Raced a Moddified GN, wasnt pretty

[charleslong]

Originally posted by drbyers
hey long,

I never got the chance to go to Bragg. I wanted to, but they wouldn't have me, so I went into the private sector.

I'm a multimedia designer. Bragg thought I wasn't good enough. lol.

I sure showed them though. I designed Pope's marketing site and everyone's jaw dropped. lol.

www.43dservices.com

by the way, is that a GN or GNX? i can't make out where the intercooler is in the engine bay.

its a GN with a FMI,
cool i will check out that site.

[drbyers]

keep it, even if you get your WRX one day.

the car will be a collectible years from now, when hybrid cars become the status quo.

[2001S4]

yeah charleslong, hang on to that baby. I LOVE Grand Nationals. I think they look sweet and a LOT of people have no idea what it is. I am not a fan of automatic in a performance car, but I would definitely make an exception with a GN. Your car is a beaut. I saw one race a corvette about a year ago. I was behind the GN in my S4. Thought I would try to stay with them as long as I could. They were both walking away from me and then all of a sudden, the GN started to spin its tires at around 50 mph and just TOOK OFF. The Corvette driver looked like he had no clue what it was. I wanted to tell him but he took off.

[charleslong]

Originally posted by 2001S4
yeah charleslong, hang on to that baby. I LOVE Grand Nationals. I think they look sweet and a LOT of people have no idea what it is. I am not a fan of automatic in a performance car, but I would definitely make an exception with a GN. Your car is a beaut. I saw one race a corvette about a year ago. I was behind the GN in my S4. Thought I would try to stay with them as long as I could. They were both walking away from me and then all of a sudden, the GN started to spin its tires at around 50 mph and just TOOK OFF. The Corvette driver looked like he had no clue what it was. I wanted to tell him but he took off.

thanks for the compliments
i really dont want to get rid of it,
i have had the tires turn over on me at 70.

[2001S4]

All I can say is WOW

Grand National

[03Cobra]

Originally posted by lyonsd
'86 and '87 turbo Regals are, for all practical purposes, the same.

Do your homework my friend they are NOT. The GN-X had some pretty big differences.


1. Only 547 were produced making then quite rare and very collectible.

2. The GNX was built as a limited edition by both Buick and ASC/McLaren.

3. Incorporated a more efficient Garrett air-to-air intercooler.

4. The pipe that makes the intercooler to the engine is specially coated with a CERMATEL (ceramic/aluminum) coating for increased heat rejection and dissipation which is the key to increased turbocharged engine performance.

5. For additional heat dissipation, front fender vents were installed to pull the heat away from the engine while driving.

6. The engine also received a special Garrett "hybrid" T-s turbocharger that uses a very lightweight ceramic impeller (as opposed to metal for the GN). The decreased weight allows the turbocharger to spin up much faster, thereby decreasing the turbo-lag time inherent in turbocharged engines. For additional efficiency the turbocharger incorporates special low drag, dynamic turbine shat seals, and a built in contamination trap. The system uses an electronic wastegate, and maximum boost is set at 15 psi.

7. The transmission was beefed up with firmer shifts.

8. A special rear axle housing cover that serves as an additional strengthening element and point for the torque bar.

9. The body received special structural reinforcements in the form of "behind-the-back-seat bracing" and special chassis.

10. The GNX was the only Regal to ever receive 16 in. wheels.

11. The wheels themselves are a lightweight alloy, which together with special aluminum bumpers and brackets and other weight saving measures, make the GNX the quiet nimble and very responsive.


12. The engine is monitored by a special Steward Warner analog gauge package that includes a 16o m.p.h. speedometer, 8000 r.p.m. tachometer, oil pressure gauge, water temperature gauge, fuel gauge, and turbo boost gauge with a 15 p.s.i. limit.


They were supposed to be 1 second faster over the GN (0-60). Some have achieved 4.7 seconds 0-60. Most are around 5.3...

A few tweeks and the car was a BEAST! VEry VERY fast. Many 13.1's @ 104/105 achieved in stock form.


Friend had a GN-X. Sold it to a Ferrari dealer in Germany. The owner could NOT believe that this American FAMILY car could beat EVERY ONE OF HIS FERRARI's!! True story.

He has time tickets at high altitude (CO) of 11.5 seconds. With basic modifications (exhaust, boost, ported heads).

[glepko]

Charles-Nice car! Those things always catch my attention, a true muscle car and an 80's icon!

[OotabaJinga]

Oh man- now I want one again! A friend of mine had one with a bad turbo a few years agon and he still broke them loose at 70- amazing cars- definitely hang onto it.

[renichms]

Originally posted by 2001S4
All I can say is WOW

Grand National

Video in link doesn't load.

RN

[drbyers]

you gotta have the latest version of windows media player to see the video, probably. And it definitely doesn't work on the mac.

if you don't get to see it, here's a summary. Think last drag race in "The Fast & The Furious." The GN raises its front end like a terrified horse, while squeeling down the track. jeeeeezus.

[renichms]

Originally posted by drbyers
you gotta have the latest version of windows media player to see the video, probably. And it definitely doesn't work on the mac.

if you don't get to see it, here's a summary. Think last drag race in "The Fast & The Furious." The GN raises its front end like a terrified horse, while squeeling down the track. jeeeeezus.

Before I say something doesn't work, I check it on my other computers...some are Mac, some are not, all have the latest version of Media Player. At the link, there's text but nothing else...no "you failed to load video" box, no prompt for download...nothing.

But thanks for the description...don't need to get the video now.

RN

[lyonsd]

Originally posted by 03Cobra
Do your homework my friend they are NOT. The GN-X had some pretty big differences.

Yes, the GNX (btw, there's no dash in there) is significantly better than a "normal" turbo Regal.

I was referring to "normal" turbo Regals of '86 and '87 (intercooled), which include the GN ('86 and '87), T-Type ('86), Turbo T (aka WE4 - '87), Limited ('87), Base ('87) and WH1 ('86). For all practical purposes, they are all the same.

[lyonsd]

Originally posted by charleslong
thanks for the compliments
i really dont want to get rid of it,
i have had the tires turn over on me at 70.

What's up, Charles? I used to live in Warner Robins. I really liked it down there. I bought my GN from a guy in Macon.

I don't have problems with the tires breaking loose too much these days - I run Nitto 555Rs.

However, when I first bought it it did not have posi. So I bought and installed an Eaton posi and later installed Nittos. If the tires break loose, they squeal for an instant and hook right up. It's a neat feeling.

I still have the stock rims and everything. I want to keep it looking as stock as possible - right down to the exhaust.

It also came with the lame digital instrumentation. So I bought a GNX-style cluster which you can see at the link below. YOu can also see the wood dash trim I also installed:

http://turboconnection.com/showcase/87gn

[OotabaJinga]

I've never heard of the 86 WH1- what's that? I also think 86 or 87 was the first intercooled ones. I know they made them in 77, maybe 78 or 79- but they weren't all that powerful- kind of felt like a well tuned 305.

[ezatnova]

Originally posted by 03Cobra
Do your homework my friend they are NOT. The GN-X had some pretty big differences.

It's funny because you told one of the prime posters and sources of info on TurboBuick.com to do his homework.

You were, in fact, wrong in what you said, implying that all 87's were GN-X's and that all 86's were just GNs. GN-X's although only produced in 87 were only a FRACTION of the TR's produced. So, when you compare 86's to 87's, you don't assume at all you are talking about a GN-X as the 87.

Lyonsd was right, differences between 86 and 7 are slight...most just cosmetic and intanglible.