Car Craft Cover

[ck80]

Sigh.

If every car was "fast", then no car would be "fast" - they'd all be equal speed.

Obviously nobody who's commented thus far would agree, and that's fine, but there's nothing wrong with a nice looking car that wasn't fast.

As for the 1982 GNs, they weren't rare because of price. In fact, that had absolutely nothing to do with it. Neither did the speed or lack there of.

They were to be a one time commemorative edition for buick dominance in nascar. That's it. Not every dealer who wanted one could even get one. Intended to be 200 units, it made it to 215 instead.

Yes, if 1982 were to have had 2018 technology, it'd probably have 800hp from the factory. But it didnt.

Then again, most renaissance art and music can't compete with the quality we could make today. Let's trash it all too and repaint over it to have more vibrant colors and modern instrumentation. No point in ever keeping anything the way it was made

 

[UNGN]

They may not be rare because of the price, but they were rare because of their cost, Buick likely lost money on every one they sold and therefore only sold 215 and wrote the loss off as a marketing expense.

There may be nothing wrong with a nice looking car that isn't fast, but it isn't going to make Car Craft (maybe if AARP had a car feature in their monthly mag) or even be fun to drive. 125 hp isn't "fun" because it wasn't in 1982 and still isn't today.

He still has the Boat anchor motor and the glass open rear axle and working TH350's are $100 at any junkyard. I'm positive nobody will ever need it or want it, but the fact that he even has to say it to keep a purist from whining is mind boggling.

"Purists" don't understand that modified versions of their lame stock cars make their lame stock cars worth more. Of course then they complain that now they "can't afford their perfect, stock 125 HP dream mobile!" and is all those guys that made their cars popular's fault! I think some people just like to complain.

 

[TURNA]

RARE 82 GN...............Hmmm LS powered??????


Doesn't seem so rare to me


Seems more like they ruined it and it's rarity.

 

[UNGN]

A 4.1L non turbo V6 and TH350 3 speed auto and a 3.08 open 7.5 rear axle didn't make an '82 GN "rare". They made it "lame".

He still has those POS parts taking up more space than they are worth in his garage. People need to worry about more important things than preserving one of the darkest chapters in American automotive history, where people actually thought 125 HP cars with stickers and spoilers were "cool".

 

[TURNA]

Big bold print says 1982 Buick Grand National restored.

That's not a restore to me.

Just another lame Chevy engine swap.

 

[UNGN]

I'm sure the guy that cut out and replaced the rusty floor pans from the T-tops leaking would beg to differ.

If you are restoring a car to drive, why would you ever want to make awful to drive. The ONLY reason Dodge exists as a company today is because in 1993 they built a truck that they knew 1/2 the country would think "that is the ugliest truck I have ever seen".

If he'd put it back to stock, Nobody would complain, because Nobody would care. Just like in 1986, when NOBODY cared about 1982 GN's.

 

[ck80]

The only reason that car made it in the magazine is because it WAS a 1982 GN... you put that aside it's a 1 of 100,000 ls-swapped cars nobody could care less about.

Oh, I've got an ls engine hyuk hyuk hyuk. Just like the millions of other cars and trucks on the road hyuk hyuk hyuk

 

[Csilvy2000]

I want to find a 1969 Z28. Gotta have a home for my LQ4 and 4l80e.

 

[ck80]

I want to find a 1969 Z28. Gotta have a home for my LQ4 and 4l80e.

Should be easy. More 69 z28s on the road now than were ever built in the first place. Probably best to just buy a dynacorn body, avoid the rust and save 40k.

 

[UNGN]

The reason why it is in Car Craft is its very well done. It has A/C, It isn't "hacked" and he even fitted it with 4 wheel disc brakes in the tiny factory 14" wheels.

I think LS1 swaps are overdone and a stock '86/'87 Turbo motor would be 1.5 seconds faster in the 1/4 than the owners claimed "mid 13's on slicks", but this car is very nicely done and won't reinforce the widespread thought that all non '86/87 GN's are "pathetic" and get a "neat" with an eyeroll at a car show like other "sticker package" 70-80's cars get.

As Good Guys and NSRA members start buying G-bodies in force, this type of thing is going to get a lot more prevalent, because driving a G-body beats driving pretty much any 72-earlier car hands down.