beyond that factory paint. I had both my last GN's repainted and swore I'd never do it again. Yes I'd like to install GNX flares but thats about it.

 

[TR Custom Parts]

Enjoy!

http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/gnx-fortunate-547/257145-pics-gnx-we-re-created.html

http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/cars-sale/287266-gnx-recreation-sale.html

 

[davidf]

Holy crap. I would love to have that. To bad it's gone.

 

[slowcar]

Thanks it is a great duplicate

And in truth behold yes at the end if the day it is not a real gnx but
at the end if the day it is just a 24 year old Buick Regal just like all the rest
if these cars. Lol.

As for passing it as real or not. Everybody asks as I stated earlier
if it a GN. Not "is it a GN made into a GNX". Nobody knows a GNX from a
GN. Like nobody knows a GMC from a Chevy.

Lol

 

[DJ Red Barron]

at the shows if someone asks me if it is a real GNX ...i simply say "you tell me" nothing else is much said.....but I will tell you this ...driving the car and parking it in over 100 plus places...restaurants...theatres...car auctions...malls...stores...flea markets....12 car dealerships...everywhere!!...I get compliments and questions...but 99% of the people looking at it says "nice Grand National" or "what is a GNX".... "it is a grand national right but you hooked it up?" I have had 4 people know what it is and 96 people think it was a GN....not a clone but a GN....when I tell someone the car is worth 10's of thousands of dollars...they look at me like I was in a fantasy....so the only person I truly impress with this car is myself...and for paying half of the price that a real ASC one would cost...I think it was a great investment...that will always have value...for those who buy ones for extreme amounts of money and assume everybody knows what they have is a bit confused....and not worth the money or time to store it away and not drive it.....

in reality this car is a great example of the best looking GN/GNX someone can own and drive without worry....it simply is like owning and driving a new car...

you can take a clean GN and convert it to what I have...but you will spend more then it takes to get a real one...so why bother?

car cost $12k clean rust free...great drivetrain and body panels needing nothing--includes car with ALL GN options...as my car is...except t-tops
paint $12k (INCLUDES 60 HOURS WET SANDING and BODY MEDIA BLASTED)
cost of GNX parts $13k
wheels and tires...correct offset rebuilt new $2500
seals all new trim body moulding etc. $2000
replace interior with 10k mile interior (like new) $1500
extra parts including exhaust gas tank and new brakes etc. $2000
LABOR TO INSTALL PARTS(everything including gauges,interior,rear end,moulding,seals and engine parts).includes detailing engine bay to true GNX APPEARANCE $7000

TOTAL $52000

To be clear, your car is absolutely stunning and I would never degrade the car in any way. Also, had I not already had the car I currently have when your car first came up for sale, suffice to say you wouldn't own it right now. Well, unless you would have been willing to pay me a helllllll of a lot more than the $32k it sold for. In fact, I doubt seriously the $52k it ran to build it would have gotten it from me. Yes, you got a deal of a lifetime IMO.

I'm sure it draws attention everywhere you take it. Mine does every single day it's outside of a garage. And you're absolutely right... Most people have no idea what a GNX is. Hell, the average Joe I run across doesn't even really know what a GN is. And to MOST people, I could easily aswer the "is it a real GNX?" question with the "You tell me" reply and the conversation would stop there. They would walk away thinking it was a real deal. But it's not. I didn't make the rules. I just live in the world they are applied in. And mine isn't a real GNX. It's just a Grand National that is built the way I wanted to build one (that's worth a LOT more to me than it would probably be to anyone else). Nothing more.

As far as what a real X is worth, what people are willing to pay for them dictates what they are worth. I haven't seen a surplus of them laying around and people having a hard time getting rid of one if they truly try to sell it.

On the subject of duplicating your car, my point was simply it was done once. It could easily be done again if someone so chose. All it takes is money. Would I personally do it? No. I was just saying I could build a car exactly like yours if I wanted to and have exactly what you've got, a GNX clone. Sure, it would cost a lot more than what you paid to do this. But that's nothing more than a matter of you getting very lucky and finding the right car at the right time.

And in truth behold yes at the end if the day it is not a real gnx but
at the end if the day it is just a 24 year old Buick Regal just like all the rest
if these cars. Lol.

As for passing it as real or not. Everybody asks as I stated earlier
if it a GN. Not "is it a GN made into a GNX". Nobody knows a GNX from a
GN. Like nobody knows a GMC from a Chevy.

Lol

Actually, you said some people ask if it's a real GNX. While the majority of the world is clueless on these cars, there are some who do know exactly what a GNX is and know where to look to see the differences in an X and a GN. Your car has all things X on it and even a well trained, educated eye could probably not tell the difference. Vague statements like "You tell me if it's real" leaves an ultimately false impression as there are no real indicators to say otherwise unless someone were to start running VINs and comparing.

Regardless, do with it what you will and tell people what you want. In the grand scheme of things, it really doesn't matter all that much. You know what you've got. The way I see it, just tell it like it is. You've got a fantastic car. No need in trying to imply it's something other than exactly what it is. But that's just my opinion. If your world revolves more smoothly because you left some unknowing person with a false sense of what's what, then more power to you.

 

[GNregistry]

The idea is cool, but reality is expensive

Kash is the only true GNX clone to be exactly correct as much as it can!!!!

As for other people and their goals -- it is the cost of money, that stops the overall GNX Quality... I wanted GN daily driver, then acquire GNX exterior looks only... remember I have GN garage queen, why buy GNX garage queen... I cant even go outside with GN stock low mileage, why buy a GNX and have more stress... yes I can buy a GNX, do I want one -- NO

I can't and will not modify my 87 GN STOCK
thus buy GN Hardtop to cut up and modify,

WHY - BECUZ - my pockets allow me... I want a 87 GN/GNX Drag Race Show car daily driver... with LOTS OF top ten modified parts required to peak performance and etc... why modify a GNX any real one... I'll wait for 5 or 10 years then buy one, maybe sooner or later....

My original goal -- 10 years to modify/recreate/paint and could be done in 3 years... might have been completed -- but I moved to the East Coast... and go to Buick Racing events... so you knows when, and who really cares... having fun driving 12 second daily driver Grand National....

Next will be meth injection....

 

[WeSS]

gnx clone

Having been involved in the sale of a low mile gnx I understand why people don't want to run down such a rare and valuable car. So imo there is nothing wrong with taking a less desirable turbo regal/gn and making a gnx clone. I just hate it when people perpetrate that they actually have a real gnx and brag and boast about it at every gas station, street corner, car show, race track, grocery store, etc. When that kind of behavior happens all the purest come out of the wood works to contradict them on it. The average hillbilly would never know the specifics.

 

[Mark Parks]

Barron,
You and I both know most people don't know what a GN is let alone a GNX,BUT when I tell the high school kids I have a black car that is like the one in the movie Fast and Furious,THEY know what I have!!!!!!!