I bought one brand new in 1987. The first night of ownership, I couldn't sleep knowing what was parked outside. At 3am I was sitting in the brand new Grand National breathing in the new car smell and reading the owners manual. I was so stoked to own the car. I did a lot of street racing back then and I never lost a race in the GN. With some minor tweeks like a chip, free flowing dual exhaust and lighter wheels it made the fastest American car of 1987 even faster. It would bust loose around 30mph when the turbo was at full boost. I used to love the looks I would get in the car. People would ask me what the hell it was. I wonder if I was the guy mentioned in this video. I lived in Los Angeles in 1987 and beat several Vettes that wanted a go. One did as me what it was. I wonder if it is the owner of the car featured here. ?? Of all the cars I have ever owned, I love and miss my Grand National the most. While not the fastest car I ever owned, (that title goes to the Challenger 1320 I currently own) the Grand National remains my all time favorite. One day I will have another. And this time I won't ever let it go. Great video. It really brought back some memories for me.
The previous owner of my w211 e55 amg who bought it new had a similar story. It was the fastest production sedan by a wide margin and one of the fastest production cars period. Even though these kinds of cars get outclassed, they still carry the excitement of how insane they were at the time.
When I was 17,me being a chevy guy ,my best friend said his dream car was a Buick Grand national,I was like ok.About 6 months later he was like come outside I want to show you something,it was a Buick Grand national.The memories I have in that car wow!He still has it to this day
Awesome story of dedication! Kids back then used to make shit happen. I told my friends I was going to own an IS300, now I do! I worked my ass off for over a year to get it, but now I am extremely proud.
@@Zerospawnn They are great cars, easy to work on, got decent mileage unless you had a lead foot (guilty), and best of all it would make you smile every time you drive it. My only suggestion is to only get one if you have a garage that is not easy to break in to. Mine was stolen 3 times, the last time time it was taken, they came with a tow truck and towed it away.
Doug said the 0 to 60 time was 6.7 seconds and it's much faster than that. The GNX could knock off a 4.7 sec 0 to 60 time by turning up the boost a few more pounds.
The powermaster has a high failure rates if not maintained correctly. There were recalls on them when new. Many swap out to vacuum or hydroboost for reliability.
@@ZL1power69 Trust me, I replaced one powermonster and numerous accumulators. Once those things went north of $100, I was about ready to swap mine out too. I sold the car before I did it.
Pretty sure that was a Federal regulation at the time - I had an '83 Supra with a speedo that stopped at 85, also, and boy, would it go way past that....
@@JRTX93 original paint might be laquor. There were some that were repainted under warranty and also some for a brief time got metallic mixed in by mistake due to the paint guns not being cleaned. Buddy of mine has an original paint 86 GN with sliver metallic flake in some spots.
"Body by Fisher" was the logo stamped by Fisher Body- the first automotive production facility for General Motors in Flint, Michigan. It's long since gone...but both my grandfather and father both worked at Fisher Body at the corner of Saginaw and Hemphill Roads in Flint!
Thank you, Sir Those are most interesting details to add to my memories as a little youngster, I remember seeing the door jam a lot before riding in my mom's 71 GTO or my Dad's Regal T type turbo. Sadly I didn't get to buy those cars from my parents to fix up as I planned. They sold or traded them in with many electrical issues is what they told me to this day :(
I’ll be getting my dads Grand National once I graduate from college. My grandpa bought it brand new off the showroom floor in 87 and gave it to my dad as a graduation gift when he finished school. 20k original miles. I live 13 minutes from Hemphill and Saginaw. That’s crazy. Only a couple of years and it’s mine. I can’t wait
I was in high school when this car was released. Back then, we teenagers wanted either the Ford Mustang GT or the Chevy IROC Z-28. We were all surprised that the Grand National was the fastest production car. A Buick?!
@Buddy Wiser Obviously you raced 84's or 85's. They were much slower then the intercolled 86-87's. As for your heavy 87 GT beating every GN "you raced", yea ok. Car and Driver along with many other mags including Cars Illustrated were running 0-60 in 4.9 seconds and 1/4 mile times in the high 13's. Your heavy GT ran high 14's, at best. I use to beat them so bad with my bone stock 87 GN that they would accuse me of having N20 or being modified, LOL. The fast 5.0's were the notch 5.0 5-speeds. Those cars could usually hang fairly close to my GN, but never faster. Hope this helps.......
Saw a Grand National absolutely torch a Camaro at a 4 way intersection back in '88, I was in the opposite lane. Didn't realize it was a GN, not a Regal until it took off, Camaro dude looked shocked, to put it mildly.
@@aligborat I bought one about a year ago and was doing research what makes them so fast. The stock car is 355 tourqe at 2000 rpm. Compare it to cars now that reach their max tourqe and hp at higher rpm which is great for longer races but will kill you at 1/4 and traffic light to traffic light. I also have a 442 tribute car that has a 455 in it. I raced a 5th gen camaro my rear end gear ratio is 2.78 the previous owner did that because its a th350 with no overdrive to get better gas mileage. The camaro barely beat me. My engine is built to mondello specs and is 425hp and 518tq motor as with olds and buick motors they don't rev as high as say the 454 chevelle motors but the olds/buick 455 had so much damn tourqe! The race was usually over so there wasn't a need to go over 4000 rpm.
My brother in law was an engineer for GM and was able to own one a couple of months before they were released to the general public. The stares we got driving it around were crazy.
@Tylenol PM Trust, I get you. But beyond specs/performance, I just mean the whole concept of what an IROC-Z was. That will never happen again. It was the 80's-early 90's. We had no internet. We were 10 year olds who didn't know shit about specs. all we knew was : THERE'S A SPECIAL CAMERO OUT THERE.... BETTER THAN A Z-28. IT'S USED IN ACTUAL PROFESSIONAL RACING, AND YOU CAN BUY A STREET MODIFIED VERSION!!! 😯 Never happen again
"Body by Fisher" was a GM slogan of quality and pride from the 50s and 60s, perhaps even earlier. Buick including it on the Gran National is a nod to the GNs General Motors heritage.
I had an 85 Buick Skylark with a 3.3 V6 when I was in college. Had the same speedometer. It was a sleeper, too. All the quick cars back then by Chevy had the 3.1. the 3.3 was surprisingly quick. Good car till it was stolen. They killed the transmission. It was never the same.
This is one of my favorite cars to drive or modify in Forza 7. Stock it’s still very quick with tons of torque everywhere even though it “feels” lazy with a low redline and LONG gear ratios.
@@Bass1ne Umm dude it is a collectors car people would pay top dollar. I would pay top dollar. They cost 3x more now than they cost new. www.hemmings.com
In September of 1979, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) passed a bill which stated that all car, pickup truck and motorcycle speedometers were to display a maximum speed of 85 miles-per-hour. This federal regulation also required speedometers to have a special emphasis on the number 55 (the national speed limit at the time).
