Things Only Real Gearheads Know About The Buick GNX
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- Опубліковано 5 вер 2024
- One of the crown jewels in Buick's history is the Grand National Buick, a hotted up version of the Regal, Nothing charming could be said about the Grand National, as its exterior, looked like any GM car that rolled out during the late 80s. In this video, we take a look at the iconic Buick Grand National The Grand National could beat Corvettes, Mustang and Camaro's at the time.
This is the story of the Buick Grand National
I like how the logo on the car was both a 6 and a turbocharger. By the way, the grand national IS NOT ugly in any way
It absolutely is NOT ugly.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
better looking than the Vette, then, sexier.
I still have my 86 GN, second owner since '01. I chuckle when I see folks quoting all these horsepower numbers. First off, it's always been the big torque numbers that moved Buicks. These cars are very responsive to mods and changes in weather, even the small ones so the numbers on the same car will widely vary with seemingly small changes. If Buick had been able to install the methanol injection as planned, we'd be talking about a 400hp 500 ft lb production sedan from 1986. The old school Buick guys were the pioneers of modern forced induction tuning on the street. It was more fun than you can imagine, those that knew what it was would usually not even try. Those that didn't know were in for a harsh lesson, most often cocky 5.0 owners. Oh that look they would give afterwards..like the big bully that just got his ass whooped good by the smallest kid in school.
Glad you still have it! Thanks for watching and always great to hear from someone who actually has the vehicle!
I put down with just boltons 492 pounds of torque at the back tires and 355 horse on 93 octane. I embarrassed a ACR Viper he was questioning the Dyno and the owner SHUT HIM DOWN !!!
The GNX might have been fast but it having a V6 TURBO was a turn-off to be honest.
Big V8 power is part of the American car culture!
If I want a 6 cylinder car, I'll get a German or Japanese car!
@@Kev27RS Buick is not sorry their turbo V6 made it so hard for guys like you to enjoy their Mustang 5.0's
@@turbobuicksix For me? 😂
I don't even have a Mustang...
I'm just keeping it real!
The same goes for the Mustang SVO from the mid-80s.
It had a 4 cylinder turbo engine and good performance but...
a 4 cylinder in a Mustang?
No thanks!
No wonder it didn't last long in the market just like the GNX...
Emission Regulations and Fuel crisis at that time were part of the reason why those models even got created to begin with...
American car manufacturers like Chevrolet, Dodge and Ford also didn't use 4 and 6 cylinder engines for their most powerful models in the upcoming years and even decades!
They used *V8 engines* as they should!
4 and 6 cylinder versions exist nowadays for a reason but no one really cares about them!
👉 Go overseas and ask people what comes to their mind when they hear "American muscle car" or even "American sports car":
*Big V8 Power* it is!
It's simply part of the American car culture!
The Skylark GS's of the '60's and '70's and Grand National of the '80's. Not much else from Buick for enthusiasts. Soon to be electric for Chinese market. RIP Buick.
So sad that GM completely disregarded the spirit of the brand and just use it as a foreign nameplate cash grab
I'm building a time attack 77 Buick SkyHawk. The reason I went with a SH instead of a Monza is my Dad's obsession with Buick GS and the mighty GSX
You can’t forget the 1970 Buick GS and GSX when talking about the 86 Buick Grand National GNX.
GSX / GSX Stage 1 was Buick's contribution to the Classic era American Muscle car list, based on the GS455 which was in turn based on the Skylark platform adding an appearance, performance, and handling package available starting in the 1970 model year.
The 1970 GSX was Buick’s attempt to increase showroom traffic on a newly designed Skylark body style for 1970 which started off slow but sales improved. The GSX was Buick's answer to Pontiac's GTO Judge, Oldsmobile's 4-4-2 W-30, and Chevrolet's Chevelle SS. Buick advertised it as "A Brand New Brand Of Buick" and "Another 'Light Your Fire' Car From Buick".
There was also a rare “Stage 2” option produced. This was a dealer-installed package (known as a "dealer option"), first offered in 1969. It included a cam, headers, intake manifold, high compression forged pistons, hollow pushrods, and some calibration changes to the ignition and carburetor.
