Description

If you're of a certain age, you surely recall when these bad black Buicks were the coolest cars on the street. Today they're still legendary, and experienced car guys always know to give the Grand Nationals a wide berth on the street because you never know how bad of a beating you're going to get when the boost comes up. Now, if you're not packing serious blasting powder under the hood, it's always smarter to just leave cars like this '87 Grand National alone.

The black paint on this potent luxury coupe is menacing and dark, just like they're supposed to be. I like that it doesn't have T-tops, making the body stronger and better suited to the rigors of the turbocharged engine, as well as lighter for performance. All the blacked-out moldings and rubber components remain in good condition, which indicates that it has been stored indoors for much of its life and rarely exposed to the elements. The bulging hood and simple ducktail spoiler are subtle reminders of the performance within, and there's not a trace of chrome or stainless left anywhere on the body, save for a few badges. And all of it is in above average condition; if you like black, few cars wear it better than this.

Inside, the Grand National got the full luxury treatment-this is still a Buick, after all. That means power windows and locks, a power driver's seat, a tilt wheel, A/C, rear defroster, and remote mirrors. Two-tone gray and black upholstery was the only choice in a GN, and the designers were able to tuck a tachometer and boost gauge into the Regal's instrument panel. Judging by the auxiliary gauges on the A-pillar and neatly mounted in a custom pod on the console, there are a few tricks hiding under the hood and the stock stereo was dumped in favor of a Pioneer AM/FM/CD head unit. Even the trunk is nicely finished and well preserved, with a space-saver spare neatly tucked into its own well.

Grand Nationals were known for neck-snapping power right out of the box, but with a few aftermarket modifications, they were downright monstrous. However, that also means that a great many of them were over-boosted and blown head gaskets, turbos, and transmissions were common. Fortunately, this T-Type is doesn't have any major mods and still packs its original, numbers-matching engine and sturdy 2004R 4-speed automatic overdrive transmission. Nevertheless, it's a ton of fun to dip into those seemingly endless reserves of torque, and the experience is enhanced by an oversized downpipe and a custom exhaust system that eliminates back pressure and lets the turbo spool up faster with less heat. Most of the OEM gear is still in place, from the turbo itself to the control software behind it, so it runs beautifully with that characteristic GN growl from the twin pipes out back. The chassis is neat and tidy, and those black alloy wheels wearing staggered 235/60/15 and 255/60/15 radials are the perfect look for the nastiest domestic car of the '80s (the factory wheels are available, call for details).

Very clean, very fast, and very affordable, this GN is still the coolest thing on four wheels for a child of the '80s. Call today!