T-unit's boosted Buick AKA the Granny Slapper

**sampuppy1** · 12-10-2016

So I had a 200 GP GT that was supposed to be my daily driver. I got it for 900 with a "blown" trans. Turned out to be a broken forward band. I ended up buying new bands and a few more goodies and dove into my first transmission. After getting it together successfully, I ran the hell out of it for about 6 months and I t-boned a 2016 escalade that turned in front of me. I was doing 45 and had almost no time to react. Of course the car was totalled.

After the insurance money came through I started looking for a gtp. To no avail. Every one that I looked at was beat to ****, rotted out, or clapped out. So I got in touch with someone who knew of more uncommon vehicles. He pointed me to the rest of the supercharged 3800 equipped cars. I found a Regal GS (how the granny slapper was coined is another post) for 1300. It was on the outer edges of a small town. No traffic aside from neighbors so it didn't get much curb appeal and nobody looks for Buicks around here anymore unless they want one specifically. It looked exceptionally clean so. I decided to make the hour drive.

All said and done I bought it. Rockers are solid. Rusty, but solid. Strut towers are solid as well. Has 240k. Decently cared for. Little leaky but not bad. After insurance I paid 60 bucks out of pocket. Not bad. Threw an autozone black cone filter on the throttle body to get a little more whine out of it that day and I removed the supercharged badge so people quit trying to race me.

I've since cleaned it up under hoodnto find the oil leaks, bought struts to replace the knocking rear ones, a valve cover gasket set, and an oil pan gasket.

I swapped all the exterior 194s to LEDs. The mirror maps and coat hook rear headliner lights too. Need to get more to finish the trunk, glove box and foot wells.

Also gave it a good wash, hard cut and a solid coat of wax. Few exterior blemishes but nothing horrible. The car is really nice. Only had it a few weeks

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**sampuppy1** · 12-10-2016

Struts are on. I got back from fire training to find the second strut sitting on my porch! 4 days early! I'll be damned. No more clunking back there either on bumps. I kinked a trailing arm when I was rotating the tires so I'm hoping that's not going to be an issue. If so I'll bet they're cheap. And I also LED swapped the third brake light and trunk light.

Whilst changing the lights I found the rear speakers to have been replaced with some very nice pioneer units. Decent. Love pioneer stuff. Also learned the entire back seat folds down. I don't think my Grand Prix did that. Just had that stupid armrest door in the middle.

I gotta get some pics of the truck and car together.

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**Fivefingerdeathpunch** · 12-10-2016

New solid trailing arms from dorman are cheap. I'd replace the bent arm for sure, it can cause extra tire wear.

**sampuppy1** · 12-12-2016

If they're cheap. I will Probably just do both. It still sways when I hit bumps but it's much much less pronounced. The average person would think it was the road.

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**sampuppy1** · 12-12-2016

As far as tire wear..... I'm at about 3-4/32nds max in back. I'm in the process of finding a set of snow tires. I've been plowing since Friday. The last time I slept for more than 30 mins was Friday night for 4 hours. Being that it is monday now... And I fell asleep plowing 5 times last night and three times in class this evening....... I'm going to bed lol.

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**sampuppy1** · 12-15-2016

Well I found the wheels I love. Alessio f1s. But they're long since out of production. The next closest thing available is the Pulse P7.

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**spazzz** · 12-15-2016

Nice looking wheels if they would be around.

They wouldnt have fit...hub bore is 69.1( vs 70.3) in any 5x114.3 size

**sampuppy1** · 12-16-2016

Well I found a few options. Instead of the f1

Sport edition f11 tire rack visualizer eats a$$ so no pics there

And the Voxx/Pulse P7 chrome. Unusual finish but doesn't look bad.

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**sampuppy1** · 12-16-2016

I thought we were 5x115

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**Scottydoggs** · 12-16-2016

i went with caddy wheels off a sts. seen in my sig. not only are regal wheels ugly, they tend to leak air sooner or later.

**Scottydoggs** · 12-16-2016

you look like your on tap talk, so ill post a pic.

**sampuppy1** · 12-16-2016

Thanks! Appreciate the consideration for tapa.

I'm shooting for a look similar to this.

I love the stance of it. But I need the clearance so I think going with 17s and a size larger on tires should get me a bit more tuck in the summer without lowering the car.

Those wheels definitely look better than what originally came on these things. The chromes right now have flaked on the inside and are corroding. I'll run them til I get a summer set of wheels and I'll try and rescue the chromes before they rot through and leak.

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**Scottydoggs** · 12-16-2016

if the chrome is peeling off already, they are on borrowed time. where mine leaked from, why they are scrap metal now.

**spazzz** · 12-17-2016

we are 5 x 115 but any 5 x 114.3 will fit. There isnt $hit in 5 x 115 except generic everyday run of the mill garbage.

Dont get chrome. dont forget the hub bore size and get hub centric rings.
Shoot for 8" or 8.5" wide with 35-40 offset to make pickins better. Those are a sure no rub fit.

Keep posting your choices.
And don't get chrome

**sampuppy1** · 12-17-2016

I think I'm pretty well set on the two choices. If my current chromes are shot, I'll need winter wheels too. I like the f11 more and more for a summer wheel.

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**Scottydoggs** · 12-18-2016

i got them too lol

no idea wtf brand these are but i got em for like 150 with 2 good snow tires. picked up two more and got a good set.

all my wheels i got off cl, none came fast. took months of trolling.

**sampuppy1** · 12-18-2016

Those look like the newer full size spares or even stock ones sans beauty covers if they're steelies. If aluminum? I have no clue what they would be. Never been big into car stuff until I got the GP GT. And even now having a boosted semi rare car, I still am not heavily into them. I'm a truck guy at heart but these cars are damn nice.

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**Scottydoggs** · 12-18-2016

they are al multi lug and used to look like this, gold with clear peeling off and all messed up finish. and they are 17's and weigh in at a ton each lol they aint light at all.

sanded clean

then i used plasti dip. did em years ago, still holding up rather well.

i dont really care for the murdered out look, ive been wanting to redo them in silver since i first did them. its just not high on the list. i run them for like 2 months a year.

**sampuppy1** · 12-19-2016

I've never seen those wheels before. What do the stampings on the back say?

I figured out my Grand Prix wheels by those. They were MB brand. Out of production. While washing them I came across a bunch of cast markings on the back side of the wheels. All sorts of juicy info back there. I was able to find the model.

If you can get the model and google it you should be able to find them pretty quickly.

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**Scottydoggs** · 12-19-2016

i only bought them cause they fit for one, and came with 2 good snow tires and they held air. and the price was right. i did have to get centric rings for them.

and its definitely a 114.7 lug pattern.

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