The Buick Grand National Is the Ultimate 1980s Muscle Car - Doug Demuro
05-16-19, 09:13 PM
#1
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
The Buick Grand National Is the Ultimate 1980s Muscle Car - Doug Demuro
i was very pleased to see this pop up earlier, watching the review makes me want one even more! it just seems like every aspect of this car has something to make you constantly smile about... the turbo spooling up obviously, and then the 80s GM interior is just so comically retro to look at
having one of these that's putting out like 500hp sounds like an absolute blast... kinda like this guy's
(skip to about 1:40)
having one of these that's putting out like 500hp sounds like an absolute blast... kinda like this guy's
(skip to about 1:40)
05-17-19, 06:48 AM
#3
Lexus Fanatic
Interesting muscle-car for the period, but never was one of my favorite Buicks. Too much of a Boy-Racer, with funeral-colors inside and out...No Thanks.
I agree with tex, BTW....Doug's a good reviewer, but I'm not impressed with his speaking style.
I agree with tex, BTW....Doug's a good reviewer, but I'm not impressed with his speaking style.
05-17-19, 08:54 AM
#5
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
05-17-19, 09:28 AM
#7
Lexus Fanatic
I can't resist, was Doug even born in the 80's? Unfortunately he is one of maybe 3 people that I boycott on YouTube. Too annoying....I stopped when he was bragging about how much he got out of an extended warranty on a Range Rover...
Great car no doubt and sought after.
Great car no doubt and sought after.
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05-17-19, 09:45 AM
#8
Lexus Fanatic
I can't resist, was Doug even born in the 80's? Unfortunately he is one of maybe 3 people that I boycott on YouTube. Too annoying....I stopped when he was bragging about how much he got out of an extended warranty on a Range Rover...
Great car no doubt and sought after.
Great car no doubt and sought after.
I have always loved GN's but I never even knew they existed until I think 1997 when my uncle pointed one out and told me about them, I knew a girl whose mother had one but it was painted dark grey. Even the import scene in the 90's had great respect for GN's because of how much power they could put down and be tuned for and some legendary drag cars/racers who used them like Kenny Duttweiler. GN is my favorite muscle car from the 80's, pretty much my favorite muscle car all together, they just look so badass which is more impressive because the car it is based on is very bland.
05-17-19, 10:33 AM
#9
Lexus Fanatic
He looks, talks, and acts like a guy well into his 40's but he is younger. I still like his reviews especially because he focuses more on the interiors and all the features/quirks of cars most reviewers just gloss over for some reason.
I have always loved GN's but I never even knew they existed until I think 1997 when my uncle pointed one out and told me about them, I knew a girl whose mother had one but it was painted dark grey. Even the import scene in the 90's had great respect for GN's because of how much power they could put down and be tuned for and some legendary drag cars/racers who used them like Kenny Duttweiler. GN is my favorite muscle car from the 80's, pretty much my favorite muscle car all together, they just look so badass which is more impressive because the car it is based on is very bland.
I have always loved GN's but I never even knew they existed until I think 1997 when my uncle pointed one out and told me about them, I knew a girl whose mother had one but it was painted dark grey. Even the import scene in the 90's had great respect for GN's because of how much power they could put down and be tuned for and some legendary drag cars/racers who used them like Kenny Duttweiler. GN is my favorite muscle car from the 80's, pretty much my favorite muscle car all together, they just look so badass which is more impressive because the car it is based on is very bland.
Wonder if any GM heads can explain where the vista roof came about.
05-17-19, 10:44 AM
#10
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
is vehicle virgins also on your boycott list haha
05-17-19, 10:46 AM
#11
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
as far as the first three than yea who doesn't like that
05-17-19, 02:18 PM
#13
Lexus Champion
Can't stand this guy...he doesn't know nearly as much about cars as he thinks he does. The latest was when he was talking about how the new LS is depreciating badly, he also claimed every LS always has......::::buzzer:::: dead wrong.
I refuse to give him any more views, but yes I'll agree the GNX was a freaking monster.
I refuse to give him any more views, but yes I'll agree the GNX was a freaking monster.
05-17-19, 05:08 PM
#15
I love Buick GN's. They don't handle or brake well but they are just glorious to drive. I've had the privilege before and nearly bought a near-stock '87 GN myself many years ago well before their average values went stratospheric.
