Faults:
Needed to replace front brake pads and rotors.
Replaced glove box door with another to fix the vent on the door.
Driver's side power window switch is sometimes flaky.
Had to constantly fill coolant reservoir every day - leaking heater core, which I did not replace.
General Comments:
For $300, I couldn't go wrong. Needed a car in a hurry, and just so happens I found one. Previous owner played pinball with some guardrails, so it wasn't the prettiest thing going down the road. Got me to where I had to go though.
Luckily, everything else besides the driver's window switch, worked flawlessly. A/C was ice cold, sunroof operated smoothly, power antenna did its thing, cruise control... cruised.
I really liked the dashboard design, with the single digital speed readout, but the gas gauge moved around a lot. Had an intermittent problem with the service engine soon light illuminating due to a flaky throttle sensor, sometimes the car wouldn't fire up without pressing the accelerator for a bit.
Oh, but when it ran, it ran well. I loved the torque curve of the 3800, all down low where you need it.
Ended up hitting a deer at 55, demolishing what was left of the right front corner of the vehicle. The last drive I took it out on, decided to throw it in reverse at 50. Engine just stalled, threw her in neutral and fired her right back up and kept on rolling.
Sometimes I look at new cars going down the road and wonder if my good old Buick donated its sheet metal to one of them. Hell of a car with a quirky personality. If you've got one, hold on to it for a while.
And don't hit deer. Bad.
27th Mar 2010, 06:14
A 1990 Regal is not a tank, it is midsize even by today's standards.