@@TheLaserFish 1980 model year, and they started going away late in the '80s. My 1990 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX Turbo AWD (built in Normal, IL at the Diamond-Star Motors plant that also assembled the Plymouth Laser and Eagle Talon) had a 145-mph speedometer but it still showed the numbers as 5, 15, 25, 35, etc for some weird reason. I think the Talons MAY have had a 150-mph speedometer with the numbers as 0, 10, 20, 30, etc. but that also might not have been until the 1991 or 1992 model year for all the DSM cars on that platform. But some models of cars kept 5-85 or 0-80 speedometers a couple of years into the '90s.
I drove a Buick Regal station wagon for years that my Grandfather gave us. The acceleration was slow and boat like. But it became like a runaway train around 50mph. You could seat seven people, six comfortably. It was a huge car.
So many memories... I remember having to find seatbelts, digging through the seats, sometimes burning myself because they were hot. I remember those climate control knobs and playing with them as a kid. I remember seeing my mom fixing her makeup in the visor and my dad would say turn the light down. Also the knobs to tune the radio and volume. I remember the clicky feeling in my hand as I turned them. Such nostalgia that I didn’t even know I would remember. On another note, cars seemed much more practical back in the day, like the exposed accessible spare... how did we devolve with regards to that? And that crotch vent has got to make a comeback. Thanks for this.
I guess they had that on there since the 1982 model because it looks super dated for 1987, orange and yellow are the big 70s fad colours and stuff like teal and lilac are more typically 80s.
Now that everyone is coming back to this video for Kendrick, let me jusy say this car might be the perfect car for Kendrick the same way that Steve McQueen and the Mustang Fastback were a perfect match; it just fits his american west coast aesthetic perfectly, and it being such an iconic, but subtle car that could pass for a sleeper with a crazy performance out of the factory mirrors his own personality. And of course the GNX was only made in 1987 and kendrick was born that year.
That radio actually has 7 presets. The 4 buttons, then 3 more by pressing each pair of adjoining buttons. (sort of the "space" between each button). I had several of those GM radios in various cars and to my knowledge, the owner's manuals never mentioned this, but it always worked.
@@ninjamaster3453 I got pulled in 1985 while driving my mom's Buick Skyhawk. The officer asked me if I knew how fast I was driving and I told him no the speedo only goes to 85. I got a ticket for 86 in a 55 and lost my license for 3 months and started paying ungodly amounts in insurance.
Yeah, I was shocked at that, too. Though the engine bay was a little bit disappointing but I guess it means the guy does drive it. Some cars Doug gets you wonder if they even took it to the car wash ahead of time?
Hell yeah I'd usually ditch whatever I was driving if i saw one of these rolling down the road. Usually had a tricked out one in my Grove street house garage too.
My Dad drove a 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass around the time that I started to remember vehicles. The interior of this Buick, covered with squares and boxes, is a real nostalgic trio for me cause the Cutlass was basically the exact same. I even remember the "GM" logo on the seatbelts. The Cutlass was a POS, but memorable because it was all vans all the time after that.
My parents had a cutlass cierra international edition with plush royal blue interior. It was tinted out dark. The outside was dark blue too. It looked pretty good in it’s time. It had the 3.8 V-6. That was a really fun car to drive.
I think the most a car ever had was an aftermarket exhaust and IIRC, that was his Skyline. He did mention something about modifications to make this car more livable in the modern age though. I'm not sure if those were applied to this car or not.
I was driving a 1968 firebird with a 468 bbc , tunnel ram with two 850 holley carbs , 4 speed. I didnt pay too much attention to any new cars back then. If it didnt sound like a B-29 , i wasnt interested. Wish i had paid more attention , cool cars in a day when 300 hp did not exist. Ended up with a 1990 ZR-1 Corvette , king of the hill. Think i will take her out for a spin and listen to some Def Leppard. Nice work.👍👍🏁🏁
I AM SURPRISE TOO, 5 DAYS AGO A GOOD FRIEND OF MY TOLD ME THAT A GRAN NATIONAL WAS IN HIS WISH LIST OF CAR ( HE GOT A 2019 CORVETTE ZR1 ) , HE IS GOING TO GET THE GRAN NATIONAL , MCLAREN 720s AND FEW OTHER ONES !
The original ‘eco-boost’. GM should have stuck with their turbo v6 program and they would have been light years ahead of Ford. The engine in this car was way ahead of its time.
I had a slightly revived "hot-rod" 2003 Buick Regal GS w/a supercharged V6. More like a sleeper. The supercharged engine was nice but a turbo would have been so much better.
Hajduk I have a feeling there were possibly bruised egos and related politics on GM’s V8 and Corvette divisions. GM was heavily invested in those programs to be shown up by a small team with slightly modded Skylark. GM probably viewed the turbo v6 as an economic sales threat to their other divisions and didn’t want to further develop it out of fear of canibalizing their other big ticket brands. Huge mistake though. They went the wrong direction for decades and it cost them dearly.
@@SalveMonesvol Which one specifically? There are many different engines from different manufacturers with that displacement. Most of them would lose to a GNX.
Doug I love your videos but I am older than most of your fans. Just so you know, our beloved government REQUIRED that speedometers not go beyond 85 MPH for a while in the 80s. Even Porsche 911s and other high performance European cars had to meet this "limit". Regards, Steve Haskins
Yeah, Fisher Body was dissolved as a division in like 1984 or 1985, but cars already in production kept their Body by Fisher tag until a body change. I think that's what I remember being told. I worked for GM back in the day, but that was a long time ago.
it's not the mclaren you think mclaren from f1 didn't knew the existence of the grand national you talk about asc/mclaren wich is a complete different company not related to the f1 team
Graduated in '87...in Michigan. Some inside info...I knew some Buick engineers (family friends) who tested/designed the Buick GN GNX in Lansing. They were doing some "tweaks" to the turbo, mapping, tires, exhaust tuning, etc. Anyway, one engineer said they got 375+ hp out of that 3.8L...but, had a problem with vaporizing tires and stopping. The GNX horsepower rating was ridiculously low from the factory.
That's why Doug has such realistic scores. It's pretty much given without any input from his soul. It's like pacman, he loves cars so much he exited and reentered the screen checking his passion at door. Like, if he had to buy a car even though he hates to drive and thinks it's only dirt bags who burn petrol, this is what 'that soulless' Doug thinks. Also, he edits out a lot of the actual fun he has in these cars. You've never seen him do doughnuts or turn traction control off, right? So if it's edited out, did it really happen? J/K Doug, I've never seen you doing doughnuts in the home depot parking lot in a company boxster 😏
"oh wow it's surprisingly quick..." "the steering wheel moves about 2 inches before anything happens." Gives acceleration 2/10 and handling 4/10. Nonetheless, an awesome car.
He was wrong on the zero to 60 time when he said 6.7 secs. Those were low 5 sec cars all day long when you dialed up the boost. The GNX was 4.7 sec o to 60.
Generations of cars used the old steering box/ tie rod systems. you have to keep the wheel in the middle and it'll go straight. They're not hard to drive at all. You just have to know how to drive is all. Rack and Pinion has taken over the industry and that's why the super tight steering tolerances. What makes R and P so attractive is it's extremely simple. No more front end alignments and the ball joints just snap in and out. But, steering tightness depends on the vehicle it's on. Tight steering causes problems with a pickup truck that has a lot of lean in the turns. Tight steering tends to over lean it very easily. Different types for different swipes.
