fyi My GS has been nearly as far apart as an automobile can be and put back together again all by me. I pulled the body off the frame, sanded all that **** down and soaked it in PO15. I rebuilt the TH400 that was in it for 12+years right in my garage. I freshened up the original 455 that was ran in the car for 10+ years before replacing it with an AM&P assembled and dynoed engine. About 5 years ago I replaced a couple cam bearings in that engine and installed a roller cam that I setup and degreed while still in the car. I setup a 3.42 ring and pinion and rebuilt the posi unit, which I later replaced with a 3.90 gear set to match the TH2004R I had put in. At one time or another I have mechanically done just about everything to this car (other than paint it) that you can do to a car. When I got out of the army in 91 I turned a wrench full time at a Chevy store for 5years.. I was an ASE master with a wall covered in certs for all sorts of GM classes I had taken and aced. If I based my man card carrying rights based on my time spend working on cars I think I could hold my own. Where I'm at in my life now though is I'm over 50 years old. My job soaks up about 70 hours per week and when I have personal time i want to enjoy that time. Working on cars, while it does give a nice sense of accomplishment, is not what I call entertainment. I do enjoy going to cruise ins with the GS, it's more often the only one there and I get a lot of comments and lookie loos. If I took your message a bit too much to heart I apologize but the "built not bought" decal in my rear window is for real. As time has went on I've farmed some of the work out but I've always been the one to install and remove the farmed bits.
I have been thinking the same way lately in terms of selling my Buick and getting something newer. The C8 reveal started the wheels turning for me. A C5 or C6 Z06 Corvette looks like a pretty good deal right now. I have been spending a lot of time and money on my Buick lately and it is quite a bummer as new issues come up. I planned on driving it all summer but now I might be rebuilding the engine. I wonder, at what point do I make a change? I have had classic Buicks since I got my license, but there are a whole bunch of modern sports cars I could have bought with the money I have spent on them. I still have plenty of classic cars I would like to own but I might take a break for a few years until some other priorities in life catch up.
I didnt mean to sound cruel Ken, just facetious. Im 64 right now and struggling through my 3/4 life crisis. I busted nuts all last year on my '64 and its a blast to drive. I kept really busy, came in for the evening exhausted and lost 15 lbs. Since the work halted for the summer, that 15 lbs found me again and Im back to sleeping 4 hours per night. I guess old stuff keeps me young. At least in my mind. If I didnt do all the crazy stuff with boats, cars and motorcycles I did over the last 5 decades, I would probably own a P-51 Mustang and have a nice house with a strip in the backyard. I am well into the 2 million dollar club and now need my next pension check to make the 500.00 house note. Something is wrong with that math. Dad used to bitch me out about squandering my money, but instead I spent it with glee. No regrets here. If the Mongoosta Pindero XLHH4 Turbo III Extreme floats yer boat, run with it. Beat the crap outa it and get yer rocks off. Yer rocks after all are YOURS. The newest vehicle Ive ever owned is a current 2008 Silverado and Pat has a heavily financed and overinsured 2017 Impala. Nice car, has too much digital dash crap to be able to use, but it smells like a new car... Thats often imitated but never duplicated. BTW... They still smell the same LOL.... Bill
To answer the original posters question...… No, and I would never even consider it. I love old cars, always have. Buick, Chevy, Ford, Mopar, AMC, doesn't matter to me, I like them all for the most part. I can't honestly say I don't understand going with a modern driveline like an LS swap but I wouldn't do it. I want an old car to run, drive and ride like an old car. It's just the cloth that I'm cut from. My newest vehicle is a 2005 GMC Sierra Z71 with only 81,000 miles on it and still looks nearly new. And while it's not exactly old, you certainly don't see any others as nice as mine out on the roads, at least not around here in the rust belt. My Buick is my hot rod now and my bone stock `71 numbers matching numbers big block El Camino is my summer driver. With all new suspension bushings, springs, shocks and body and core support mounts (all stock rubber replacements) it rides and drives like a new one, or at least what a new `71 El Camino would ride like. I love that car and wouldn't swap it even up for new Camaro or comparable.
I go back and forth, I had sold off my old stuff a few years ago, like you, over 50, travel for work all the time and just don't have time to drive them much, plus, living in Florida it is hot as balls driving them in the summer. Bought a new Hemi Charger, nice car, fast, good MPG's with the AC Seats, but - like others said, no soul and a dime a dozen. I now have two old Buicks again, not as nice as the stuff I have had in the past, but fun to drive when they run. But - thinking about getting rid of one and buying a nice C6 Vette, decisions, decisions.
