How the GN got it's Bad reputation!

[bogie1]

In 1986 something happened that no gearhead could have predicted. A six cylinder box shaped Grandpa Buick arrived at the local drag strips across this great country. The folks that drove them there really didn't know the potential of what they were driving, because this was the early days and mods were scarce. They did know one thing, "This Buick halls ass."

I was one of those guys. I drove off the lot with my GN in Feb 1986. I had just read the Autoweek review of the GN titled "Sideways at any speed". I had to have one.
For you younger guys rememmber, This was the Dark Ages of muscle cars. For the last 9 or 10 years everything that came out of Detroit was so smogged out and underpowered from the days of the 70's gas crisis and EPA laws, that they couldn't get out of their own way.

Enter the 1986 Buick GN/TType.
As a kid I had owned a 1961 Ford Starliner with a 406 Tripower 405 HP. I never forgot the way that car could pull like a freight train.

When I read the the HYPE on the new '86 GN/TTYPE., it made me long for that power again. I almost didn't qualify for the loan. I was at the dealer for 8 hours on that Febuary day in '86 looking for a way to buy that car. Finaly a deal was stuck and my wife and I were driving a 1986 Buick Grand National home.

It wasn't long before I went to the drag strip. There were meger mods available then and I installed a " Primitive Hyper-Tech" chip, and a homemade cold/ram air system.
There were no Scanmasters, but the word among the knowledegeable few was, "No Knock" tuning (by ear). The boost levels we ran, you would laugh at today but, stock turbo, IC, no Alky, 16-17 # was max, and that was with 100oct Avaiation fuel mixed in.

I was looking at my log book from 1986/87 today and I logged 77 1/8 mile runs @ Piedmont Dragway in about one year. Not to mention the hundred's of WOT test runs preparing for the dragstrip.
In those days I was running 16-17# boost, stock everything except the HT chip. I ran on stock tires too.
This is how the GN got it's reputation:
A list of clean kills in the 1/8 mile from my log book from 1986/1987 against respectable "Muscle cars"
1985 Mustang 5.0 (nonstock)
1969 Chevlle SS 396
1987 Silver Buick TType
1968 Ford Torino 390-335 hp
1986 Mustang 302 (non stock)
1971 351 GT Mustang
1970 something 340 'Cuda
1970 something Firebird 400
Many many Camaros and Firebirds form the midlle and early 80's
fell to the Dark Side every weekend.
In fact the only time slip I have that is a loser form those early years is to a 1975 Ford Pinto with a built small block in it. What hurt is that it was a girl driving. I raced her 5X's and lost by less than .2 each time.
Here is what my stocker was running.
Weight 3580 less driver(always carried a spare and jack) 3750 with Me.
I ran consistent 8.82 (1.9-2.0 60ft) @ 83.4MPH in the 1/8 mile. (320 RWHP!)
I have to tell you that EVERYBODY I raced used to walk over and ask me to pop the hood. The were shocked after seeing only 6 CYL. Most asked where was the NO2 bottle.
Each and everyone of them saw their muscle cars get owned by a six. That happened in big and small dragstrips around the US. These Cars inspred fear. That was back then.
Now you crazy speed freaks have these shoeboxes running 10's, 9's, and even 8 second 1/4 miles.
My hat is off to all of you that have carried the reputation and honor of these cars forward.
See you at the dragstrip!!
Rich

 

[TurboJunky]

Good read, thanks!

I too was in those very shoes but in mid 1987. Sat down with the sales lady at Driesbach Buick (no long around) and spec'd out a brand new 1987 GN, BARE BONES. I remember going through the options list and asked if I could omit the A/C - "nope". I had to cheapen it down as much as possible but sadly couldn't cheapen it down enough. If I could only have squeezed out another $100 a month back then!... Geez, now that's bar money.

 

[Shane]

My GN was made on July 4th, 1985. I was Two and a half years old.

Years later, circa 1990 I remember telling my dad that I wanted one of those black cars with the four headlights one day. Little did I know what I was in for.

 

[troGNman]

That really brings back fond memories for me.

I knew all about the '84 GN and almost bought one brand new. I test drove the only turbo car in the local dealer's inventory and it belonged to the owner's son. I had a chance to order my own back then but decided to get an '84 MCSS instead.

Fast forward slightly to November 1985 and I see a sight that made me giggle like a little girl.......17 brand new Grand Nationals all in a row at a dealership in Langhorne, PA. Every car was identically equipped and each one was missing a vital option. That option was G80. My dad was with me at the time and told me to wait and find a posi car. His advice proved to be very sound indeed.

