I copied this article from the February 7th edition of the Las Vegas Review Journal. I thought the memebers of TurboBuick.com would enjoy reading it. I know you will....
By Malcolm Gunn (Wheelbase Communications)
When most of us think of muscle cars, images of those hairy old beasts from the 1970’s come to mind. The Chevelle SS 396, Pontiac GTO, Plymouth Road Runner and Hemi-Equipped Dodge Charger are names representative of a time when horsepower ruled the road, and the fastest way out of the local dealership was down a quarter-mile dragstrip.
However, by the mid 1970’s, skyrocketing insurance premiums, vehicle safety and emissions concerns, plus a maturing population of baby boomers with kids to feed and mortgages to pay, conspired to finish off the muscle-car phenomenon.
Flash-forward to the early 1980s. Over at Buick, a group of serious engineering gearheads with fond memories of a bygone era, sufficient time on their hands and tongues of sliver managed to convince the brass that a high performance revival would be good for the old corporate image—and a whole lot of fun to boot. Somehow, perhaps while the powers-that-be were away road testing the latest Park Avenue, the project moved forward to the reality stage, and the back-shop steroid program began to take shape.
Using the comparatively tame 200-horsepower Regal T-Type as the basis for the project, these latter-day hot rodders took that car’s existing 3.8 liter turbo engine, added an intercooler, and relocated the turbo to a spot nearer to the right side exhaust manifold to reduce lag, added a wide-mouth catalytic converter to reduce back pressure and changed to a lighter turbine wheel to help build boost more quickly. The boost rate of 14PSI from the original car was left untouched. A set of rugged cast pistons were added to handle the increased juice.
From the beginning, the goal of the Grand National’s creators was to be competitive with Chevrolet’s reigning performance champ, the Corvette.
Their replumbing work completed the Regal, now christened the Regal Grand National ( a name used by NASCAR prior to Winston’s cigarette’s sponsorship of the cup ) received a set of 50 series Goodyear Eagles mounted on cool alloys, along with a coat of coal-black paint that spilled over onto the grille and bumpers.
The end result was one very tough looking big dog possessing both bark & bite in equal doses.
Although Buick’s flack folks, with a sly wink and all fingers & toes crossed, claimed the engine produced 235 horsepower ( five more than the Vette ) the actual number was closer to 275. Running the car through the quarter-mile traps, the Grand National trashed the 230 horsepower Corvette. It also waxed the car in 0-60 mph runs, recording an amazing 5 seconds to perform that feat.
The car was goverened to a maximum top speed of 124 mph, although it was capable of a terminal velocity of more than 130 mph. Remember, these numbers did not emanate from some rip-snorting big block V8, but a formerly meek and mild V6.
All this screaming, pumped up power came at a reasonably affordable price.
The Grand National package added only $635 to the Regal T-Type’s $13,700 sticker. Fully loaded, the black beast went out the door for about $17,000
Buick managed to sell 2100 GN’s during the first year of production. However, by the final year for the car in 1987, more than 20,000 examples left the factory.
End of story, right? WRONG!
As a final hurrah, the guys responsible for the Grand National planned to create a farewell flameout version like no other. The car was titled the GNX, and Buick managed to clone 547 of these monster-motored machines before the tap was finally turned off on the Regal and the great Grand National.
With a little help from the Michigan based ASC, and McLaren Engines, the GNX borrowed the Grand National’s motor (then rated at 245 horsepower) and added a number of performance improvements. The heads were ported and polished, a bigger turbocharger featuring a ceramic turbine wheel was installed, and an improved engine management memory chip was fitted. Turbo boost was also increased to 16PSI.
Finally, the car’s suspension and bracing were also beefed up and wider 50-series rubber installed. The engine checked out at 300 horsepower, and on the strip it produced a 0-60 mph blast of 4.5 seconds. Other than the still quicker Porsche Turbo, the GNX became the quickest car for sale anywhere in North America.
The GNX stickered at an astounding $27,000 nearly double the cost of an 85 base model Grand National. Within days, all planned production had been spoken for.
The Grand National/GNX cars were an anomaly, a fire-breathing, rear-wheel drive throwback that, for one brief period, rose phoenix-like into the light of day before finally flaming out forever!
