I celebrated the 4th of July by buying American.

[I~LUV~Caddys8792]

So, looking at popular modifications for these, what is the first thing you'd recommend? Pulley swap, chip or CAI? The pulley is by far the cheapest.

I'm getting my camera back this weekend, so I'll take some good pics and a few WOT videos to show what a beast she is. And yes, a test drive review is coming as well...I wrote one last week, but it didn't save so I got frustrated and didn't bother rewriting.

[dirt_cheap_fleetwood]

Pulley swap and a chip will give you the most go. However, if you ever decide to get crazy and top it out after a chip (should remove the speed limiter) make sure you know the speed rating limits of your tires first.

[I~LUV~Caddys8792]

Ok, here are the WOT videos I promised. Sorry about the blur in the 1st one, it's hard to drive and videotape at the same time.

30-100


50-80


30-70

[Rolex]

That thing makes a great noise. What's the potential top speed of the car (given the proper tires)?

[dirt_cheap_fleetwood]

I must race you in the Lincoln now, it would be close. It looks like you accelerate faster than I at 65+ but my car pulls extremely hard from 20-60.

[LS1Mike]

Chad first thing you want to do it get rid of the air box. Get a CAI or make one. Second thing you want to do is get rid of the U-Bend in the exhaust, you sill see it up by the cat. The O2 Sensor goes in there. It slows the exhuast down and causes "boost stacking" My local exhaust shop did it for 30bucks with a new O2 Bung. Next is one size smaller pulley. You can run the car just fine like that without a tune. There is no "Chip" you can get ZZP to reprogram an ECM for you. Don't forget to get the Aux Tranny cooler!!! I can't stress that enough. It should be done before anything else.

[Night Wolf]

Originally Posted by dirt_cheap_fleetwood

I must race you in the Lincoln now, it would be close. It looks like you accelerate faster than I at 65+ but my car pulls extremely hard from 20-60.

Your Mark VII is stock right? I just don't see it being much of a race against a s/c 3800.

I agree with Mike - great, cheap places to start.

[I~LUV~Caddys8792]

Yeah, I agree. A Mark VIII would be close, a Mark VII...not so much. It would be a lot closer with a Series I Supercharged 3800..

Rolex, I think the top end, like most other GM cars from that era, is electronically limited to 108, but I'm not 100% on that.

[I~LUV~Caddys8792]

Ok, better late than never. My test drive review: (written for carsurvey.org)

Test drive review: 2000 Buick Regal GS

Understated luxury, elegance and power.

This car is great for me, I’m 22 and busy trying to further my career, so I don’t need a car that’s going to bury me in expenses, but still want something that’s luxurious and fast. The Regal GS is perfect for that. It has most of the luxuries of a comparable Cadillac, aside from all the complicated electronics, such as the suspension and stability systems, etc etc.

I really like the 1998-04 Seville STS, but I didn’t want to get back into something that was that complicated and expensive (I had a W140 series Mercedes S Class before the Regal), but the Regal GS is like the STS’s little cousin…just like the STS, it’s the sportiest & fastest sedan they offered (well, before Cadillac came out with the CTS), it also has buckets, console and floor shifter, but obviously, it’s not as well equipped as the Seville (heated seats are optional v. standard, and it doesn’t offer active suspension systems, etc etc), but yeah, they’re close in size and power.


Exterior Design: 8.5/10
It’s design isn’t going to win any awards, but it’s not going to steer anyone away because it’s too polarizing. It was pretty aggressive for Buick in 1997, but not as aggressive as the Grand Prix GTP. To sum it up, the best terminology would be “wolf in sheep’s clothing.” In the base LS form, the Regal can look pretty plain, but with the GS package, you get the two tone paint (on most models), body colored grille, more aggressive wheels and less chrome trim, it looks a bit more aggressive.

Interior Design: 8/10.
With a lack of faux wood trim, the Regal’s interior isn’t exactly “Buick Traditional”, but it’s clean and to the point. The dashboard has a nice clean sweep to it, and offers all the necessary instrumentation (tach, speedo, fuel and temp), the gauges are huge and extremely easily readable and offer calming, easy to read teal backlighting at night. There is loads of storage in the center armrest and center console. It’s very deep and very large, yet there isn’t much for organization in them, so it can get cluttered fast and become hard to find smaller objects. My only real complaint against the interior is that it’s only offered in grey and black (aside from the Abboud designer edition, which is offered in either tan or tan/brown), but it offers leather as standard in the GS (cloth in LS). The materials are all pretty decent, but not the best GM had at the time, but that all went in the Cadillacs. Anyways, it’s much better feeling and looking than the ’97 Lumina my dad had (a car that also shared the W-Body platform)



Seating: 9/10
It’s very deep, plush and comfortable, covered in soft leather and supportive for long distances. The front seats offer 6-way power adjustments, but lack power recline or any sort of lumbar, and have optional heat (mine does not). There is more than enough legroom for front passengers, and adequate legroom for rear passengers. Each outboard passenger has their own cupholder, and they’re all solid and deep, and will hold most sizes of beverage.

