Vintage owners: You think YOU have parts problems? How about an 85 Buick gas tank? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Gilly · #1 08-11-2004, 09:52 PM

Been helping my brother in law with his 85 Regal Grand National. He actually wants to sell it, but wants I feel way too much for it, but that's another story. He's the original owner, the thing has just barely 13,000 miles on it, just sits in his garage under a cover. Well, after 2 years straight of sitting he was going to take it to a car show, and asked me to come over and listen to it, etc when he started it up. Had to replace the battery first, so he must have tried starting it once and found it dead, put a trickle charger on it, etc, so he handled the battery concern, then I came over, cranked and no start. Checked it out as best I could, it's an SFI motor, and I found no fuel pressure at the fuel rail. Found the fuel pump relay (you can tell I have MB experience, huh?) and it clicked, plus I jumped the relay and still no start, so I was suspecting the pump. I bowed out at that point, but offered to help him get it flatbedded to a Buick dealer where a longtime friend of mine works. Got it there, gor the pump (saved him some $$$ there), and today he pulled the tank. My brother in law, BTW, was told it's best, get this, to "store a car with a very small amount of fuel", which I assume most car people know is opposite of the truth, you store them full, not empty. SO, here is living proof of that, the inside of the tank where there was no fuel is solid rust, and so is the pump, so good call on the pump, but I didn't forsee this rust formation.
Price quote to clean and seal the tank was $90, and the radiator place also got a price on a new tank (aftermarket) of $155. Checked to get a price on a new GM tank, and as you may have guessed by the title of this thread NO TANK available already from GM. I opted on the aftermarket tank. It's all running now, i'll go pick it up tomorrow. BTW the fuel smelled like varnish too, so we're getting all fresh fuel in it too, and I'm putting that "Sta-bil" stuff in it to hopefully help it out, but geez I gotta make sure he drives the durn thing a little more often than 2 years, and I straightened him out on the fuel situation (fill it up). I don't know where he gets his info from, there's LOTS of people who ask my advice around here, I guess I have to make him aware of that!
Gilly

rickg · #2 08-12-2004, 10:26 AM

Gads. When I saw the title of this thread, I'm like "So, who wants a '85 Buick?"
But GN is another story.

Gilly · #3 08-12-2004, 05:46 PM

Yeah, it's a pretty cool looker. Got it home today, runs OK now. Gas gauge screwed up though, and now I found out the sender unit is "NLA" also. Maybe it'll start working if he drove it more. I think it's probably junk from the rust, but maybe it's varnished up. i put some Sta-Bil in the gas now too, and told him to keep it filled up, not at about empty.

Gilly

PS anyone know a good source for NOS parts for this thing? Like a gas tank sender (digital dash)?