Opinions On Buick Grand National?

[MarauderBZ]

Hello all, I was browsing some for-sale ads in my area and happened across a Buick Grand National, one owner, showroom condition, with 8500 miles on it. Guy is asking $15,000 firm. Any opinions on this vehicle one way or the other? I recall reading they are pretty fast and somewhat collectable these days. I'm gonig to look at it tomorrow morning and see how it is.

[MI2QWK4U]

They WERE pretty fast in their day, in fact, extreamely fast! I almost bought one the last year they were made. However, unless you want one for a collectable classic, I wouldnt get one. I raced one a couple weeks ago, it was in great shape with low miles, but it was no match for a blown Marauders supercharged V8.

[bigslim]

You have to be careful. They had a great engine but lousy bodies. They had very poor quality. 8500 miles though sounds new. Remember, with all that power and torque the body will loosen up.

[TripleTransAm]

With minor (and I mean VERY cheap) mods, they can pull 12s in the quarter. With a little more attention to the tweaking, they can pull 10s in the 1/4 and still be 100% streetable, totally docile. Got my clock cleaned by one of them at our local track once, then got passed by the same car on the highway on the way home, then ran into the same guy at the local grocery store (turns out he lives near me), all within a span of 6 hours. Talk about double duty.

However, there are weak points. Lots of oil leaks when beat on too much, etc...

Stock, look for high high 13s in the 1/4 with the proper cool-down, for the 1986-1987 cars (the earlier ones are MUCH slower...)

[amerikan]

Few simple words. I LOVE THE CAR.

[Mike M]

I have a white 87 T-Type I bought new. With BFG radials and a chip I have gone 12.87.

[RCSignals]

There were two at our last local cruise in around here.
Both owners claimed 12s, but their mods were not what I would call minor, nor necessarily cheap.
Both had completely reworked the ducting for the turbo, and in fact had replaced the turbos. Also they were running a lot of boost

Some of these cars though, in order to get track times of 10s or 9s, are running boost in the 30 range :eek: (so i'm told by the Buick GN guys)
Those engines don't last too long

The Buick V6 3.8 has been around a while though, and is a proven piece.

[O's Fan Rich]

and you have the bucks, buy it! Love those cars.:coolman:

[thedarkside]

There like a box of chocolates, you never know what your gonna get.:P

Even with low miles the car is still "old" what will aggravate you is all the stupid nickel and dime stuff. They are cheap speed, but there will be plenty of stuff thats just old, and needs replacing.
Valve springs,bushings,that stupid powermaster etc..
IF you want it for simply a collector car to sit and look pretty, then its a good buy. Otherwise I would buy one that has been slightly more used.

[sailsmen]

A 15 year old car that has only been driven 2K a year is probably due for a refit of a lot of parts.

For the money you would spend on it, spend on your current ride and you will have a lot more smiles and a lot less headaches.:) :)

[kenny barr]

My friend is in the market for one right now as well. We came across a Regal T at a car show this past weekend. Car had 78K on it and it was the second owner. The car went a 12.3 with no major mods.....

[troopcar]

Thoughts from a previous owner: Bought a Grand National new in '87. Truly loved every mile I drove it. Took good care of it. Kept the mileage low. Didn't have much trouble with it. Kept it stock (yeah, I know, I'm boring). Never raced at the strip, but sure had some informal fun on the street (heck, it was a blast just pulling out of a gas station). I remember quite a few modded GN's were running 10's and maybe even 9's at the strip.

I loved this car and still think about it a lot. Managed to keep it safe for more than nine years (10 summers!) until some total lowlife helped themself to it in broad daylight while the car and I were traveling out-of-state. Never was recovered. Don't think I've ever gotten over it. Did not get stiffed from the insurance company. The GN was extremely popular with thieves. All the ones sold by the dealership where I bought mine were stolen long before mine.

MarauderBZ- I assume you are looking at an '87 or '86? Most folks would not consider a non-intercooled '85. And like other folks have said here, I wonder how many parts will have to be replaced on a car that has basically been stored for 16 or 17 years? Maybe you can get the price down a bit. But I loved the car and really can't say anything bad about it from my point of view. For me, there's really nothing that sounds quite like the GN's turbo.

If you do buy it, good luck with it (I'd be jealous), and please do everything you can to keep it secure.

troopcar

[WolfeBros]

It is a very fast car with an extremely loyal following.
If the car is in the kind of shape you say it is, he won't have much trouble finding someone to take it for $15K.

[dflynn5]

The GN is a hot car and that price sounds very reasonable. They go for a lot more in California. I bought an 88 Monte Carlo SS with 5K miles on it two years ago and besides a sensor on the carb which made it run rich and a puzzling hum/whine from the transmission that I still have not figured out, it is running great. The GN is more of a handfull tho with that turbo but if this car was close to me, I would buy it in a heart beat.

