What Does Oppo Think?

"Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage" (Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage)
09/19/2014 at 21:16 • Filed to: OPPO OPINIONS

Helping one of my buddies find a car. This was the friend who I made the Dodge Daytona post about, not the one who crashed the Mustang. He is looking for a car with decent performance, reliability, and relatively cheap. As I told you, he had his heart set on a V6 Camaro or Firebird. Sadly, I don't think his parents will let him do this. He doesn't have much money, and his parents said that they will only help him buy a car if the car is "reasonable". So, after a while, I thought of the Regal GS. I search on craigslist, and I find this 1998 Regal GS. Much to my surprise, he loves this car. It might be because I always ranted about my family's 2002 Regal LS and its reliability, but that is besides the point. So, what do you all think about the GS? I already know how reliable an N/A 3800 is, since my family owned one up to 280,000 miles, and it was still going strong when we sold it. So, personally, I think it is a NP if it is truly as nice as it looks. What does Oppo think? NP or CP?

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DISCUSSION (43)

jkm7680 > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
09/19/2014 at 21:17

I think, add Mustang wheels and yes.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > jkm7680
09/19/2014 at 21:18

If he has the money for it, I hope he does. I was really amazed by how good those wheels look on the Regal or the LeSabre.

FriskyDingo > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
09/19/2014 at 21:19

Definitely YES, his parents will think its a boring old mans car while really its a wolf in sheeps clothing.

Louros > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
09/19/2014 at 21:22

Only an asshole would recommend a crap car like this to a friend.

Jedidiah > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
09/19/2014 at 21:22

I guess it's a NP.

I wouldn't buy it because wrong wheel drive, engine is turned around the wrong way, and high mileage.

I don't see why a mid-nineties v6 Mustang or F-body would be unreasonable. Help him find one of them. Not much shit to go wrong with and plenty of parts and cheap. Gas mileage is allright too

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > FriskyDingo
09/19/2014 at 21:24

That's my point! He'll get the performance he wants, and his parents will think that he is being economical and mature.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > Louros
09/19/2014 at 21:24

Thanks bud. Explain?

Louros > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
09/19/2014 at 21:25

Ain't nobody gonna get laid driving a Regal

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Jedidiah
09/19/2014 at 21:27

Because this is faster than a V6 F-Body or Mustang, but most people don't know that(including a lot of parents that have to approve it in some states).

crowmolly > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
09/19/2014 at 21:27

IMO:

Depends on the service history. If the trans fluid is in bad shape or the supercharger oil has never been changed you are in for a bad time. Also check the intake gaskets. If they are leaking they have probably not been changed to the updated style.

Be aware that this will require premium gas. And the fuel pump resistor will be on its last legs if it hasn't been changed or bypassed.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > Jedidiah
09/19/2014 at 21:30

Well, its not me who thinks a V6 Mustang or a V6 F-Body is unreasonable. It is his parents. They see the words "Camaro", "Mustang", or "Firebird", and they immediately think performance and unreliability, since they really don't have a clue about anything involving automobiles. I've found him reasonable examples of all of those, but he really needs support from his parents, and they won't support him in buying any of those. The reason I thought of this is that it has decent performance, gets decent gas mileage, and his parents will think it is a grandfather's car. As for high mileage, that's not really an issue with a 3800 Series II. At least by my experience. My family had a 2002 Regal that was going strong at 280,000 miles when we sold it. Or are you saying that because of the supercharger?

Jedidiah > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
09/19/2014 at 21:30

If he wants a v6 mustang or camaro, then I doubt he cares about being in a sleeper.

I'm going to be honest. The reliability of the buick v6 is hit or miss.

We used to have a turbo regal and it was one of the worst cars my family has ever owned. My dad has sworn that he will never own another buick because of how terrible that regal was.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > Louros
09/19/2014 at 21:32

Very valid point. Until you do a kick ass burnout. Or you destroy a pompous kid's P.O.S. Fox-Body Mustang. It definitely doesn't look that great though. I understand what you're sayin'.

Jedidiah > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
09/19/2014 at 21:33

The buick v6 reliability is hit or miss.

I've heard stories or people who loved them and stories about people who hated them.

We had an 87 turbo regal in the late 90s and it was one of the worst cars my family has ever owned.

mcseanerson > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
09/19/2014 at 21:36

I'd jump on it. It will be the least ragged on supercharged 3800 vehicle out there.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > crowmolly
09/19/2014 at 21:38

Figured as much. He would definitely have the car checked before he even considered buying it. I knew about the intake gaskets, since we had to have that service done on my family's Regal. The trans fluid and the supercharger oil is a very good call, though.