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My first turbo Regal was 979 Sport Coupe 4 bbl model. Loved it! Wish I had it back. My LAST was a highly optioned 1987 Grand National with T-tops @82K miles. I REALLY want that one back.
You forgot to mention the 25th Anniversary Trans Am, produced in 1989. It sported the Buick Grand National GNX turbo inter-cooled 3.8 engine, but was about 500 pounds lighter. It also had better cornering ability rivaling the Corvettes. The 25th Anniversary Trans Am was the fastest American car of the entire 80's decade.
I have a 1987 GN. One of the last ones made. January 1987. I bought it new. I have less than 14K miles on it.
There was nothing ugly about this car.
It was bland though and it had no road presence being all black...
@@Kev27RS that's what made it so great in the 80s. Everything was chrome or bright. It stood out by being blacked out.
@@gosmo4504 It "stood out"? 😅
Not at all.
Like I said, it was all black...
Chrome and bright, rightfully so!
Fun and different times!
Nowadays everything is so bland and either black or grey...
In a twist of fate, they ended up putting that GNX motor into the 20th anniversary Trans Am that went even faster with a few factory tweaks! A friend of mine went all out & got the new GNX in '87 & man o man what a ride that beast was, it blew everything away at that time & I think they are way better looking than the Vette! I had an '83 Ttop burgundy T-type & it was fairly quick!
The Trans Am with the 3.8 turbo is cool and rare but if your getting in and out of it the GN is much more comfortable l have a 1984 Monte Carlo SS much prefer the G-body drivers seating position over the Trans Am - Camaro is so much lower one way of saying I'm no longer 25 years old
@@gloriamaletta8667 I had an '85 Bandit II, '87 GTA, '87 IROC, '78 Bandit, '78 Z28, '92 Camaro RS & '98 WS6 Trans Am LS1 6sp Ttop black on black but on the flip side I have had an '83 Regal Ttype, '84 Regal, '76 Mont Carlo, '87 Monte Carlo SS, '87 Olds 98 & yea they were comfy rides! I was actually more of a MOPAR guy as my grandpa was a salesman from 1946-1977 so I have had many of those but I love a lot of different cars! I have a soft spot for VWs & a lot of European cars from the '50s, '60s & '70s! I am almost 60 so I am no longer 25 either...lol
@@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman l am the original owner of the 1984 monte carlo ss it has a LS3 engine with CNC ported heads and a 1987 buick GN rearend l am a G-body freak
@@gloriamaletta8667 rock on with ya bad self, that LS woke that SS up! I love those G bodies as well
As soon as I seen this I was going to comment on the Pontiac 20th anniversary but you beat me to it...lol
I owned 2 ! Both 87's. I always wanted one, I was lucky enough to experience a brand new 87GN go across a mall parking lot and blister the stock Goodyear Eagle GT's while moving ! I was completely amazed that a V-6 that was so quiet and just sounded like a jet turbine . . .1st time hearing a turbo spool/whine could accelerate so fast and I remember the odd idle of the 3.8 that's had a nice "cammed /lopey" skip.
I also watched a car carrier unload 2 of them right off the truck @ my local "Goldstein Buick" dealer. My friend Kevin H bought one right from the showroom and picked me up and went for a rip. They were bar none the baddest quickest car of the time embarrassing IROC & Mustangs , Vettes.
A coworker of mine had one back in the 80s. It cost him 25,000 which was a lot of money for a car back then. I saw him a few years back and he said he no longer owed it. I wish I had one.
I was in the market for a new car in 1987. My mother had a Buick and I went to the dealer to help her pick up her car after a service she had done on it. There it was in the show room, a Grand National Regal. I think back to that and kick myself for not buying it. I didn't know what I was looking at and had an issue with turbo charging. I had seen a lot of turbos get burned up due to lack of technology to prevent problems. You had to let the turbo spin down before turning off the car. They would lose oil pressure and burn up the spindles. Oh well, what could've been.
The 87s actually faster than expected
"Nothing charming can be said for the GN's exterior." "It's interior is an eye-sore by today's standards." "Too ugly and too bland..." Wow. I guess to each his own. Unreal. Thanks for the video, though.