That's right, and those old coin holders were merely an easier way to provide exact change at drive-through windows or toll booths vs having to unbuckle your seat belt and dig through your pants pocket for ONE goddamn nickel!
Y'all ever think that it just might be a possibility that it was for whatever the hell we wanted? Lol. Also pagers were a one way notification device that had their own number but all it told you was that someone wanted you to call them. They weren't a texting device. Most people in the country didn't and still doesn't live near toll roads or bridges, I think I've had to pay a toll once in my entire life.
A little history. The first 3.8 turbo Regals came out in '78, and they blew up. A lot. So much so that GM was replacing entire engines under warranty. The ECMs in these cars were not fast enough to retard spark knock, and spun rod bearings was common. It wasn't until 3 years later that they introduced fuel injection and faster ECM's, and a legend was born.
don't bother with his scoring system, it is totally weird and inconsistent. well nobody takes that seriously anyways. we're all just here to see the cool and rare gems our Doug here gets to present, such as this Buick Grand National.
Yeah, he rated the Mini, which is even quicker... in the low 6's, as a '3'. I'm wondering how quick does a car have to be to get an average 5 - 6 score?
I had a 1980 Z-28 with an 85 mph speedometer. But you could tell how fast you were going by the tachometer, I've long forgotten the numbers though. It had a 4-speed manual trans and T-tops, I loved that car! The hood scoop would open up when you floored it.
Me and my old iroc-z and formula saw the tail lights of these things many nights , I still suffer PTSD from those dog fights back in the 90s .. nights I may never forget.
Liked the interior in my 1986, except the lack of a center armrest. Had mine not been stolen, I would have swapped the console out for one from a Monte SS - also the dash (round speedo & tach)
5:07 Hey that 3rd brake light may be something to chuckle at now for those who weren't there. But to us who were there, that add-on light was practically a status symbol! So much so that some of us (like me haha) with older models bought one just to have the "look" of the newer models! 😄 That third brake light was in vogue!
My father's got one with a turbo upgrade, torque converter, built internals and tuned. It's rediculous. My favorite car since I was a kid. Most kids had a Lamborghini Diablo poster on their wall. I had this on mine.
@@creeksquadnation2129 If I had deep pockets, sure, but I'd rather beat on something in average condition. Not saying I'm into trailer queens, but I'm not rich 😁
Coin storage in the glove box holds $1.75. Doug, it's amazing to watch your reaction to 1980s vehicles, like the "Fisher Body" emblem! The Fisher Brothers were famous Coach Builders that founded Fisher Body in 1908. It was a beg deal when GM purchased a 60% stake in the company in 1919. Fisher body used to design and build bodies for almost every car company up until they were purchased by General Motors!
Uh..No. Buick produced GM's FIRST "Muscle Car".......in 1936. Grandma would remember when Buick was a "hot" car. Hell, They were termed "The Doctor's Hot Rod"
Actually the ads for this car were pretty memorable. I remember George Thorogood And The Destroyers "Bad To The Bone" as background music for one of the Buick Grand National ads.
Lol it’s funny you say that I have a friend who’s parents only drive lesabres and that’s all he drove till he was like 21 but he was gonna buy a Camaro and posted a picture on Facebook and one of our friends litterally commented “THATS NOT A BUICK” haha it’s weird I seen this comment cause I haven’t thought about that in years and me and my dad where talking about him the other day and I thought about that and had a chuckle then tonight I read this
Kudos to owner for keeping that thing look brand new
@Hotpack stfu
@Hotpack stfu
@Hotpack stfu
@Hotpack stfu
Hotpack stfu
Damn, that car is gorgeous! Kudos to the owner for maintaining it so well.
There are enough of em out there even in my state of Mi where the weather tears up every vehicle.
@@chevyDboyMike For real? Are there that many?
They wont be that clean. I havent seen any under like $15.000 that dont need work.
@@chevyDboyMike wow that's pricey, here in southern Cali they are a dime a dozen
@@timothy2935 i aggree, but oveepricing seems to be a thing here in Mi.
That car looks incredible. Whoever is maintaining it is doing a hell of a job.
thanks! I put a lot of time into maintaining it
@@Forgan_Mreeman How many miles are on it?
Yeah! The metal rims in the interior are shiny!
It's a So Cali car. No snow. No ice. No road salt. Little rain. Of course it's going to be well preserved
@@Forgan_Mreeman It looks like New, contrata, great job
I bought one brand new in 1987. The first night of ownership, I couldn't sleep knowing what was parked outside. At 3am I was sitting in the brand new Grand National breathing in the new car smell and reading the owners manual. I was so stoked to own the car. I did a lot of street racing back then and I never lost a race in the GN. With some minor tweeks like a chip, free flowing dual exhaust and lighter wheels it made the fastest American car of 1987 even faster. It would bust loose around 30mph when the turbo was at full boost. I used to love the looks I would get in the car. People would ask me what the hell it was. I wonder if I was the guy mentioned in this video. I lived in Los Angeles in 1987 and beat several Vettes that wanted a go. One did as me what it was. I wonder if it is the owner of the car featured here. ?? Of all the cars I have ever owned, I love and miss my Grand National the most. While not the fastest car I ever owned, (that title goes to the Challenger 1320 I currently own) the Grand National remains my all time favorite. One day I will have another. And this time I won't ever let it go. Great video. It really brought back some memories for me.
I stood outside all night staring at it on the trailer. Literally all night til the sun come up
You did well 👍🇺🇲
The previous owner of my w211 e55 amg who bought it new had a similar story. It was the fastest production sedan by a wide margin and one of the fastest production cars period. Even though these kinds of cars get outclassed, they still carry the excitement of how insane they were at the time.
You're better off without it, parts don't exist and what you can find are outrageously priced. Badass car, but probably not worth keeping
U got pictures or videos of it? Highly doubt at ur age u had a grand national new. Maybe a buick mawmaw version but not the turbo 6 cylinder sorry.
When I was 17,me being a chevy guy ,my best friend said his dream car was a Buick Grand national,I was like ok.About 6 months later he was like come outside I want to show you something,it was a Buick Grand national.The memories I have in that car wow!He still has it to this day
That's great!! Tell him to never sell it. I also find these cars to really beautiful.
ok
Awesome story of dedication! Kids back then used to make shit happen. I told my friends I was going to own an IS300, now I do! I worked my ass off for over a year to get it, but now I am extremely proud.
The Grand National is definitely in my top ten favorite cars of all time.
Yea i would love to own a grand national one day, they looks so sleek and sexy.
@@Zerospawnn
They are great cars, easy to work on, got decent mileage unless you had a lead foot (guilty), and best of all it would make you smile every time you drive it.
My only suggestion is to only get one if you have a garage that is not easy to break in to. Mine was stolen 3 times, the last time time it was taken, they came with a tow truck and towed it away.
@@ajjohnson3497 did you get it back?
Doug said the 0 to 60 time was 6.7 seconds and it's much faster than that. The GNX could knock off a 4.7 sec 0 to 60 time by turning up the boost a few more pounds.
