Value of an early turbo buick?

[jdietschweiler]

My buddy has a trade offer on his monte carlo. Whats a 79 buick regal t type worth?

In running condition and a clean body/ frame value?

Thanks...

 

[SafariWagon]

I am no expert on early Buick's. But If I had the $ and was looking for a G body I'd pay about $1800 at most for that provided there are no rust issues. You have to like the flat black paint (it's just not for me) and I'd sell the chevy wheels. They might bring $200-300 bucks, but you'll have at least that in any replacements even used. I like the interior color combo and the fact it has original buckets and console. I don't mind the early regal body myself, but I don't think they are anywhere near as popular as the following generation. Personally a early hot air turbo is a negative for me. Not very powerful. The only turbo cars really desirable to me would be a intercooled version. Only 86-87 Regals as far as I am aware. All of this is just my opinion and others may think differently.

 

[81cutlass]

Cool! A carb turbo car that still has the carb turbo! Honestly, the motor is complicated enough and crappy enough in stock form that very few people want them. Fun once you do some stuff to them but the stock knock retard system is not advanced enough to keep up to the knocking so a lot of motors blew up.

It looks like a very strangely optioned car. Red and white interior sport coupe. It has a edelbrock carb which is not boost referenced which means it probably runs like garbage when it boosts.

Turbo motor adds nothing to most people. Its worth about as much as a flat black 305 regal. The best part is that it has the console and buckets and the cowl hood.

Wouldnt pay any more than $1300, and Im a carb turbo guy.

 

[olds307 and 403]

That carb would be the deal breaker, unless he still has the original.

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

That carb would be the deal breaker, unless he still has the original.

Yep, those cars use a special and rare turbo Qjet setup for boost, since it's a pre CCC car, the special non CCC turbo Qjet is even more rare.

Probably the reason he wants to get rid of the car is that it probably runs worse with that aftermarkt POS.

 

[tobyp]

It's worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Being a 79 Turbo car which is quite rare that you have one, I would sit on it. It will be worth more as the years go on.

 

[G-Body_Vet]

The guy with that Regal has been trying to sell it for over a year with a knocking engine and he was talking crazy on the price. IIRC, he was trying to jack up the price as a package deal with a bunch of other parts, wheels, etc. I was interested in that car at one time because I like the body style, let alone the rare floor shifter set-up for a 78-80 Regal. He thought he was sitting on gold and as you see, he still has it.

 

[boostmaster]

Rare doesn't always mean valuable... I think the old turbo cars are plain cool. I like to see them and maybe one that's restored to original would be cool (Maybe even to a collector) but, as it sits... I wouldn't offer a whole lot for it. If nothing else, it's different. You won't see another at your local car show.

 

[G-Body_Vet]

Rare doesn't always mean valuable...

Or desirable! That's what I always said when I saw an Aerocoupe with a bench seat and column shifter!

But back to the topic at hand....
The early turbo cars don't have the same following or popularity as the
86-87 GN's/T-types and they can't command those kind of prices. I've even seen clean ones struggle to sell. Just like with the GP's/early 442 Salons/Century turbo coupes, you either love 'em or hate 'em. They just aren't as popular as the rest of the g-body family.

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

What's wrong with bench seats and column shifters? My Regal has those.
Anyways another problem is that carb turbo Regal is missing some of the correct parts such as the special Qjet built for boost. If the seller doesn't have the Qjet, it will be a major PITA to find another one that is still factory correct and not been reman.