my new car

[tb8125]

Here is my new 1987 Grand National or new to me.... It wont look like this for long. I want to pro-tour this car looking to get about 350 to 400rwhp I know that might be a big leap but I want to keep it as stock as possible... I want to be able to take long trips and still have ok gas mileage and I want to blow some ricers off the line too. I will keep you guy posted on my progress.. And if you guys have some suggestion fire away.... I am all ears... This is my 1st turbo car

[tb8125]

if to guys cann put me on to some turbo DOs and DONTs

[West Texas Z]

A GN has always been on of my dream cars. Did you get a good deal?

[tb8125]

I think so

[scogin918]

I applaud your effort in bringing that car back to life. While you still see some real nice examples of that car, there are some out there whose owners just don't either realize or care about what they have.

[vintageracer]

Get out your check book! A GN is a fun and expensive car to own and restore.

[tb8125]

Ya thats what I am hearing. I just hope that I can get it to a level that I will be proud of.... I like these cars a lot and want mine to be nice as I can make it

[jy211]

check out www.turbobuick.com

[tb8125]

I am already there I am getting some good help from these guy they have pointed me in the right direction with the exhaust and stuff like that

[hdesign]

I've always loved those cars and it's probably one of the very, very few truely desireable cars post-1972 IMO. Great car, I hope you got a great deal on it! Can't wait to see how this turns out!

[Tony_SS]

Drop a SBC in it .. lol

[tb8125]

ya lol

[curly]

GN's are also among my favorite 'newer' cars, a friend of mine has one which he has let go (it's in bad shape now). He was having some issues with it mechanically and lost interest in tinkering with it. I have tried to buy the car from him but he won't let it go.

Good lucjk with your project.... looks like you have a good foundation to work from. Nothing like a turbo !

[MarcelloRupelli]

I've always loved these cars. Should be perfect for what you've set as goals. Real comfortable cruiser as it is, just beef up the engine and suspension and it'll be a killer all-around ride. Seems like there's lots of aftermarket support for the g-body cars too. Look forward to seeing this come back to life!

[ROACHZ28]

It`s really sad to see these GNs in such horrible shape. They are beautiful cars. I know that this GN is now in good hands. Keep us posted.

[olds87]

That going to be a nice car after it done.
A friend at my job got his car stolen 2 weeks ago in the parking lot at night, underneath the stairs. It was the same year and in good shape. Sorry if I killed the mood here.

[backtobasics]

Taking the condition as is, I would start with basic maintainence all the way across the board.
Plugs
Wires
Ignition coil
Cap and Rotor if applicable (not sure on GN , I drove Typhoon)
Fuel Filter
fuel pump
Oxygen Sensor(s)
Fluid changes, including trans, rear diff, and brakes
Full brake check, as most of the previous owners pads are still on the front wheels

This should get the vehicle as close as possible to stock performance. There is NO fun in adding performance parts that don't appear to work because one of the above items is underperforming, and eliminating the benefit of your new performance part.

As for mods:
Exhaust upgrades are awesome for boost, as it eliminates restriction, and makes the turbo happier.
Air intake, to let turbo breathe
Chip, to tweak timing and fuel

Areas to watch:
Transmission
mass air flow sensor is problem prone, but someone has made adapter to allow the use of LS1 sensor
Keep an eye on oil supply to turbo, and give time for turbo to cool, turbo timer, to prevent oil coking in housing.

[Chevrolaine]

Looks like a nice ride, but I hope you checked it thoroughly. They're known to rust from the inside out. Good Luck with the venture.

[nekkidhillbilly]

Drop a SBC in it .. lol

welcome to the buick club

www.v8buick.com have good info on anything buick along with turbo buick

[87GN&98VET]

Good luck. Turbobuick.com, T6P.com, and gnttype.org are all good places to go for GN specific issues. Kirbans Performance is a good source for restoration parts.

These cars are extremely reliable and run great when tuned right. Don't get scared off by people that have had bad luck and didn't know what they were doing. These aren't small block Chevy's so if you have to have some major work done make sure you get with a reputable turbo Buick guy.