If I owned the car I drove last night, I'd be in a lot of trouble

[P&R Fan]

I have a client who is a widow. In 1987 her husband, who liked cars, bought a new Buick Grand National Turbo. He died a few years later. I have known my client for over eight years, and she has let me drive it several times.
Last night she wanted to take it out. Had to charge the battery, but it started right up. We took a back road and I opened up the turbo. Pushed us HARD against the seats. I told her to look at the odometer. It was just turning over 3,000 actual miles.
I needed a cold shower after I drove that last night.

Someday, when the kids are all grown and I've made my first million I gotta get another fun car. Driving a Durango sucks.
Jim

 

[BP_Z28]

Damn glad I have me a built 98 Z28. I have a soft spot for G bodies. Wish I owned one, turn it into a pro touring car

Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 2

 

[A10]

I have a Durango as well, P&R, a 4.6 V8. The drive train is OK, but the interior finish is junk.

I'd sure take me a new Mustang if the opportunity ever arose....mebbe a Shelby model....

 

[Crabtree]

I have a Durango as well, P&R, a 4.6 V8.

You know you've got it bad when your vehicles are pinned and recessed too.

 

[timn8er]

Years ago when I worked at an Acura dealership, one of the salesman needed someone to run with him to a customers house to pick up their car. I was stoked when I saw an NSX sitting in the drive. I didn't really think he'd let me drive it, so I didn't even ask. He was an older guy, & I guess he didn't want to contort himself into the driver's seat, so he tossed me the keys. Score! There weren't a whole lot of curves on the way back to the store, but I did get to open it up a couple of times. I loved it, especially the mechanical music that motor was making. When we got back to the dealership, The salesman asked me "So what do you think? You ready to sign the line for one of those?" I replied "Only if it comes with a lawyer! I'm pretty sure I would need one on a regular basis!"

 

[P&R Fan]

I have a Durango as well, P&R, a 4.6 V8. The drive train is OK, but the interior finish is junk.

I'd sure take me a new Mustang if the opportunity ever arose....mebbe a Shelby model....

She has a Mustang, too. A red '67 convertible with a 4 speed. Her husband won it in a poker game.
I've driven that one several times too.
Jim

 

[Hack]

Last speeding ticket I got was driving my brothers 87 Grand National....

BTW: He also owns the 1989 Indy 500 Pace Car Turbo Firebird Trans Am. And that has less than 1000 miles on it.

 

[Comrad]

My 86 year old mother has a 2004 Impala with 7,000 miles on it and it's unlikely to break 10,000 at the rate she is driving even if she drives to 110. Why oh why couldn't she had bought something a little cooler....

 

[jaykellogg]

My brother has an '87 Grand National. He has an exhaust system on it and it has the GNX chip in it. I don't care for the way it drives. The turbo comes on too strong all at once. He is thinking about adjusting the trans shift points because if it kicks down on a corner it is exhilarating to say the least. Also many parts on the car are special to the GN and T type. My brother has had problems with his power brakes. With a turbo, there isn't any engine vacuum to operate the power brakes so he has a special brake booster and master cylinder.

Also, I believe the car was painted at the factory with lacquer. The paint doesn't hold up well at all. My brother bought his car new.

 

[NYlakesider]

Well my summer ride is a Z06 Corvette. For you none car guys this is a a very fast car with handling and brakes to match its motor. (505HP and can hit speeds aproaching 200MPH)

A very fun car to drive, but you got to be carefull. Just about every LEO out there gives you the look and I have had my share of roadside chats with them. Nothing beats a fun car (Whatever it is) to cheer you up after a rought day.


OP when you can get a fun car and enjoy yourself! That Grand National is nice.

 

[P&R Fan]

I enjoy driving my Mercedes Benz SLK300! What a magnificent car!

OK, more about her, she also has a '79 Mercedes 450SL. Both tops, almost perfect black paint, nice red interior and about 78,000 miles. Just had the fuel system totally rebuilt. It runs GOOD.
It's for sale by the way. And no, if I get a seller I don't get a commission, other than she'll take me out to eat.....again.
Jim

 

[YARDDOG]

Well my summer ride is a Z06 Corvette. For you none car guys this is a a very fast car with handling and brakes to match its motor. (505HP and can hit speeds aproaching 200MPH)

A very fun car to drive, but you got to be carefull. Just about every LEO out there gives you the look and I have had my share of roadside chats with them. Nothing beats a fun car (Whatever it is) to cheer you up after a rought day.