It took me until February of 1986 to find the "right" GN with the equipment that I wanted....posi rear and t-tops, oh and white-letter Eagle GT's were the icing on the cake. As I was signing the papers for the car another salesman approached with the infamous Car & Driver article. I didn't realize that 35 extra horsepower and an intercooler would turn the car into an absolute beast.

There was no way to describe the feeling when the boost would come in from a roll and spin the tires through the 1-2 shift. EVERYBODY wanted a ride in the black car the first few months that I had it.

Good times!

 

[JoeNational]

Ah yes I remeber it like it was yesterday, i was crossing the st. holding my fathers hand because of how big the st. was and i saw this car, now i was into cars and at the age of 8 i knew more about guns and cars then the normal 8 year old, so as we were waiting for the traffic to pass i saw this slick black car, and i heard a high pitch whine of some sort i go to my father and say what is that he goes a Grand National, i said what is that i never heard of that before, see my father built his first car a 65 Buick GS with a chevy 327 in it pushing 425 hp. so i knew of the ground crushing loud beasts of the old days, fast forward to ripe old age of 15 and when i was right around to start driving and new a little about computers i researched the car to know everything i could possibly know about it. and bam 2001 after looking and looking found one for a decent price in Bayone NJ off of the original owner, he did no mods and never raced and never smoked in it. of course i changed a few things but still never raced it at the track (yet) and i dont smoke or eat in the car. but everybody knows to stay away

 

[DougsfastZ]

My GN had a build date of 12/87. When did they stop making them (like what month?).

I was 8 at the time riding in my uncles 85 Cutlass. Who would of thought I'd own a car with those cool chrome ash trays in the back of the front seats

Doug D

 

[TurboJunky]

My last GN had a build date of 12/87 too. December was the last month of the "extended build" on the GN's. I'm going to guess yours has:

T-Tops
G80 Posi
No carpet savers
No factory tinted windshield
Rear Defog
Delay Wipers
Cruise
Analog Dash
Power Trunk Release
Power Antenna
Concert Sound II

 

[87GN_ponykillr]

Funny you guys say this, Mine is a 12month 1987 car also, Most options listed above also. Here is the kicker...... Mine has a dark metallic red paint under the black and in spots under the plastic inside the car, All of the factory stickers are on the black. It even has the famous "crows feet" cracking on the hood and trunk. I am teh second owner and the origional owner told me he factory ordered the car and new it had the metallic red paint in some spots. I ahve talked to several people who feel that my car may have been slated to be a Turbo T then when the late orders came in they may have pulled some T's and painted them and put the GN package in. Any one else have this?

 

[bogie1]

That's funny you guys say that cause I drove mine for 17 years and never realized the factory had installed the wrong grill and emblem on mine. Some one brought it to my attention that I had a 1986 Ttype grill. It even had the TType emblem in the front. And I bought this car new! The Buick assembly line folks must be heavy drinkers.

 

[Little6pack]

Crap you almost brought a tear to my eyes.

 

[DCEPTCN]

Originally posted by DougsfastZ
My GN had a build date of 12/87. When did they stop making them (like what month?).


Doug D

If you get the GN Facts and Figures book from Poston, they have a whole chapter dedicated to the last one built.....on December 11th, 1987. My first GN was built in 12/87 as well.

 

[scottyb]

Good read!

In January 1986, I was a senior in high school. My automobile enthusiasm did not blossom until the following summer, so I was completely in the dark about the mighty six. My father owned a 1978 Chrysler Cordoba - black. He decided to trade the ailing sled in, and his requirements were simple: 2 door car, black, and a v8 engine. Fine. One of our stops was at Key Buick. The salesman that jumped us that day listened to dad's basic list, and attempted to steer him to the black Regal in the back. It was so fresh, it hadn't even been prepped for display. Sure it fit the look criteria, but it had no V8. Pass. We ended up in a Cutlass. Less than 2 years after that, dad landed a new job that included a company car. The Cutlass was passed down to my mother. On a hard year, she MIGHT put 3,000 miles on a car.

Two months after that January, my interest in muscle cars grew and I learned about the GN. I begged. I pleaded. Nothing would get him to trade in the car. I remember visiting that same dealership many times to see what they had. I fell in love with one car in particular, a 1987 Limited Turbo. It was the perfect car for "mom". Silver paint, fluffy bench seats, concert sound, Landau top, even opera lights (I think). Dad, PLEEEEZE! Then there was GNX #326. I didn't even bother pestering dad, I just drooled.

14 years later, I finally bought my Silver T-Type. It's old, has high miles, not a Limited, but it's solid and I love it. I will add some more boost to start my meager "collection", all in time.

 

[TR Custom Parts]

Summer of 88 I was on the other side of the fence, had my 66 Chevelle and at that time had a 427 with dual quads on a tunnel ram and nitrous. Went to the Car Craft summer nationals at Englishtown NJ with a bunch of friends who all had the almighty muscle cars of the 60's and 70's.

