National or Turbo T?

[J Speak]

I wanted a gn , But I look at it this way. I was buying the car to drive and possibly race. Go with the T, sitting in the bush againt a mudstain 5.0 is fun. They don't know what hits them.

 

[87GN_ponykillr]

I love my GN but also like T's, In my book if I could do it all over again I would go with a 86 WH1, I love the looks of the cars they are sportie yet classie looking, love the 2 tone color and wheels..... WH1 is bad azz in my book.............

 

[Dan Buick Man]

If the cars and the price are the same, go with the GN. Resale value. I put stage 1 emblems on my GS in high shcool because no one would race me with 455 emblems on the side. Nobody at that time knew what a stage 1 was. Everybody knows what 455 means. Neither one is a sleeper now. A stage 1 is worth a lot more now. Go with the GN. If you want a sleeper, remove the emblems.

 

[Red Regal T]

I notice when I am at a cruise, that people will gravitate toward a GN more than a TType. I find it comical that they'll go look at a dinged up, bad paint, GN and possibly not even glance at a pristine TType.

As far as sleeper mode, you're not going to fool anybody if you have a TType. Maybe if you got a limited and put white walls with wire mesh hubcaps on it.

If you choose the GN, you'll get great muscle tone trying to keep it looking good. Black's a bitch!

 

[broke1]

Go with a GN if you want to be noticed,T if you dont.I own both,2 GN's and 1 T Type.GN's are my personal favorite.

Black has always been my favorite color car,probably because of the GN

 

[Quick6'n'-K.C.]

I would purchase a limited-
split bench with column shift, pillow seats and the puffy carpet

thats what i like, feels just like sitting at home in the couch

BW

PS- ive got 2 of them

 

[Westside500]

Originally posted by Quick6'n'-K.C.
I would purchase a limited-
split bench with column shift, pillow seats and the puffy carpet

thats what i like, feels just like sitting at home in the couch

BW

PS- ive got 2 of them

That is too funny

 

[BOOSTBROTHER]

I Think you need to worry more about the shape and the story of the car you get. Some people will tell you to buy one that is already done. Others will say start with a stock car and then you know what you have. My car was a bone stock car then I started to bolt things on one at a time and each week or so I would go faster and faster. My buddy has a GN that someone else did alot of work to and now he is spending alot of time and money to undo the work (do not try to build the 3.8 like a sbc)
The main thing is to get a car and let the fun begin

Just somethink to think about.

 

[ross87t]

I like both.

 

[ncgreg231]

Whelp - if you have to choose between the two, yes, it's going to be a hard choice. I was in the same boat 11 years ago. For me, it came down to this - ultimately, the drivetrain is what I wanted, the T-type was cheaper, and I passed on the GN b/c I reasoned that a wife might try and talk me into selling a GN w/ higher resale value, but I could talk her into keeping a T-type due to lower resale value. You'll probably notice that a lot of folks have mulitple Buicks anyways.

If this is your first Buick, there will be a big difference based on what kind of car you end up with. You'll be much better off spending $10k on a car that is mechanically sound, vs. a $5k basket case. There are lot's of Buick folks in the Houston area. Take your time to get as much info as you can and get the right car for the right price.

Regardless of whether you go GN or T, if you get the "right" car, you won't regret it!

 

[green95ss]

No offense or anything, but do you guys really think that a non-GN Turbo Regal is really a sleeper?

These cars have been around for soooo long that they've all pretty much proven themselves as straight-line performers--GN's and T's. Almost all car buffs I know what a T-type is (Mustang owners too). "Ricers" are car buffs too, however their taste and judgement may not be in agreement with those of the "old school".

Unlike a sleeper, the T's do have some nice wheels on them. Throw some wire wheel covers and a set of whitewalls on, you have a different story--but now you not only have a sleeper, but also one ugly ride.

If anything, the misconceptions of how powerful GN's and T's run rampant. I've had people ask me if I run 10's with my relatively-stock GN!

My personal favorites are the 1986 GN (mine) and the Midnight Blue T-Type.