I already mentioned that to him. He doesn't seem to mind. Then again, he's never paid any attention to premium prices, so maybe his opinion will change. A fuel pump resistor can't cost too much, can it? Like $50 bucks or so, right? I'm sure the maitenence charge is ridiculous, though.

shop-teacher > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
09/19/2014 at 21:39

I think that's a solid choice, and a NP.

Brickman > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
09/19/2014 at 21:40

30" rims and a reeses peanut butter cup livery and you are good to go :P

crowmolly > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
09/19/2014 at 21:43

The S/C oil is not in the maintenance schedule so a lot of people don't do it. Some mechanics don't even know about it. That can fuck the S/C bearings and the coupler.

The FP resistor is what allows the FP to run in high or low mode and over time it dies leaving you 'walkin. If it is OK now, fine, but he should be aware that someday in the future it may go bad. He can do a FP hotwire kit to get around it.

FWIW I owned a GTP for 13 years. So ask away.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > Jedidiah
09/19/2014 at 21:44

Really? I've heard nothing but good stories about it, and my family has owned 4 cars with the 3800 Series II. Guess I understand your point, though. I can understand the disdain with the '87 Regal, however, the 3800 Series was a completely redesigned powerplant. I'm pretty positive the 3.8 in your family's Regal was the LD5 variant, which was discontinued when GM released the first version of the 3800 Series in 1988.

blacktruck18 > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
09/19/2014 at 21:46

I used to work with a girl that had a one of these in green. She had some chrome 20s on it and blacked out the windows, it actually looked pretty good. Plus 3800 supercharged are good engine. The power isn't great but the powerband is awesome.

Damn this is the second time today I have spoken positively about the 3800 v6. Damn you oppo making me talk about weird cars.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > mcseanerson
09/19/2014 at 21:46

I sure hope he does. He is talking to his parents about it tomorrow. I'm hoping his parents come around to it and at least take a look at it, since it would be a shame to miss out on what could possibly be a good opportunity.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > shop-teacher
09/19/2014 at 21:47

I thought the same thing. My family has had nothing but good experiences with these cars.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Jedidiah
09/19/2014 at 21:47

Sure the transmission is terrible, but that is just general GM ownership problems.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > Brickman
09/19/2014 at 21:49

Lol :D Think I actually saw a Lucky Charms themed one on craigslist ab0ut a year or so ago.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > crowmolly
09/19/2014 at 21:57

That's pretty ridiculous that some mechanics don't even know how to do it. I feel like that would be something I would always remember, but I guess you never know. How hard is it to do this yourself? I promised I'd help him with maintenance, since he has zero experience. I know a decent amount of things, since I worked on a 2002 Regal for a while, but I have no experience with the supercharged model.

I gotcha. I just wouldn't expect it to be a really expensive fix. It would suck, nonetheless, but it could be worse. I'll have to mention it to him if he ends up purchasing it.

Ah, cool! I was considering suggesting a GTP, but since those are a lot more well-known compared to the Regal GS, I assumed the prices would be a lot steeper. How was your overall experience with yours? I know the reliability of a 38o0, since my family had a Regal with one, but it was N/A, not supercharged. Does the supercharger affect the reliability in any way? Thanks for the help, by the way!

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > blacktruck18
09/19/2014 at 22:01

I personally like the looks of them. Its one of the most subtle looking cars that still looks nice. I assumed the 3800 S/C would be good, as my family had a Regal, but it was N/A. We had nothing but good experiences with it. Glad to hear the supercharger doesn't affect the reliability too much.

Nothing wrong with positively speaking about the 3800. Its a great powerplant.

crowmolly > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
09/19/2014 at 22:03

Hey, I had it for 13 years so it couldn't have been that bad! LOL.

If he gets it, change the S/C oil, fuel filter, and the plugs right away. They are all pretty easy to do and are probably neglected. Fuel filter *might* be tricky if the tube nut is stuck. Check the belts and tensioners, too. A worn S/C belt is a bad time!

My issues:

1.) Fuel pump resistor (went with hotwire kit)

2.) Intake gaskets

3.) S/C bearings

4.) Valve cover gaskets (recall!)

5.) Steering rack (I ran 245/50/16s for the entire time which might have had something to do with it)

6.) Water pump (dex-cool)

And that's basically it. I did a decent amount of modifications and kept it in pretty good shape. When I got rid of it at 160,000 it was running great and had zero flutter in both the vacuum and oil pressure gauges.

blacktruck18 > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
09/19/2014 at 22:03

My mom had Bonneville SSEI when I was in high school. I actually really liked driving it. If it was rear wheel drive I probably would have prefered it over my fox body I had back them.