It's not the ugliest car but it's no beauty queen either...
Yeah GM has always been funny about the halo Corvette. Cant have anything in house competing against it! Thats one reason why Pontiac killed off the Fiero. By 1989 to 1990 they were ready to start turbo charging the V6 and have bigger engines. The Viagra taking Corvette crew didn't like that because the Fiero was a mid engined car, which took.Corvette 32 years to make after the Fiero to see how well of a great handling car it was plus it was GM's other 2 seater that was half the cost of a Vette. So.instead of hurting the limp dick guys at Chevrolet, they killed it off!
and I was never that keen on the vette other than the late 60s but I was more Pontiac especially the Trans Am which I had a few! I had an '86 Fiero GT that was a little hellcat, I could only imagine if they had turbocharged them!
I guess '86 is my favorite since I have owned one for 28 years! "Going fast with class"
My dream car...though I did own a 1980 Regal. Excellent car...drove it for almost 14 years. I moved from the Regal to a 1989 Riviera onto my present 2000 Le Sabre...one of the best Buicks ever produced. Only have had to replace the window regulators several times, a couple of O2 sensors and the radiator after hitting a small deer at low speed.
Today Regal Grand National, would be a crossover.
Favorite cars of the C.I.A.
Favorite yr most definitely was 1987 base model grand national
But never forget tha sought after ,had only seen one in tha 80s was tha GNX model
The hp was accepted but really what done tha job was the torque that both models produced fer that quick stop light to stop light performance, never will forget it in them 80s era...
Only thing I knew would give it a test if not out perform it would be tha gmc cyclone which was just as desirable!!
I would take the 87 Grand National GNX. Because it put out more power. I went to my local Pontiac Buick dealer and looked at a Grand National. I asked the salesman if I could test drive it, and he said "No."
Id take a GNX too, but they are financially out of reach for almost everyone, minus the ultra rich few who know what these cars are.
More power or not...
If I want a 6 cylinder car, I'll get a German or Japanese car!
The Grand Nationals were very very nice!!
4:40 if emission choke the Corvette hp. How did the Lamborghini make so much more hp and still pass emissions?
The GM stop making the GN because they were going to a new fwd chassis in 88. It being faster than the Corvette, had nothing to do with it.
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There is a old commercial about it being the fastest car for half the country for half the year. I found out what that meant when I got one. When the temperature is cooler the grandnational is close to 300hp stock. The guy tested it in Detroit got 4.9 for 0 to 60 and high 13 quater mile and did it consistently in 40 degree weather. It bogs down in hot weather. E85 and alcohol injection resolves that issue.
My brother used to have a grand Nash . My gosh that thing hauled !
Best road trip cars and faster than you will ever know.
It had a 124 mph top speed, it ran the 1/4 well and that's it.
87 for me but I like the 82 to 84 lear segler seats
HA Ha. Try for the ULTRA-rare 1986 T-type with the CLOTH Lear Siegler seats. Available only in grey only.. RPO AQ9 82E. Only thing better would be the 1986 T-type with the grey leather seats RPO AS7 823 with the non-operating console (RPO AS7 823 DE9)
got my 1987 high tech hot rod rebuilt by Lou Czarnota
Your outrageous statement on the overall design of the GN is stupid. The G body coupes were everywhere due to their broad appeal. Back in the day I had an 85 Riv and my friend had the 87 GN. The car looked freaking sinister. It def wasn't your grandfather's Buick, back then. Sure Corvette brass were upset, but the G bodies were scheduled downsizing to front wheel drive in 1988.
How reliable were the turbo 3.8 v6's? I would assume good as the normal 3.8 Buick engines are very reliable..
What kind of boost could the stock engines handle before having to be a built up motor?
Did they come with any forged internals?
All G-Bodies GM cars are my favorites from the mid 80's
Boca Brothers Classic Cars
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5:20 No that is not the engine of a GN. That is a front wheel drive car. Maybe a Buick, but not a Regal GN. As a lifelong GM fan I have had a couple G body cars but never a GN. I also owned two 1987 Trans Am GTA;s with the 350 TPI. But one day I hope to be able to buy a GN, but not just any GN, I want a GNX which will be expensive because I think only like 357 of them were ever built.
