Vehicle Description
Beautiful and rare Rosewood Metallic Buick Turbo T. One of only 37
built in 1987 in this color. All the power and performance of the
Grand National. Numerous upgrades, including 16-inch GNX wheels.
What a cool car! When you think of turbo Buicks, you think of the
nasty black Grand National. But I'm here to tell you that the Turbo
T is where it's at. All the same go-fast hardware under the skin
but with a unique look that's arguably far more attractive,
especially with the W02 blackout trim. The result is a brutally
fast G-body that's a little less in-your-face than the GN, and for
a lot of us, that different look is insanely attractive. Showing
just over 58,000 original miles, this is a very clean turbo Buick.
It appears to have been repainted once in its original Rosewood
Metallic and it retains a great shine that's probably better than
GM was doing in 1987. There's no evidence of accident damage or
rust repair, and like most turbo Buicks, this one was probably
treated as something special from day one. All the blacked-out trim
is in great condition with none of the fading and chalkiness that
plagues cars of this vintage, and it does carry the all-important
'T' emblems on the front fenders. We also like the fact that it
received front and rear spoilers from the factory, sport mirrors,
and the bulging hood to clear the turbocharger housing-all subtle
signals that this is not a car to be trifled with. The plastic
bumper inserts are not cracked or crumbling, which is important on
GM cars from the '80s, and all the glass is in excellent shape.
Nice chrome bumpers are a great contrast to the intense all-black
look of the GN, and all the badging was reinstalled after the paint
job so it looks right. And the stand-up hood ornament is just plain
cool on a car like this. You could actually get a bench seat in
your turbocharged Regal, but fortunately, this Turbo T has a pair
of buckets flanking a proper center console with T-handle shifter.
The leather-wrapped wheel is standard Grand National fare, albeit
colored to match the rest of the burgundy interior, and we like the
upscale vibe that's a little less severe than the Grand National's
all-gray setup. You get the same mediocre gauges tucked into the
corner of the speedometer like an afterthought, but they're joined
by an A-pillar mounted boost gauge and a Scanmaster ignition retard
and data readout on top of the center stack. There are also
secondary controls tucked in the leading edge of the console for
that same system, as well as a hidden switch behind the shifter
that controls the exhaust cut-out. Everything works except the
tach, which seems to be pegged at full scale, likely as a result of
the ignition system modifications. The seats are in excellent
condition and still supportive, if not exactly bolstered for
aggressive driving. There might be a little fading on the carpets,
but nothing excessive and the interior has a clean, well-maintained
look. The trunk is also nicely finished with a correct mat and
space-saver spare that doesn't look like it has ever been used.
Buick's 3.8 liter turbocharged V6 was the giant-killer of the 1980s
and remains potent enough today that it still takes some pretty
serious hardware to beat it on the roll. This one has a few bolt-on
upgrades that should be familiar to any Grand National fan, but
nothing so extreme that it takes away from its street-friendly
nature. Thanks to a revised ECM, it starts easily and idles nicely,
something that can't always be said for a stock turbo V6, and as I
said, it's docile enough to drive every day. A few shiny pieces
dress up the engine bay and you'll note the A/C has been converted
to R134a refrigerant so it'll be easy to maintain in the future.
Underneath there's a 200-4R 4-speed automatic transmission that
serves up crisp shifts and keeps the turbo in its sweet spot, and
it feeds 3.42 gears on a limited slip out back. The exhaust is a
custom setup the eliminates the catalytic converter (check with
local rules for emissions legality) and replaces it with an
electronic cut-out device that gives the blown V6 a bit easier
breathing. Twin stainless mufflers sound wicked without changing
the peculiar V6 buzz that is endemic to the blown Buicks. Also note
the super clean floors, stock suspension, and recent shocks that
preserve the soft Buick ride. 16-inch black mesh wheels were
borrowed from a GNX and are outfitted with a set of 245/50/16
performance radials that do their best to get the power down. We
understand that not a lot of guys enjoy coloring outside the lines.
A black GN is always a safe bet. But if you're like us and like to
stand out without giving up performance, this incredible Turbo-T
certainly delivers. We think it's gorgeous and all the hardware is
there to make it one of the most entertaining cars you're likely to
drive. For turbo Buick fans, this is a great find. Call today!
Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or
professional inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to
purchase.
