The Regal debuted in 1973 as Buick’s premium mid-size car. All of General Motors’ intermediates went on a diet in 1978, which included the Regal. At that time, Buick began to offer turbocharging on its V6 engines, a preview of the 1980s Grand Nationals. The seller has a 1978 Regal Sport Coupe (the name for the turbocharged sedans), which has had the engine removed and disassembled. And that’s where the project stopped. Needing to be put back together and painted, this regal roller is available in Tucson, Arizona, and here on craigslist for $4,500 OBO. Thanks for the boffo tip, Rocco B.!
Though the mid-size 1978 Buicks weighed hundreds of pounds less, the routine Buick V6 was no powerhouse. But with a turbocharger added, things got more interesting. Two variations were offered, 2 or 4-barrel carburetion, producing 150 and 165 hp, respectively. Lest you think these are rare cars today, Buick built 30,500 of them in 1978, and more 90% of those had the 165 hp set-up. The Regal Sport Coupe was only offered with an automatic transmission, and it and the Buick LeSabre were the only domestically produced cars at the time to be turbocharged. The RSC came with a sportier handling package, benefiting its capabilities.
When the seller acquired this Buick, it ran and drove. That was until the engine was torn down, and other projects started to get in the way. Most of the photos the seller provides show the wide assortment of parts, some old and some new, which will come along to put Humpty Dumpty together again at 67,000 miles. A spare engine block is part of the deal, and both have been bored over.
We’re told the interior has been redone and is in good shape, though the radio has been pulled from the dash with a bunch of wires hanging out. Exterior photos are few and show worn paint, lots of dings, and a Landau vinyl roof cover that is well past its prime. So, once you get the car back on the road, you’re still going to have to worry about it looking good again. While more than 30,000 of these were built, when was the last time you ran across one?
What turbo? Sorry this checks all the wrong boxes. Ugly color, missing engine and turbo, filthy interior, builder would be upside down before accessing a good power plant let alone sorting the other issues. I pass.
It’s usually not hard to take things apart. Putting them together is usually harder and takes $$$.
easy motor to put together but it looks like the seller is too lazy to do it. apart this is 1k car. these early turbo cars were not the best running to begin with. just drop a v8 in it preferable a 455 Buick motor
Don’t waste time. Call the hook and drag it away. How much a pound are they getting these days?
Tear it up and move on to a new toy. Never ceases to amaze me that grown adult males pull things apart and are done. Should have pay someone to haul it off.