What is your favorite non-Buick car?

[75 Riv]

non-Buick..... that's a tough one..... GM E-bodies? (Eldorado/Toronado)..... but they're front wheel drive.... Think I'll choose a '73 Corvette

[jwc191]

other than my 75 lesabre conv, my favorite is a 1976 thunderbird. i have 2, the best is the lipstick red edition, 460, fast, not out of the hole, but really fast, style and loaded.

[regal1973]

I love all Corvettes. I shipped a 1982 Collector edition back to Australia in 1994 and converted it to RHD. I sold it in 1998 to finish my 1973 Buick project of & put a new kitchen in for the wife. i also like the ford & holden passanger performance cars of Australia
regal1973

[SM_General]

Nice lookin' car!

[bobc455]

Gotta love the Road Runners with the "silly" huge wing

[the new guy]

ANYBODY INTRESTED IN BUYING A VETTE, MY BOSS WANTS TO SELL HIS, IT'S BLUE, TAN LEATHER, AND T-TOPS, 39,000 ORGINAL MILES , THIS THING IS SWEET!!!

[edgarb]

Ok, you guys will probably wanna kill me but it's what I like.

My favorite non-buick at this time (and probably forever) is my '78 Datsun 280z.
I'll explain.
The 78 S30 Z was the last of the 1st gen Z cars, also the heaviest (that's OK...they're still light) in 69 they weighed 2300lb by 78 they weighed more than 2800.
BUt...it had cold A/C, was quiet, and had factory EFI that was simple enough to work on with hand tools (not computers!). The car looked like the cousin to a Jag E-type, and was RELIABLE! No wonder people love 'em!
It's actually good they had rust problems, could you imagine how many DATSUNS would still be on the road if they were made from stainless steel? You simply can't break 'em unless you try really hard!

I bought it from the wrecker for $1200, and replaced the slave cyl and proceeded to drive it daily (Hard) for the next two years. It still hasn't let me sit, and my total investment in her including a $2500 paint job is still under $5000. (So far, I've upgraded the clutch, installed a light flywheel, put a ZX 5-speed in for overdrive, got some 16" wheels, installed a 60mm TB and a K&N short-ram intake, installed a header and 3" exhaust, and replaced the front rotors, pads, and rear shoes)
The car looks great, despite it's small size is very comfy for anyone my size (66") all the way up to 6 foot 5. It rides solidly, has no rattles, is nearly as quiet as a new car, and has a bit of power! (but..not enough. It's light but not featherweight, and it's 2800+ lbs. BEGS for V-8 power)
The big'n'little (big and heavy on the outside despite an alloy head, 2.8 liters on the inside) I-6 won't quit, gets 25mpg, and despite it's 168cid, with those minor bolt-on mods, puts 169 horsepower to the WHEELS at 4800 rpm (it falls flat on it's face at 5,000, just like a stock-cammed buick , and 179lb/ft of torque at 2800. It also has this lovely, flat-as-week old soda torque curve (the only time torque falls below 80% of peak is at IDLE) , so if I'm feeling lazy I can just leave it in 5th and cruise around all day as long as I don't drop below 20mph. (the 5-speed has a .74 overdrive, which makes the 3.54 final drive about 2.61:1 in fifth.)
How to make it better? I have a year left in the Navy, after which I plan on driving my beloved Z back to PA and putting in a BUICK 350. (I like buicks, plus EVERYONE is putting Chev motors in them, i wanna be different!)

[bigblock68]

My mom loves those little cars. I think they're alright but I'd rather have American Muscle because it always reminds me there was a time when America went unrivaled in horsepower and style. I do like that fact that you're dropping in a BB Buick instead of the usual (and overused) SB Chevy. There's a lot of great engines out that that'll rust in a yard somewhere that could be re-used.

If I had to pick a non-Buick, it would be a 1970 Olds 442 W-30. That is undeniably the most aggressive looking car GM put out that year. The OAI hood alone gives it a "I'll run you off the road without even thinking about it" kind of look.

[SM_General]

I always liked Z cars too. I know a lot of classic car enthusiasts stick to American made vehicles but I like everything. I don't care where it was made. Good Luck with that Buick motor. Good Choice.

[edgarb]

Thank you for the positive replies. I don't think I'm putting in a BB buick but a SB buick, they have plenty of torque and are more plentiful. (I also have a buddy that might have an extra 350 laying around in a bit...here in PA where I'm on leave right now enjoying the snot outta my '68 skylark.) The motor he has "laying around" actually used to belong to me, as is the one in his monte carlo (yes, a 1986 BUICK-POWERED Monte Carlo...tell me THAT'S not different, it's a 72 350, so it's not smog legal but who gives a rat's butt? (it's only driven about 300 miles a month due to gas prices) I mean, the one in his Monte actually still belongs to me, he's "borrowing" the 350 I had laying around. (He will eventually pay me with a rebuilt TH350 that will replace my ST300)
He still wants an "all buick" though. He will eventually, though the buick-powered CHEVY gotta be up there with favorite "non-buicks"!

He keeps asking me about the datsun, though. That's gonna be one fun swap.

Pluses of it are :as compared to, say someone putting a powerful V8 into a chevette or a vega (yes, I know vega V8 swaps are common. I've also seen a powerful one twist so much the windshield broke! If you manage to do that to a Z, you probably have a WEE BIT too much power, as the stock body if not rusty will handle over 400 horsepower, which in a lightweight Z car will have it running low-to-mid 10's (which isn't bad considering they came stock with 150!)

Stock rear is STRONG. R200's are known to laugh at 10-second passes. (though the halfshafts complain after 400lb-ft (at the crank), but still not bad for a car that didn't even muster 180lb-ft stock)

IF you manage to break the extrememly strong 8" ring-geared R200, replacements are readily available and cheap in junkyards across the country

Z32 R230(yes, that's a friggin' NINE POINT TWO inch ring gear) rear is a good, strong, relatively easily adaptable option for crazy people wanting IRS that run enought power in a Z to get it in orbit

or u can back-half and put in a 9"

weak points? RUST is BADDDDDD

Stock brakes not adequate for the 6-banger, much less a fire-breating American bent-eight (though us classic buick drivers are all-too familiar with that problem)

Umm, that's about it though

Hope I didn't bore ya with all that, I get talkin (writing) about my Z and skylark and tend to ramble.