It’s not often that you see a desirable car like the Buick Grand National GNX being used as a daily driver. This example up for auction and ending today has over 114,000 miles on the clock but still looks great. It’s had one repaint and other than some cosmetic blemishes, it looks way too good for its miles. Bidders seem to agree, as it’s already over $43K here on eBay with the reserve unmet.
The GNX is even more desirable than the pair of garage-find brand new Grand Nationals we posted the other day, and I can only imagine what would happen if a dusty, new-in-the-wrapper GNX was discovered. This example has been well loved, and other than a repaint in its original color, appears largely as it left the factory. The black basketweave wheels are among the prettiest ever put on a passenger car sold in the USA, and the subtle rear spoiler gives just enough of a hint that this isn’t your father’s Buick.
The interior looks way better than you’d expect for nearly 120,000 miles, which is a testament to the one original owner who clearly worked hard to both drive and preserve this GNX. The headliner has been replaced and there is some rust on the passenger door, but no rot elsewhere on the vehicle. Now, the original motor was pulled and replaced with a stock (and correct) GNX mill, but I’m not sure why it needed replacing. The numbers-matching unit is included in the sale, but it’s still worth asking why a car with just over 100,000 miles required an engine replacement.
The GNX is dry and clean underneath. It’s clear that this example isn’t perfect, but it’s darn good for the mileage. I’m amazed at the prices these cars command seemingly regardless of condition, and wish I had the foresight to buy one 10 years ago. I wonder if the reserve price is north of $50K – with just a few hours left in the auction, we’ll soon know. Would you put your pennies towards a time capsule example, or still drop near 50 large on a car with over 100,000 miles? Let us know in the comments below.
Hard to believe it still has the factory type exhaust
50K for a 120k mile used car? Okay, perhaps one of the nicest American cars of the 80s despite the ugly wheels. (sorry, they don’t work for me, never did, esp. on Bimmers) Seems to me there are a lot of people out there who don’t get paid by the hour such as I, trying to complete their car collection. This is going to sit in a heated garage with over priced gas signs on the wall, while someone dusts it off every now and then (a paid someone?) It will never be driven again, at least not like today. Cheers to the owner for having the good fortune to be able to use and enjoy this car and then find so many eager buyers, I just wish someone else, a regular guy, could get it and use it.
Now if this was a 1930 Packard 733, I might consider it, at least there might be a great re-sale value.
What does a Packard have to do w a GNX?….apples and oranges…
They are both cars, I just happen to like Packard’s better.
I understand what this car is, but to the average person it’s going to look like and probably be compared to a Monte Carlo of the same vintage. And you’ll get weird looks if you tell them you paid over 50K for it. 80’s GM, no thanks.
Well Billy, many think the wheels are pretty cool, especially as a factory wheel, as do I. as for the car, nice to see someone actually drove one, enjoyed it and didn’t beat the SH–out of it. I am not a GNX expert BUT correct me if I am wrong: Pretty impressive performance period, low production numbers, highly collectable, and when new sold for 50K +/- ?? Experts…..hop in and correct me or endorse me…..this is a great car, buy it for 50K, drive it, enjoy and if you don’t wreck it…..it should continue to have strong value in the future.
Crazy.
Nice car but way over bid to it’s value.
Wow, a GNX that was not bought and put away with 500 miles on it. Perhaps the only one that has ever seen 100k miles or close to it!
I am guessing that the owner stashed away the original engine, so that if he popped the engine the car would still have its numbers matching driveline. So he could go out and wring out the car and not worry if things blew up. Good thinking.
Excuse me. But.
All cars( or anything) is worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
I might not understand it but it is Very True.
Also these are fun cars, congrats to owner for using it.
It’s hard to guess what my 1965 Falcon Convertible would bring if I could get Jesse to list it. I filled out the papers which he sent me an email he received asking for the photos which I then send and my computer says were delivered, but heard nothing since despite two separate emails to him. Anyone else had this problem listing?
Any advice?
And this has to do with a GNX.. Why??? Jesse is great to work with.
@George – We are just backed up with a lot of submissions and emails right now. If we didn’t disconnect for a day or two once in a while, we’d go nuts. We will try to get to it tomorrow though. Thanks!
