Vehicle Description
Even though it's been over 30 years since they went out of
production, there's still something special about the Buick Grand
National. Maybe it's the fact that this otherwise plain-looking
Buick was arguably the fastest accelerating car on the market at
the time, or maybe it's because they have just the right
combination of performance and luxury, but whatever the case, this
1987 Buick Grand National is still something special.
Most car guys know that when they see a black Buick, they need to
be careful. Sure, after all this time there are faster cars, but if
you're not paying attention, these cars will drop the hammer and
not look back. And with modifications so insanely easy to do, you
can build an incredibly fast and completely reliable car for not a
lot of cash, as this 51,236-mile car proves. Wearing what is likely
its original black paint and no visible modifications save for
lightly tinted windows and T-tops (with recently replaced factory
seals!), it's the right choice for the Buick fan who doesn't want a
low-mile garage queen, but a big, bad Buick he can actually enjoy
the way it was intended. It still looks intimidating, and every
square inch of the bodywork is drenched in black paint, but that
was entirely the point. It's brutal-looking. Owned by careful
enthusiasts it's entire life, it hasn't been wrecked or abused and
although not perfect, that finish is nicer than you'll find on most
of these, especially given all the factory paint issues GM had in
the '80s. So, what you're getting is a very clean but
ready-to-enjoy Grand National that's exactly right for prowling the
streets.
The interior is pure 1980s Buick plush, with black and gray buckets
and a console just to add a bit of sportiness. Truthfully, the
two-tone cloth seats are quite comfortable and the Grand National
just eats up miles of highway on long cruises without wearing you
out. Auxilary boost and oil pressure gauges in the center console
and A-pillar look like they were installed by the factory and
there's a stock leather-wrapped steering wheel. A typical GM
instrument panel with a cleverly-installed tachometer down in the
lower corner and a big T-handle shifter manages the 200R4 4-speed
automatic overdrive transmission. The seats are in great shape, the
carpets are protected by Grand National floor mats, and unlike most
GM cars of the period, the headliner is still thoroughly stuck to
the roof. A lot of goodies were standard on the top-of-the-line GN,
including A/C (upgraded to cold R134a refrigerant!), cruise
control, and a decent AM/FM/cassette head unit in the dash. It also
claims a nice sized trunk that's ready for a road trip and is
finished with a carpeted mat and vinyl spare tire cover.
The legendary powerplant is a 3.8 liter turbo V6 that's famous for
making torque at any speed. Once the boost comes up, these cars are
almost impossible to catch and thanks to decades of development,
good ones are virtually bulletproof today. This one is modified
with bigger turbo (it now has a Turbonetics Stage 1 Cheetah Ball
Bearing turbo), a few dress-up pieces, and an oversized Pypes
Perfromance exhaust system. Combined, they make big power that's
impossible to resist. The engine bay is quite tidy and it's pretty
obvious that this car was never a daily driver in inclement
weather. It's also clear that the guy who owned this car understood
why they were special and kept the mods focused on performance
without sacrificing reliability. Flashy chrome Grand National
wheels look great and wear 235/60/15 BFGoodrich radials
all-around.
These cars have always been formidable, but today collectors are
noticing that good ones are scarce. This one offers big
performance, low mileage, and an incredible look. Call today!