[Bull]

I'm going to look at one of these cars tomorrow, with an eye towards using it as a daily driver. Did they come from the factory with Chevy 305s, because that is what this one has in it? I know absolutely nothing about these cars, so if anyone here has any experience with them and can list off their good and bad points, that'd be cool.

[Bull]

I'm going to look at one of these cars tomorrow, with an eye towards using it as a daily driver. Did they come from the factory with Chevy 305s, because that is what this one has in it? I know absolutely nothing about these cars, so if anyone here has any experience with them and can list off their good and bad points, that'd be cool.

[needforspeed]

Dave,I owned a 78 Lemans and a 80 Grand Lemans.Yes,The 78 Grand Lemans came factory with the 305 Chevy should be vin (V) 5.0L 2BL.I really enjoyed driving it and it was a 4 door.Always wanted a 2 door.Mine had a 231 V6 motor in it but I swaped it with a rebuilt 75 Lemans 350 motor.The only thing that sucked was the exrta weight on the front end.Change the front springs to handle the exrta weight or your tires will rub.Good thing is there is alot of parts out there.Light up the tires at every stop.Very fast & light midsize car.Looks like you got a good collection of cars going on.

[Bull]

Thanks a lot for your reply. Yeah, my collection is kinda neat, but I'm almost certainly overextended. I think one of 'em is going to have to go, probably the Catalina.
I was wondering about parts availability, since the '78 is a G-body, like the Malibu/GP/Monte-Carlo of the '78-87 era. Any catalogs you might suggest? Will the fact that it is a 4-door limit parts availability at all?
I wonder how this 305 2bbl will perform? Hopefully, I can test drive it tomorrow, if the guy has the car registered and insured.

[Region Warrior]

if it has seem alot of winter salt, be sure to check the rear frame rails for rust-thru.

[mike nixon]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by PONCHOSHOP:
if it has seem alot of winter salt, be sure to check the rear frame rails for rust-thru. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

ditto the above.

re parts, the only parts i know of being repopped are floor pans for 2drs. i've seen them advertised in the buick books.

mike

[scott w]

Ya, if you push down on the rear bumper and it falls off, thats bad, and this is'nt a joke, I've seen it happen. Its very common on the 78-87's.

[Bull]

Ok, so I bought the car For a whopping $950, it should suit my purposes pretty well. I crawled underneath to have a look around, and I saw flaky rust on a lot of the brackets and rear spring perches and stuff under there, but the frame and floors looked solid. Maybe I'll have a welder take a look at it some time to let me know if they can brace anything that has been weakened. The rear bumper support and those two hydraulic/piston thingies that attach to both the bumper and the support have a lot of rust on them, but I didn't grab them and try to break them or anything...I'll leave well enough alone until it breaks on its own. Anyway, since this will be a daily driver for me, I'll begin collecting parts for it and put some of my other stuff on hold. Scott, didn't you have a '78 or '80 Lemans that you were parting? Anything left on it (like a rear bumper support, for example )

[scott w]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Catalina Dave:
Scott, didn't you have a '78 or '80 Lemans that you were parting? Anything left on it (like a rear bumper support, for example ) <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Its a 79 but the support should be the same, I still a bunch of stuff left, e-mail me a list and I'll see what I have.