Guhan

 

[mark b]

IMHO the ultimate sleeper is Brian "waGoN" Lee's Buick station wagon with the 3.8 transplant. The guy just broke into the 11's with 195 whitewall tires for goodness sake! Unreal! THAT's a sleeper!

I agree these are no longer the true sleepers they once were and a lot of people are not afraid of turbo 3.8's anymore. Times are a changin.

Now back to the "T" debate.

 

[Drac0nic]

I'll throw a debate down on the "T" sleeperness, to a lot of the uneducated it's "a Monte Carlo with a bulge in the hood" versus a GN, which is as it was put "CIA black" and they look mean as hell. Now don't get me wrong, I've seen a rusted out "T" and the thing looked insanely mean. There's also the fact that as it was pointed out that the GN got a lot more publicity back in the day. Quite frankly taking any ride around the road and smacking down some people WILL make it known be it a "T" or GN honestly, so in the end if you don't travel it's probably a moot point. My personal vote's a WE4 for hauls balls performance, a limited for luxury. As for me I'd go with a WE4 or a GN if a deal didn't come by me, as I like the turbo6-ness =)

 

[SilverSleeper]

Originally posted by Red Regal T
I notice when I am at a cruise, that people will gravitate toward a GN more than a TType. I find it comical that they'll go look at a dinged up, bad paint, GN and possibly not even glance at a pristine TType.

Having something everyone else wants is always a gamble.
Since a GN is more likely to get the attention, not all of the attention is the kind you want. Cops, theives, vandals, etc. Put the 2 side by side.....which do you think begs to be pulled over more? Which would you rather take for a joyride?
I really dont think the rest of the world has caught on the Ts as much as you think. Unless you are a real hardcore car guy, that goes to the track to see these things run, most dont have a clue what a T Type is. Most car guy wannabes still argue the whole "it had a 350 stock and the GNX came with twin turbos" thing.

Having a GN means not having much opporunity to be original. This GN looks like that GN. With the exception of your choice of rolling stock, and the ride height, maybe light covers, you are limited to how different your car can be. I love the look of GNs, but if you want your car to be unique, its not for you.

 

[gnfreak]

i had to get one of each. the gn sure gets the looks. the we-4 really didnt get anything til i put the gn rims on it. lots of "nice monte" still though. earlier this year i tried to sell the we-4 and didnt get any real offers (i tried to educate potential buyers about them being rarer then gn's) havent really tried with the gn rims on. even thought about replacing the gn interior and transfering the two-tone interior over to the we-4. maybe i'll just hang on to it and wait for the collectors to wisen up!!

 

[Red Regal T]

I think a lot of people don't know what a T is. Most common question I get on my car is, "is that a Grand National?" Now click the link in my signature and tell me if my car looks like a GN.

 

[ncgreg231]

Originally posted by Red Regal T
I think a lot of people don't know what a T is. Most common question I get on my car is, "is that a Grand National?" Now click the link in my signature and tell me if my car looks like a GN.

I definitely agree that a lot of people don't know what a T is. Then again, someone could repaint a GN into another color, and it would look like a T, or vice-versa... Funny, the real main difference is just the paint...

 

[turbot2112]

they are all bad ass. know way know how is a grey or silver or whatever friggin color turbo t you have with blackout trim , set of wheels, look like a sleeper.

 

[Whut]

I have had both and would take either one. Just look at a few and what ever one feels right, take it. My favorite is still my 84 Ttype but since that got stolen and chopped I am just as happy with my GN I have now.

The one thing I never liked about Ttypes were the chrome bumpers while the car had the blackout package. To me it just looked out of place.

 

[SinistrV6]

You've gotten a lot of good advice here. However, it's still up to you and your personal preference.

I will offer this: Decide what you want and don't "settle" for anything else! If it costs a little more or takes a little longer to find, you'll be happier in the end buying what you really want. Nothing worse than "settling" for one thing and then seeing what you really wanted after it's too late.


Now that I think of it, the above statement applies to EVERYTHING in life!