I went to look at an 85 gn today but i poped the hood and there sat a front mounted turbo. this guy said he didnt know anything about the car it was his brothers and he went to jail and is never getting out( rough neighborhood, dont ask) but it was defiantly a factory install. i asked to look at the title and it said 1985. whats going on?
What is going on do you think?
- Thread starter turbofish
- Start date
well it wasnt a conversion. it couldnt of been. MAYBE if they took it to a gm dealership and had it done. but if you would have met this guy you would no that wasnt the case. the thing ran like a bat outta hell and everything else about the car seemed stock. what else are the differences between the 84/85 and the 86/87 cars. yes it was intercooled, and yes it was the stock setup. im thinking that it is just a mistaken title. that the dmv messed up or something.
turbo todd
Yeah its a BUICK!!
- Joined
- May 27, 2001
Third brake light? 86 is when the new third brake light law started.
If it were me, I'd want to know about the car's history. Where it's been, WHAT it's been, etc. And of course that it has a clear title.
At $4000, even if it's a converted T-Type, that's not bad. Not too much risk involved here, but slow down and see what you can find out.
Have you run Carfax on it yet?
At $4000, even if it's a converted T-Type, that's not bad. Not too much risk involved here, but slow down and see what you can find out.
Have you run Carfax on it yet?
I agree with the suggestion to run carfax on it. See if the car itself checks out okay, regardless of drivetrain. Dont worry about the drivetrain, just check out the car first.
As far as the drivetrain. If the car is a '85 the drivetrain has been converted. This is not uncommon at all. Even if you think it looks factory it doesnt have to have been done at GM, besides it couldnt have been, '85s did not come with that engine. My brother had an '86 that the body was rotting away, so we took the drivetrain and put it in a '84 we had with a good body. You cannot tell that the motor did not come in there. If the care is taken to do everything right it will look right. There are a few other conversions around here that I know of also that look right. One that doesnt
Could be whole drivetrain, or maybe its just the bolt ons on a '85 block?? Look underneath and see if the tranny tag on the passenger side tailshaft says BQ (84/85) or BRF (86/87). Check for the sticker in the trunk and see if you can get any info from the option codes, should have vin at the top of this sticker too (I think). Definately check the vin #. I think its the 8th number (correct me if Im wrong) that designates engine. #9 was the code for the turbo engine in 84/85 and #7 was turbo engine for 86/87. Nothing wrong with a good conversion. If its a pretty clean car might be worth picking up. Not a bad price. Only real question with conversions is................where did the drivetrain come from?? Hopefully not out of a TR that came up missing. May not have been acquired this way, but who knows?? I have a '87 drivetrain from a burnt up TR I bought from a auction. I have gathered most of my hotair engines and parts from guys that the cars were wrecked. Just check out all you can and then decide. Heck, its hard to make the call even if the drivetrain was hot. Probably would be better if it fell back into the hands of a caring TurboBuick guy/gal rather than just getting dogged or trashed out on the streets . My 2cents
P.S. oh, and yes the easiest way to tell if it is newer than 85 is if it has a 3rd brake light. Grilles are also different, etc. Not that these things cant be changed or added...
As far as the drivetrain. If the car is a '85 the drivetrain has been converted. This is not uncommon at all. Even if you think it looks factory it doesnt have to have been done at GM, besides it couldnt have been, '85s did not come with that engine. My brother had an '86 that the body was rotting away, so we took the drivetrain and put it in a '84 we had with a good body. You cannot tell that the motor did not come in there. If the care is taken to do everything right it will look right. There are a few other conversions around here that I know of also that look right. One that doesnt
Could be whole drivetrain, or maybe its just the bolt ons on a '85 block?? Look underneath and see if the tranny tag on the passenger side tailshaft says BQ (84/85) or BRF (86/87). Check for the sticker in the trunk and see if you can get any info from the option codes, should have vin at the top of this sticker too (I think). Definately check the vin #. I think its the 8th number (correct me if Im wrong) that designates engine. #9 was the code for the turbo engine in 84/85 and #7 was turbo engine for 86/87. Nothing wrong with a good conversion. If its a pretty clean car might be worth picking up. Not a bad price. Only real question with conversions is................where did the drivetrain come from??
Hopefully not out of a TR that came up missing. May not have been acquired this way, but who knows?? I have a '87 drivetrain from a burnt up TR I bought from a auction. I have gathered most of my hotair engines and parts from guys that the cars were wrecked. Just check out all you can and then decide. Heck, its hard to make the call even if the drivetrain was hot. Probably would be better if it fell back into the hands of a caring TurboBuick guy/gal rather than just getting dogged or trashed out on the streets . My 2cents P.S. oh, and yes the easiest way to tell if it is newer than 85 is if it has a 3rd brake light. Grilles are also different, etc. Not that these things cant be changed or added...
Also, something I found out from state troopers. Gbody frame has vin # on it. Get this...its on TOP of the frame behind passenger side door. Before the frame makes the curve to go over the rearaxle. Not very easy to get to, huh Youve got to loosen body mounts on that side and raise the body up.
Youve got to loosen body mounts on that side and raise the body up.Similar threads