DeMuro wasn't pushing it very hard in his video. They really are underrated and make well more than just "245" horsepower and whatever the official stock torque rating is. The interior is exactly as cheap 80's GM as is depicted and there is plenty of body roll but you won't care once you're in the driver's seat. Imagine an actually cool looking version of the quintessential retired grandpa weekend cruiser, fitted with a strong but lazy automatic transmission and a limited slip differential and in front of you under the hood one of the toughest iron-block turbocharged engines ever made fitted with a Garrett T3/T4 hybrid turbo.
Hit the gas and.... wait... wait... WHOOSH. You're now rocketing forward in the equivalent of a ballistic refrigerator on four wheels. It's just so silly and fun it's impossible not to love the experience of it.
They take to higher boost and modifications just the way a 1JZ or 2JZ does. Buick GN's and Regal T-Types are just amazing classic muscle cars.
If only the trick GNX ladder rear suspension system were made standard on all 3.8 turbo Regals and not just on 547 super rare examples.
Many years back I ran into two teens who were in a 1978 Buick Regal 3.8 turbo in ok shape. Same basic chassis and body lines as the later GN's but in a deep sunday driver burgandy paint color with a deep red interior and factory chrome everywhere with wire hubcap wheels. The kind of car that you'd find right at home competing with the late 70's Chrysler Cordoba that was made famous in those Ricardo Montalban commercials.
The '78 model had the same base 3.8L V6 block and probably similar heads but it was turbocharged with a blow-through carbureted fuel system. No factory intercooler either. But that was the earliest genesis of the body on frame G-body chassis and the earliest iteration of the turbo V6 engine that later was worked over and improved by engineers until it became the famous 1986 and 1987 Grand Nationals.
1985 GN's are very similar and can be converted to the later specs or modified just the same but 1987 Grand Nationals also saw the highest production numbers out of any other year for this model and trim package. Around 20k or so GN's for 1987 like a last hurrah since the new front-drive W-body Regal was scheduled to replace the G-body for 1988.
And there are also all of those 1984-1987 Regal T-Types with a couple of the desirable "W" performance packages.
These things never go out of style.
DeMuro wasn't pushing it very hard in his video. They really are underrated and make well more than just "245" horsepower and whatever the official stock torque rating is. The interior is exactly as cheap 80's GM as is depicted and there is plenty of body roll but you won't care once you're in the driver's seat. Imagine an actually cool looking version of the quintessential retired grandpa weekend cruiser, fitted with a strong but lazy automatic transmission and a limited slip differential and in front of you under the hood one of the toughest iron-block turbocharged engines ever made fitted with a Garrett T3/T4 hybrid turbo.
Hit the gas and.... wait... wait... WHOOSH. You're now rocketing forward in the equivalent of a ballistic refrigerator on four wheels. It's just so silly and fun it's impossible not to love the experience of it.
They take to higher boost and modifications just the way a 1JZ or 2JZ does. Buick GN's and Regal T-Types are just amazing classic muscle cars.
If only the trick GNX ladder rear suspension system were made standard on all 3.8 turbo Regals and not just on 547 super rare examples.
Many years back I ran into two teens who were in a 1978 Buick Regal 3.8 turbo in ok shape. Same basic chassis and body lines as the later GN's but in a deep sunday driver burgandy paint color with a deep red interior and factory chrome everywhere with wire hubcap wheels. The kind of car that you'd find right at home competing with the late 70's Chrysler Cordoba that was made famous in those Ricardo Montalban commercials.
The '78 model had the same base 3.8L V6 block and probably similar heads but it was turbocharged with a blow-through carbureted fuel system. No factory intercooler either. But that was the earliest genesis of the body on frame G-body chassis and the earliest iteration of the turbo V6 engine that later was worked over and improved by engineers until it became the famous 1986 and 1987 Grand Nationals.
1985 GN's are very similar and can be converted to the later specs or modified just the same but 1987 Grand Nationals also saw the highest production numbers out of any other year for this model and trim package. Around 20k or so GN's for 1987 like a last hurrah since the new front-drive W-body Regal was scheduled to replace the G-body for 1988.
And there are also all of those 1984-1987 Regal T-Types with a couple of the desirable "W" performance packages.
These things never go out of style.
Last edited by KahnBB6; 05-17-19 at 05:24 PM.