OP when you can get a fun car and enjoy yourself! That Grand National is nice.

+1 On the Vett,, I drove my brothers before he sold it a '09 I think.
0-150 in no time at all ; )
Y/D

 

[kozmic]

I had the predecessor to the GN, a 1982 turbo Regal T-Type. I got it in late '83 with 3000mi. on it as a GM program car through my father.

It was a bear. Well balanced, well mannered and well, flat out fast! It burned a bit of oil and tires.

Shortly after I got married, my wife thought "we" should get rid of it because I had a company car and the money could be better used on our new house...blah, blah, blah. Anyway, away she went (the car, not my wife).

Strangely, a few months later my wife had a new Bronco II. (Ahhh, to be young, in love and dumb as a donut)!

The Grand National was the last Buick made with any assemblance of a soul. A great car for the time.

 

[Fishinfool]

Jim

Back in that time frame, the Conn. State Police used the Grand Nationals and Mustang GT's as chase vehicles when running radar. The early - mid 80's Crown Vics were just not that quick or fast.

Was never issued a GN, but drove another guys. I was amazed how quick a modern car that big could be. I did drive one of the Mustangs for a while, but it didn't feel as quick, and I almost killed myself a couple times getting on highway on ramps in the rain. Way to squirrely for wet roads.

The CSP discontinued use of the GN's after a short time. I heard they were usually shot by 60K miles. But you have to figure most of those miles were full throttle starts...

Larry

 

[jaykellogg]

I had a NC State trooper tell me they used Charger SRT8's for pursuit vehicles. He said they would do 185 mph, but an article I read said the top speed is 165. 0-60 is 5 seconds. My G37 is rated 0-60 in 5.2 and 155 is the (limited) top speed.

 

[rburg]

One of my friends had a Grand National for the last few years before he retired from the Cincinnati PD. It was his "undercover" car. They'd scored it a few years earlier from a drug bust. They kept the car, as in confiscated it. It was a tough job, but someone had to do it - driving the GN of course.

 

[nickndfl]

I ride a Yamaha FZ-1. Top speed is 185mph. I have only been up to 110 on that bike. 125 on my Honda VT1100C.

 

[Big Fred]

My 86 year old mother has a 2004 Impala with 7,000 miles on it and it's unlikely to break 10,000 at the rate she is driving even if she drives to 110. Why oh why couldn't she had bought something a little cooler....

I had my 91 year old mother out today in her 2001 Impala she bought new. It has 26,000 miles on it. I know I put at least 20,000 on it taking her places. She still drives, but not very far.

 

[scooter123]

I have a 1985 Monte Carlo SS that's been built a bit. As I have learned from many years of experience the weak points in the mid 80's G cars are the transmission (THD 200R4) and the brakes.

If you have more than 350 HP at the crankshaft even a GN spec 200R4 will slip like crazy shifting into second gear. The slip can be so bad it can take up to 5 full seconds for second to finally fully engage. BTW, you learn real quick that full on shifts into second mean weekly trips to a transmission shop for a new band. As for race prepped versions of this transmission, I tried that and it self destructed by blowing out a check valve because all the cushion circuits in the transmission had been eliminated. Valve bodies subjected to hydraulic shock may have good hard shifts but those shock waves tend to blow up the valve body rather quickly. Solution for the transmission issue is a Supermatic from GM Performance Parts, a controller, and a custom built driveshaft. Cost for all that last time I looked was about 8 grand.

As for the brakes, it's a braking system that was originally designed for 14 inch wheels. With the larger Moment produced on the brakes by 15 inch wheels you end up with a braking system that is marginal. Best solution for that is a kit from Behr Brakes that features larger brake rotors and a set of 16 inch wheels from an IROC Camaro to clear the larger brakes. Do front and rear and your looking at a cost in the region of 3 grand.

Next weak link is the rear axle assembly, it's a rather puny 7.5 inch GM 10 bolt. Currie Enterprizes will build you a rear axle that is a pure drop in to the stock mounts based on either a GM 12 bolt or Ford 9 inch. That will set you back about 2800 bucks.

Now you know why my Monte Carlos is a bit more Show than Go.

 

[Brian41]

My former father-in-law was an engineer with Buick. He would bring home cars under research and development and hand us the keys if we cared to drive them. One night he brought home a Grand National six months before they came out with them. I got a lot of looks driving it and at the pizza place where we stopped we had quite a crowd of folks checking it out. I had fun driving all the tricked out factory stuff he used to bring home.