This 1987 Buick Regal is advertised here on Hemmings.com as a 1987 Buick Grand National. However, the ad claims that it is just one of 1,547 WE4 optioned Buicks which would make it a Turbo-T (formerly known as T-Type) not the WE2 Grand National. This car has several modifications and, upon first glance, it could be confused with a GNX. The car is located in Mechanicville, New York and is listed with an asking price of $33,600. Let’s dive in and see what features this car has and whether it is a chameleon of parts or a genuine Turbo-T.
If we look under the hood we find a modified 3.8-liter V6 (LC2) intercooled, turbocharged engine. This engine was a high tech masterpiece of sequential fuel injection (SFI) and forced induction when it debuted. For 1987, Buick bumped the official rating to 245 horsepower and 355 lb-ft of torque, though everyone at the drag strip knew those numbers were conservative. The Garrett T3 turbocharger has been replaced and the seller states that both the engine and transmission have been rebuilt. The engine is connected to the 200-4R four-speed automatic, which in stock form, features the specialized “BRF” valve body calibration exclusive to the Turbo cars. The EGR system has been removed and the engine has two fuel pumps. One that feeds the engine up to 10 psi and another than kicks in after that. The engine management system was replaced with a 18 psi TT PROM chip. Power output is not stated but it should produced GNX levels of horsepower or more.
The interior is not Grand National livery but instead a fairly stock Turbo-T interior that was replaced 5 years ago. The gauges have been replaced to mimic a GNX gauge pod which I prefer over the sweeping speedometer or digital set up of a stock Grand National. The air conditioning system was rebuilt and a Bluetooth radio provides tunes through a trunk mounted subwoofer and amplifier. Mileage on the new odometer is reported at 2,134. The ad states that everything in the interior is working including the cruise control.
The car was resprayed in GM Code 19 Black and the finish is said to be good but not show quality. The pictures and seller not some paint imperfections. The ad states that the car rides on genuine GNX 15 inch wheels but I thought GNX wheels were 16 inch. The suspension has been upgraded with a GNX rear axle assemble and traction bar. All the ball joints and steering components have been replaced. The car rides on Falken Ziex tires. So the verdict is that this is a 1987 Buick Turbo-T that has GNX and Grand National components. Is that a plus or minus for such a rare car?
I think it is a minus because Turbo T. Enough said. It didn’t need the extra wanna be parts.
Still love to own one though.
I remember back in the eighties, there was a shop that specialized and buick turbos. Dobbs Ferry NY. I seen these Buicks up close with Twin Turbos. Loud and fast with flames came out since the exhaust system was not put together yet. I believe those Buicks would kick any fast car today. I remember the Grand National stock 245hp but reality almost 400hp tune correctly. The Twin Turbos i was told close to 900 or more. Thats insane for back then. I also remember brand new GN with the widow sticker and 20 miles on it. They would get sup up. I would love to have this one. You know this is putting out way above stock. Good luck to the next owner!! 🇺🇸🐻
This car started life from the factory as a Turbo-T car. The RPO code on the SPI label in the trunk shows Y56 for that option. If it had been a GN it would show WE2.
The 1,547 production figure is correct for the Turbo-T model.
Now here is what I find interesting about this car. It also has the RPO code WE4 which is a Turbo-T lightweight package that includes the aluminum bumper brackets and other lighter components AND blacked out trim and bumpers.
When GM opened the order books for the 87 models and allowed the GN engine to be optioned in all kinds of Regal configurations, people figured out that you could order a black Turbo-T all blacked out and lighter weight than the GN but it looked almost identical except for the wheel differences. (GN had heavy chrome wheels and T had lighter aluminum ones)
After several were built, GM changed the order policy to not allow the WE4 option on the Turbo cars that were black. Other colors could have it, but they didn’t want the black ones to be confused for a GN.
I can’t see the build month clearly on this car but the door label appears to say 03/87. Supposedly, the change to not allow black bumpers on a black Turbo-T car happened around mid November of 86. Ordering one after that was very difficult, but I don’t have it on any authority to say it was impossible.
