84TXGN
04-28-2015, 09:21 AM
I have an idea for my car and I just want a few second opinions. I lurk and read here a lot, which has helped me get ideas for my car. Long story short, I have a Grand National that I've had since I was 15. It has seen good days and bad days and was my daily driver up until a few years ago. I was rearended last year and the frame was damaged so I took it as an opportunity to do the frame-off restoration/mods that I've always wanted. Its no longer my daily driver but it's my only "fun" car so I want it to do everything.
My goals for the car are to be a street car that is at home on a road course, autocross course, and the drag strip. I want to the car to look low and aggressive. I want to do as much of the work myself as possible. I love making something or repairing something and the feeling of accomplishment. I also can't afford to pay someone to do everything I want. I also want to be a little different while keeping the soul of the Grand National intact.
Frame: My ideas so far are to box and strengthen a spare GN frame that I've obtained. I can weld a bit so I'll take on this myself or at least as much as I can. I'm fairly confident I can handle this or can at least learn what I need to know.
Front Suspension: I'll go with SPC upper/lower a-arms and AFX spindles for the front. I have all new steering linkage as well. I like the new speedtech coilover mounts that weld to the frame so I'm leaning towards those and a set of viking adjustable coilovers.
Rear Suspension: Here is where things get interesting. I want the car low and while there are bolt-on products that help with bind issues, the 4-link on the G-body isn't the best. My idea is to get a 4th gen f-body 12 bolt or 9" with g-body lower control arm mounts. I get to keep part of it using stock replacement stuff and eliminate the main problem, the upper control arms. I'll fab a crossmember for the torque arm and run a fays2 watts link. That will give me a better set-up for my jack-of-all-trades goals and let me lower the car quite a bit. Plus I don't think its been done before or at least isn't common. If I'm having the 12 bolt rear end built I've thought about having big ford axle tube ends welded on to elimate c-clips and allow more brake options. I think UMi's rear coilover kit with Viking shocks will go well here.
Engine: I'll keep my GN v-6. I have a heavily modified and strengthened engine that's capable of 600 hp at the wheels. Plus a GN has to have a v-6. I do want to look at using buick performance parts to convert it to dry sump for road course reliability.
Transmission: I think I want to keep an automatic in it but I'm not sure. Right now my first option is a 6L80E conversion using the PCS controller from Zero Gravity and a paddle shifter. It'll take a little fab work and some custom parts but I like the idea. I want to experience a well tuned 6L80E to see if it will give me the feel I want before I go this route. My back-up plan is to go with a T56. This swap was just recently completed and uses parts that are readily available. I'm just not sure how the GN engine will act with a manual behind it but its probably something I can tune around. The timely release of an aftermarket 8L90E controller would be great too but I'm not holding my breathe.
Interior: It'll be mostly stock with good track-ready seats. I'd love a 5 point harness but I haven't figure out how to mount it yet. A harness bar is a possibility, but I haven't totally ruled out a roll bar/cage. A roll bar is much more likely. I never use the back seat and don't know if I would when this build is done so part of my says just put in a roll bar. Another part of me isn't sure about a roll bar because I'd be picky with fit/finish and squeaks. In the end I know a roll bar makes sense and can be removed but for some reason I have a hard time committing to it.
Exterior: BLACK. It has to be black. Its a GN. However, I want to add GNX fender vents, functional to remove engine heat, and GNX fender flares. I'll use a fiberglass hood and deck lid to reduce weight. I'd like to add a front splitter and slightly more aggressive read spoiler as well. I love the look of 18" CCW classics on GNs but they have been done. My thought was to run them with copper centers, which I don't think anyone has. I haven't seen them on and GN but copper wheels on black cars is a good look, to me. I have a set of trans am wheels that look similar that I will paint the centers copper to see if the look is something I like.
That's pretty much it. I'd love some feedback and advise. This will be a long project so things may change down the road but I'd like to have a good idea of what everything will look like. I'm not afraid to learn new skills. My dad is a mechanic and I've been in the garage for almost 20 years building engines and race cars. My friends and I built a Lemons Fiero that we can't seem to keep on track but that's more about it being a Fiero than our abilities. This will be more fab work that I'm used to but nothing seems to difficult. Thoughts? Opinions? Cautions?