In 2003, I bought a Z06 - it now has surpassed the 24,000 mile ticker. I have a 70 Stage with JW’s 470 in it. On really hot days I drive the Z - I drive the other cars from time to time. When I drive the Stage - it brings smiles to me. I have owned the Stage since 92, raced it, removed driveline for racing - put back in the original drive - thought it was slow, had Jim build the 470 - think 5 years past. Have not had to touch it since - don’t even consider doing anything to it. Keep the old if possible - when gone, gone.
I swore off "old" cars and bought a 1998 Mustang Cobra convertible... Fun in every sense of the word- handling, braking, acceleration, and comfort. However, I then bought another Buick for reasons others have pointed out. The sounds, the smells, the feeling, the comradery, the fun, and the frustration. Plus, the cool factor... Yes, I get a few "thumbs up" in the Mustang, not even close to the amount in a Buick, and the amount of conversations the (old car) brings about. Either way, good luck!
Don't fake it for the car's sake. Move on if you want to. You can replace it if you change your mind. The old car is just as soulless as the new ones.
I disagree with the soulless theory here but time. I sold my GSX in 2016. I knew it was never going to be nicer and was just going to be a chore to keep it in that condition. Aggravating things like a leaky side cover on the 4 speed transmission that I had off three times and it still leaked. Things like that just wear on you. Other things like driving the car on screaming hot days to a show 60 -65 mph in the slow lane while Prius’ with Coexist and stop global warming stickers pass you at 85 with the AC on really gets to you. I had been following the new Hellcats for a while with the 707 HP. I decided that was the way I wanted to go. Keep drumming that into your brain. 707 Horsepower!! Now the Redeye Hellcats are almost 800. I thought about getting one but it would be a stupid financial decision. Depreciation is huge. I am enjoying the Hellcat big time. Everything you could want. Now I can cruise 85 MPH with all the SUV and Prius crowd and even at highway speeds I can punch it and leave pretty much any car in the world sitting there. The power is unreal. You want to talk soul? Punch the car at 50-60 on a highway ramp and hang on for your life. You are going places like right now. Punch it at 30 MPH and find yourself heading for a yard or tree and it will teach you about soul real quick. Ergonomics my ass. You better be ready to drive and ergonomics be damned. I know old cars can be fast but but getting one to this level is going to cost you. You manual guys can even get one of those but I will beat you easy with the auto. I still enjoy staying in the old car game as I often help friends with their cars and stay active here. I suggest finding someone with one of the new cars and getting a ride. You will be impressed.
And I forgot about the 22 mph on the highway. Never doing that with any performance old car. And that’s at 75 mph
The thing I think about is that if you were to sell the GS and get something newer in let's say 10 years you would just have a used car because there would be newer and better cars. Where if you keep the GS it has already seen its low, while prices are high now and will probably come down I think you will be ahead keeping the GS. Another thought is to put stand alone fuel injection and an over drive trans and get more driveability out of the GS.
GS and old muscle may be a bargain in 10 years. Much of this can depend on your age. I’m 60 now. If most of us keep driving past 70 including me maybe that’s 10 years of good driving? That’s a good reason to go new. After 70 every year you can drive anything is gravy until you drive through the donut shop window because you mistook the brake for the gas. I’m a firm believer in two foot driving for that reason,
No soul? How about the coolest fender emblem in 50 years? No Soul? How about a huge Hood scoop and heat extractor grills reminiscent of GS hood scoop grills.
More soulless items. Old school through the headlight ram air. Vintage Hemi orange painted engine with valve cover script and giant supercharger with Hellcat badge.
Vintage style fuel filler door. Challenger image etched in windshield. Car has many things that an owner would have had to added if he wanted them back in the day.
Battery located in trunk race car like. These cars aren’t cheap but they are well though out and you get a lot for your money.
Everybody sees things differently .Just enjoy yourself that is all that counts. Just my .02 cents Canadien. Alain
I heard a lot of stories like that and most of the time people regret it. If you have the financial powers keep the old car and get a new one to drive where you want to. And maybe accept that things get worn even on your restored muscle car. I see it a lot of times on meetings were those ultra perfect cars only get driven a few miles per year because everyone is afraid that it could get dirty or take some wear. I like my not so perfect classic car that I can get groceries with and have my kids inside. the best part of owning a classic car for me is to be able to USE it asa normal car and be really out of place with it. far better than present it at a car meeting. And you just cannot do it with a new car. Around here everyone has M BMW, AMG Mercedes, Camaros, Hellcats and stuff...noone cares. Whats better than coming out of your food store seeing your classic car on the parking lot while a mother passes by with her kids that can't take their eyes off your car. I can guarantee you you will miss this after a year or so.