Facts I really like this cause because of Fast & Furious 4
This is the cleanest Grand National that I've ever seen ! Woww
It's clean, but modified. It has a vacuum brake booster. The GN had the Powermaster system. Many people have swapped it.
Right on!
The powermaster has a high failure rates if not maintained correctly. There were recalls on them when new. Many swap out to vacuum or hydroboost for reliability.
was about to add the same comment.......clean clean clean. very nice !
@@ZL1power69 Trust me, I replaced one powermonster and numerous accumulators. Once those things went north of $100, I was about ready to swap mine out too. I sold the car before I did it.
"Officer, my spedo only goes up to 85, I could not possibly be going 125 in a 60"
🤣🤣👍
🤣🤣
Pretty sure that was a Federal regulation at the time - I had an '83 Supra with a speedo that stopped at 85, also, and boy, would it go way past that....
It was limited if it was build in canada.....Toyota, buick, honda, lexus
I confirm. I max my Speedo half way through 3rd gear. I do pulls to 130 ish mph. “I swear officer I was only going 85…”
DAMN. The type of review I wanted, but never expected it to happen
Exactly!
Yes indeed Doug answered my question in short time more than I thought!
@@thump2727 He Doug.
Doug has great content, it was only a matter of time until this got a Doug score
Calm your lechuga
It's so clean, the paint looks like a die cast model
Pause it at 3:43 you will see the thick orange peel texture which indicates cheap clear coat its not smooth But it sure as hell looks nice on a camera
No joke
@@JRTX93 yeah there's a lot of bad orange peel but wetsand that bitch and you gonna have something real nice
@@JRTX93 original paint might be laquor. There were some that were repainted under warranty and also some for a brief time got metallic mixed in by mistake due to the paint guns not being cleaned. Buddy of mine has an original paint 86 GN with sliver metallic flake in some spots.
Any color you want as long as it’s black.
That is an extremely clean Grand National. Kudos to the owner!
You didn't notice the shoddy paint work? I'm pretty sure it's been in a bad accident
Clams McGee if this is yours, 🍻 to you sir. You did a damn fine job maintaining this icon.
@@macbook802 stay in your dreams. Stop hating.
@@macbook802 the GN wore its orange peel with pride. Even if thats a repaint, its actually accurate representation of the original single stage
You call it orange peel, GM calls it extra thick paint that can be polished for decades to come.
kdot sent me here
facts 😭😭😭. discovering it im mind blown
22:00 You stop at a red light.
On your right, there is a Grand National and on the left an El Camino.
What a sight 😍😍
He should have raced the elco
I have seen more nostalgic car enthusiasts in Califas more than any other place 🇺🇸 (Pronounced Kaa-lee-faz)
California car culture in a nutshell
*The El Camexico most likely had at least, 1 Taco'd wheel.*
MAGGOT VOMIT what’s a Taco’d wheel?
"Body by Fisher" was the logo stamped by Fisher Body- the first automotive production facility for General Motors in Flint, Michigan. It's long since gone...but both my grandfather and father both worked at Fisher Body at the corner of Saginaw and Hemphill Roads in Flint!
No they didn't stop lying
@@wyattnewber883 no it's true
they were friends with my uncle who works at nintendo
True that!!
Thank you, Sir
Those are most interesting details to add to my memories as a little youngster, I remember seeing the door jam a lot before riding in my mom's 71 GTO or my Dad's Regal T type turbo. Sadly I didn't get to buy those cars from my parents to fix up as I planned. They sold or traded them in with many electrical issues is what they told me to this day :(
I’ll be getting my dads Grand National once I graduate from college. My grandpa bought it brand new off the showroom floor in 87 and gave it to my dad as a graduation gift when he finished school. 20k original miles. I live 13 minutes from Hemphill and Saginaw. That’s crazy. Only a couple of years and it’s mine. I can’t wait
I was in high school when this car was released. Back then, we teenagers wanted either the Ford Mustang GT or the Chevy IROC Z-28. We were all surprised that the Grand National was the fastest production car. A Buick?!
@Buddy Wiser Well I never raced one, let alone even seen one close-up. They were rare to find where I grew up. All the kids had either GT's or Z28's.
@Buddy Wiser Obviously you raced 84's or 85's. They were much slower then the intercolled 86-87's. As for your heavy 87 GT beating every GN "you raced", yea ok. Car and Driver along with many other mags including Cars Illustrated were running 0-60 in 4.9 seconds and 1/4 mile times in the high 13's. Your heavy GT ran high 14's, at best. I use to beat them so bad with my bone stock 87 GN that they would accuse me of having N20 or being modified, LOL. The fast 5.0's were the notch 5.0 5-speeds. Those cars could usually hang fairly close to my GN, but never faster. Hope this helps.......
Saw a Grand National absolutely torch a Camaro at a 4 way intersection back in '88, I was in the opposite lane. Didn't realize it was a GN, not a Regal until it took off, Camaro dude looked shocked, to put it mildly.
@@ct87gn25 Also the video the guy who helped develop it said on cold days the stock car made well over 300 hp.
@@aligborat I bought one about a year ago and was doing research what makes them so fast. The stock car is 355 tourqe at 2000 rpm. Compare it to cars now that reach their max tourqe and hp at higher rpm which is great for longer races but will kill you at 1/4 and traffic light to traffic light. I also have a 442 tribute car that has a 455 in it. I raced a 5th gen camaro my rear end gear ratio is 2.78 the previous owner did that because its a th350 with no overdrive to get better gas mileage. The camaro barely beat me. My engine is built to mondello specs and is 425hp and 518tq motor as with olds and buick motors they don't rev as high as say the 454 chevelle motors but the olds/buick 455 had so much damn tourqe! The race was usually over so there wasn't a need to go over 4000 rpm.
My brother in law was an engineer for GM and was able to own one a couple of months before they were released to the general public. The stares we got driving it around were crazy.
Lol I doubt it
@@w.e.s. What do you doubt?
Never thought I’d see a Buick on TH-cam’s trending in 2019
These thing are special, man. IROC-Zs are too. These kinds of cars will never be produced again. The world lost it's testicals.
Pappagetti,
the car industry lost it’s genitals in the 80’s, though it finally grew a set back now. (for now).
Papagetti,
I.E.,
1970 Z28=360hp
1985 IROC Z=215hp
2015 Z28=505hp
@Tylenol PM Trust, I get you. But beyond specs/performance, I just mean the whole concept of what an IROC-Z was. That will never happen again. It was the 80's-early 90's. We had no internet. We were 10 year olds who didn't know shit about specs. all we knew was : THERE'S A SPECIAL CAMERO OUT THERE.... BETTER THAN A Z-28. IT'S USED IN ACTUAL PROFESSIONAL RACING, AND YOU CAN BUY A STREET MODIFIED VERSION!!! 😯 Never happen again
Doug is the biggest square in the interior
HAHAHAHAHAHHA
Hahahahaha
HAHAHAHA
For sure
Yeah but a very popular “square “ with over 3mil. Subs!!
