1987 Buick Regal Turbo

[pajeff02]

For as long as I have been a car guy, I have been enthralled with the Buick turbo cars from the late '80s. Obviously, a rare as hens teeth GNX is what would really fit the bill, with a GN being my next choice. Unfortunately, these cars are either priced into the stratosphere or are just plain beat. The last two GN's I looked at were both good looking cars, but each owner wanted almost $25,000... no thanks. About two weeks ago, a friend shot me a Craig's List link to a Regal located just over an hour south of us. We went down a week ago to look at it and ended up making a deal on the spot.

We hooked up the trailer Friday afternoon and went down to pick it up. The car is everything the owner represented and we were thrilled to add her to the collection. After looking at the car and returning home, I immediately began researching the turbo G-bodies as I had never really read up on them. Turns out that they made around 4 basic variants in the final year of production -- the bad boy GNX, the GN, a WE4 model which is essentially a blacked out Regal, and the Regal Turbo. Prior to 1987, they called them T-Types, but this designation wasn't carried over into 1987 for some reason. The car does carry a "T" badge on the front fenders and horn button, but "T-Type" is nowhere to be found.

This was a local car and came with complete documentation - including the window sticker and name of the original owner. It has had one re-paint and is essentially stock with the exception of an air distrubution plate under the plenum, the addition of valve cover breathers, a Kenne Bell chip, larger injectors, a "test pipe", modifed waste gate linkage, an air filter intake assembly, and lexan front parking light covers. All the original parts, together with the documentation and a spare set of GN wheels, were included along with the car. Overall, the car is is really good shape and has only a small scrape in the passenger door and a broken bumper filler panel under the rear license plate.

These first two pics are from the day we went down to see it:







Once we got her home, I started with a wash job, removed the lexan covers, and polished all the chrome and stainless.














The trunk and interior are both in really good shape. The last owner installed a new headliner and visors.








The documentation supplied with the car was essentially everything from day one, including a pile of receipts for maintenance items and the few add ons the car has. I do have the original chip and all the stock parts were carefully packed in boxes and bags.








And of course, the motorvation and what makes these cars so special. Stock they are rated at 255 h.p. and 355 lb.ft. of torque that comes in low in the rev range. I never knew that GM mounted a fan to the crank pulley to pull air through the intercooler -- kind of a neat surprise.











The plan is to perform some service on the car and then enjoy it this summer. I'll start by changing the oil and flushing the cooling system later this week. After that, I'll look at the brakes and probably change the fluid in the rear. Not sure yet if it is a posi or open rear, although it is an 8.5" with 3.42 gears out back.

[Mean Green Z28]

Nice find!

[GTP231]

Sweet score Jeff. I do remember a trick that can be a ghetto idea to knock a tenth or two off the et. Depending on your definition of ghetto or ingenious and inexpensive

[REVNORR82]

A friend of mine had a car almost identical to this but not near the shape this one is in he did every getto trick in the book but it actually turned out to be a pretty quick car he has now upgraded to a gn.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

[Firebirdjones]

Neat find Jeff. We had a couple of them back when they were a little more plentifull. I eventually got a Typhoon for a while, then when it went up forsale I was offered a trade for another GN with only 15k miles, but I turned it down, at that point I had enough.

My father had one for years that was his daily driver as well. They are great cars and a blast to drive. A few tweaks and they are pretty quick.

Yeppers that's an 8.5 in there there. They were all 3.42's and as far as I know, all positractions.

I used to live down the street from Lonnie who runs Extreme Automatics and builds all the 2004R's for most of the quick GN's around the country, and held a record or two with his own. Also a Batavia native I talked to quite a bit that held the TSO record for a while.

Sounds like you might be making a trip to the Buick Nationals in Bowling Green this year? That's always a good time These cars are alot of fun.

[robs98mysticZ]

SWEET find jeff you owe your friend a beer or two for hooking you up with the link!

[cpop98ws6]

My dads 86 GN with 22,000 miles on it was not a posi from the factory. My guess is that it was an option. That was one of the first upgrades we did to the car, it now leaves 2 long black lines on the road.

[pajeff02]

Thanks guys! That is what I read too Chris, the posi was an option and even the GN's could come with an open rear from the factory.

Have her up in the air for an oil change right now and will then tackle the coolant later this week. Have a pile of hoses on order that should be here by Wednesday.

[pajeff02]

Sweet score Jeff. I do remember a trick that can be a ghetto idea to knock a tenth or two off the et. Depending on your definition of ghetto or ingenious and inexpensive

Clue me in -- ghetto or not, faster is faster.

[Knight]

When are you starting a thread on your parking garage and semi car hauler?

Just another car you owe me a ride in!

[ls1camino]

Awesome find. Super clean car.

[pajeff02]

Already have threads up on both those topics.

I was under a "car purchase moratorium" for a while as we were out of space. Happily, that moratorium has now been lifted. This was just to clean and desirable a car to pass up. Dawn will most likely be driving it down to GM Carlisle as they are celebrating the 35th anniversary of the turbo Buicks this year.

[pajeff02]

Awesome find. Super clean car.

Thanks, J. If you happen to make another mad dash parts runs to Niagara Falls, please stop in and we'll go break some laws.

[ls1camino]

Thanks, J. If you happen to make another mad dash parts runs to Niagara Falls, please stop in and we'll go break some laws.

Always best to break laws with a lawyer in the car

If not soon, I'll definitely see you at Spaz's...I owe you a ride in the T/A.

[pop6482]

Cool find Jeff. Good luck with it!!

[pajeff02]

Thanks Jason. Looking forward to putting some miles on her this year.

[Knight]

What kind of psi does it run with, Jeff?

[pajeff02]

Good question. I never got into it much during the test drive. Going to find out once the weather breaks.

[Knight]

Just curious. Wondered how much boost they'd pump through a stock motor.

[pajeff02]

The stock boost setting is supposed to be around 14-15 psi in 1st and 2nd gear, and then somewhat lower in 3rd and 4th gear.