547 GNX were built.
I love when the muscle car guys laugh at my Grand National then lose their smile when I leave them.
Lol.....Thanks for watching!
The GNX might have been fast but it having a V6 TURBO was a turn-off to be honest.
Big V8 power is part of the American car culture!
If I want a 6 cylinder car, I'll get a German or Japanese car!
A couple of cops had these with tinted glass in Louisville and they had cars pulled over everyday on I64
haha! Thanks for watching and the comment Dennis. We hope you're a subscriber.
A friend of mine that was a few years older got the 87 Grand National For Graduation-
That car would eat anything on the highway - EVERYONE tried to take him back in the day !!!
The Grand National was not Squashed because it was faster then the Corvette.... It was ended because in '88 All GM mid size cars went to the front drive platform. Thats why.
Nope... GM built 1988 Monte Carlo, Cutlass, and Grand Prix (Along with continuation 1987 Grand National) until December 11, 1987. True that GM did shift the REGAL to FWD for 1988 model year...
I ❤ Regal limited. Old Buicks are beauties
I wonder if GM would accept my new design of a Regal and the high performance Grand National.😔 If you want something done, you gotta do it yourself...
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Solid car...
Why did you cover the license plates for ?
A Shelby Gt 500 a workings man muscle car lol! It cost 6 figures!
This was the best car of the 1980s, and I think black is the best color for muscle cars!
What's "muscle car" about a car with a V6 TURBO?
If I want a 6 cylinder car, I'll get a German or Japanese car!
Buick Regal Turbo Totally Amazing Badass Modern Muscle Car 80s ☺😎
Did she sell yet 6/22/2022?
I had one new in 87...22 yo...had a sunroof.....I wrecked it in 89...I have had 8 of them since and now have an 87 w 600 HP ... anytime I go anywhere people crowd around it... everyone wants to to talk about it or tell a gn story of there own...Im 56 now and I guess I'm an old guy in an old black hotrod...the old guy stomps on all the curious young guys who just don't know...a lot of them don't even know what they are..it's funny when u burn them and they are amazed.. Never gets old..I would put the gn ,gnx up against any car in the looks department...it is one looking bad mofo...I'll be selling soon but only to get a 68-72 Buick GS......going old school 455 4 speed...just because I'm nastalgic.
It's faster than the Vette rides better easier to work on has much more room for people or cargo and has a extremely simple 3.8 V6 and is a G-body the turbo makes a world of difference in this car believe me the 3.8 is no powerhouse by itself but it's reliable dependable and simple
Thanks for watching and the comment
I have a buick grand national "1985"
I have a 87.
"Ugly and bland"? It looked better at the time than the Camaro and today it has aged better.
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Than the Camaro?
It wasn't the ugliest car but it was indeed bland.
It was *all black* and had no road presence...
Vroom!
The Buick Regal was a nice car, but The Grand National make it evenly a better Regal, Buick need to reboot it.
Ugly?? Nah they’re the best looking cars out of the ‘80s. My ‘87 Astro roof breaks necks every time I take it out and smokes the newest of new cars
He said "ugly".. 😂
"Ugly and bland" Lmao
It's not the ugliest car but it's indeed bland...
It's all black and has no presence.
And the GNS still out perform the Japanese cars claim and I know it I have driven barely modified ones that the super modified Japanese tuners barely keep up with.
It has a 124 mph top speed, it's not a killer by any means, lol.
I'm cruising around in a 2.5 liter Subaru Crosstrek as a winter vehicle that'll run 10mph more on the top end.
The GNX might have been fast but it having a V6 TURBO was a turn-off to be honest.
Big V8 power is part of the American car culture!
If I want a 6 cylinder car, I'll get a German or Japanese car!
I have a grand national and Japanese tuner cars. But trust me the GN is a good car for back then but the Japanese tuner cars will dominate it and every way shape and form.
It's a damn shame that GM coddles their oh so precious Corvette. There were so many awesome cars we were denied because of this stupid rule. It's as if GM only likes to make money on their terms. The Corvette should have been put out to pasture in the early 80s.
