In the 2005 Model Year, Buick is getting rid of the Century/Regal Nameplate and Replaceing It with a Model Buick call the LaCross.
You would Thing GM would learn from Their Past Experience and recent History with the Oldsmobile Division. Olds got rid of the 98 the 88 and the Cutlass Nameplates. Hence The Oldsmobile Division no longer Exists. How Many Times is GM going to Shoot Themselves in the Foot, Before They Get the Message?
We have All Experienced New and Improved. It Translates to Cheaper and Inferior.

graemlins/shield.gif Tom Gallagher graemlins/shield.gif

Not only that... but am I the only one that thinks a lot of the new names are "stupid" for lack of a better term ? I thought LaCross was a game ?

graemlins/wavey.gif Hi, Bill

Your Absolutely Correct The Name is Stupid. The Word in French has a left-handed slang meaning which is not very Inspiring. At least Buick didn't give it a number. Terrazza is even more Idiotodic. Apparently, Buick wanted something Sporty. They should have just resurected the Wildcat Nameplate. I wish they made the Blackhawk a Production car. I don't know who dreams up these names, but they should be Drug Tested and Evaluated by a Shrink. I don't even want to talk about engineering. We see Commercials with Harley Earl he must be spinning in his grave like a Fly-wheel. graemlins/thumbsup.gif graemlins/thumbsup.gif graemlins/beers.gif

graemlins/shield.gif Tom Gallagher graemlins/shield.gif

I'd like to see Buick bring back a full sized, 2dr, rearwheel drive platform and call it the Wildcat. Maybe retrofit it with a small nailhead and turbo it like the tried to do in the 60's You would think that by now they could design a drivetrain to take the turbo without breaking anything. That would be a nameplate resurection I'd buy

Originally posted by bluewhale13:
I'd like to see Buick bring back a full sized, 2dr, rearwheel drive platform and call it the Wildcat. Maybe retrofit it with a small nailhead and turbo it like the tried to do in the 60's You would think that by now they could design a drivetrain to take the turbo without breaking anything. That would be a nameplate resurection I'd buy If something like that were available with a small V8, I would not have bought the Ford in my signature last year. I just couldn't wait for Buick to pay attention to the younger (non-geriatric) crowd and finally make something I would be excited about driving. Now having a supercharged V8, it would be very nice to have one as part of a small Buick V8 package. The cool factor, SC whine, mild road manners and mountains of instantaneous power are a combination I never dreamed possible from a small V8 (281 CI). Just add that to a six speed manual or built AOD transmission with a mid three series rear end gear and Buick would have a something deserving of the Wildcat nameplate. It could be driven easy for 24 MPG, or driven hard to kick major butt: nice options. ;)

