I have always love the 87 grand national. Unfortunately for me, I have never ridden in one. Do any of you guys know how they run? I have heard good things. Could the GN keep up with todays muscle or is the 80's power overmatched?

 

they were good running cars stock, and there is a pretty decent aftermarket following for them...there were a few at my home track with simple mods, running in the 12s.

 

Here is a wikipedia review:

"The acceleration performance of the GNX outpaced the factory's power claims: 0-60 mph (97 km/h) took just 4.7 s with a 13.4 s/104 mph (167 km/h) quarter-mile. According to contemporary sources, these numbers made the GNX the fastest production sedan ever built.

This claim is somewhat controversial—the car had two doors but its interior volume and structure made it a sedan rather than a coupe, and just 547 examples were built. GNX #001 is currently owned by Buick and sometimes makes appearances at car shows around the US.

Although many quicker cars have been built, including a number of quicker modern sedans, its performance was truly impressive for the time. A contemporary Porsche 930 hit 60 mph in 5.0 seconds and ran the quarter mile in 13.6 seconds, roughly equivalent to the GNX, which cost much less and could out-accelerate the naturally-aspirated 911 of the day.

Ironically, many believe that these performance numbers were the reason the GNX was axed. GM didn't want one of its own cars outperforming its flagship, the Corvette, and pulled the plug on the Buick program.

The muscle cars of the 1960s had the power to beat the GNX, but the tires of the time could not transform this into speed, not to mention the numerous techniques employed in the GNX allowed the car to transfer all the power to the ground, such as a ladder bar that ran from the mid-section of the car to the rear axle, so as to increase traction.

This is also the reason why a GNX will actually lift the rear end up when the car is about to launch heavily. The GNX never made much of a road-track competitor to cars like the 911, but it could certainly hold its own on a drag strip.

Another amazing aspect of the Buick Grand National and GNX is the ease of upgrading performance. As electronic technology increased in automobiles over the years, with the implementation of air force-feeders (such as turbochargers and superchargers) and chips controlling the many aspects of the car, increasing performance became that much easier.

Simply by spending a couple hundred dollars on a racing chip could drop the Grand National’s quarter-mile time from its stock thirteen second range into the mid twelve-second range. This alone makes the Grand National a very formidable opponent on the drag strip.

Other easy upgrades include installing a larger turbocharger or purchasing heavier fuel-injectors. The affordability and effectiveness of these upgrades made the Grand National a very popular car for drag-racing. In recent times with stock Corvettes producing quarter-mile times in the eleven second range,

Grand Nationals provide an easy way to overcome the current “bad-boy” muscle cars. One can purchase a Grand National and upgrade it for far less money than buying a modern high-performance car and easily produce much quicker quarter-mile times."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buick_Grand_National

0-60 in 4.7 secs is even good for now days. It isn't too far behind the GT500 at around that and that is just a 3.8L (rated to the current 3800 series III) 2 valve per cylinder OHV with a turbo verses a 5.4L 32valve DOHC with a supercharger. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that is only with a three-speed automatic vs. the GT500 has a six-speed manual. The article claimed that there was no manual available. Even the current supercharged 3800 series III still comes 10 hp & 80 ft-lbs of tq shy of matching that. It was a kick-butt car.

This represents why it is a mistake to give the "best" performance to a budget division and to make the flagship car a birth right. If this article is true, Buick might not be viewed as being such a boring division if they would have been allowed to maintain it. The Corvette's superiority in GM isn't a birth right, it should be earned because if it is not the competition will catch up.

Even if Buick wasn't about performance, the are supposed to be

 

Thanks for the replys. That is a great article! I have noticed that a 87 Grand National can be purchased for anywhere from 5,000 to 30,000 depending on mods/milage/condition.

I hope to own one someday and do a bit of modding to it. I love acceleration more than life itself. Bad Boy Black paint doesn't hurt either, lol.

This is the one I want, with torque thrust 2's, I would also add a bit of tint to the windows and t-tops would be nice!

 

there is a t-type down the street from me for sale...

 

Happy to help! Good luck finding one that will satisfy you.