The 80 s corvettes were the ugliest and crappiest of all corvettes ever made
I think I may agree. Thanks for watching and the comment! Boca Brother!
The GNX might have been fast but it having a V6 TURBO was a turn-off to be honest.
Big V8 power is part of the American car culture!
It's part of the appeal of an American sports car!
If I want a 6 cylinder car, I'll get a German or Japanese car! 👍
The same goes for the Mustang SVO from the mid-80s.
It had a 4 cylinder turbo engine and good performance but...
a 4 cylinder in a Mustang?
No thanks!
No wonder it didn't last long in the market just like the GNX...
Emission Regulations and Fuel crisis at that time were part of the reason why those models even got created to begin with...
American car manufacturers like Chevrolet, Dodge and Ford also didn't use 4 and 6 cylinder engines for their most powerful models in the upcoming years and even decades!
They used *V8 engines* as they should!
4 and 6 cylinder versions exist nowadays for a reason but no one really cares about them!
👉 Go overseas and ask people what comes to their mind when they hear "American muscle car" or even "American sports car":
*Big V8 Power* it is!
Mine?
But yet the Japanese "performance" car's are carbon copies of each other and then copy the European performance car's and make them uglier...
I don't lust over crappy, unreliable , overpriced and over rated german cars
Far better than most American cars.
Ok it’s fast….. and ugly insides and out. Yech yuck
The GNX might have been fast but it having a V6 TURBO was a turn-off to be honest.
Big V8 power is part of the American car culture!
If I want a 6 cylinder car, I'll get a German or Japanese car!
If you want to same Buick....build this car again !!!! Thousand of people waiting for the 50,000 dollar Bronco should give you an idea....
That's an interesting proposal. And I think would work for enthusiasts but I feel like the Bronco hits different and a wider audience. Think of how many people love wranglers. Included in that are a lot of women. I don't think women are as attracted to a Vader mobile as much as an off road lifestyle type vehicle.
@@OpenBarGarage Until a car like the GNX isn't profitable to build anymore...we can bet ...not many women line up for any iconic cars. I watched Mecum tonight...off the showroom still in the wrapper Bronco sold for 95K....2007 Ford GT 349 K...It just seems to be the only thing the big 3 can't do is sell new cars...But when the fashion industry needs something to sell...where do the go ??? back to the 80's....
You know what I completely miss read your initial comment. Yes I think it would be definitely great to see it done. They could even bring back the Monte Carlo on a shared two door platform as the cheaper version of a GNX.
Hell I think they should bring back the Fiero!! Have it be the most affordable mid engine car on the market. Make it compete with the BRZ/Miata.
@@OpenBarGarage With todays tech and smaller sized engine but increased horse power...WHY NOT !!! Its not what we want but what they have to offer...2 door cars have a spot in the market... but they told us we didn't need them...The Camaro and Mustang aren't practical for evert day driving but if you put them next to a Buick Regal or a Ford T-bird of the 90's but built like the Camaro and Mustang...I'd believe we'd see more of them then the pony cars...I forgot the best reason for turning out new cars from the old line up..The Challenger...They have sold more Challengers since 2010 than all the Challengers of the 70's. I forgot about how many of these I see in just one day...
Like everything else the "Buick presents the Regal Grand National SUV"
Nice c🥰upe g😘🥰dL🙃☺️K
It never beat my corvette and I’m Detroit
No actually the real sleeper’s are the Buick T-TYPE ( 84-85 ) or TYPE -T ( 86-87 ) , they look like normal regal’s with slight differences like a bump on the hood, chrome ,and badging my sister actually owns a 85 t-type she would tell me stories about 5.0 mustangs trying to “ challenge her on the street “ ……all they saw was here dust 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
86 was also the T-type, 87 was the T-package (RPO Y56 , and Turbo option could be specified RPO LC2). You could get the Turbo option, and T package option on the Limited package as well. ( I own one Turbo Limited, and two 86 T-types) You could get the T-package without getting the Turbo option. I've seen that with the OLDS 307.
Very Good!... #74 ✝ {7-3-2022}