My Grand National & YZF600R

[TA^Guy]

Here is a quick little page I tossed together real quick.
Enjoy.
Johns Grand National & YZF600R (http://www.fbody.com/members/johnnyl/gn.html)
Here is the video! (http://www.ecmotorsports.com/johnsgn.wmv)

[99GrandAMSE]

WOW John ... I love that picture of GN by the lake ... that is a real pretty picture!!!!!

[Artic]

wow nice pics :)

[SC/TGrandAm]

Drool Drool Drool, and Drool some more, Great pics!

[mom2mac]

more awesome pictures form you guys! :)

[Brad97GS]

And you considered SELLING that GN?? :) Someday I'll git one a dem....hehe.

[TA^Guy]

Originally posted by Brad97GS
And you considered SELLING that GN?? :) Someday I'll git one a dem....hehe.
Yeah I've thought about it. It actually needs alot more work than the pictures show.
Right now it needs a up-pipe (stock one is rusted), EGR, and maybe the injectors to atleast be cleaned. Could use a new radiator, the current one flows like a damn. Transmission sure could use a rebuild as it slips from 1st-2nd and the seats that once were in really nice shape quickly wore out from sitting in the sun for years drying out. On top of that some rust repair, a paint job, and some rear floor pans. Alot of work, but only 2000 GNs were built in 1984 and even less that have as many factory options as this one. It' sjust so darn hard, and expesive to find parts like the seat covers for LearSeiglar interiors.
Oh well, not looking to do a gold class restoration, just want a nice car to drive.
Originally posted by 99grandamse
WOW John ... I love that picture of GN by the lake ... that is a real pretty picture!!!!!
Thanks Kelly, that is the Hudson River in the background. The photo was taken at a old ferry launch in the town of Half Moon not too far from where I plan on having our car show.

[LargeFish]

Love those GN's, especially in black. They never offered them with a manual tranny though, did they? I'd love to find a turbo trans-am with a stick some day...

[ldrhoa]

:2up: You have everything I want! I'm taking my ball and going home! Just kiddin', but I have been lookin' at GN and T-Types the last few years, and now one of my friends bought a Katana 600, so I gotta get one of those, too!!! I'd rather have the Yama though!

[TA^Guy]

Originally posted by LargeFish
Love those GN's, especially in black. They never offered them with a manual tranny though, did they? I'd love to find a turbo trans-am with a stick some day...
Nope the GN's, T-type, TurboT, and even TurboTransAms were all automatic. But thats a good thing with the turbo since a automatic will shift faster and keep RPMs up, which results in more constant boost. Good luck on the hunt for a TTA, they are far and few and don't come cheep. Also, all '84-'87 GNs are black. Only non-black ones were two tone grey in '82 only 215 were built, all non EFI, and only 16 were turbocharged. Making it the most rare Turbo Regal built, but not the most desired.
Originally posted by ldrhoa
:2up: You have everything I want! I'm taking my ball and going home! Just kiddin', but I have been lookin' at GN and T-Types the last few years, and now one of my friends bought a Katana 600, so I gotta get one of those, too!!! I'd rather have the Yama though!
Good man, not to bash his bike or anything but the 600 Kats are pretty heavy and not as quick. Actually they tend to endup the butt of most jokes. Plus they are hard to work on, that entire front plastic clip is one peice. And IIRC it has to be removed just to change a headlight. ekkk Yamaha is my favorite brand personally, and the YZF600R is a very good, very comfy, inexpensive and often underestimated bike. I'm very pleased with it.

[Travis99GT]

I want a 600cbr for a simple bike whenever I can afford one. Next project for sure is a turbo buick. Good friend of mine can get brand new turbos for less than $1000... we're talking he paid $500 for a t72 hybrid garrett w/ internal waste gate :agree:
Thinking about getting a t-type instead of a GN. Everyone knows the GN's too well. Spend a few G and run 11's all day long. Hell yes :D

[ldrhoa]

I saw a El Camino in Car Craft with a Buick Turbo in it! It was sweet, and he even put on the turbo wheels.:bow:

[Travis99GT]

there was a guy at noble, oklahoma a few years ago for ford vs buick shootout that did that. Buick front end, GN paint, wheels, interior, gauges, the whole bit. El Camino shell, thats it :D

[G-Dam96]

I'll give you my firstborn for that GN, hell, you can have my second too.