"Safety wasn't a priority for anyone in the 1980s"
*Volvo intensifies*
I was thinking of aids jokes
Hahahhahaa
Volvo and Merc were really the first ones.
Furn333 Now THATS a party!
SAAB intensifies ....
MUSTARRRRRRRRRRD
Omg nokotan
@@twingolord turn the tv off turn the tv off
My grandpa still has his that he bought new in ‘87. Such a timeless vehicle that we will cherish forever!
Love the way you say "we". Putting the bug in grandpa's ear are you?
kirk mullings we as in the family - the car isn’t going anywhere haha
idk about "timeless" more like a time chamber
Do you live in a dry climate? Otherwise, I am surprised that the car has survived for so long.
Doug:"Safety wasn't a massive priority for GM or anyone back in the 1980s."
*Volvo has left the comments section*
LOL
Saab has also left the chat
Neo VeNoM LOL that’s a good one
*Audi has left the chat*
I concur! X-D
This has to be one of top all-time Doug DeMuro reviews. I loved these cars, and I really enjoyed this video.
Hell fuck yea! These are the cars I wanna see. Haven't made it into the third minute yet and I already love it
Drove one in 94 and to this day I still want one of these cars
This makes me cry. My GN was stolen a few years ago.
That sucks man those thieves deserve a death sentence.
Yeah man, that does suck.
Same here smh
To be fair everyone I know that had one got stolen
That intake under the car is the intercooler air scoop. Not the air intake for the engine.
I regret selling my 87 gn every day.
Is that why your name is the unforgiven one?
That really sucks dude.
LOL. So I wasn't the only one that sold his? I totally didn't make a good move when I did. Had mine from brand new and sold it in the early 90's.
Lol right? As he was saying the intake was under the car it showed a shot under the hood with the actual intake sitting right there
Yeah, you can clearly see the conical air filter up top. Doug is not very mechanically inclined xD
The owner kept that car in a time capsule, awesome to see.
Facts
My dad owns one too and it looks amazing!
Y’all really compliment that but you are the same people who hate on “collectors” who don’t drive their cars
@@wv4776 way to put words in people's mouths, congratulations you've won.
@@ceasarortiz1675 no he doesn’t
*Doug is that type of guy to store gloves in the glove box*
Kinda what it was originally meant for lmao 😂
Yeah is that strange?
Jonathan M. Yes. Ask 100 ppl and a vast majority don’t do that. Therefore strange compared to the norm
@@Sleepyboiwonder Well I do have a thing for gloves. Perhaps I'm a bit biased.
i came down here for the Dougism's and you win. Perhaps the best of all time
I was in one of these when I was a teenager and it pinned me back in that seat like crazy! Never forget the sound of that turbo.
The name of the paint color is called "Darth Vader Black" seriously..
Atari where you at?
_Disney lawsuit enters the chat_
That is cool!
Followed by "Orange Peel Clear".
Well, it was the 80s!
Who else seen the El Camino at 22:00? Nice lol. I wish you would do more Muscle Cars like this plz✌
Those chrome wheels 💓
Yep that was nice
#GBodyGang
Yeah man, El camino's are dope!
I just commented that and i wish I saw yours earlier lol.
I can smell the Malboro reds and Budweisers.
Hmmm i think this was more of a "ghetto" "hood" car
@@turtlepowersf so more of a newport menthols and old english smell ;)
@Elliot Rodger lmaooo nice profile
This car transcends cultures.
Your thinking of IROC-Z
"Body by Fisher" was a GM slogan of quality and pride from the 50s and 60s, perhaps even earlier. Buick including it on the Gran National is a nod to the GNs General Motors heritage.
*This was one of the best choices ever for a car to review* 💙
Long over due. It’s a wonderful , interesting car.
Yes!
Next logical progression is the last B-body Impala SS.
holy shit that car has received some love. looks brand new.
Pretty much 100% Bondo at this point.
@@jasonr5951 I doubt it, original owner so he probably garaged it during the rain season.
They all look like that anybody who owns ones too scared to take it out of the garage
Most 80's cars have 85 MPH speedometers. It was a regulation for several years.
I had an 85 Buick Skylark with a 3.3 V6 when I was in college. Had the same speedometer. It was a sleeper, too. All the quick cars back then by Chevy had the 3.1. the 3.3 was surprisingly quick. Good car till it was stolen. They killed the transmission. It was never the same.
Or they couldn't go 85
The FBI cars were not speed limitef.
Shocking lack of knowledge from somebody who earns his money reviewing cars.
85mph max with something highlighting 55. Saw many of those speedos in the day.
This is one of my favorite cars to drive or modify in Forza 7. Stock it’s still very quick with tons of torque everywhere even though it “feels” lazy with a low redline and LONG gear ratios.
It's condition is admirable,
props to the owner
TOP OF THE MORNING TO YE LADDIE
the interior is quite immaculate
Go watch that documentary about it too there was a guy who had a plastic wrapped brand new one in his living room undriven.
@@ChapuleTaylor why your username is so gross
@@Catalina._ why not
this man actually cleaned his car and got it ready for this review,respect
Actually a lot of dirt/dust is visible when he shows you the speedometer.
@@dannydaw59 that car would bring big paper!
@@scarface9617 not really there not even fast lol
@@Bass1ne Umm dude it is a collectors car people would pay top dollar. I would pay top dollar. They cost 3x more now than they cost new. www.hemmings.com
He needs swiffer duster to keep in the glovebox
In September of 1979, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) passed a bill which stated that all car, pickup truck and motorcycle speedometers were to display a maximum speed of 85 miles-per-hour. This federal regulation also required speedometers to have a special emphasis on the number 55 (the national speed limit at the time).
When did this change?
@@TheLaserFish 1980
Yup he dissed GM for nothing they didn't cheep out on the dash my 88 blazer is the same and it has the 4.3 TBI but I'm sure I can do 95mph
@@TheLaserFish 1980 model year, and they started going away late in the '80s. My 1990 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX Turbo AWD (built in Normal, IL at the Diamond-Star Motors plant that also assembled the Plymouth Laser and Eagle Talon) had a 145-mph speedometer but it still showed the numbers as 5, 15, 25, 35, etc for some weird reason. I think the Talons MAY have had a 150-mph speedometer with the numbers as 0, 10, 20, 30, etc. but that also might not have been until the 1991 or 1992 model year for all the DSM cars on that platform. But some models of cars kept 5-85 or 0-80 speedometers a couple of years into the '90s.
I had an 87 Monte Carlo SS Aero coupe. It's amazing how similar the inside was between them. Such a blast from the past to see this.
Were the Monte Carlos the same Body but slightly different bumpers and trim pieces?
To be honest the MONTE CARLO SS looks better!
Plus, it has a V8!
The way it should be on an US American muscle car!
@@Kev27RS that V8 in the Monte would lose and lose badly at that.
@@joemcmahon8103 I don’t care.
If I wanted a V6, I would get a Japanese or German car.
The FBI fell in love with these. Read on Wikipedia they purchased over 150+ for thier fleet in 80s. Those agents had it good
By "they" I assume you meant "we"... damn government....
Rahul
I’m sorry you’re from India and have to take your anger out on others.
