Welcome aboard and Congrats on your new GN.
I would recommend you spend some time and read everything that this website says about not only the history of the Turbo Buicks, but also informational articles such as the Spring Cleaning article and put it all to memory.
Turbo Regal Web Site
Resources
The Grand National / T-Type / Turbo Regal Buick Spring Cleaning Guide
Then, I would highly suggest you invest in a Scan tool such as a Scan Master 2 for not only diagnosing problems, but also checking tuning parameters. Best money you will ever spend on the car. Once you have the car running good and tuned the best for whatever grade gas you are running, you can start your research about what possible upgrades you may want to make on the car. Don't jump right into the largest turbo or largest set of injectors you can get just cause someone else said you have too.
Here is rule number one when it comes to modifying your Turbo Buick.
Plan your work, then work your plan.
Meaning, do your homework, decide how far you want to take the car, research what others have done and the success he or she has had with certain parts and combos. With the Turbo Buicks, bigger is not always better. I have had first hand experience with these cars since 1987 and have seen the performance parts come and go, seen what works and what didn't. Have taken a bone stock 86 T-Type from 14.0s with just a spring cleaning tune up in 1994 all the way to 10.ohs @ 136 with a Stage 2 combo. At this point it was basically a race car designed to look like a street car, that I was always nervous about driving on the street. I had the most fun with both of my previous cars when they were solid mid to low 11 second cars. I could drive them anywhere, even daily, and beat the stew out of them on the weekend. But you must take care of the car, and always stay on top of proper and preventive maintenance items. These motors where designed and built to really take some punishment, but you must be perfect with your tune when it comes to keeping one together in the 400-600 flywheel hp range. Detonation kills these motors and head gaskets. Remember, knock bad, no knock good.... This is where the value of a good scantool like the Scanmaster comes in. It will allow you to be able to monitor your O2 voltages and knock counts as you are racing your car. When the time comes for tuning, we can help with what numbers to shoot for, for given driving and state of tune conditions. IE octane gas used and what or whose chip you have.
Rule 2.
When you decide on your goals, start a post on this site, telling
everyone what your goals are, and what parts you currently have on the car.
What this will do is, give you un-biased opinions based on experiences from the thousands of Turbo Buick enthusiasts around the country. You might find out that your current combo will easily reach your goals, but you just need to learn how to tune what you've got or maybe someone can help you figure out a problem or tuning issue. That is the beauty about this website and has been for the past 9.5 years. We are a very tight knit group and most of us will go out of our way to help. Especially at events such as the GS Nationals or other Buick only events. Some of us, like myself know what it's like not to have any help, to have to figure stuff out on your own via trial and error. This method can get very costly very quickly.
Rule 3.
Don't ever be afraid to post up a question about your car on this site.
I would however suggest putting the search feature to good use first as the archives almost always have an answer. If not, post up and I promise you someone on here will have or can get you an answer. We're all in this together. The friendships you will make in this community will last you a lifetime and the information collected about these cars is priceless.
Rule 4.
Try to spend once when you can with your combo.
Why upgrade to 30# injectors when you really need 50s or 65# Mototrons to reach your goal? Get as many opinions as you can before making a decision.
Another thing to remember is, technology is constantly evolving, there will always be a better turbo, or a better engine management system or a better whatever. Be humble with your combo choices, don't be swayed by the competition and stick to your plan. Many people have come down with the disease of
GOFASTITIS, which can lead to it's host disease of
UPGRADITIS. This sticking to your plan is what a friend once told me,
"Tune what ya got, and stay out of the gift shops."
Also remember, there will always be a faster car out there. Use your power wisely.
Rule 5.
Treat your car with respect. She has a heart and a soul.
If you drive her like you stole her, and put her away wet, the car will get you back. If you treat her well, she will reward you with a lot of fun times. I know this might sound corny, but in all my years, this one single tidbit of info has always remained true. Not just about Turbo Buicks, but with every vehicle I have ever owned.
Rule 6.
There is no treatment for your new disease called GOFASTITIS.
We all have it, just enjoy it while you can. Something that can help keep it from spreading to the worse disease of all, which is
RACECARITIS, is to Use your Turbo V6 power in moderation. Meaning, don't race it as often, don't drive it like you stole it everytime you take her out of the garage. Using the power in moderation will train your brain to forget about the earth rotating torque that these cars are capable of, and give you a fix and a grin that will last for weeks. However, be warned, excessive abuse of the power will lead to
RACECARITIS. The old saying is true, Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Rule 7.
Always Go Fast with Class.
As of now, consider yourself a Jedi Apprentice.
Congrats on the new car and let us know if we can help you.
Patrick
