If I were to pick a classic from the 1980s to park in my garage, a 1987 Buick Grand National would sit at the top of the list. The “square-rigger” styling doesn’t appeal to everyone, but when you combine the menacing Black paint and the turbocharged V6 under the hood, there’s a lot to like. This Grand National is an unmolested survivor, and I admire the seller for their honesty when they tackle the subject of its odometer reading. They have listed the Buick here on eBay in Fredericksburg, Texas. They set their BIN at $49,500 with the option to make an offer.
Buick offered buyers its first turbocharged Regal in 1978, unveiling the Grand National Badge in 1982. Initially produced as a toe-in-the-water concept to leverage sales from NASCAR success, the Grand National soon found its place with buyers seeking a genuine muscle car in an era when such vehicles were pretty thin on the ground. This final-year example is a genuine survivor finished in Black, which was the only shade available to buyers. It presents well for an unrestored vehicle, with no significant panel or paint imperfections. Its beauty is more than skin deep, with the underside shots confirming that this baby is rust-free. There are scattered areas of surface corrosion, but no evidence of developing steel penetration. That is hardly surprising because it appears that the Buick has roamed the streets in a dry location. The trim and glass are in good order, and I have always thought that the wheels on these cars not only provide a striking contrast to the Black paint but add a sense of purpose.
Lifting the hood reveals what separates a Grand National from a “garden-variety” Regal. The V6 as fitted to the Regal produced around 110hp and 190 ft/lbs of torque. The result was respectable performance that wouldn’t set hearts racing. However, Buick decided that if forced induction was good enough for Formula One and Indycar, they could harness that technology in the Grand National. The V6 received a range of internal and external upgrades, including a turbocharger, intercooler, an advanced Engine Management System, and fuel injection. The attention to detail bore fruit, with power and torque rising to an “official” 245hp and 355 ft/lbs. Many people believe that Buick was being less than honest, feeling that much higher figures were the reality. The company hooked the V6 to a four-speed THM200-4R automatic transmission, with no manual option available. Buick claimed a ¼-mile ET of 14.7 seconds but with contemporary road tests repeatedly delivering 13-second passes, this appears to be another case of the company being frugal with the truth. The seller states that this classic has 26,000 miles showing on its odometer. Refreshingly, they don’t claim the figure as genuine, stating that their investigations have confirmed that it has rolled over. They supply no specific information regarding the car’s mechanical health, although they do provide this YouTube video. It includes a fairly detailed walkaround and allows us to hear the engine start and run. It sounds as smooth as silk, with no odd noises that might cause concern.
The weakest point of the ’87 Grand National is undoubtedly its interior. The distinctive Gray and Black cloth trim is prone to wear and deterioration, while it is common for the headliner to sag and slap occupants around the ears. This survivor has avoided those problems, along with the aftermarket additions that seem so prevalent. A close inspection reveals a few plastic scratches and imperfections, but the upholstered surfaces are free from significant problems, and the dash and pad are clean. The new owner will receive a range of factory options, including air conditioning, power windows, power locks, a Twilight Sentinel, remote mirrors, a leather-wrapped tilt wheel, and a premium AM/FM radio and cassette player.
Buick proved with the Grand National that a muscle car didn’t necessarily need a V8 under the hood to produce stunning performance. The 1987 model year marked the end of the line, and the company went out with a bang with its rare and even more potent GNX. The ’87 Grand National is a classic that suffered a significant drop in values during 2024, although the situation has stabilized in the past couple of months. Whether that is a precursor to a climb is unclear, but if it is, now would be the ideal time to buy. The seller’s BIN figure is optimistic in the current climate and compared to recent successful sales, and it would be interesting to know how much they would compromise on their price. What do you believe would be a fair amount?
This car always looked like a blank canvas to me! It seems to me they could have made it better looking! It just looks cheap!
A sleeper car back in the day that was as faster or faster that a Corvette. This one is a nice survivor!!
Beautiful GN. These are one of the most fun cars to drive. Boring v6 until the turbo kicks in then hang on. The bumper strips are not GN fare. The GN fillers were black with no white stripes. As beautiful as this GN is, it is way overpriced.
Buick ran the same basic engine in Indy for a couple of years, and ran well. It’s the only American V6 to do so. And that’s the real value of the GN. A very good and very strong engine. Without that, the GN would be little more than a trim package. As for this car, that price is way too high. Now if this was a GNX…
The stock block turbocharged Buick V6 set a fastest lap record at Indy, and started the race in the pole position. If I remember correctly, the car was leading the race before it experienced turbo failure.
Arguably the most robust V6 ever built!
I dont care what any one says about these . these were and still are BAD A$$
1992/1993, Radio Maint. Tech School, Keesler AFB. Buddy and I romping around Biloxi in my ’74 Beetle. He spies one of these in a used parking lot. Never heard of one. Dealer let us KIDS (19 years old, LOL) take it for a “test drive”. Holy COW what in the world? He really wanted it but at the time, $7,000 was a bit rich for us on our meager E-1 pay LOL. Oh to be able to rewind time.
The eBay ad says that the car has more than 126,000 miles per the Car Fax. I know that one mod is to improve the factory brakes. Can anyone tell me what that involves?
Granted, these are interesting, but if I had to pick one performance car from the eighties, this would be down list. So many sportier cars available. Most with stick shifts and sexier shapes. Most with better handling. Camaros, Mustangs, even the front wheel drive Dodge turbos come to mind. Sure, it might be fun in a straight line at a street light dual, but any of the others are going to be more fun, in my humble opinion. I guess, its what you are into.
When the GN came out, I had heard a little about how fast they were, but didn’t have any real-world interaction with one. Then came ’87 and the GNX hit the streets, and I got introduced to just how much of a street sweeper they were. At the time, I had a ’75 Vette roadster with an LT-1 transplanted out of a ’70 Z-28 in it. One evening I somehow managed to get tangled up with a GNX, and to say I was impressed would be a gross understatement. That Vette was more than a little fast and that Buick ran bumper to bumper with it. Since that night, the Grand Nationals have occupied a special place in my hot rod heart. Just because of that, I like this car, but even with my affinity for them, I’m afraid that this is overpriced. Still a very neat car, just too expensive.
Agreed with you comment! I am 52 years old and this is my dream car from the 1980’s that I would have rather then a Corvette, Camaro , or Trans Am!! It’s a sleeper!!
It didn’t take much to make these car fast…my 87 had a slightly larger TE44 turbo, bigger injectors, Terry Houston downpipe, “hot wired” fuel pump, adjustable fuel pressure regulator, Hooker cat back exhaust, and a Casper’s chip. The cat was removed and replaced with a “test pipe” with a dump I never opened. The valve covers were never of the car and it would run 11:90’s all day on the Nitto drag radials. I later added a alcohol injection system and wicked up the boost, definitely faster but never had it back at the track. Hardtop car with all the added Kirban bracing, bushings, etc. Manual windows, no cruise, manual antenna but it did have the Concert Sound, a pretty low optioned GN. Another one I should have kept… that car was so much fun!
Sounds a rocket 🚀 19sixty5
😎 🏁
Love to have it in my fleet, but, way overpriced.
So many Mustangs, so little time…
I retired from GM’s “Corvette Plant.” Rumors always floated around the plant that GM was upset with Buick for building this car because it ran better 1/4-mile times and was less expensive.
I somehow doubt that GM would be “upset” about any automobile that one of their divisions built since all new models have to have corporate approval.