@@Rahul-cb4jb Indian scammers, they should of not gave you guys electricity.
@@Rahul-cb4jb lol
@@-Burb lol
Ima go to my local dealership and ask em “so what’s the Doug score on one of these ?”
more than you can afford pal, buick
This bad boy can fit so much Doug score in it
Underrated!!!
They should actually do that
I’d love to hear how Doug scores “chicks”
Please find a GNX and review it! I know you can!
One of the best cars ever
All i ever wanted was a black grand national!
Last time i was this early Doug still had the Vantage
Thanex Doug sold it.
With a bumper to bumper warranty
I loved it - thank you for taking the time to review the Grand National.
Too hear the turbo boost from a car which is 30 years old is engaging.
I drove a Buick Regal station wagon for years that my Grandfather gave us. The acceleration was slow and boat like. But it became like a runaway train around 50mph. You could seat seven people, six comfortably. It was a huge car.
So many memories... I remember having to find seatbelts, digging through the seats, sometimes burning myself because they were hot. I remember those climate control knobs and playing with them as a kid. I remember seeing my mom fixing her makeup in the visor and my dad would say turn the light down. Also the knobs to tune the radio and volume. I remember the clicky feeling in my hand as I turned them. Such nostalgia that I didn’t even know I would remember.
On another note, cars seemed much more practical back in the day, like the exposed accessible spare... how did we devolve with regards to that? And that crotch vent has got to make a comeback.
Thanks for this.
We grew up in some Good Times with regards to cars, I too remember burning myself on those silver/grey GM seat belt buckles as a kid.
Hell yeah, seat belt buckle burns, and ass cheek burns from vinyl bench seats.
I like your comment. The details are really great, I'd read a book by you
WOWW you remember ALOT LOL
I love the orange and yellow arrow, It just screams 80's.
Except it reminds me of Jiffy Lube... =\
I guess they had that on there since the 1982 model because it looks super dated for 1987, orange and yellow are the big 70s fad colours and stuff like teal and lilac are more typically 80s.
Wish it had an all black interior with orange and yellow stitched steering wheel
@@TekniQx Yep! Fuggin' Jiffy Lube!!!!!!
Doug the type of guy to take his popcorn home after the movie
Doug the kinda guy to store popcorn in minigrip bags
Doug the typa dude to bring wet wipes with him everywhere
Oh shit! I actually do that!
U dont?
@@collerdgreens that's only because he needs tp clean his butt plugs and he'd rather not but his daddy makes him
Now that everyone is coming back to this video for Kendrick, let me jusy say this car might be the perfect car for Kendrick the same way that Steve McQueen and the Mustang Fastback were a perfect match; it just fits his american west coast aesthetic perfectly, and it being such an iconic, but subtle car that could pass for a sleeper with a crazy performance out of the factory mirrors his own personality. And of course the GNX was only made in 1987 and kendrick was born that year.
That radio actually has 7 presets. The 4 buttons, then 3 more by pressing each pair of adjoining buttons. (sort of the "space" between each button). I had several of those GM radios in various cars and to my knowledge, the owner's manuals never mentioned this, but it always worked.
Yup, came here to say the same thing, apparently some folks found it mentioned in some later manuals: greyghost.mooo.com/delco/
Some of them had lines drawn on the radio. :)
My 99 s10 is the same way
I remember the radios with only 3 FM presets and 2 AM presets by setting the channel then pulling out the knob then pushing it in and preset was done
@@jamesheina3337 the wonderbar!
Always loved the "Turbo 6" logo - absolutely genius.
ya cuz it actually is symbolizes 666, if you look at the white lines around the two color stripes. the elites love their symbolism
Actually your thinking of the banks turbo symbol yellow white red
@@josephdean4482 no I'm not, the very one on the grand national on quarter panel,
Officer: You were speeding 90 in a 75.
You: Non-sense my cars top speed is 85.
Officer: do you know how fast you were going?
Driver: I don't know, the speedometer only goes up to 85
But, i'll eat you charger in 1/8 tho, sir!!
Cop : dont lie to me boy everyone knows it'll do a 1/4 mile in 12.7 sec. 113 mph and
speed governed at 124 mph
@@ninjamaster3453 I got pulled in 1985 while driving my mom's Buick Skyhawk. The officer asked me if I knew how fast I was driving and I told him no the speedo only goes to 85. I got a ticket for 86 in a 55 and lost my license for 3 months and started paying ungodly amounts in insurance.
@@tkreitler no fooling? Did he tag you or did you eat your words there?
Now there's some places in the USA where the speed limit is 85. Crazy.
Probably my favorite '80s car. My buddy had one (a 1986) in the mid-90s, but someone stole it and totaled in around 1999.
that fucking sucks man......
Can’t believe I just heard Doug say ‘do it’s thang’.
Awesome.
Do its "this"
I liked the term "querk-fest"
Doug is the type of guy to end up on r/fellowkids
That thing is IMMACULATE! This is definitely one of my bucket list cars. They're absolutely amazing and gorgeous.
CertifiedCarNut I own one exactly the same as this,I love it but if you hit a curb in it it’ll flip onto its roof,hope gta fix this issue eventually 😞
Yeah, I was shocked at that, too. Though the engine bay was a little bit disappointing but I guess it means the guy does drive it. Some cars Doug gets you wonder if they even took it to the car wash ahead of time?
That El Camino at the stoplight though during the driving section...
Yeah, you know that El Camino driver knew what a Grand National was.
@@psterud For Sho.
Not a fan of the wheels on it though. Would have preferred a more period correct aftermarket wheel style.
Omg I thought the same thing lol
It was destiny 😂
"Look at this interesting quirk"--points to the way most cars were at the time. It's like seeing a car through a child's eyes.
Bro this was like one of my favorite cars in GTA San Andreas.
What car was it lol I have a 85 regal and would be cool to see it in the game
@@chrisyarber3352 It was called the "Majestic" in Sand Andreas and called "Faction: in GTA 4 and 5.
Hell yeah I'd usually ditch whatever I was driving if i saw one of these rolling down the road.
Usually had a tricked out one in my Grove street house garage too.
I actually didn't like it, it wasn't fast,
it has those ugly wheels and it understeered like hell
Woooo!
Legends says the first crowd to be mowed over by a mustang was trying to avoid racing a Grand National.
My dad had a grand National and said how he never lost to a single mustang ever lol but his grand National had 500 plus HP
80s and even 90s Mustangs were slugs
This is probably the fastest I ever clicked on a Doug DeMuro video, I absolutely ADORE this car, really amazing...
my favorite car hands down
My Dad drove a 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass around the time that I started to remember vehicles. The interior of this Buick, covered with squares and boxes, is a real nostalgic trio for me cause the Cutlass was basically the exact same. I even remember the "GM" logo on the seatbelts. The Cutlass was a POS, but memorable because it was all vans all the time after that.
My parents had a cutlass cierra international edition with plush royal blue interior. It was tinted out dark. The outside was dark blue too. It looked pretty good in it’s time. It had the 3.8 V-6. That was a really fun car to drive.
I really appreciate that Doug never reviews pimped out vehicles...he always reviews bone stock vehicle 😎
Now that's classy!
