The seller has listed this 1986 Buick Regal T-Type to settle his late father-in-law’s estate. The late owner was only its custodian for about a year, but it appears it didn’t see much action during that time. It runs and drives, retaining its numbers-matching turbocharged V6 under the hood. It has a few minor flaws, but addressing them this winter would have it raring for action once the warm weather arrives. The seller has listed the T-Type here on eBay in Milford, Connecticut. They set their BIN for this potent beauty at $20,000 OBO.
Buick introduced the turbocharged Regal Sport Coupe in 1978. It remained on sale until the end of the 1982 model year before the company renamed it the T-Type in 1983. The company chose not to release a Grand National in 1983, making the T-Type one of the company’s high-performance favorites. Our featured classic rolled off the line in 1986, and while the seller describes the paint shade as “Rosewood,” I believe the correct name is Medium Red. The car presents nicely, with no major paint or panel defects. The underside shots reveal a poorly executed patch on the driver’s-side floor. However, rectifying that problem shouldn’t be difficult if the buyer removes the seat and carpet to improve access. The trim and glass are in good condition, but I’m not sold on the wheels. They are period-correct, but since they would compromise brake cooling if the buyer pushes the envelope, I would probably replace them with something more appropriate.
The secret to the T-Type’s success was hidden under the hood. Buick took a different approach to high-performance motoring, discarding the tried-and-true V8 route. They equipped the T-Type with a 3.8-liter V6, sporting fuel injection, a turbocharger, and an intercooler. The investment proved worthwhile: while the most potent V8-powered Regal delivered 140hp and 255 ft/lbs of torque, this car’s V6 places a factory-claimed 235hp and 330 ft/lbs at the driver’s disposal. No manual transmission was available; all T-Types featured a four-speed automatic, power steering, and power brakes. These cars were genuinely fast when new, and are still considered respectable performers four decades after this car left the line. The seller confirms that this classic is numbers-matching. It runs and drives, but has a couple of faults. An unidentified oil leak leaves a spot or two on an oil pan bolt near the starter, and the brake pedal sinks to the floor if you hold it down for a while. Neither problem is earth-shattering, and will probably be fairly easy to address.
The positive vibes continue inside this Buick, with a small hole in the driver’s seat as the most obvious flaw. The remaining Red cloth and vinyl look pretty good, and there’s no evidence of the typical sagging headliner. The dash is tidy, as is the console. The pad has cracked in a couple of places, but the new owner could hide it beneath a cover if they don’t want to spend the money on another pad. Buyers could spend a small fortune on creature comforts, but this car’s first owner restricted their cash splash to air conditioning, a tilt wheel, cruise control, and an AM/FM radio/cassette player. Functional issues include A/C that doesn’t blow cold and a stereo that produces sound through only one speaker.
There is no doubt that, in the eyes of some, the 1986 Regal T-Type doesn’t possess the cachet of a Grand National, or the brutal performance of the following year’s GNX. However, that doesn’t mean we should underestimate the T-Type, because it offers performance comparable to the Grand National at a traditionally lower price. This T-Type has a few shortcomings, but none are insurmountable, and indications suggest they wouldn’t cost a fortune to address. It has generated healthy interest, and the seller’s willingness to negotiate will undoubtedly help it find a new home.
Nice writeup Adam, this one is a real beauty. A friend of mine ordered a brand new one in silver just like this one. It was a real land rocket for that era. Dump the cheap wheels and tires and replace with the big Buick chrome rallys, go through the fuel and brake systems, get a full engine/turbo health check, tuneup and this beauty is ready for the street!
Just saw the bell being rang for the moment of silence for 911 attacks. God Bless America
Agreed 25 years remembered for those lives lost from attack , families of lost ones and first responders who gave all including sadly cancer from ground zero .. …
I forgot these came in other colors besides black and charcoal gray. It’s easy to forget, since cars today offer only a few colors, and I got used to this. I can picture a Gran Prix and a Cutlass Supreme in this same color, and they were beautiful.
nice car but needs work. these are fewer than the G/Ns. i prefer these over them anyway. really needs a set of factory style turbine wheels. needs to be bought right.
The rust is worse on this than you see at first glance.
This is not original paint and there is paint in a rust spot. I’m afraid someone will get to looking into those rockers and not like what they find.
I still like it though.
It definitely looks like the quality of work isn’t up to a very high standard. Any potential buyer needs to go over this car with a fine tooth comb.
Steve R
This color was called Rosewood Code 71.
I would order these color Regals and Centurys with Medium Dark Gray Code 82 interiors, by using the D60 Edit Override.
Which allowed non-factory recommended combinations.
I would accent them with aftermarket tri-color charcoal, silver & black pin striping.
I did some “Palm Beach Edition” Centurys with gray vinyl carriage tops, with embroidered palm trees on the sail panel.
(There was one still running around Chicago in the early 2000s.
We also did some LeSabre wagons for whatever hotel’s colors were the same at the time.
But the deal fell through after I ordered them.
what an amazing selection of cars today !
right on Barn Finds !
$20 grand…
Nice. I used to have a 1980 version of one of these. Kept it for 2 years and traded it for a new Toyota Celica. Best decision I ever made
The master cylinder is electronic and GM does not support them any longer. They can be rebuilt and I think some are offered as rebuilt, at least in the past.
Some replaced them with vacuum units along with an electric vacuum pump.
These were awesome cars back in the day. I owned both a 87 T-Type and an 87 GN. The T-type was fast and the GN was really quick, but it wasn’t stock by any means.
Rosewood such a beautiful color
Had a 85 T Type same color
Just great cars
Too much $$! For rust
The Buick color for this car is Light Rosewood Metallic. The also had a darker Rosewood version.
Love these T-Types… who doesn’t. 💁♂️
Just like the GN, intercooler = the real rockets. I’ve seen some beauties on BF over the yrs. Great array of options.
To the owners that left them column shift for maximum sleeper 👍🤌↪️🏁
Ts were better than GNs. Nice color choices, easier to get, cheaper. Here is where one would expect a dumb Mustang comparrison, but frankly, by the 1980s, my boy racer days were long past, and I actually appreciated these among other things.
That’s why I bought my ’84 T-Type rather than the Grand National. The dealer wanted sticker price for the GN, but did their normal discounting on the T-Type.
nice ride! I love these cars! I’ve never seen this color either, but I don’t hate it!
This listing sold on Sun, Sep 13 at 3:21 PM.
Best offer accepted