Engine: 9.7/10
The 3800 is one of the sweetest V6’s ever made. Extremely reliable, powerful (low end torque is it’s forte), smooth, easily modifiable, and very good on gas. When you add a supercharger to it, it get’s much better. It goes from quick to downright fast…0-60 in 6.6 and a 14.8 second ¼ mile, and that’s just stock…you can EASILY modify this engine and for cheap too! Mine pulls about 18.5 mpg in city, with mainly short trips and I tend to get aggressive with it too from time to time. If I can “stay out of the boost”, I’ll get 28mpg on the highway. If I get in it, I’ll pull about 24.5-25 MPG.

It’s basically the sweetest engine, most well balanced engine I’ve ever owned. I’m amazed that an old school (it was first used in 1975) OHV V-6 can be this smooth and easily revvable. The only thing that could be any better about this engine is the engine note….it’s rather dull and uninspiring., but other than that, it’s perfect for most every practical, day to day use….reliability, performance, economy, simplicity, ease of ownership, practicality, etc etc. It’s not the most exotic nor fascinating, but it’s perfect for me.

Transmission: 8.5/10
Like most GM Transmissions, shifts are very good..soft and hardly detectible when you’re being light with it, but firm and fast when you’re being aggressive. The early GS’s have a performance shift button that holds gears longer and shifts faster when driven aggressively, otherwise it acts normal when you’re being nice to it. My only worry with the 4T65-E is that it’s overworked with the Supercharged 3800…I’ve heard a lot of horror stories, especially when you’re doing burnouts, but I bought a warranty with the car that covers the transmission if need be. So that eases my mind.

Steering: 9/10
Surprisingly sharp for a Buick…very sporty and precise. It communicates well with the road, yet doesn’t tire you on a long road trip. The wheel is nicely sized and good for one or two handing it, depending on your mood. The wheel’s rim is nicely sized and comfortable for your hands, whether you’re on a short or long trip

Handling/Ride : 8/10
It’s very controlled and quite sporty (although not as much as it’s competitors, the GTP or the Maxima), yet it’s still quite compliant, smooth and comfortable. It’s enjoyable every day and never tiring. A great mixture of Buick ride and Pontiac handling.

Reliability: 8.5/10
All cars have some problems, this is not exempt. My inside rear view auto-dimming mirror is inop, as is the exterior temperature sensor (it reads weird temperatures…always too cold) and there’s a rattle near one of the rear speakers when the bass is high, but that’s it so far. Not bad for 9 years and 60k miles. These cars seem to be pretty durable though, based on other reviews I’ve read.


Overall: 90/100.
I’m really glad I bought this car. It’s fun to drive, luxurious and reasonably elegant without being offputting, ostentatious or over the top. I don’t feel like I have to baby this car and be overly protective with it at all times. I’m not paranoid about owning it…I just drive it and enjoy it. It’s a nice, if not perfect, mixture of luxury and performance for blue-collared Midwest America. It’s easy to own and live with and very easy on the pocketbook. My first car was a ’95 Roadmaster Limited, and I’m happy to be back in a Buick.

[orconn]

After all the discussion and advice I'm glad the Buick Regal GS is working out for you. It's a lot more car than you expect and is especially well suited for American driving. Hope you continue to enjoy it.

[Red_October_7000]

Originally Posted by I~LUV~Caddys8792

Yeah, I agree. A Mark VIII would be close, a Mark VII...not so much. It would be a lot closer with a Series I Supercharged 3800..

Rolex, I think the top end, like most other GM cars from that era, is electronically limited to 108, but I'm not 100% on that.

It's either 110 or 115. The speedo on my old Buick stopped at 100, but I had it cranked around to "Park" several times. I got it up to about 111 on the GPS once but had to back off, so I'm not sure which it is exactly. My girlfriend's daughter's stupid boyfriend once got his Pontiac Grand Prix (1999) up to 115, got pulled over, and got nabbed for OWI, reckless driving, etc. I think he gets his lisence back some time this year...

[AMGoff]

Originally Posted by I~LUV~Caddys8792

My only worry with the 4T65-E is that it’s overworked with the Supercharged 3800…I’ve heard a lot of horror stories, especially when you’re doing burnouts...

Just one thing... You don't have no stinkin', plain-jane 4T65-E... As I've mentioned before - you have a much improved, heavy-duty model which is more than capable of handling the car's torque figures.

Also, I'm not sure if you've posted this yet Chad, but I'd still like to know what the manufacture date was on your GS, so to figure out whether your car has the upgraded valve-body or not...

[I~LUV~Caddys8792]

Originally Posted by AMGoff

Just one thing... You don't have no stinkin', plain-jane 4T65-E... As I've mentioned before - you have a much improved, heavy-duty model which is more than capable of handling the car's torque figures.

Also, I'm not sure if you've posted this yet Chad, but I'd still like to know what the manufacture date was on your GS, so to figure out whether your car has the upgraded valve-body or not...

I thought all 4T65-E's were the HD version? What else were they used in?

It was built on 12/3/99.

[dirt_cheap_fleetwood]

You would beat me Chad, but from a rolling start at 20 to about 70 it would be close. That, of course, would be if the trans hadn't taken a dump on me last night.

[Jesda]

It sounds SO much nicer than the Century. Its amazing how much nicer the Regals are. Any more interior pics?