These days, with the prevalence of online auctions, it’s not hard to find a digital paper trail for cars that appear for sale on different platforms. This 1986 Buick Somerset T-Type is likely one of the cleanest examples left in existence, and it previously sold via a Bring A Trailer listing, as shown here. Now, the buyer from that auction has presumably put it up for sale and discloses he has been attempting to resolve some rough running issues, most recently with the replacement of the transmission, but that the issues persist. Find it here on eBay with bids to $2,500 and no reserve.
Thanks to Barn Finds reader Russell Glantz for the find. The T-Type designation was a fairly nifty bit of marketing pushed out by GM in the 80s, but it had some real teeth to it in terms of upgrades. While the balance was shifted towards the obvious cosmetic tweaks, anything with a T-Type badge did usually get some decent hardware underneath. The Somerset in T-Type form got a firmer factory suspension along with front disc brakes and power steering. The rest of the kit was cosmetic in nature, with unique alloy wheels, white-letter radials, and some trim upgrades in the cockpit.
The T-Type steering wheel was used throughout the model lineup and is the most recognizable upgrade. Otherwise, the rest of the interior is fairly standard; of course, the big news here is how well preserved this Somerset is. GM’s front wheel drive cars introduced in the 80s were not exactly sought-after when new, so very few have survived in anything resembling the condition we see here. The factory stereo equipment is also still installed, another indication of its high state of preservation. However, it’s worth noting we wrote this same car up in December 2024, and it didn’t find a home after that listing.
The Buick is powered by a 3.0-liter MFI V6, which was good for about 125 horsepower at the time. That’s not an exceptional number, but it probably was pretty decent back in the late 80s for what amounted to a front-wheel drive economy car. Based on the seller’s admission about the vibration that occurs at low RPMs and that no mechanic has been able to diagnose it, it may prove challenging to sell this nicely preserved Somerset. Fortunately, he didn’t spend much on Bring A Trailer last time ($3,600), but he’s into it for over $4,000 with the transmission replacement. If you can live with the odd vibration, you’re getting what is likely one of the best Somersets left with a brand-new transmission.
This is the same seller as the Lesabre T Type earlier this week. Thought that driveway paving looked familiar…
3.0L variant of the 3.8L V6 is a decent engine. Later years came with the 3300 or the Quad-4, but not sure if a 5-speed was available in these like it was in the Calais and GrandAm. My first new car was a Calais International Series; wish I still had it.
That’s the good 3.0
Don’t know what that vibration feels like but couldn’t it be something as simple as a motor mount? All these four cylinders had balance shafts but I’m not aware of problems with them. I personally liked these. But everything GM made in those days was disposable. No turbo with the T?
This is a V6 (but a 90 degree V6). I don’t think this particular engine had a balance shaft. As others have suggested it could be simply a motor mount or a slipped harmonic balancer.
Buick’s T-type package didn’t always, nor even usually, mean a turbo. Think of the “T” as standing for Touring, a bit of a GM code-word in that era for vaguely Euro-inspired sporty performance, handling, and toned-down low-chrome trim—cf. also the T in the Caddy STS and Pontiac 6000 STE, along with the Olds 98 Touring Sedan.
Need to find a better mechanic. Which is a problem for a bread n butter car like this. A more collectible car would have access to a network of nerds and specialists who would know about all its foibles, but this is from a more disposable class of car that no one spends that much time trying to preserve.
@Jeff: Great write up, but for the purpose of having journalists not perpetrate incorrect info, I submit: “vibration that occurs at low RPMs” RPM stands for Revolutions Per Minute. To add an ‘s’ is the same as saying ATM machine, PIN number, etc. Keep up the good work!! :-)
These were a decent looking car. For the time it was a fresh and contemporary design. Crisp lines that lent a distinctive appearance. Could be a sweet car when running right.
As for the slow sales I seem to recall that the Grand Am did quite well.
In most years the Grand Am outsold the Buick and Oldsmobile N-bodies combined. All N-body production occurred in two former Oldsmobile facilites in Lansing, MI, with all of the Buick production in one plant, all of the Olds production in the other, and Grand Am production in both plants in order to balance production between the two facilities, depending on the three divisions’ earned share of production..