A long time favorite of mine...definitely on the 'if I win the Powerball list...' I went to school with my orthodontist's son...his Dad had the 'regular' Grand National we took out a time or two...definitely no slouch back in the day.

With the GNX, you can have any color you want, as long as it's black.

Not too many 'new old-stock' 33 year old cars around these days. This was apparently up for auction earlier this year, and the $150K offer didn't meet the reserve minimum.

Listen to the engine start up around 13:45. Surprised it isn't now really in Jay Leno's garage.




Link to original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecw1jTYGwII

Boss

Sweet!!

My friend's dad had an 87 Monte Carlo Super Sport - loved those cars...

Fortunately I was blessed with taking vocational auto shop in high school. Many of the guys I went to school with went on to be great mechanics for Lexus / Mercedes and the like. Three of them have had one or more Grand Nationals. They always seemed to be able to find them for relatively cheap back in the 90s. My good friend Brett has one to this day that still has the plastic coverings from the factory on the floor carpets and seat backs.

I drove another back to Phoenix that a friend from AZ had purchased in Ohio. We raced everyone and everything on the way back. Seemed like people always wanted a piece of us. The fastest one I ever rode in was a high 11 second car in the 1/4 mile with just a few mods. Larger fuel pump and injectors, turned up boost, and a few other small things.

I absolutely love all versions of this car. GNX / GN / and T-Type. Fond memories of the late 90s and early 2000s for sure!

That was a rocket by comparison when it came out. What an awful time for cars......

A college friend circa 1986 had a GN. I got to drive it once, and finally understood what the concept of turbo lag meant, coupled with it coming on all at once righhhhhhtttttt NOWWWW!!

I can't believe Jay didn't buy it.

I'm a GN, Turbo T and GNX fan but I didn't care for that one, I've see better cars for less than 150 (but with miles). If you really value one that's never been purchased (apparently nobody did or that price). The ac didn't work since it sat there for decades and I think a real owner cares for theirs better.

I always loved those cars. A coworker of mine has a GN with 13,000 miles on it. I’ve never been in one of the 547 GNX’s.

It’s amazing how much faster cars have become over the years. At the time the GNX was faster than the same era Vette.

Correct me if I am wrong but is it true or rumor that a large number of the GN turbos were bought by the federal government and issued to some FBI and Secret Service Agents. ..................... drill sgt.

Very cool! I heard at the time that DEA bought a number of GNs.

quote:

Originally posted by Georgeair:
That was a rocket by comparison when it came out. What an awful time for cars......

Totally disagree. Technology may have improved, but at least cars in the 80's still had some soul and personality. There were things like the Gran National, GMC Syclone/Typhoon, Chevy 454SS pickup, Ford Lightning, IROC Camaro, etc. Compare that to today where everything is just a rounded off rolling suppository on wheels crossover.

quote:

Originally posted by Dzozer:
Sweet!!

My friend's dad had an 87 Monte Carlo Super Sport - loved those cars...

My 86 SS Monte sold it to a guy down in St. Louis that just had to have it and payed handsomely for it.

Connecticut State Police had a fleet of Grand Nationals back in the day working traffic patrol.

quote:

IROC Camaro

My roommate had one of those. I didn't consider 215HP and about .8 on skidpad in a huge heavy car personality or soul. but I get what you're saying about the period cars at least being distinguishable from one another. Hey - my top 3 favorite car we ever had was from then - an '86 CRX! So clearly not just about HP......