I think the most a car ever had was an aftermarket exhaust and IIRC, that was his Skyline.
He did mention something about modifications to make this car more livable in the modern age though. I'm not sure if those were applied to this car or not.
@@PeugeotRocket skyline was never sold in the States so he had to get whatever he found and an exhaust is not much of a big deal
Ani Rudh well after market cars wouldn’t work for the Doug score
@@anirudh3943 I know this. I'm just saying I believe that was the most a car on his channel has ever had.
@@PeugeotRocket Wasn't there the Vanquish with the transmission swap?
Man, I can't wait for concert sound 3 to come out!
Dynamic Dallas You’re late! I have it in my 02 Park Avenue.
@@bigjaydogg3384 damn! I wanted to hear how it sounds on my beastie boys cassette! 😕
Any day now..
A Doug review of a muscle car??? Dreams come true indeed!
this review was my suggestion
But he already did some muscle reviews right? Like the hellcat, demon, camaro, mustang..
I was driving a 1968 firebird with a 468 bbc , tunnel ram with two 850 holley carbs , 4 speed. I didnt pay too much attention to any new cars back then. If it didnt sound like a B-29 , i wasnt interested. Wish i had paid more attention , cool cars in a day when 300 hp did not exist.
Ended up with a 1990 ZR-1 Corvette , king of the hill. Think i will take her out for a spin and listen to some Def Leppard. Nice work.👍👍🏁🏁
A Corvette ZR-1 is way cooler than a GNX!
Plus it has a V8 as it should! 💪
There’s nothing appealing about an American sports car with a V6…
i never expected doug to review this car
one of my favorites
KARA BEST GIRL Doug will eventually review every car model in the world
I AM SURPRISE TOO, 5 DAYS AGO A GOOD FRIEND OF MY TOLD ME THAT A GRAN NATIONAL WAS IN HIS WISH LIST OF CAR ( HE GOT A 2019 CORVETTE ZR1 ) , HE IS GOING TO GET THE GRAN NATIONAL , MCLAREN 720s AND FEW OTHER ONES !
The original ‘eco-boost’. GM should have stuck with their turbo v6 program and they would have been light years ahead of Ford. The engine in this car was way ahead of its time.
I had a slightly revived "hot-rod" 2003 Buick Regal GS w/a supercharged V6. More like a sleeper. The supercharged engine was nice but a turbo would have been so much better.
Ford was boosting mustangs and Tbirds back then as well. 200hp and 240ftlb was unheard of back then from a 4 cylinder.
@@ajlukelepuke I've always wanted one of those early 2000's Buick GSs
Why did it stop? Just curious.
Hajduk I have a feeling there were possibly bruised egos and related politics on GM’s V8 and Corvette divisions. GM was heavily invested in those programs to be shown up by a small team with slightly modded Skylark. GM probably viewed the turbo v6 as an economic sales threat to their other divisions and didn’t want to further develop it out of fear of canibalizing their other big ticket brands. Huge mistake though. They went the wrong direction for decades and it cost them dearly.
One of the most menacing muscle cars, and the turbo v6 had v8 owners crying back in the day.
An Ae86 CaN bEaT iT oN a MoUnTaIn PaSs.
cause v8s back then were choked out cause of emissions you dumbass
A 5.7L V8 shouldn't be slower than this.
@@SalveMonesvol Which one specifically? There are many different engines from different manufacturers with that displacement. Most of them would lose to a GNX.
I didn't see any brake torque starts either with the turbo spooled up off the line.
Shoutout dot
Doug I love your videos but I am older than most of your fans.
Just so you know, our beloved government REQUIRED that speedometers not go beyond 85 MPH for a while in the 80s.
Even Porsche 911s and other high performance European cars had to meet this "limit".
Regards,
Steve Haskins
Dude...fisher body was owned by general motors...gm had that logo placed on car door sills until 1990...my great grandfather worked at fisher body...
Yeah, Fisher Body was dissolved as a division in like 1984 or 1985, but cars already in production kept their Body by Fisher tag until a body change. I think that's what I remember being told. I worked for GM back in the day, but that was a long time ago.
Hey, Doug! The reason Litre was spelled that way was because McLaren (yes, that one) helped design the engine.
Pontiac did that with the trans am if it had the Oldsmobile 403 instead of the poncho 400.
it's not the mclaren you think
mclaren from f1 didn't knew the existence of the grand national
you talk about asc/mclaren wich is a complete different company not related to the f1 team
That was only with the gnx
@@bonka_mann true
Graduated in '87...in Michigan. Some inside info...I knew some Buick engineers (family friends) who tested/designed the Buick GN GNX in Lansing. They were doing some "tweaks" to the turbo, mapping, tires, exhaust tuning, etc. Anyway, one engineer said they got 375+ hp out of that 3.8L...but, had a problem with vaporizing tires and stopping. The GNX horsepower rating was ridiculously low from the factory.
This is my absolute dream car!
Beautiful G-body goodness.
Uh 7/10 for cool factor? I dont think so. Its a solid 10/10 if you ask me. I would put it at a 12/10 if I could.
For real. Truly one of the most bad ass cars ever. If Batman’s dick drove a car, it would be this one.
That's why Doug has such realistic scores. It's pretty much given without any input from his soul. It's like pacman, he loves cars so much he exited and reentered the screen checking his passion at door.
Like, if he had to buy a car even though he hates to drive and thinks it's only dirt bags who burn petrol, this is what 'that soulless' Doug thinks.
Also, he edits out a lot of the actual fun he has in these cars. You've never seen him do doughnuts or turn traction control off, right? So if it's edited out, did it really happen?
J/K Doug, I've never seen you doing doughnuts in the home depot parking lot in a company boxster 😏
Kilson Tackett i put 1/10
It's just an 80s GM car for the non car people, and considering the GNX exist a 7 is totally fair in my opinion
Cool factor is it’s “showstopper” or “head-turner” status. A Koenigsegg is a 10. Anything less isn’t a 10.
"oh wow it's surprisingly quick..." "the steering wheel moves about 2 inches before anything happens."
Gives acceleration 2/10 and handling 4/10.
Nonetheless, an awesome car.
He was wrong on the zero to 60 time when he said 6.7 secs. Those were low 5 sec cars all day long when you dialed up the boost. The GNX was 4.7 sec o to 60.
Generations of cars used the old steering box/ tie rod systems. you have to keep the wheel in the middle and it'll go straight. They're not hard to drive at all. You just have to know how to drive is all. Rack and Pinion has taken over the industry and that's why the super tight steering tolerances. What makes R and P so attractive is it's extremely simple. No more front end alignments and the ball joints just snap in and out. But, steering tightness depends on the vehicle it's on. Tight steering causes problems with a pickup truck that has a lot of lean in the turns. Tight steering tends to over lean it very easily. Different types for different swipes.
@@almodequindre8601 this dude is embarrassing the GN with his 0 to 60 time he definitely can’t drive
@@tripledub0evoxgsr He either can't drive or he misquoted the time.
