Thoughts on 86/87 Buicks

[epeterson]

Hey guys I thought I'd start a thread about 1986/87 Buick Grand Nationals and Regals. The car that packed mote horsepower under the hood then GM's sports car, the corvette. I'd like to know your guys thought on these cars. Especially Buick aficionados. Do you like them as pro touring cars? Could they be viewed as a car turning into a classic. Ultimately this is what i'm trying to gauge, when you see one at a car show, what thoughts come to mind? I just sold my 1971 Buick Skylark and am in the market for a new car, I found a sweet looking black 1987 Buick Regal in mint condition. Its got its original paint in pristine condition. All orginal no tear interior. Perfect pans. It has hotchkis suspension all around. With a built Chevy 383 Stroker. And turbo 400 transmission. All in all it looks like a fantastic car and I'm thinking about buying it. What are your thoughts? I've only owned cars from the 70's and it was kind of weird eing attracted to this being an 87. This is also a proven Buick Regal Type T we4 edition. It was slightly faster than the grand national and there were only 2500 of this type ever made. It is rare. So just pop your thoughts in and let me know! Thanks for reading guys

[alocker]

They look great with the proper wheels and stance. I love the GN's except the sound of the 3.8. The interiors are kinda blah but t-tops can make me overlook that. Show some pics of the car you are looking at.

[silvermonte]

Im in my 30s, and I think the g-bodys, along with the 3rd gen camaros, and the fox body mustangs, will be the next set of cars that are still affordable to build and buy and will probably be the last generation of cars that are worth doing. The aftermarket is stepping up for the g-bodys so you can build them just as well as any camaro,nova, or chevelle. Build it right and it will get just as many looks as any other car.

As far as that T-type its not all that rare anymore with the chevy engine in it, unless it came with all the original parts. Now Im not against putting a chevy in a buick, as I put a chevy in my olds but I know a few people that would get bent out of shape about finding out about the t-type with a chevy, but its the owners car let him do what he wants.

[epeterson]

Pics just posted in the multimedia and photography forum

[alocker]

That's a clean looking T. What's he asking?

[SSLance]

. double post

[SSLance]

G-Bodys were one of the last body on frame V8 cars built, that's why I like them. And they can be built to handle.

Some of the hard core Buick guys get bent when they see one modded up, especially if done with non-Buick parts. I say screw 'em, I'd mod it up just to mess with them.

[epeterson]

He's trying to get around 8 grand for it. And yes I agree with you 'SS'

[SSLance]

The car looks good, looks like it's more set up for drag racing but shouldn't take much to make a corner carver out of it. $8k sounds pretty good for it if it really is as pristine body, paint and interior wise as you described. Check the frame rails behind the rear tires for rot, as well as the body mounts at the corner of the firewall. The other thing that can get pricey with the Buicks is the filler panels between the bumpers and the body. Pay close attention to them and their condition. It needs a T56, and some front and rear upper and lower control arms to be well on it's way.

[epeterson]

Okay thanks for the input! I'm a GM fanatic but just recently just started getting into buicks. The last car was my first buick and I had so much fun in that. I'm hoping that this car is as good as it looks. I'll keep you guys updated by this weekend if I buy it or not

[SSLance]

I looked again and that car doesn't have the fillers that I was thinking about that are so rare, but check the other areas I mentioned for sure. The car has been molested a little bit, but doesn't look too cut up. Good luck!! Start at $7,000 and go from there. Pay no attention to the seller talking about it being a rare car as cut up as it is. It's just a clean G-body at this point.

[epeterson]

Sounds good, thank you! What are you running under the hood of that monte carlo?

[SSLance]

GMPP HT383, it's basically a high torque, low RPM truck engine fed by the stock 305 CCC carb and distributor. Gets 18 mpg if driven nicely and puts 400 lb ft to the wheels at 2000 rpm. Perfect match for the T56 (for me anyway).

[epeterson]

Yeah it sounds good. There are a lot of 85/86 monte carlo's that are really nice and in my price range. So they are a possibility too. Any pro's or con's about the car you could share?

[ugotdubbz]

The turbo V6 engine makes the GN and T-Type stand out more and worth more. I own a 86 GN and love it when it is running good. I don't get bent out of shape when I see Chevy engines in them, but it is a little disappointing. With as much trouble as I have had with the car I do understand why some people jump ship on the turbo 6 and put an easier engine to work on in it.

[SSLance]

They have real flexible frames that need braced\supported if you really want to make it corner precisely. And if a T-Top car, be very wary of body rot. In fact, just stay away from T-Top cars all together. They are pretty easy to work on and have lots of aftermarket support and getting more all the time. Factory seats are horrible, plan on replacing them. Other than that...I like them. Cheap hot rods, early muscle underpinnings with later model looks.

[epeterson]

Thanks the info on the monte. And I would like to see that original V6 turbo that would make it a high value car, but on the other hand I do like the 383 strokers. The can really squeeze out a good amount of horsepower. I like numbers matching cars but also cars that have been adapted to what the owner likes it as an has a unique touch. Both are cool in there own ways

[epeterson]

Hey guys! I won the Buick on an auction for 6500! Picking up tomorrow. I'll tell you guys how it goes

[SSLance]

You did alright me thinks... Hope it's solid.

[epeterson]

Me too