Welp, it had to happen sooner or later. The Regal isn't doing so well, knocking on heavens door, if you'll pardon my pun. Happened this morning. Started pinging really bad, or at least breaking up during a gentle acceleration and I punched it thinking it was just something in the carb sticking. It cleared the problem up, but a few minutes later knockknockknockknockknockknockknockknock. This motor has survived being boiled alive three times, frozen almost solid once, and more revs to 5500 and beyond than any BOP motor should ever see. Oh, and I broke in the motor with no oil pressure. That'd do it too I suppose. Plenty of flow, no pressure behind it. It lasted a tick over 5600 miles, through two transmissions, and countless peg leg burnouts and donuts. I salute you Buick, you shall surely be missed in these coming months until I can foot the $1,500 repair bill. Gonna have to get the crank turned on the rods n mains, rods resized and new rod bolts, and the whole shebang balanced with the balancer, flexplate, rods, and crank. Shop quoted me about 600 bucks, and I estimate I'm gonna need gasket set (duh), maybe new pistons if it was detonating as hard as I think it was (plus 8:1 is no fun without boost), the rod bolts, a new flex plate to replace the original one from 1976, and have the cracks in the manifolds welded up, which I can probably have a buddy do for free, and maybe a new cam if mine looks suspicious. And I might swing for a TA intake. Yeah, it sucks. Am I angry? No. Just disappointed. Gonna have to put my job hunt into overdrive.
