Duroc The Family Cruiser

[Turbo Zach]

Some of you have seen this car around already. I decided to start a build thread for it. So here it is. 1981 Buick Century. This is what I brought home a couple months ago.

I originally was looking for a car just like this one before I bought my 2003 Buick GS last year, but could not find one. So I hopped up the GS a little bit to make it more fun to drive. Then recently this car came up for sale. It was too good of a deal to pass up, so I bought it. I plan to use this car as my daily beater I can haul my kids in. Beings I have the other beater car and it is still in ok shape i will kind of be juggling between the two cars. This car runs very well, just doesn't have much get up and go. Eventually I will repower this car with a 3800 Series 2 engine i have. Maybe the supercharged engine out of the GS eventually. With the high gas prices right now. I decided to start driving this car every day and let the GS sit for now because the GS runs on 93 octane and the Century can run on 91. A lot cheaper. Good excuse right?

 

[Turbo Zach]

So now to show what I have been doing to. First thing I did was swap on some wheels and tires I had laying around.

I have another set of aftermarket rims like these that are in a lot better shape, but these rims had good tires on them. I wanted to see how I like the look before putting tires on the better rims. The car road pretty good, but had too much body roll for my liking. So I bought UMI front and back Antiroll bars. The back never had a bar. Here is a picture of the new bar compared to the old one.

I also swapped the coilover shocks I had from the Monte on this car.

It is amazing how clean this car is underneath and inside for a car that has not been pampered and has lived in Iowa it's hole life.

I put seat covers on the front and back seats because the seats are nice. Me and the kids are hard on car interior.

Friday I took the car to work and back. I took it through the car wash on my way home. Just because.

The AC compressor locked up on me on my way home. Kind of my fault. So that will need addressed soon. Here is a picture of the two G Bodies sitting out in the sun together.

That's it for now.

 

[1evilregal]

Looks good with the gta wheels. How does it handle with the new sway bars?

the g’s look good together!

 

[Turbo Zach]

Looks good with the gta wheels. How does it handle with the new sway bars?

the g’s look good together!

Thanks. It handles like I want it to now. A lot better. I have the same bars on the Monte so I knew what to expect.

 

[oldsmobile joe]

i think a buick hawk is needed on the front fender.

and a turbo hood would be nice also.

 

[Turbo Zach]

i think a buick hawk is needed on the front fender.

and a turbo hood would be nice also.

Or maybe I should take the turbo 6 emblems off the wheels?

 

[Turbo Zach]

I have been daily driving this car for a month and a half. The car drivers and rides nice. It gets better fuel mileage than the GS and normal unleaded is a lot cheaper than 93. I did replace the hood and trunk struts. It is nice not having to use sticks to hold them up. I also got the AC working. First try with the AC it worked for a day or two. Second try it has been working for three weeks so far. First try was my fault. I was being kind of lazy. I put retro fittings on the AC lines, sucker down, and charged it with 134A. The compressor locked up a couple days later and cost me some v-belts. Second round. I swapped the bad compressor with the one I took off my Monte years ago. I flushed everything out the best I could. Charged the system. The secret is I put oil in the system this time! All in all the car has been working out good and I enjoy driving it.

 

[Turbo Zach]

The car had been working great for months as my daily. Friday night kind of went to sh*t for me. It was my ten year wedding anniversary Friday. When I got off work I had a few places to stop. First one was at the gas station. I went to play and found my debut card had expired 9,21 and now it was 10,21. Lucky me I actually had a bunch of cash in my wallet. Then it started raining. So I had the AC on. I left town and was heading to pick up food and go home. I was driving down the highway and I could smell something burning. Then I realized it was not going away. sh*t it must be me. Then the volt light popped on. I hurried up and shut the AC off and pulled off the highway and then I had no power steering. Right then I knew what had happened. Sure enough the used AC compressor I put on the car a couple months ago locked up and nocked all the belts off. I had a few tools in the trunk. I got the power steering belt bumped back on. The alternator belt was tangled up, but not broke. The AC belt was gone. I tried my damndest to put the alternator belt back on. Beings it was curly cued up it was like a inch too short. I cobbled it on twice, but it would throw off after a few seconds of starting the car. I did have a couple guys stop and try to lend a hand. That was kind of cool and unheard of now a days. I had to call my wife to come get me. Saturday morning me and my boy went and picked up the car with the truck and trailer.

I bought this trailer two weeks ago and this was the first time I hauled anything with it. I got home and went to unload the car. First the catalyst converter caught on the trailer and broke the pipe. Then the tail pipe caught the ground and folded under the car and bent the muffler all to hell. So now the turd is down for a while. I got the GS out today. That car runs so good. I need that engine in the Century and then I would have something. All in all I had to laugh at the hole ordeal. Beings my wedding anniversary and all. My wife has learned to expect this kind of thing out of me.

 

[DRIVEN]

Happy Anniversary.

 

[81cutlass]

Bummer on the issues but at least it's provided a good summer for you. Good timing with winter, gives you some time for upgrades/changes