G-Body Love

Why did I fall in love with GM's G-Body line of vehicles?

The Buick Grand National.

But not just because it was an amazing car.  It was an amazing BUICK.  I learned to drive in a 1976 Buick Century.  My first "cool" car was a 1972 Buick Skylark.  I loved Buicks when others discounted them. People ignored them because they had few performance parts and the ones they did have were expensive.  Some people knew about the Buick GS, but not many.  A Buick was what you got if you couldn't get a Chevelle.

Then came the Buick Grand National.  Buick could no longer be ignored.  By 1987 it was the fastest production vehicle in the United States.  Not only that, it did it while looking sinister and beautiful all at the same time.  I lusted for one, but unfortunately they were out of my price range (I was in high school at the time).

Fast forward about 20 years and it was time for my son to get his first "cool" car.  He chose a 1981 Chevrolet Monte Carlo.  It was a little banged up, but still beautiful.  This re-ignited my interest in g-bodies.  I ended up buying a 1984 Buick Regal at a farm auction and loved it.  It was a beater, but still one of the most comfortable cars I had driven.  It was my daily driver until it fell apart.  I bought another '84 with a blown motor and planned to make one out of the two.  Circumstances changed and I had to get rid of all of my "toys".

Here it is five years later and I am about to begin another g-body adventure.  My son was going to scrap his Monte Carlo.  It has been sitting in a field for about six years and was in real bad shape.  I hadn't seen it in five years, but I bought it from him anyway.

Next week I go to pick it up.  My plan is to get it running again and make it my daily driver. How bad is it? You will have to wait until next week when I find out.