1986 Buick Grand National
Muscle cars had been dead for over 10 years when out of the blue Buick eased the Grand National onto the performance scene. But the Grand National started more with a whimper than a turbo wail, because the 1982 Grand National was not much to scream about. The all-black Darth Buick look was still two years away. The 1982 Grand National had a 125hp, naturally aspirated V6. It was enough of a yawn that only 215 were produced, though 35 had the iconic turbocharged V6 putting out 175hp. It was meant as a commemorative model celebrating Buick winning the 1981 and 1982 Manufacturers Cup in NASCAR’s Winston Cup Grand National Series. Basically, a one-year-only “sticker car.” Jump to 1984, and things changed, a new Grand National hit the showrooms. Now under the all-black exterior was a 200hp 3.8 liter turbocharged V6. Some scoffed until they saw the performance figures—it pulled off quarter-mile times at less than one-second off of a new Corvette’s time. In 1985 Buick was satisfied enough to continue with the Grand National virtually unchanged. Then in 1986 Buick installed an air-to-air intercooler and increased boost to gain an extra 35hp, and extra 30 pound-feet of torque. That equated to 13.7-second times in the quarter mile, whereas the 1985 Corvette could only pull off 14.2-seconds. Wow! The ultimate GN came in 1987 when the GNX (Grand National Experiment) Grand National made its debut. Standard Grand Nationals had 245hp and 355 pound-feet of torque, while 547 were sent to McLaren where larger turbos, better ECUs, and stiffer suspensions made them the ultimate Grand National. These GNXs pumped out 276hp and 360 pound-feet of torque, cutting quarter mile times down to 13.5-seconds.
1986 Grand National
Buick engineers tweaked the turbocharged V6 with an air-to-air intercooler, boosting the horsepower to 235hp. 5,512 Grand Nationals were produced, along with 2,384 T-Types. Chrome wheels became available, and a federally mandated third brake light was added to the rear. Solid gray bucket seats was the only interior change.
Available Models:
1986 Grand National
- Engine Options
- 3.8L V6-Turbocharged, 235hp
1986 Grand National VIN Decoder:
First Character: Country
Second Character: Manufacturer
Third Character: Make
Fourth Character: Series
Fifth Character: Option Level
Sixth and Seventh Characters: Body Code
Eighth Character: Engine
- 7 ~ LC2 3.8L V6 SFI Turbo
Ninth Character: Check Digit
Tenth Character: Year
Eleventh Character: Assembly Plant
Twelfth-Seventeenth Characters: Serial Number
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