Ever how it managed to get built after the change, this is a fairly rare car. Sad to see so many changes from stock because I believe it would be worth more if it were all original.
The WE4 was announced in Nov of 86, not ended. It was actually a late run because the GN met the production for Nascar and they wanted to keep them limited edition. My WE4 was made in April of 87.
The Regal Grand National was not a homologation car, just a marketing strategy. Not only was a special model not required to homologate the body, (the hundreds of thousands of Regal two doors built from 1981-87 would have accomplished that), but Buick wasn’t even running the Regal body in Nascar in 1987. The factory supported Buick teams were running LeSabre two doors in both of Nascar’s top two touring series for ’87.
Is yours a black Turbo-T with black bumpers and trim? Sorry if I didn’t make it clear enough. I didn’t mean that the WE4 ended in Nov 86. I meant the combination of black bumpers and trim COMBINED with a black Turbo-T was supposed to not be allowed together. I wish I could upload a picture of the GM dealer RPO code sheet that was dated Dec 86 which has in parentheses (N.A.with WE4).
I had WE2 for a license plate for a few years and practically no one understood what it meant. People thought it was for my wife and I. Later changed the tag to TURBO6 and people finally got it. Still have the tags in my collection.
Atwood203, no offense but the WE4 RPO was for the Turbo-T package and available in any color you wanted as long as it was black. All Turbo-Ts had black bumpers. The interior was all grey instead of the black/grey in the GN. Buick built exactly 1547 and they were a mid-year offering. Many will claim the turbo Regal was a Turbo-T but they were not. ONLY the WE4 was a Turbo-T.
I’ve owned four ‘87 Turbo T’s and three of them had chrome bumpers.
The first one I owned was in ‘88, a slightly used black car with black bumpers. Two were dark blue with chrome bumpers, followed by a dark gray car with chrome bumpers.
Buick stopped allowing black bumpers on Turbo T’s in mid ‘87 production because the black cars looked too much like the GN.
They are all technically Turbo-T’s. Yes, WE4 all had black bumpers, but every turbo Regal came standard with the “T” package hence Turbo T. Check the fenders, every color turbo Regal had a T emblem on the front fender. I bet Tom from reply above’s both blue cars and the grey one all had T emblems.
Personally, I am not anti-mods in the general sense, however if I were going to buy a turbo Buick, I’d prefer one that has been minimally molested and with no major power mods because of Cali’s asinine smog requirements. Still don’t understand why we have to get 1980’s cars smog checked here. If it were not for this, I’d very likely already own another turbo Buick. Still might one of these days, just need to find the right car…and convince my wife. At least she loves Grand Nationals.
His n Her Hurst shifter.
Looks to be a single lever, but with a side gate that lets you slam-shift each upshift manually.
That would be a mod. All Turbo-Ts had the standard shifter.
I worked at a Buick dealer in the 80s. IN 1986 nobody paid much attention to the GN because we were used to it being just another underpowered V6. Then we discovered it was not underpowered and the fun began. I ordered a white T-Type 87 like a friend’s white 86. Did a few things to it and it was fast. I smoked the Mustangs and Corvettes. My wife had great fun because she was not going to let anybody beat her off the light.
Bad thing was GM did not support the car after a few short years. Parts got hard to find because GM did not restock. I drove mine 87000 miles and sold it after 11 years. During that time I bought a GN that was modified and that thing would scare me. It was awesome. I sold it because I just don’t trust cars I haven’t built. But it was sure fun while I had it.
My brother had 3 of these, an 86 T-type and 2 87 GNs. This car has been pieced together, that, to me is a huge red flag! That is quite probably why it is selling for half of what a quality stock unit commands.
IIRC the WE4 is rarer & faster than the GN due to the aforementioned light weight components.
Hurst did make a Dual/Gate shifter with overdrive, so that addition would have been very possible, albeit not OEM.
That would be a mod. All Turbo-Ts had the standard shifter.
No such thing as a Grand National WE4. It’s obviously a Turbo T with the WE4 option. It would take a lot to put it back to the way it came from the factory which would make it more valuable.