1987 Buick Grand National vs 2018 gt

[2018GT]

I definitely agree with the others. If he is fairly stock you shouldn’t have a problem. I’m interested on how it goes.

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[schmeky]

I'm itchin' for challenge and this old school GN matchup with a high tech GT is going to be interesting. I agree with everyone based on everything I have read on the GN. It should be a run away with the GT in the lead.

I let everyone know how it pans out.

 

[Balr14]

Bigger turbo is the GNX, either way unless you really screw the pooch, you'll destroy him.

This is no time for romance!

 

[BARNESGN]

My GN was ‘stockish’ and ran 12.1 easy, had about 390 to the wheel. My lightly modified Buick would out run my stock 15. I sold my Grand National back in 2017 so no match ups for me.

 

[8borerifle]

My GN was ‘stockish’ and ran 12.1 easy, had about 390 to the wheel. My lightly modified Buick would out run my stock 15. I sold my Grand National back in 2017 so no match ups for me.

I owned a couple of GN's and swapped an 87 GN drivetrain into a 1984 Montecarlo SS. With just a chip change the Monte ran mid 13's. Added a TA-61 turbo,bigger injectors Red Armstrong chip and ATR exhaust and with stock tires it ran easy mid 12's at 108 with 93 Octane. Add slicks and racing fuel and adjust boost and fuel pressure went 11.01 @122 at Norwalk Drag strip. Adding the TA-61 turbo killed the low end response as the turbo took longer to spool. Not a lot of fun to just drive around. Would just fry the stock tires after the big turbo spooled. I had a 2012 Mustang GT auto and I can tell you it was at least 1 second faster than a stock GN. The thing about a GN is at the light you don't know if you are racing a 13 sec or a 10 sec car! Wish I had one back!

 

[saleen367]

I've never known a GN owner to have a stock car. Anyone who buys those, especially now, knows their sleeper potential. They are big, ugly and heavy, but that V6 turbo ruined many Corvette owner days in the late 80's.
As Mustang owners, we hated them because you couldn't tell if it was stock or not. They all looked and sounded the same regardless of what was done to them.
Stock but bigger turbo means modded fuel system and CPU is likely. Don't be shocked if he walks you and then laughs.

 

[schmeky]

When we were "car talking" he made reference to how fast his GN is, but never gave me any numbers.

A mid to low 13 second car is not fast. I am having my doubts it only has a bigger turbo with all the comments you guys are posting.

Regardless, we are going to find out.

Blackandblue;

I'm going to ask just that on the 93/methanol.

 

[Idaho2018GTPremium]

This is an interesting thread IMO. I realize the Grand National has a lot of potential, but it's a 30+ year old car. I've been collecting a performance database on all types of vehicles for the past year+. What I've learned is that old performance cars crack me up compared to their modern brethren (this doesn't surprise most of us, but the general population doesn't understand the massive amount of progress in performance cars in the last 25 years):

1987 Buick Grand National:
Motor Trend: 0-60 mph: 6.1 sec; quarter mile: 14.7 sec @ 95.1 mph, 60-0 mph: 149 ft (MT, August 1987)
Road and Track: 0-60 mph in 6.0 sec and through the quarter mile in 14.7 sec at 94.0 mph.

It was about as quick as a Camaro IROC Z in the day. Ah, but compared to a modern car....Congrats, from the factory, the Grand National is about as quick as a 2019 Mazda CX-5 compact crossover (signature trim, 250 hp 4 cyl.; 0-60 in 6.1 sec, 1/4 mile in 14.6 @ 95 mph).

My first car was a used 1987 Camaro Z28 that ran the 1/4 mile in about 15 flat, and I was envious of an older acquaintance of mine that had a clean Grand National (I don't remember if it was a GNX). This was in '96. Turns out it wasn't that much quicker than my Z but in my mind it was a bigger delta between the two.

OH, and the big bad GNX? C&D tested one that went 0-60 in 4.7 seconds (truly very quick back then) and the 1/4 mile in 13.5 @ ~102 mph. That was a special press car, so I wouldn't be surprised if it was a hot factory car but none-the-less, that's what it ran. R&T couldn't best upper 13s in their tester (with some abuse on it according to the article I read). Anyway, that's at least decent by today's standard for a sports sedan. Although, 4th gen LT1 powered Camaro Z28 SS (not the base Z28 version) and Trans Am WS6 were trapping 104-106 mph so 102 mph didn't stay impressive for terribly long.

All that to say, if he's stock or near stock, GNX or not, your 2018 GT should lay waste esp if it's the A10 (can't tell by your post or signature). The question is - how much has been done to the car to make it very much, significantly quicker than a factory stock Grand National. A little more boost from a slightly larger turbo won't be enough.