Thanks for reading.
My goals for the car are to be a street car that is at home on a road course, autocross course, and the drag strip. I want to the car to look low and aggressive. I want to do as much of the work myself as possible. I love making something or repairing something and the feeling of accomplishment. I also can't afford to pay someone to do everything I want. I also want to be a little different while keeping the soul of the Grand National intact.
Frame: My ideas so far are to box and strengthen a spare GN frame that I've obtained. I can weld a bit so I'll take on this myself or at least as much as I can. I'm fairly confident I can handle this or can at least learn what I need to know.
Front Suspension: I'll go with SPC upper/lower a-arms and AFX spindles for the front. I have all new steering linkage as well. I like the new speedtech coilover mounts that weld to the frame so I'm leaning towards those and a set of viking adjustable coilovers.
Rear Suspension: Here is where things get interesting. I want the car low and while there are bolt-on products that help with bind issues, the 4-link on the G-body isn't the best. My idea is to get a 4th gen f-body 12 bolt or 9" with g-body lower control arm mounts. I get to keep part of it using stock replacement stuff and eliminate the main problem, the upper control arms. I'll fab a crossmember for the torque arm and run a fays2 watts link. That will give me a better set-up for my jack-of-all-trades goals and let me lower the car quite a bit. Plus I don't think its been done before or at least isn't common. If I'm having the 12 bolt rear end built I've thought about having big ford axle tube ends welded on to elimate c-clips and allow more brake options. I think UMi's rear coilover kit with Viking shocks will go well here.
Engine: I'll keep my GN v-6. I have a heavily modified and strengthened engine that's capable of 600 hp at the wheels. Plus a GN has to have a v-6. I do want to look at using buick performance parts to convert it to dry sump for road course reliability.
Transmission: I think I want to keep an automatic in it but I'm not sure. Right now my first option is a 6L80E conversion using the PCS controller from Zero Gravity and a paddle shifter. It'll take a little fab work and some custom parts but I like the idea. I want to experience a well tuned 6L80E to see if it will give me the feel I want before I go this route. My back-up plan is to go with a T56. This swap was just recently completed and uses parts that are readily available. I'm just not sure how the GN engine will act with a manual behind it but its probably something I can tune around. The timely release of an aftermarket 8L90E controller would be great too but I'm not holding my breathe.
Interior: It'll be mostly stock with good track-ready seats. I'd love a 5 point harness but I haven't figure out how to mount it yet. A harness bar is a possibility, but I haven't totally ruled out a roll bar/cage. A roll bar is much more likely. I never use the back seat and don't know if I would when this build is done so part of my says just put in a roll bar. Another part of me isn't sure about a roll bar because I'd be picky with fit/finish and squeaks. In the end I know a roll bar makes sense and can be removed but for some reason I have a hard time committing to it.
Exterior: BLACK. It has to be black. Its a GN. However, I want to add GNX fender vents, functional to remove engine heat, and GNX fender flares. I'll use a fiberglass hood and deck lid to reduce weight. I'd like to add a front splitter and slightly more aggressive read spoiler as well. I love the look of 18" CCW classics on GNs but they have been done. My thought was to run them with copper centers, which I don't think anyone has. I haven't seen them on and GN but copper wheels on black cars is a good look, to me. I have a set of trans am wheels that look similar that I will paint the centers copper to see if the look is something I like.
That's pretty much it. I'd love some feedback and advise. This will be a long project so things may change down the road but I'd like to have a good idea of what everything will look like. I'm not afraid to learn new skills. My dad is a mechanic and I've been in the garage for almost 20 years building engines and race cars. My friends and I built a Lemons Fiero that we can't seem to keep on track but that's more about it being a Fiero than our abilities. This will be more fab work that I'm used to but nothing seems to difficult. Thoughts? Opinions? Cautions?
Thanks for reading.