graemlins/wavey.gif Hi, Aaron,

How You doin today? The New LaCross is a real nice car I saw it at the NY Auto show and competivly priced with the Regal. They replaced the Supercharge 3.8 with a new 3.6 I can't figure that one out. The 3.8 was voted as one of the Best 10 engines of the 20th Century. I have the s/c 3800 in my 2000 regal gs and it screws. There is a modification package that makes the s/c spin faster a smaller wheel that will boost up the hp to 300.
You are Correct about the 2 door RWD car. Something like the Blackhawk concept car would really be a Crowdpleaser. a nice nailhead with fuel injection. I'm sure they could refine a 364 and with todays advanced techknowledgy they could pony up to 350 hp. in '57 the 364 had 300 hp. what they could do today with f/i and aluminum heads would make a neat little package.
I notice the Riveria is no longer in Production. Another Classy car bites the dust. The Riv's last design was pretty mundaine and rather ordinary and Buick never attempted to redesign. The once Beautiful , classy and Distinctive Automobile is no more. They pretty much lost it after the Boat-Tail. The Riv did make a resurgence in the early to Mid 80's and had a Convertable also which was a nice car. After that Fagetaboutit. The LeSabre and Park Ave. are still around, but Terraza, Rundouvous, Rainier don't do much for me The last of the RWD Full Frame Roadmasters are Still holding there Price and Value, a real nice Big Buick. I would like to get my hands on a good used one for the right price. The 350 corporate motor is fabulous and you can get a chip for the computer that really Boosts the Energy level. Like taking a Ride in Your Living Room. The Best Buick I ever Owned was an 84 Lesabre, which I had untill last year when my sister-in-law borrowed it and got broadsided. I only had 287,874 miles on it and the only thing I replaced on it other than a battery brakes, tires and Exhaust was the Waterpump and Timing Chain at about 175,000. It never used or burned a drop of oil. The Power plant was a Massive Big Block Olds 307 which was a destroked 403. The darn thing was bullet proof. The only complaint was that I had to use Premium Fuel, otherwise it would Ping and Knock. I never had to adjust the Timing, usually after that kind of milage you have to advance it due to wear, but it was always right in the money. My Mother has the same 307 in her 85 Regal with only 60 g on it. Both cars the Carbs were always clean as a whistle, a little gum out once in a while but that was it, no tinkering or adjusting.
I have a 87 Blazer that I use as my winter ride/ utility vehicle now has 327g on it 2nd engine at 157 Oil Pump let go in a construction zone on 95 and with all the Jersey Barriers I couldn't pull over in time. the pressure blew the dipstick right out, followed by a large volume of oil. same Trans and rear end never a problem. I did get stranded once on xmass eve when the alternator bracket broke (design Flaw) between the lesabre and the blazer to be stranded one in 500,000 miles is darn good. I bought an air powered grease gun 2 years ago when I redid the front end of the Blazer which I have to do every 100,000 miles, my 23year old son laughted at me saying You will never have to used that again. it was a great investment. my '56 has something like 22 or 24 grease fittings in the front end and steering mechanism alone.
Catch you later on the rebound graemlins/thumbsup.gif graemlins/thumbsup.gif graemlins/beers.gif

graemlins/shield.gif Tom Gallagher graemlins/shield.gif

I keep thinking about the nailhead Buick was playing around with in the mid 60's They turbo'd the crazy thing, modified the cam profile slightly and generated somewhere in the neighborhood of 708 ft lbs of torque and 360 horsepower at a very low 3600 rpm. At least, according to the article in Hot Rod, may of 1970 entitled Buick's experimental V8's. I just keep thinking that it look's like in the photo most of the parts were pulled right out of the GM parts bin.
I do like the performance potential of the supercharged 3.8, There's just something about opening the hood and seeing a real honest-to-god roots style supercharger on a factory production car

They are now making 3.8 blocks guaranteed for 1000 hp to hook-up to twin turbos. quite impressive. The S/c production 3.8 is a 13.8 second car from the factory. high hp and in the Buick tradition higher torque. I can tell you from experience the 265 hp Nisson may have more advertized hp but it is not quick. the torque eats them up every time. chrysler has a supercharged inline 4 215 hp in that small car, its a crotch rocket that is if you can keep the shinny side up and rubber down.
My son has a 99 ss z-28 camaro with the aluminum 5.7 that can snap a drive shaft. 5 speed. I had a 1970 ss 396 camaro and that was slow in comparison. not even close. Goose it just a little and you break away from the road surface a major effort trying to keep it from going sideways.

You must be reading my mind! I would love to see the return of the wildcat, and not that dumb looking BMW Roadster Look-alike that I have seen. It appears that even though Pontiac has resurrected the V8 rwd GTO, Buick remains gearing more towards the SUV industry. It would not be so bad if they were not so butt-ugly. Buick appears to have discontinued the good cars, and are coming up with things that are of little or no interest to me, but that's just my opinion.

Originally posted by bluewhale13:
I'd like to see Buick bring back a full sized, 2dr, rearwheel drive platform and call it the Wildcat. Maybe retrofit it with a small nailhead and turbo it like the tried to do in the 60's You would think that by now they could design a drivetrain to take the turbo without breaking anything. That would be a nameplate resurection I'd buy

graemlins/wavey.gif Hey Guys,

I wish Buick would put into production a car like the Blackhawk. graemlins/thumbsup.gif graemlins/hurray.gif graemlins/beers.gif

graemlins/shield.gif Tom Gallagher graemlins/shield.gif