Would it be wrong to.....

[Psychoholic]

And yes I know it's a huge image, I don't care. That car deserves it's full resolution glory.

[Kidd]

That was my thoughts exactly my first car was an 84 regal 4 door I wanted to put that a gnx front clip on it. Never got to tho. I blew the motor and my dad took it to the junk yard. I never even got to say good bye

[Kidd]

Some Regals had t-tops thats what gave me the idea, and lesser models had a sun roof. Id do mine flat black and have the roof done in black rino liner

[Guest]

Ladder rack always means one thing in the procar groups. The inevitable is always going to happen.

3,2,1 Go!

since no one else took the bait...

GHOSTBUSTERS!!!

[Kidd]

GOSTBUSTERS
HARTY HAR HAR

Maybe latter rack is to strong a word or I'm just using the word to loosely. What I had in mind was something more along the lines of a gothic wrought iron fence kinda deal.

[HearseHaunter]

Ask anyone who had a trans am or camaro with t tops. They almost always leak. On my 82 and 92 both have about 2" or 3" of clearance between the roof and head liner. So getting a good professional look might be hard

[Vampirate_Maiden]

Ok, Kidd. It's been a few years since I've logged on here, but I feel the need to give you some advice was worth logging on again for. So feel special.
True, whatever coach you end up getting, it will be yours to do whatever you want with. Even if you wanted to turn it into yet another Ecto-clone, you have every right to. Not that you would get any respect for it, but you get the point. My main thing is that you are worrying too much about what to do with it when you don't even have one yet. I say after getting one, you should get to know the coach first. These cars do have personality. After driving it around, you will eventually get a feel for it and figure out what mods you want to do to it, if any at all. Another thing, I tell people this all the time: You have to LOVE them to own one. What I mean by this is that they require a lot of care. Basically, they tend to need work often, and parts aren't always easy to find. Wouldn't it be awful if you spent all this time and money on making a sun roof on it, only for the transmission to go out a month later? Then what? You've just wasted time and money, and now the car will probably sit around for awhile doing nothing. Know what I mean? Hope this bit of advice helps!

[Kidd]

Ok, Kidd. It's been a few years since I've logged on here, but I feel the need to give you some advice was worth logging on again for. So feel special.
True, whatever coach you end up getting, it will be yours to do whatever you want with. Even if you wanted to turn it into yet another Ecto-clone, you have every right to. Not that you would get any respect for it, but you get the point. My main thing is that you are worrying too much about what to do with it when you don't even have one yet. I say after getting one, you should get to know the coach first. These cars do have personality. After driving it around, you will eventually get a feel for it and figure out what mods you want to do to it, if any at all. Another thing, I tell people this all the time: You have to LOVE them to own one. What I mean by this is that they require a lot of care. Basically, they tend to need work often, and parts aren't always easy to find. Wouldn't it be awful if you spent all this time and money on making a sun roof on it, only for the transmission to go out a month later? Then what? You've just wasted time and money, and now the car will probably sit around for awhile doing nothing. Know what I mean? Hope this bit of advice helps!

I do have to say I am puttin the cart before the horse. Thanks for the reality check. But I do know if I could get my hands on a early 80's Buick Regal coach these would be my long term plans. First goal tho is gettin the coach.
By the way that is a nice Buick coach you have.

[60Crown]

In short? NO to sunroof. There hasn't been a single coach made or modified with skylights/sunroof that hasn't had issues. Even Broadmoors leaked from the factory.

This '60 Superior Crown Royale limo (done in the '80s) I shot 5 years ago still pisses me off.




T-tops on a hearse? Even poorer idea. Something similar was done by Eureka in the '80s and sold as a Town Car (as a throwback heritage nod to '30s hearse town car styling), where the front compartment roof was removable. They also poured water straight from the factory and were never intended to be used in inclement weather. Less than 10 were made and are highly coveted nowadays. Doesn't mean they're any more usable.



Here's another logic that has already become evident~

You're new to hobby and community can see you 'working'. You haven't a coach (yet). You haven't really money for a coach. You're stuck on superficial changes and can't see the forest through the trees. I personally am not one that abhors personalization yet you must realize whatever change made (that can't easily be undone) WILL marry you to that coach. End of discussion. That means no chance of sale if times become tougher and forced to sell. We've seen this time and time again. If you don't have money to begin with, why be willing to literally piss it away..? If these ideas have been done before and never functioned properly from the factory, what makes YOU think without money that you will be able to redesign, re-engineer, then successfully carry them out? Realistically you're speaking of a pipe dream.

Unless you're cool knowing if/when the time comes you'll get between $9.50-$11 per hundred for scrap in advance.

[Kidd]

OK point taken. T-tops and sun roof just a bad idea. I'am sure that I want a Buick Regal coach when I get my tax money. I know I may spend some time searching for it tho.

[Psychoholic]

Hell, I'm excited for you to get a coach. We've all turned into grumpy old men with sage wisdom.

Keep the ideas flowing, know what you want and go after it.

[Vampirate_Maiden]

Thanks, Kidd! Afraid I no longer have that '82 Buick Eureka. A lot has happened since I last was active on here. Though she was very rusty and not reliable at all, I do miss her on some level. Which leads me to another bit of advice. In a rush to get a coach, don't settle for something that is going to need a lot of work. The Buick I had came from Pennsylvania, and was VERY rusty. But from that experience, I ended up waiting til I found my current one, a '92 Cadillac Federal. She has proven to be very reliable, and I just love her! Maybe later I'll post some pics.

[Otto Baron]

Thanks, Kidd! Afraid I no longer have that '82 Buick Eureka. A lot has happened since I last was active on here. Though she was very rusty and not reliable at all, I do miss her on some level. Which leads me to another bit of advice. In a rush to get a coach, don't settle for something that is going to need a lot of work. The Buick I had came from Pennsylvania, and was VERY rusty. But from that experience, I ended up waiting til I found my current one, a '92 Cadillac Federal. She has proven to be very reliable, and I just love her! Maybe later I'll post some pics.

I'm with you on that. Having a hearse that's difficult to get running is a pain in the &$$. I love the older hearses, but if I found a newer one in top mechanical shape, that may be the way I'd go. Interestingly enough, my hearse styled Dodge, has a factory installed sun roof, and I can't recall ever using it.

[sgath92]

80's and newer vehicles don't wear the "rat rod" image well.

IDK about that, if you stay pretty conservative sometimes its not terrible:

If I still had my '82 Buick I know EXACTLY what I would do with it.

GNX Hearse clone.

As for trying to put a GN clip on a B-body, you'd be in for an "adventure."

The B-body wagon chassis was designed wider so you could fit full sheets of 4x8 plywood in the back laying flat.

Means the GN hood, nose, and bumper aren't wide enough to just bolt on.

[LMS]

That's just a flat black wagon with red wheels, doesn't say rat rod to me.