I owned one of those GNX's - bought in New York City, at Larry Buick, on Northern Boulevard. I had also heard, anecdotally, that out of the 547 made, 250 went to various agencies. Never found out of it was true.
But, what a car!!!
One of the worst mistakes of my life was selling the car (i was just married, starting a family, finishing school, etc..). My dad bought it for me, for graduating HS, getting into a dual University/Medical program - but there's a funny backstory.
My first car was actually a black 1987 Buick Regal, dark red, cloth interior - very nice looking car. The GN's and GNX's came out around the same time I got the Regal ('86 -'87).
I went with my dad to get my Regal serviced, they had a GNX sitting in the showroom, everyone was ogling it. My dad knew the owner (obviously Larry), who was one of the few dealers who got a GNX. He owed my dad a big favor, and it was a set up: my regal wasn't just being serviced, it was being traded in for the 1987 GNX. I got to take a test drive on Northern Boulevard, felt the awesome power of the ASC McLaren 3.8 L/ V6 SFI w/ the Garrett ceramic turbocharger and then, after falling in love, not wanting to ever get out of that car, I got to keep the car. The power literally pushed you back into the seat.
One condition: We could not let my mom know that the regular Regal was gone, the GNX was in its place. I mean, what kind of crazy father gets his son a street-legal stock car??
My mom did not figure it out for over 2 months, until one Friday, I came home for the weekend from school, and my mom was staring at the car, when she knew something was off. She started asking me if I had changed the wheels/tires, then added side vents, which she swore she didn't remember.
The kicker - she finally figured out something was really off when she went outside, looked at the car, and couldn't find the car's keyed alarm system! The Buick Regals had this new-fangled key lock system on the front driver' side panel. The GNX had no such thing.

Till this day, I can still get my mom to laugh, although she was some kinda-pissed when she found out what my dad did (she never found out we removed the engine governor). My dad was very proud that we pulled this off for more then a week, let alone 2 months. Unfortunately, my dad passed away 8 years ago. Best father one could ever wish for - i wouldn't mind buying back a GNX, but at $150,000?

Amazing piece of machinery for that day, and still is today.

quote:

Originally posted by Dzozer:
Sweet!!

My friend's dad had an 87 Monte Carlo Super Sport - loved those cars...

I learned to drive in an '87 MCSS. Would love to get one, but prices have gotten real high.

Im a fan of 80's GM cars.

I've still got my purchased new, 1987 Buick Grand National. It's got heavy miles cause I drove it when I bought it! It's at 106,000 miles now and I'm doing some minor fixes to it as it ages. Radiator, body mounts, injectors, chip, fuel pump... Needs paint, at least on horizontal surfaces. Still enjoy it on special drives.

Torque is spelled B-U-I-C-K

Uncle has an '87 GN. He drag races it periodically. Otherwise it sits in his garage. He's upgraded damn near everything he can on it engine/transmission wise.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
Torque is spelled B-U-I-C-K

Fast with class

drtenb330 That’s a great story although painful at the same time.

We had an awesome tri-district vocational school that some, including me got to attend our junior and senior year of high school. This was just outside of Flint, MI, late 80's. We had mechanics, welding and auto body.

The stuff donated to us from GM and others was mind boggling. Crate engines, transmissions, cars, trucks, racing components. We had warehouses full of new stuff.

I remember when we got an 86 Riviera, this was the new smaller one with the touch screen that controlled most everything. The mechanics got it first, we would tear it apart and put it back together, do alignments, tune ups, services and such. Then the body repair guys would beat the shit out of it with sledge hammers and repair it. After that the welders got it and after doing what they do, they would cut it into small pieces to throw in the dumpster. I was flabbergasted. This happened many, many times

We also had a race team, we did bracket racing. We weren't allowed to top 13 seconds in the 1/4 mile.

We had a couple of 66 Chevelles with big block 400's in them. While I was there we built a basic Regal with a 3.8 V6, gutting the interior, putting roll cage in it, tubbing the rear end for a stubbier axle and slicks. We also did, an 86 Monte Carlo SS Aero Coupe, I believe there were 160 built that year and an 85 Regal T-Type . Same treatment, gut it, roll cage and tub the rear end.

Somebody donated a drag rail to us, we put a stock 3.8v6 on it, sheet metal, had the body shop do a killer paint job. The damned thing ran 9's and us students couldn't race it

Great experience, I was a certified master mechanic as a senior in high school. I wish the schools still had trade schooling, these kids today don't know nothing about nothing