[the fat bastid]

/no good info

that car is hot.

the gnx was the fastest production car for 1987..faster then the 'vette.

a few weeks ago i saw #384(?) at the f-body slp meet. it was owned by reggie jackson and had like 1200 miles on it.

/no good info

[marauder307]

Boy, this makes me feel O-L-D...I remember when these things were new. (hack-cough-wheeze-lean on my cane...) Went to high school with a guy who's dad was a higher-up in the local Buick dealership; kid showed up at school---at sixteen, mind you!----with a brand spankin' new '87 model GN. Troopcar's right---once you hear that particular turbo whine, there's no other turbo engine in the world that sounds like it. Don't know what became of either the kid or the car...after we graduated, I saw around the campus once at Univ. of AL...still had it in his freshman year. He used to race with two other guys there, one had a brand new '87 Monte Carlo SS, the other had a real classic---1970 Buick GS with the hi-po 350...I remember bein' real envious because my ride at the time was a beat-to-he11 1980 Chevy Monza hatchback...

Dammit, I'm not old enough for these cars to be considered old classics yet.....!:depress:

[Fast4Door]

I love Grand Nationals.

However, considering my "other" car is a 1984 Monte Carlo SS, I always think of GNs and T-Types as "excellent parts cars."

The price sounds good from what I see around here...

[vaderv]

grand nas=crap tinny ass pos.

[MarauderBZ]

Well, got to take it for a brief ride this morning at 10am. Very nice is the best I could describe the overall condition of it. It is what I would consider showroom condition for a car of its age. Starts fine, runs excellent. Nothing wrong or broken in the interior, engine is very clean. There isn't even any fading of anything inside and the owner tells me it has been garage kept for its life and never seen salt\winter\etc. So far he is standing firm on the $15,000 mark. I only have about $10,000 to play with right now, and I haven't made the offer yet. I'm going to ponder it for a few days and see what happens. :)

[SergntMac]

Ummm...Okay. But, what does any of this have to do with 2003/04 Mercury Marauders? "That was then, this is now," K?

I don't mean to be rude here y'all, but I don't get this thread either. Buick GNs were fast, hot, and exciting, I wanted one myself, when they were new. Sadly, they are not new anymore, so, (innocently now) what?

If I were typing here on a 1988 computer, what would I expect y'all to be telling me about that? Should your advice be any different about that in this thread? I hope not...

Ahhh...Nevermind...Carry on, please, and enjoy.

The Buick GN was a remarkable automobile without question. For a moment, I forgot that, but just for a moment too.

I just got back from a highway run in my MM...It's all very blury now, sorry, I forgot all about that '87 stuff...

Yeah, kick azz ride afterall...GNs rock!

[cutt]

i have a 86 gn fully equipped,a/c,p/s,p/w and sunroof runs 10.50s a real sleeper.i love the car still turns heads.

[TripleTransAm]

It's a nostalgia thing. Driving my GTA is always like a trip back in time. It's an added killer when I have some 80s tunes playing on the factory original sound system (complete with factory subwoofers powered by a factory dedicated sub amplifier). The mid 80s were a re-awakening of the american muscle, and the GN/T-types were the pinnacle of that revolution.

While I prefer the sleeper T-types, I do get a thrill everytime I spot a GN on the streets.

[BillyGman]

for opinions, so here's mine: GN's are a pretty unique car I guess in some ways. They caught my eye at times. And maybe cuz that black is my favorite color(yeah, I know what some of you are thinking....."Black isn't a color").
because this is a Marauder board, then I feel compelled to make a comparisant between the GN and the Marauder. No, you didn't ask for all that, but you have to expect that on a Marauder board.
So in comparisant to the Marauder, the GN has a kind of boxy looking body style, and I'd much rather have a V8 under the hood, than a 6 cylinder. Perhaps some of the GN's were as fast as our Marauders are in their stock configuration, but even if that's the case, or even if the GN's are a little bit faster, the Marauder not only looks better from every angle, but also sounds better when you wind it up due to that great V8 sound.
But I understand your question about the GN since in a small way, the GN is perhaps slightly like a Marauder in the respect that it was in a class by itself w/not much else to compare it to, and was a car that had a limited production.
I raced a guy w/a GN on the highway one day while I was out for a joy ride w/my 73 small block Vette. I beat him, how ever I definately had to make my car work real hard to do so.