[TA^Guy]

Actually a few Elkys running around like that...
Check this out.
http://axl_000.tripod.com/home.html

[GrandAm95]

nice car. it does sound kinda funny when u say its only a 6 but who cares it looks nice and it runs that is all that matters right..........right :D

[ldrhoa]

OH DADDY LIKE!!!!!!:bow2: :thumbup2: :headbang:

[TA^Guy]

I agree Kelly the shots next to the Hudson River came out great. Here is a shot of me and my baby near the river.

[Night Wolf]

heh Hudson River, eh?

me, my dad and whoever else is with us cruise up and down the Hudson in our 18' 1974 (around there, forgot exact year) Sea Ray (powerd by a 302 with 4bbl Holly)

we have went past the Catskills and about 30min. from the city, I wanted to go to the OpSail 2000 thing, but my father dosn't want to go down to the city with our boat (not a boat to travel with, dons't even have a cuddy, designed and made for going out for the day and having fun, as well as water sports)

I think we even went up to Albony 1 time (although we mostly go south as the water is better)

it's just strange to hear people talking about some of the same places where I live, that dosn't happen much online.

[jayhawk]

Did I ever tell you about my friends dad? He has a 1987 GNX, I think #42 of 2000(?) Good God, that car is fast. I mean you could feel your eyeballs smoosh when it accelarated.

Jay

[TA^Guy]

All Turbo Regal owners dream of owning a GNX :D And it's even more rare than you think, #42 of only 547 produced.

[DIO]

TAGUY,I think I read somewhere that GM extended the production on the GNX because of such high demand. Is that true or do you think that is just for the GN :shrug: I could have swore I read that somewhere....?

[TA^Guy]

The GNX was a limited edition Grand National assembled by American Sunroof Corperation/McLaren. Only 547 were built, all black and all with the same options. Some think there was a white GNX built but it's not a real GNX. A employee of ASC at the time converted his white T-Type into a GNX clone.

I think the extended 'GN' your thinking of is actually a TurboT known as the WE4. IIRC it was only build for 90 days in 1987. The TurboT was almost a cross between a T-Type and a GN. The body trim and cladding was blacked out like a GN and lacked a hood ordimate. But the interior was much like a T-Type and it lacked a few other GN options. The guy I purchased my GN owned 3 turbo Regals. My '84 GN, a '86 GN and a '87 WE4 TurboT.

[JAFO2RHh]

Originally posted by TA^Guy
Also, all '84-'87 GNs are black. Only non-black ones were two tone grey in '82 only 215 were built, all non EFI, and only 16 were turbocharged. Making it the most rare Turbo Regal built, but not the most desired.



My first car was a 78 Turbo Regal, that was two tone Grey/Black I wish I could find another one just like it, that car was a blast.

[tikiboy]

Originally posted by TA^Guy

Good man, not to bash his bike or anything but the 600 Kats are pretty heavy and not as quick. Actually they tend to endup the butt of most jokes. Plus they are hard to work on, that entire front plastic clip is one peice. And IIRC it has to be removed just to change a headlight. ekkk Yamaha is my favorite brand personally, and the YZF600R is a very good, very comfy, inexpensive and often underestimated bike. I'm very pleased with it.
Yamaha all the way, baby :agree: !! Katana's are as described - a pain in the butt to work on. Plus, I have an 92 and I beat my friend in a drag (not by much though).
I agree with the underestimated abilities of the YZF600. Test rode one before then a R6 after that and I could only tell slight differences between the two.

[TA^Guy]

Thats funny Tikiboy, are you toys are red, all mine are black. :)
My friends brother inlaw has a early 90's 750 SecaII. Pulled pretty damn nice it did. :) In the past I rode a '82 Seca 650 Turbo that my mothers boyfriend owned. Very heavy bike (about 600lbs) but adjust a wastegate bolt and you have 12lbs of boost kick in at 5000rpms. Wish I could get a setup like that for my YZF.
And yes, I'm a HUGE Yamaha fan. I mean how many other companys make a 10second 1/4 mile cruiser like the VMax? Not the most comfy cruiser, but nearly unchanged for over 10 years. Why mess with a good thing right? lol

[ldrhoa]

What do you guys think of the GSXR 600? I'm looking at a new 2002 for $6895. I like the style, but have not ridden one. Anybody ridden one, own one?