By Malcolm Gunn (Wheelbase Communications)
When most of us think of muscle cars, images of those hairy old beasts from the 1970’s come to mind. The Chevelle SS 396, Pontiac GTO, Plymouth Road Runner and Hemi-Equipped Dodge Charger are names representative of a time when horsepower ruled the road, and the fastest way out of the local dealership was down a quarter-mile dragstrip.
However, by the mid 1970’s, skyrocketing insurance premiums, vehicle safety and emissions concerns, plus a maturing population of baby boomers with kids to feed and mortgages to pay, conspired to finish off the muscle-car phenomenon.
Flash-forward to the early 1980s. Over at Buick, a group of serious engineering gearheads with fond memories of a bygone era, sufficient time on their hands and tongues of sliver managed to convince the brass that a high performance revival would be good for the old corporate image—and a whole lot of fun to boot. Somehow, perhaps while the powers-that-be were away road testing the latest Park Avenue, the project moved forward to the reality stage, and the back-shop steroid program began to take shape.
Using the comparatively tame 200-horsepower Regal T-Type as the basis for the project, these latter-day hot rodders took that car’s existing 3.8 liter turbo engine, added an intercooler, and relocated the turbo to a spot nearer to the right side exhaust manifold to reduce lag, added a wide-mouth catalytic converter to reduce back pressure and changed to a lighter turbine wheel to help build boost more quickly. The boost rate of 14PSI from the original car was left untouched. A set of rugged cast pistons were added to handle the increased juice.
From the beginning, the goal of the Grand National’s creators was to be competitive with Chevrolet’s reigning performance champ, the Corvette.
Their replumbing work completed the Regal, now christened the Regal Grand National ( a name used by NASCAR prior to Winston’s cigarette’s sponsorship of the cup ) received a set of 50 series Goodyear Eagles mounted on cool alloys, along with a coat of coal-black paint that spilled over onto the grille and bumpers.
The end result was one very tough looking big dog possessing both bark & bite in equal doses.
Although Buick’s flack folks, with a sly wink and all fingers & toes crossed, claimed the engine produced 235 horsepower ( five more than the Vette ) the actual number was closer to 275. Running the car through the quarter-mile traps, the Grand National trashed the 230 horsepower Corvette. It also waxed the car in 0-60 mph runs, recording an amazing 5 seconds to perform that feat.
The car was goverened to a maximum top speed of 124 mph, although it was capable of a terminal velocity of more than 130 mph. Remember, these numbers did not emanate from some rip-snorting big block V8, but a formerly meek and mild V6.
All this screaming, pumped up power came at a reasonably affordable price.
The Grand National package added only $635 to the Regal T-Type’s $13,700 sticker. Fully loaded, the black beast went out the door for about $17,000
Buick managed to sell 2100 GN’s during the first year of production. However, by the final year for the car in 1987, more than 20,000 examples left the factory.
End of story, right? WRONG!
As a final hurrah, the guys responsible for the Grand National planned to create a farewell flameout version like no other. The car was titled the GNX, and Buick managed to clone 547 of these monster-motored machines before the tap was finally turned off on the Regal and the great Grand National.
With a little help from the Michigan based ASC, and McLaren Engines, the GNX borrowed the Grand National’s motor (then rated at 245 horsepower) and added a number of performance improvements. The heads were ported and polished, a bigger turbocharger featuring a ceramic turbine wheel was installed, and an improved engine management memory chip was fitted. Turbo boost was also increased to 16PSI.
Finally, the car’s suspension and bracing were also beefed up and wider 50-series rubber installed. The engine checked out at 300 horsepower, and on the strip it produced a 0-60 mph blast of 4.5 seconds. Other than the still quicker Porsche Turbo, the GNX became the quickest car for sale anywhere in North America.
The GNX stickered at an astounding $27,000 nearly double the cost of an 85 base model Grand National. Within days, all planned production had been spoken for.
The Grand National/GNX cars were an anomaly, a fire-breathing, rear-wheel drive throwback that, for one brief period, rose phoenix-like into the light of day before finally flaming out forever!