EDIT: The only problems I remember having with it were the brake fluid reservoir cracked and the passenger side interior door handle broke off. It had less than 100,000 miles on it when she got rid of it though.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > crowmolly
09/19/2014 at 22:24

Good point! Seems like a good plan. Like I said, I'm relatively familiar with the 3800, so hopefully I can figure it out and teach him. I'll have to save this post somewhere so I remember all of this stuff.

If he ends up getting it, I'll have to mention the hotwire kit. I hope the intake gaskets aren't bad on this car, since that is probably a decently expensive fix. As for the rest, I guess it could happen with his. But, hey, it can happen with any car.

He probably won't be doing many modifications, if any, because of his budget. So it might be a bit more straightforward for him. Seems like you had a pretty decent experience with yours, though. I can only hope his is good if he ends up buying the car.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > blacktruck18
09/19/2014 at 22:27

I learned to drive on my dad's Regal, so I like them also. Kinda have a massive soft spot for them. Those seem like problems that could happen to just about anyone, especially the door handle, since it is 90's GM.

Jedidiah > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
09/19/2014 at 23:01

Not the transmission. The entire car was terrible.

They have a terribly designed timing cover that leaks fluids profusely.

It had terrible heat sink from the turbo so the a/f ratio was never right and it ran like shit all the time.

The car felt like it was built by throwing a magnet down the spare parts room.

I'm not kidding when I say it was one of the worst cars we've ever owned.

The majority of cars we've owned are GM (nearly 40 since I've been born), and by far the worst ones have been buicks.

Jedidiah > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
09/19/2014 at 23:12

It has a terrible timing cover design that leaks fluids profusely. The water pumps were also garbage.

The turbo caused more problems than it was worth. It leaked from the oiling lines and had a ton of heat soak that, when combined with the neccessary rich a/f ratio, made the car bog and sputter. This fucker never ran right. EVER.

The car felt like it was built by throwing a magnet down the spare parts hallway. The built quality was terrible, but not quite as bad as the 93 roadmaster we had when it was brand new.

My personal opinion of the regal and the roadmaster is that they are embarassments to the cars GM made in the 60s and even the 70s.

AFAIK, the 3800 had it's fair share of problems with a shitty plastic intake manifold that would hydrolock the engine.

NWAForester > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
09/20/2014 at 00:20

Kinja'd!!!

Haha, this is actually my friends exact car, as in this is a picture of HIS car, lol
These are great cars, quick and comfy. Pretty reliable as long as if you modify them, you actually give it an accurate tune, and you don't beat them to death. My buddy sold it to an acquaintance, who put a much smaller pulley on it, then drove the wheels off it till it cracked the heads, he replaced the heads and supercharger, of which he got from my coworker. Then blew the head gaskets out of it because he still hadn't tuned it. He owed my coworker money for the parts still, so he gave my coworker the car, lol, A new set of head gaskets and she's just purring like a kitten that just won't go away, lol, but it still drives great, and the AC still works like a champ!!!!

Conan > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
09/20/2014 at 01:26

Go for it provided it gets checked out for all listed issues and you're going to help him. One of my students has a green one and I think he's done well for himself.

RW53104 > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
09/20/2014 at 02:46

Yes.Buicks kick ass.

Local Miata Bro > Louros
09/20/2014 at 13:21

That's a lie my buddy has a 2000 regal and he says it's perfect with that huge backseat

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > NWAForester
09/20/2014 at 13:48

Lol seriously? I just got it off an image search! I don't think he will be modding it, since he is on a strict budget. If he does, though, I'll let him know. I also don't think he will beat on it very much, as he is just driving it to school and his job.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > Conan
09/20/2014 at 13:49

He will definitely get it checked before he even considers buying it. And I told him I'd be more than willing to help him out, so its a yes there.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > RW53104
09/20/2014 at 13:51

My thoughts exactly.

Conan > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
09/20/2014 at 13:51

Yeah, I remember one of my aunts having an awful time with one, but, at the age of 60, she just finally agreed that it was a good idea to have a mechanic check out a car before purchasing it. The student of mine who has one has done some aftermarket stuff and I'm pretty sure has surprised more than a few little Civic bros.

Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage > Conan
09/20/2014 at 14:07

Well, that probably explains the problems, for sure. As for mods, I hope he has cash for some, but I'm really not sure. He is on a bit of a tight budget. I'm sure he will still surprise a lot of the Civic bros, though. I'll bet the looks on their faces was priceless when the Regal won.

Conan > Tuned-Port-Injected-Rage
09/20/2014 at 14:14

I don't think he's made of money either, but he's had it for about a year now. He did a whole list of things to help KR (knock retard) and prep his car for a pulley swap.