[MarauderBZ]

Sgtmac,

One of my reasons I posted here is I am probably going to be selling my Marauder, and I'm looking around for something that would be somewhat unique to replace it. I came across the GN and it kinda caught my eye as something that would be interesting at least. Not really looking at it as an everyday driver per se, but more as a neat vehicle to have.
I recall reading a little about the GN before, however I am not over familiar with it, aside from the idea it was a fast V6 for its time. I understand that they were fast and exciting when they were new, etc. I know that was then\this is now, but there are not many vehicles that are around right now that I really like.

BillyGman,

In my own mind I was somewhat comparing the GN to the Marauder when I took the GN for a test drive. I don't know if I could say the GN could replace my Marauder or not. I do like the body lines and styling of the GN, but I do agree with liking a V8 when compared to the S/C V6. I'm going to ponder it for a few days and see if it doesn't sell, then I'll probably go back for another look\make a cash offer.

[RCSignals]

To tell the truth, their performance potential aside, The Buicks of that era, including the GNs did not do anything for me. The styling is insipid, and the interior is a typical General Motors bland, ugly dashboard, "what were they thinking" affair.
In '86 I was looking for a new car. I remember the Buick GNs. I didn't buy one then and I don't think I'd buy one now. That's just me though.

[Racerx88]

For that price, and if the car is in as good condition as you say, it's a steal. However, having said that.........
It sounds like you might be considering driving the GN on a daily basis, so you should consider that the car is 16 years old now, and a lot of the parts are either very hard to get, or just plain impossible to get. Parts like the MAF, the crank sensor, the PowerMaster brake system (especially that little switch on top), are all but discontinued, and parts from other GM cars won't work. If the PowerMaster goes out, you can switch to vacuum brakes from a Cutlass. If the MAF goes bad, you can use one from a Z28 with a MAF Translator. But the crank sensor is unobtainable new. There are lots of other parts like that. You should consider that before you decide to use the GN for a daily ride.

[VaderSS]

If I were looking at a turbo Buick, I'd be wanting something more like this;
http://www.gmhightechperformance.com/features/0307HTP_Raymer02_z.jpg


The GN has such a reputation that it's hard finding people to race(so I'm told) so with something like the sleeper above, you could really have some fun.

More info here;
http://www.gmhightechperformance.com/features/0307gmht_streetsleeperII/

[merc406]

BZ, did you crawl under and take a look? Trunk condition? If it really as 8500 miles I doubt you will get it for less tan 15, but take sme cash with you next time, he may just --have to-- sell for some reason.

[O's Fan Rich]

There is one on a lot in Kutztown for sale. Saw it this afternoon.

[tta197]

BZ, I sold my 87 Grand National with 24,000 miles for $15K. So if this GN is mint I think it's a steal also. I then bought a 89 Turbo Trans Am with the same engine. That turbo 3.8 is an animal, it still surprises me the amount of power it can make.

If you don't decide to buy it, could you email me with this guy's number? I might consider it at that price. I'm still pondering which car to buy ('04 Marauder or '87 GN) I miss my GN but I know if I bought another one it would just be a garage ornament. I'd drive the marauder daily and I just wouldn't drive the GN daily in fear of it being stolen. Nicholas.

[jgc61sr2002]

tta197 - Welcome aboard. Go for the Marauder, you can't go wrong.IMO. :D

[TripleTransAm]

Originally posted by tta197
I'm still pondering which car to buy ('04 Marauder or '87 GN)



As much as I've been drooling over the T-type pic that was posted earlier, I don't think I'd ever be happy with that car. The Marauder has an exhaust note that is "right on" in my opinion, and you don't have to extract every last bit of performance out of the car to enjoy the drive. The maroon '86 or '87 T-type I test drove very briefly in the late 80s was a blast to race stoplight to stoplight, especially with the right technique (power brake into boost, then hold on), but around town it was just "okay" and the exhaust note didn't do it for my V8-trained ears.

The Marauder, on the other hand, satisfies me even with the gentlest of take-offs and while it won't be king of the streets anytime soon around my neck of the woods, it does everything I need it to do and then some. As much as I enjoy the 80s kitsch thing, I prefer the Marauder interior over the Buick, and the interior is where I spend most of my time anyway.

Just my opinion, it's your cash after all, I'm just putting forth my $0.02. Get the car you'll be happy with, and that fits your needs.

By the way, good to see another Firebird owner on here.

[tta197]

TrilpleTA, you are right the interior on the Marauder is much better compared to a GN/T-Type. But as far as the engine performance, there is no comparison you get addicted to it. I guess it doesn't help that the Marauder weighs a lot more too. Anyway, I agree the Marauder is a special and unique car as well.

As a side note, I think the 89 Turbo Trans Am is the best of both worlds with the turbo 3.8 and the WS6 handling package. I've always loved the look of the GTA's as well.

BZ sorry for hijacking your thread, I just had to put my .02 in when I saw the GN topic. Nicholas........