Turbo Regal!

[Chuck Most]

Some of you are going to be really disappointed. I'm not building a Grand National. I'm not building a GNX. I'm building... a GM10 Regal. Yep. The one that initially came only with a 2.8 V6, automatic, split bench seat, and a sound system that only played Wayne Newton and gospel music. And those b-pillar door handles that looked so cool and broke so easily. Yes, eventually the GM10 platform got it's poop in a group and became halfway decent. Eventually you could even get a Regal with a supercharged 3.8 V6.

I'm starting with one of those 1:24 scale promos. These things are cheap as dirt and for some reason I've accumulated about five of them over the years. They're all molded in a horrendous burgundy plastic that will bleed through eight coats of sealer and a skim of concrete, and most of them look like they were assembled by a blindfolded spider monkey. I did not take a before pic, but this one was filled with cobwebs and coated in a decent layer of dust and nicotine when I got it. I think I paid about five bucks for it... and I balked even then.

The idea is that Buick continued the turbocharged Regal idea after the G-Body was canned with an abbreviated 1988 season. While the 3.8 was a mighty machine with a spinny-boy attached to it, a 2.8 could use a turbo just to compete with a healthy four-cylinder. Given GM's thing for turbocharging in the late '80's and early '90's, though, who knows? Maybe it could have been.... competent. Worst case scenario, they could cook up a Regal that at least looked the part.

First, all of the trim and badging was removed. GM's penchant for parts-binning things gave me some ideas for what to add. The GNX fender vents would make a comeback, and there had to be a bulged hood scoop. This one was cut from an '83 Hurst Olds and grafted into the Buick bonnet. We'll say it's a plastic hood. Or... as GM would insist... it's a composite hood. An old Fujimi accessories set coughed up a couple of fog lights. All of the chrome was stripped, and the bumper guards were removed. I also opened up the vent in the bumper, even though it will be mostly unseen. 

The wheels came from a Monogram GNX, but the tires are from an Aoshima kit. Possibly an Infiniti Q45. They're just a touch shorter than the Goodyears in the GNX kit. 

There is more to come with the exterior touches but this is where we stand as of now.

The promo includes a split bench, which is open in the back and mounts via two thick posts. The posts were ground down. In the spirit of GM parts bin logic, I used a center console from an MPC Cavalier tub. The Cavalier's seats were also test fit but I don't know if I"ll keep them yet or not. The GNX steering wheel was also used.

Somehow this hallucination seemed to beg for a manual transmission. The molded brake pedal was ground away, and a clutch/brake pedal assembly was pirated from a NASCAR kit. I think the pistol grip shifter came from another Fujimi accessories set. Here you can see where the mounting posts for the stock seat used to be, and my less-than-pretty grafting of the center console. 

As the car began to take shape, I started to think that to compensate for the performance deficit of this compared to it's predecessor, Buick would probably try to offset that by giving the car more awesome '80's tech. That means a head-up display. The Regal's sisters Cutlass Supreme and Grand Prix offered this feature, but as far as I can tell, the Regal never did. Not even on the supercharged GS from the '90's. So I added one here. I basically made a rectangular appendage that I hope will at least resemble a HUD unit once it's blended in and painted.

That's it for now. I'm hoping this will be a quick project, so... maybe five years from now you'll see it in Under Glass. 

[peteski]

This is going to be fun - I love unusual/eclectic builds of factory-stock cars which were never kitted.

[Plowboy]

This is a cool project Chuck! Maybe think about adding fender flares and a rear spoiler? You could pirate the flares and probably the spoiler too from a Gran Prix. More work, but bulging the fenders and quarters would look cool too. Kinda like a wide body.

[randyc]

I like it!  Will follow to see how it turns out.  

[Chuck Most]

Finally dug this out of the dumpster and did a little work.

After losing the AMT style metal axle, the front wheels were unsecured and a tad flappy. To cure this,I drilled into the fenderwells and used section of plastic rod to form makeshift struts. One the glue cured these were cut flush and assaulted with a coarse sanding stick.

As for the interior I opted to keep the Cavalier seats, despite the insert pattern mismatch between these and the existing Regal rear seat. Hopefully the dark colors will obscure that. Still a little detail paint, touch up, and a wash required but you get the idea.

[Chuck Most]

On 12/26/2019 at 9:13 AM, Plowboy said:

This is a cool project Chuck! Maybe think about adding fender flares and a rear spoiler? You could pirate the flares and probably the spoiler too from a Gran Prix. More work, but bulging the fenders and quarters would look cool too. Kinda like a wide body.

Definitely a (Grand Prix) spoiler. I don't have the GP flares but I'm weighing my options. I'd like to have rounded wheel openings. I just think they'd flow better with the overall design.

[Spottedlaurel]

Haven't seen this one before, I like what you're doing and the interior has worked well. Always good to give something unusual/overlooked a new lease of life.

[bisc63]

This was the heyday of body cladding; maybe you could adapt some ground effects from a Grand Prix or turbo T-bird to fit the era?! Likin' what you're doing.

[Chuck Most]

I may go without flares but we'll see. The car does need a front end job as of now. ?

The wheels were treated to a thin coating of Testors Blazing Black, a wash of thinned Tamiya flat black, and finished off with Molotow pens.

And here it is with the bumpers and hood more or less roughed in. I'm starting to like the look without flares, but the wheel fit still needs a bit of fine tuning.

 

[espo]

Like what you have done with this so far. You mentioned the wheel and tire offset or wheel flairs. You might want to narrow the front track just a little to bring the edge of the tires just inside of the front fender opening, sort of match the rear setup.  Having owned a Grand Prix GTP at one time I liked the Heads Up Display. 

[Chuck Most]

Here she sits as of tonight. I adjusted the track and ride height, and treated the body to a bit of Testors Blazing Black.

[Spottedlaurel]

That's done the trick, it's sitting very nicely now.

[mikemodeler]

Now it all comes to me why you sent that picture the other night! Like the way this looks, those wheels make the car look racier than it really is!

[slusher]

On 8/4/2020 at 8:31 PM, Chuck Most said:

Here she sits as of tonight. I adjusted the track and ride height, and treated the body to a bit of Testors Blazing Black.

Love the stance and wheels, Chuck!

[Jonathan]

Wow! What could have been.

I had a 1990 Regal - such a love/hate relationship with that car.  

[Chuck Most]

Still needs exhaust tips but...

[randyc]

That turned out well.  

 

[slusher]

Looks sinister!

[Cpt Tuttle]

I like it, since the idea of phantom models and alternate timelines is always spinning in my head, lol.

[Chuck Most]

It doesn't look much different but here's the end result

 

[rustybill1960]

Very nice work Chuck

Thank You for sharing with Us here

Always like what Your working on

Thank You