It’s a muscle car lol built to drive straight what does anyone expect 😂
Kendrick
no his name is doug
"Oh, is it a quirk fest in here" is something a Doug Demuro impersonator would say
Quirk-a-'Riffic!
That is an exceptionally well-preserved car. Kudos to the owner.
I have seen a few dope amazing examples in Florida. Ocala and Gainesville
Thank you
The coin holder was for tolls - not pay phones. You are so young!
No pay phones, we had pagers.
That's right, and those old coin holders were merely an easier way to provide exact change at drive-through windows or toll booths vs having to unbuckle your seat belt and dig through your pants pocket for ONE goddamn nickel!
Y'all ever think that it just might be a possibility that it was for whatever the hell we wanted? Lol.
Also pagers were a one way notification device that had their own number but all it told you was that someone wanted you to call them. They weren't a texting device.
Most people in the country didn't and still doesn't live near toll roads or bridges, I think I've had to pay a toll once in my entire life.
@Zephyx aw.. I figured he was ~45.. 🙄
@Troy Vorlik
I was thinking the exact same, haha! Thanks!
A little history. The first 3.8 turbo Regals came out in '78, and they blew up. A lot. So much so that GM was replacing entire engines under warranty. The ECMs in these cars were not fast enough to retard spark knock, and spun rod bearings was common. It wasn't until 3 years later that they introduced fuel injection and faster ECM's, and a legend was born.
"It's made to be fun in a straight line"
Rates handling higher than acceleration.
don't bother with his scoring system, it is totally weird and inconsistent. well nobody takes that seriously anyways. we're all just here to see the cool and rare gems our Doug here gets to present, such as this Buick Grand National.
Yeah, he rated the Mini, which is even quicker... in the low 6's, as a '3'. I'm wondering how quick does a car have to be to get an average 5 - 6 score?
These cars were rated based on whatever top brand luxury car he drove. So to compare a 80s Buick gn to a modern amg Mercedes would net it a......
Acceleration is based on 0-60 time. If it does 0-60 in 3 seconds or less it's a 10. 0-60 in above 7 seconds is a 1.
85 mph speedo was federally mandated. You couldnt have one measure past 85
Yeah, from '79 to '81, that mandate went away in '82.
I had a 1980 Z-28 with an 85 mph speedometer. But you could tell how fast you were going by the tachometer, I've long forgotten the numbers though. It had a 4-speed manual trans and T-tops, I loved that car! The hood scoop would open up when you floored it.
Everyone knew if you went over 85 "it was buried" but it might break. But no one NOONE didn't *drive over 55* after what happened to that rocker
I think the law changed in 1987, so the GNX has the 120+ mph, but most cars didn't change until 88,89
The guy who owns this grand national deffently knows how to take care of a vehicle. Very pristine.
That ain't factory hahaha the Paint job on that thing is great!
Has to be the most well-preserved 80s car Doug’s done a piece on so far - thing looks brand new.
Lots of guys bought those new and stored them away they knew it was an instant classic. Wonder how many are rotting away with no miles on them
Still 30years later the most EVIL looking car on the road!
Me and my old iroc-z and formula saw the tail lights of these things many nights , I still suffer PTSD from those dog fights back in the 90s .. nights I may never forget.
Definitely the villainsCar
LOL
@@Madmaxxxx1984 friend of mine had a 87 gn. Was slow, ran 16.30. He got pissed when a 305 z beat him.
Mehhhhh squares not really mean as it use to be lol
Absolutely love that interior. I absolutely love this vehicle.
Such an 80's ride. Fantastic.
Liked the interior in my 1986, except the lack of a center armrest. Had mine not been stolen, I would have swapped the console out for one from a Monte SS - also the dash (round speedo & tach)
I love it when you just hit the shitter and a notification pops up with a new video from Doug.
Clams McGee .....i-
@Clams McGee That escalated fairly quickly
Andrew Smith yeah thats disgusting kiddo
@Andrew Smith Well there's something you dont hear or see everyday😖
5:07 Hey that 3rd brake light may be something to chuckle at now for those who weren't there. But to us who were there, that add-on light was practically a status symbol! So much so that some of us (like me haha) with older models bought one just to have the "look" of the newer models! 😄
That third brake light was in vogue!
My father's got one with a turbo upgrade, torque converter, built internals and tuned. It's rediculous. My favorite car since I was a kid. Most kids had a Lamborghini Diablo poster on their wall. I had this on mine.
You don’t want to mess with anyone driving a grand national. Car is straight gangster
There was a young guy thrashing on his mint GN at the Hoonigan Burnyard. It made me cringe how be beat on it without giving a shit.
Cars are mean't to be driven. I'd thrash on it too. Life is too short to be boring
@@creeksquadnation2129 If I had deep pockets, sure, but I'd rather beat on something in average condition. Not saying I'm into trailer queens, but I'm not rich 😁
Stfu
Fisher was bought by GM and became a division within the company.
The last 40% of Fisher was bought by GM in 1926.
looking at that radio station list for Jacksonville/St Augustine Florida and WAPE 95.1 was my jam back in the day!
Fisher Body was the GM production plant that built the car!! Come on Doug!
That's been in the door sill of GM cars since like the 1920's
Grew up a few miles from the plant in Hamilton, Oh.
He also called the Tach an RPM gauge. Why does anyone take anything that this guy says about cars seriously? He doesn't know shit.
Flash Bandicoot He called it the tach just before that lmao what are you talking about
@@flashbandicoot5444 why is that odd? A tachometer measures the working speed of an engine and does so typically in revolutions per minute.
Coin storage in the glove box holds $1.75.
Doug, it's amazing to watch your reaction to 1980s vehicles, like the "Fisher Body" emblem! The Fisher Brothers were famous Coach Builders that founded Fisher Body in 1908. It was a beg deal when GM purchased a 60% stake in the company in 1919. Fisher body used to design and build bodies for almost every car company up until they were purchased by General Motors!
Wait till he comes across a Ghia.
Several Fisher brothers went high up in GM management after the purchase, including president of Cadillac.
*Grand National pops up in a Buick ad*
Someone's grandma: tHaT's NoT a BuIcK!
Uh..No. Buick produced GM's FIRST "Muscle Car".......in 1936. Grandma would remember when Buick was a "hot" car. Hell, They were termed "The Doctor's Hot Rod"
Actually the ads for this car were pretty memorable. I remember George Thorogood And The Destroyers "Bad To The Bone" as background music for one of the Buick Grand National ads.
@Garrison Nichols Buick Muscle is BAD TO THE BONE! Stage II, Class that kicks ass!!!
Lol it’s funny you say that I have a friend who’s parents only drive lesabres and that’s all he drove till he was like 21 but he was gonna buy a Camaro and posted a picture on Facebook and one of our friends litterally commented “THATS NOT A BUICK” haha it’s weird I seen this comment cause I haven’t thought about that in years and me and my dad where talking about him the other day and I thought about that and had a chuckle then tonight I read this
it is a pontiac grand prix!
This that “I’m gonna eliminate LeBron in the first round” type vibe
What
@@wv4776 devin booker drove this car to the game when he beat lebrons lakers in the first round of the NBA playoffs
@anonymous Devon booker the nba allstar