 

[Idaho2018GTPremium]

When we were "car talking" he made reference to how fast his GN is, but never gave me any numbers.

A mid to low 13 second car is not fast. I am having my doubts it only has a bigger turbo with all the comments you guys are posting.

Regardless, we are going to find out.

Blackandblue;

I'm going to ask just that on the 93/methanol.

While someone who owns a Grand National is likely not "most people", I've learned that most people have a tendency to think something that has some torque is quick. Or think a car is quick because it's a certain brand. Two cases in point: My buddy wanted me to race his 2016 Mercedes C300 which has a 241 hp turbo 4 banger. He thought it had good "pick up" and a lot of torque. Turns out, that is about a 14.9 @ 93 mph car. A far cry from a 12.1 @ 120 mph of an A10 PP1 GT. I declined and said my car makes double the hp, and that it wouldn't be close.
2nd point: A coworker's wife has a 2017 Lexus NX200t, which has a 235 hp turbo 4 banger. He swears the car is quick, and has even bragged about beating some foreign car in a stoplight drag race, and the kid in the foreign car pulled up at the next light asking him what he had in the car/crossover. Come on man! The Lexus NX200t is a 15.3 @ 90-91 mph car. He thinks because it's a Lexus it's automatically quick. He also talks about how fun it is on twisty roads. Haha. I just shake my head. I'd probably scare the piss out of him if I took him for a ride on some twisties.

 

[Inthehighdesert]

I’m bett’n the GN owner is VERY up to date on what modern cars can and will do in the quarter mile, especially the Gt. I had both a Ttype and Gn back when they came out. Both ran low tens at 5200ft of elevation and the only clue was when the slicks went on and it was uncapped. Regardless of the outcome it’s all fun anyway. They are still at the top the list for that era. I was a big foxbody fan to.

 

[Balr14]

A friend had a Syclone back in the early 90s, which used the same drivetrain as the GNX. It was incredibly easy to get that thing to run low 12s. That's with 25 year old technology. With today's turbo technology and electronics, 10s would be easy.

An interesting side note... I wanted to buy my friends Syclone about a year or two later. I called him and he told me some guy from Sweden saw it in his driveway and offered him top dollar for it so he sold it to him. I started looking for other Syclones and heard the same story from everyone I talked to. I tracked one down at a small dealer about 20 miles from home. I told the guy I would be there around 10:00 on Saturday. The guy from Sweden beat me by an hour. Apparently some guy from Sweden was buying up all the Syclones he could find and shipping them back to Sweden. There were damn few Syclones around for sale after than.

 

[Hack]

Back in 87 I had a 70 Dodge dart with a 318 and 2barrel carb, headers and point ignition and a wore out humpty dumpty camshaft, a brand new black GN pulls up, we go from a stop and after 1st gear I'd slowly pull away, we went at it over and over, from dead stops to rolls and I'd get him every time, we pull over he was nice guy but pissed, he said he just bought the car and asked how much I bought mine, lol I said 350.00 he wasn't happy especially when I told him what it was for a power plant

Cool story.

I had an '87 Mustang with a GT40 HCI but fairly mild setup and a N type Regal pulled up next to me. We were in Mexico at a stoplight at the top of a freeway onramp, so there was no traffic in front of us at all. This was in the early 2000s. I walked him at the light and had 3 or 4 cars on him at 50 or so. I looked in the rear view as I prepared to let off the gas and noticed he was still on it hot and heavy based on the somewhat rich exhaust coming out of it. I continued to pour it on and he was 5 or 6 cars back by the time I decided I was going a little too fast for even the Mexican highways.

I think it had some aftermarket mods, but I don't think that particular car would have anything for a new Mustang. I think the years can be hard on some turbo cars, especially if they are modded.

 

[m3incorp]

I'm willing to bet that GN (most likely) GNX has a few power tricks up his sleeve. Have fun but don't be surprised if you don't run off and leave him. I'm taking it you will do a roll and not a dig? Perhaps try doing both. Are you (OP) A10 or M6?

 

[Arkarius]

...I've learned that most people have a tendency to think something that has some torque is quick...

This sums up most people who are not car enthusiasts. Your average commuter car is going to feel plenty peppy for them and since it's all they know, they start thinking they are fast. Probably assuming that sports car making rumbling noises at 10% throttle is racing them, and all of a sudden they start racking up "wins."

 

[WildHorse]

Keep traction control on, race him from the dig and embarrass the fuck outta him in less than 60 ft

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