There seemed to be a bunch of these black cars there that were out kicking our revered muscle cars' butts. That was my first exposure to TR's. Little did I know, that I would be owning one about 7 years later and have a Buick business to boot. Here is a pic of me racing a GN at that event.

Did I win??? I would like to say yes but oldtimer's disease will not let me remember for sure if I did.

 

[1985WH1]

In 1984 I took my first drivers test to get my very first drivers licence, I took the road test in Dads company car, a 1983 Designer Package T-Type Regal. It was a carburated 3.8 turbo and was black and silver. One year later his new company car arrived, a 1985 T-Type WH1 designer package Regal, I called dibs on that car right then and just had to wait for the company to retire it, they did in 1988 but Dad decided he wanted to keep it but I still had dibs on it when he was ready to let it go...I finally got the car in March 2004 and for free to boot! never been hit clean as a pin and still wearing about 80% of it's factory paint(the upper black has had a few touch ups and even on a set of Eagle GT white letter tires. When you hear the term "patience is a virtue" belive me this story proves it!

 

[turbojimmy]

My story is a lot less nostalgic. Having been sworn into the Ford 5.0 Liter brotherhood in the early '90s, I was vaguely aware of TRs but hadn't really seen any on the street and only a few at shows.

Fast forward to late 1997 - December. My grandmother died. She was nice, but I'm over it. While I was out in PA at the funeral, I swung by my uncle's salvage yard to check out a '98 Cobra that had gone up against a house and came up short. It had one of them new fangled 32-valve 4.6L engines in it. It was nice, but by the time you get done straightening A-pillars and roof-tops you're in for a lot of bucks. Next to it was a sorry looking GN. Never having seen one up close and personal, I took some time to look at it. Having learned to drive on late-70s Monte Carlos this thing brought me back. I liked what GM had done to it, and I always had a soft spot for G-bodies in general. I had heard they were pretty quick, too, despite the V6. I decided there that I must have it. The rest as they say is history.

We picked up my brother's '87 Turbo T last year from the same guy. He looks out for them for me.

I really love both cars (the T and the GN) - most fun you can have with your clothes on.

Jim

 

[DougsfastZ]

Originally posted by TT/A1233
My last GN had a build date of 12/87 too. December was the last month of the "extended build" on the GN's. I'm going to guess yours has:

T-Tops- Nope hardtop
G80 Posi - yep
No carpet savers - What is this?
No factory tinted windshield - Not sure
Rear Defog - Yep
Delay Wipers - Yep
Cruise - Yep
Analog Dash - Yep
Power Trunk Release - Nope
Power Antenna - Nope
Concert Sound II - Not sure

I have the original window sticker at home.

 

[TurboJunky]

It was my understanding the "extended build" GN's going into December had to have the items I listed and some options weren't available.

I don't have my book currently but read it in Kirban's Guide to 1986-1987 Turbo Buicks. Granted, Dennis Kirban isn't the end-all, be-all of TB's but his book is the most comprehensive I've read to date and he has a wealth of knowledge on the TB.

Carpet savers are floor mats. The GN I sold had a build date of 12/87 on the decal on the driver's door and it matched exactly with what Kirban described. (?)

 

[Fakeyankee]

Originally posted by 1985WH1
In 1984 I took my first drivers test to get my very first drivers licence, I took the road test in Dads company car, a 1983 Designer Package T-Type Regal. It was a carburated 3.8 turbo and was black and silver. One year later his new company car arrived, a 1985 T-Type WH1 designer package Regal, I called dibs on that car right then and just had to wait for the company to retire it, they did in 1988 but Dad decided he wanted to keep it but I still had dibs on it when he was ready to let it go...I finally got the car in March 2004 and for free to boot! never been hit clean as a pin and still wearing about 80% of it's factory paint(the upper black has had a few touch ups and even on a set of Eagle GT white letter tires. When you hear the term "patience is a virtue" belive me this story proves it!

MAN.......That must have been a LOOOONG 20 Years !!!!!

 

[Warp6]

Bogie, I may know you but I have made many passes at Piedmont with my GN also. I got mine in '92 and withing a couple years it was running 7.40's at 93. Hooker exhaust, cheap 3" downpipe, blue top injectors w/7th injector and a TA49. My car spanked so many cars on High Point Rd in Greensboro it ain't funny!

 

[bogie1]

Hey WARP6,
There is a good chance our stealth cars have been at piedmont on the same day. I can only go on Sunday afternoons because of my job.
Maybe Lookquick, you, and myself can hook up there one Sunday when they open back up in Feb.
What were your 60' times on that 7.4 run?
What tires and wheels were you running?
Good to hear from you.