BUILD THREAD The Mullet Maurader, The Epic of the LS swapped Buick

[1evilregal]

welcome to the site from North Carolina! good lookin Regal! enjoy it for a bit before you go ripping into it, as you'll be like many of us, and get bit by the "while I'm here" bug! I really need to update the pic of my regal below, as this was before I got bit by the bug 10 years ago, and build plans have changed direction several times now.... we're here to help you on this journey, and can't wait to follow your progress!

 

[MrSony]

Yeah, 5 x 4 3/4 stuff is hard to come by just lying around. remember, the lug nuts are metric thread. Don't remember what... :L

 

[565bbchevy]

So the goal here is a daily driveable sleeper capable of embarrassing the best factory offerings on the road these days.

So I am guessing your goal is going to be well over the 707 horsepower mark.

 

[Northernregal]

welcome to the site from North Carolina! good lookin Regal! enjoy it for a bit before you go ripping into it, as you'll be like many of us, and get bit by the "while I'm here" bug! I really need to update the pic of my regal below, as this was before I got bit by the bug 10 years ago, and build plans have changed direction several times now.... we're here to help you on this journey, and can't wait to follow your progress!

Thank you sir! That truly is the struggle. I might as well lift the body and do the bushings, might as well undercoat and rust proof.... maybe a frame box and narrow the rear frame for bigger tires..... Then I’m pulling a Hafrod repainting the inside of my dome lights lol. He is amazing, wish I had his determination and skill. Wow.

So I am guessing your goal is going to be well over the 707 horsepower mark.

Don’t weight 4700lbs so I don’t really have to. 500 NA is short term. 2.3l blower is the end goal. Last car was an SRT8 300 with a 6.4, pretty sure I can do better, was an awesome car but she was a big girl.

 

[Northernregal]

Time for a little update. Haven’t had any time to actually DO anything but things are starting to show up.

These are way lighter than the stock single pistons I just put on!!! Need to call UMI about a C5 conversion kit.

How does a guy keep the snowball effect from taking over. All I want to do is pull the body off to paint the frame and underbody but I can’t help the urge to “just do a couple things” while it’s off!!!

 

[Injectedcutty]

The snowball effect, keeping it from continuing, hahaha good luck with that man!
I've done several mods to my Cutlass over the years, and the sickness just gets worse! This current 6 year body off resto started as a "quick" suspension upgrade. Within several weeks of said upgrades which didn't happen, my car was torn down to a shell!!!!

You must have extreme self control, but as you tear apart and find things needing attention the snowball will gain size and speed! Tuned in for sure!

Scott

 

[Northernregal]

I hate doing things over again, maybe its laziness or ocd but I know if I get the body off I mights as well box the frame and notch it because I will eventually want/need to. But I only have 4 months of winter with limited time as I work a lot.

Probably better to plan it for next winter and do the big suspension change at the same time.

Decisions decisions...

 

[ItsnotaGN]

You might as well figure on the whole deal if you're looking for 500hp. I am appalled at how chintzy the frame is with the body off. Then again, I'm appalled that a car with SS badges game with 180hp.

 

[TheWagoon]

Well here I go.... The build has kicked off.

I’m new to the G scene but not quite new to doing stupid things in cars. Hopefully I’ll represent something that will be enjoyable enough to read between a Hafrod and Rktpwrd thread. Lol

So the goal here is a daily driveable sleeper capable of embarrassing the best factory offerings on the road these days. It’s gonna take a while to get all the way there but that’s half the fun. I’m gonna keep a few surprises along the way to make up for my sad lack of advanced refinishing skills. Ha!

So day one started with a handful of Delco boxes from Rockauto. Because I found the car on kijiji and it had been sitting a while, fresh brakes were in order so I can drive to work with it.

So off with the old seized crusty front calipers and rotors. Rotors were probably good enough to resurface and I didn’t know they were the hub... learning things already... but what the heck. They were cheap on rockauto. So fresh slate on the stopping, they aren’t permanent but the 14” front runs wouldn’t permit the next step and finding rims that fit a 5x4 3/4” car bolt pattern aren’t as easy to find up here in the north so this will have to do for now.

Hopefully if I get the Christmas lights up early enough tomorrow I can get the rears done tomorrow.

That's awesome man. That's basically my plan for my wagon next summer, if everything goes well that is. I look forward to seeing your progress.

 

[axisg]

2 schools of thought. Blow it apart for a couple years or maybe a decade and do it "right". Or make it a "rolling " restoration whereas you pick a project and complete it before moving on to the next thing. Second school of thought takes longer but gets you more seat time in-between mini-restorations. The cruising season in Canada is already short enough that I wouldn't want to pull my car off the road for more than a few weeks from March to October. Helps if you can procrastinate about things as well. I have bought and paid for parts which are now a few years old that have yet to go on the car ( which is the attitude that's needed for a rolling restoration ) 🙂