Sold for $100 short of $50k! Big money for a slice of ’80’s muscle.
you mean $100 short of $45k
44.9K$ for a driveable, very American collectable, not bad, imo! The buyer coulda just got a new loaded Toyota or Honda??? lol
George: did you send in your $$$ with your gripes? remember, no jing – no performance. These fellas have mouths to feed also…do you work for free?
It amazes me that in 2017 people don’t get the significance of the GNX and a prime example of the noobs on here. It’s not just another “80’s muscle car” which is an idiotic statement to begin with, as there were no such thing.
The Mustang which was a pony car and maybe a Corvette were about it. Everything else had 200 hp or under so the Grand National and the GNX were it. Seeing as they made only 500 GNX made them instantly collectible and rare. They have always been investment cars and always will be. Seller didn’t lose money on this car and got his use out of it taboot. You can’t do that with many cars out there can you.
Why did this go for $50k? I thought GN was about a $20k to $25k car.
http://bringatrailer.com/listing/1987-buick-grand-national/
http://bringatrailer.com/2015/06/14/unmodified-33k-mile-1987-buick-grand-national/
http://bringatrailer.com/2015/02/07/28k-mile-1987-buick-grand-national/
http://bringatrailer.com/2014/11/09/50k-mile-1984-buick-grand-national/
those are just GN’s and this is a GNX
As much as I love seeing the barely driven GNXs, this would be the one that I would want, driven and with a few blemishes that way I could drive and enjoy and not worry about resale, not that I would if I got one of these anyway, this is my dream car.
This car (and any other GNX) is way out of my league price wise but I love the fact that it’s been driven & enjoyed-isn’t that what cars are for?
Here’s a Grand National I’m looking at. Need advice from my “barn find” friends on what it’s worth. It has 70,400 one owner miles. Been sitting since 1995. The paint is original but shot. The rubber bumper fillers are rotted away. Interior is original and super nice. Has original wheels in the trunk. Help me out by telling me what I should pay…….thanks.
Grand National body parts are just regal parts so they aren’t hard to find. If it’s a true 70,000 mile car and has all the parts the next question is does it run?
The owner/widow said it ran when parked in ’95. So it’s “as is.”
So I’m betting it doesn’t run now. I’d say 10k is a fair price depending how its equipped
VERY hard to get some parts for the original engine. My ’93 Allante, of which about 4000 were made, has parts not shared with other Northstar engines, and the GNX did too, they failed, and there just are no NOS left and no aftermarket replacement parts, and not enough demand for anyone to want to make them. My mechanic and I made a throttle body out of enema hose and electrical tape, not pretty but it works. So at 120,000 miles you can expect it to have replacement parts, maybe homemade.
Not hard to get parts for these cars or engines. There is a huge support network for them.
To get an idea of value on these, you have to look for one.
Here’s a couple of them that claim to be worth 120K:
http://jalopnik.com/5712437/how-a-brand-new-buick-gnx-still-sits-in-a-dealer-showroom
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2014/03/ebay-find-1987-buick-gnx-with-197-miles/
And this one, the last one made with 68 miles sold recently for 220K:
https://www.mecum.com/lots/FL0117-269466/1987-buick-gnx/
So, this decent one for less than 50K is not too bad of a deal.
This is about the only way you could get a GNX, those low mileage garage queens are six figure cars. Only 547 made, rated at 276 hp, actually made around 300 hp, which for 1987 is alot. It was THE American performance car of the 80s, the reason the Corvette team went and developed the ZR1.
These are one of the best looking cars ever made. Love the style, the wheels, the engineering. The GN is next best. These are far better looking than the big mouth front end styling of todays “cars”. With airbags, TPM, event recorders, and other mandated safety devices I am moving back to to the older cars made before these were installed. Do not like government mandates, hell I don’t even like wearing seat belts. I have installed switches to deactivate the air bags in my truck and Avalanche. Had one in my Vette go off in crash. Won’t happen to me again, I’ll take the injuries instead.
Ah the airbag controversy = back in the day we were told in driver ed to hold the wheel at 10 and 2 o’clock, which assures you of two fractured forearms, and, some facial fractures as well, as your arms hit your face. I have never seen any warnings about this, in car mags, or manuals. If your arms are not in front of your face you may get two black eyes, and a broken nose, but you can still go about your daily chores.