[TA^Guy]

Originally posted by ldrhoa
What do you guys think of the GSXR 600? I'm looking at a new 2002 for $6895. I like the style, but have not ridden one. Anybody ridden one, own one?
I have nothing bad to say about Suzukis except that they aren't the most comfy machines out there. But before motorcycle makers started doing away with the 750cc class in racing, the GSXR750 ruled the class. The 600 isn't far behind, with the same handling just a bit less power.
Check out the SBN at http://www.sportbikes.net . Tons of bike info there.
BTW, if you see a critter by the name of TA^Guy say hello, thats my other half. lmao.

[ldrhoa]

I was looking at www.prosourcemotorsports.com. It is in the Chicago area, so not too far for me. They had 3 YZF 600's (used). One was red, black, silver with 9K, '98 year, for $4299. Is the YZF 600T more of a touring bike? Would it be more comfortable, but still have similar performance? I don't need to go 180, but would like to ride it on longer trips.

[TA^Guy]

To be honest I don't know what a YZF600T looks like, I might have seen one I just can't picture it. I am actually very pleased with the comfert of my bike, thats one reason I was so excited to get it. I also picked my '02 up brand new for $6000, $1000 less than list. I've seen many used ones a few years old with about 12,000 miles on them going for about the same price, maybe a few hunderd less. Right now price will be as low as you'll see them until fall. Becuase alot of people will be going out looking for summer toys soon. So I wouldn't wait too long to purchase one if your really interested in buying a bike, new or used.

[ldrhoa]

Check out www.prosourcemotorsports.com and click on the used section. It's towards the bottom of the street bike section. The 600T, that is.

[TA^Guy]

It doesn't look that much different than the YZF600R.
Actually looks very much like the '97-'03 600R except for the rear and the seat. Shoot for that price if its in good shape I say go for it.

[tikiboy]

GSXR's are not as comfy as most other sprtbike's i've ridden but IMHO, they have the best get-up-and-go. My bike is similiar to ta^guy's as far as seating and positioning. More upright - definately more comfortable than the aggressive hunched over angles of sportbikes although if someone gave me one, I wouldn't complain :lol:
If you are looking for more of a "sport tourer" look for the YZF600R that you are looking at. Also the suzuki SV650S is a good v-twin that is not back breaking. Lots of torque (aka a good wheelie-er). Assuming you ride now, most bikes at the dealers are demo bikes. Take em for a ride. (at least my dealer allowed me to do that)

[ldrhoa]

They sold the 600T. So my wife wants a yellow Ninja 250R, so I may get that and a ZX-6R, in silver, thank you. Now, to just work those dealers on a combo price.......

[tikiboy]

Kawasaki just came out with the new ZX 636R. It's tricked out pretty good. Kawas are good bikes. My first bike was a Ninja 250. Fun little bike. Sold it 3 months after I got it - it wasn't fast enough for me :D

[ldrhoa]

I've been hitting up the dealers, and may decide to get a cruiser instead. I checked out the Honda Shadow 750 A.C.E. Deluxe, and thought it was sweet. I dig the orange with the "marble" paint on the fenders/tank. Every time I see a street bike, I want one of those, too. What to do???????:???:

[TA^Guy]

Go sit on them and get the feel for them. My friend in Arizona purchased a Shadow 750 ACE and loves it. For a cruiser I personally LOVE the fit and feel of the Kawasaki Meansteak. Very comfy cruiser, and totally awesome looking. If I had the dough I'd own one of those also.


*new pic of my bike*
Last night I cut some flames out of some vinyl and airbrushed it. Today I got home from work and put it on the tank. Might still be too cold out so I'm not sure how long it will stick for.

[ramairgt1]

nice rides John! I'll hafta go motorcycle riding with ya when i get my license in may!

[ldrhoa]

Nice flames!
I have sat on a few, and the Shadow 600 VLX Deluxe was the most comfortable. But I like the looks of the 750 and it felt pretty good too. But I saw an ad today for the Gixxer 600..........
:???:

[TA^Guy]

Originally posted by Ramairgt1
nice rides John! I'll hafta go motorcycle riding with ya when i get my license in may!
I get two weeks off in July I could always take a ride out your way. I don't mind road trips.