1987 Buick Regal Grand National Long Term Road Test - New Updates
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1987 Buick Grand National: Fuel Economy Update for February
March 5, 2013
With so many new test cars in and out of our garage during the past month, our 1987 Buick Grand National was a little underutilized.
After the addition of just one tank of gas, the fuel economy averages remain unchanged for February.
Kelly Toepke, News Editor @ 9,038 miles
Worst Fill MPG: 14.0
Best Fill MPG: 20.6
Average Lifetime MPG: 16.1
EPA MPG Rating (City/Highway Combined): N/A
Best Range: 282 miles
Current Odometer: 8,810 miles
1987 Buick Grand National: Childhood Flashbacks
February 22, 2013
Sitting down in our Buick Grand National, I'm immediately reminded of two very distinct experiences: driving my mother's 1983 Oldsmobile Delta 88 for the first time and driving my father's 1953 Studebaker Coupe for the first time.
The controls on the GN look and feel like 100 other cars from that era of General Motors. It is a level of boring that is almost evocative. There are no steering wheel controls, only four presets and the most basic 'digital' display ever conceived. This thing feels old, but the rumble under the bonnet tells me to expect different.
It's my first time driving our Grand National and the same fear inhabits me as it did with my dad's Studebaker Coupe. After 15 years of tearing it apart, painting it pink (calling it salmon), building the motor and suspension and repainting the car a gorgeous orange, my father finally finished his Studebaker. I got to take it for a lap around the roof of the parking garage.
After about 10 minutes of driving our GN, I'm feeling very American. I'm hanging an arm out the window and hoping for red lights on every street corner. Getting seen in this car is almost as important as driving it. I decide that it's required of me to go for a burger. I don't dare eat it in the car so I hit up the drive-thru at In-N-Out.
Fearing that I'll get a fry or a piece of my Double-Double somewhere between the mint condition seats and not be able to locate it, I park on the roof of a local structure and let the GN cool as I eat. I've decided that driving the Grand National feels more like a time machine than an automobile.
Travis Langness, Associate Editor @ 8,996 miles
1987 Buick Grand National: Nice Cabin Materials By Modern Standards
February 19, 2013
Today, if you want a car's cabin to seem high-end, it's basically automatic that you must slather the dash in some sort of squishy, soft-touch material. If you want to go that extra mile, cover it in a vinyl that looks like leather to evoke a Bentley or some other top-dollar car. To top it all off, stitch that vinyl.
Guess what? All of that applies to the 1987 Buick Grand National. The dash is squishy, it's covered in a reasonably nice vinyl and then stitched. Plus, it has something that very few cars have nowadays: actual metal.
Of course, the air vent plastic is brittle and both the turn signal stalk and shifter move with the fluidity of a dislocated shoulder. So you win some and you lose some. In the end, though, the Buick Grand National isn't as antiquated as you might think.
James Riswick, Automotive Editor @ 9,025 miles
1987 Buick Grand National: The Battery Died
February 15, 2013
"What's that?" Mark Takahashi asked, pointing at a receipt taped to the Buick Grand National's right-side warning light cluster. It looked like a fuel receipt or something. We both looked at it briefly, but more like a pair of baboons would, because neither of us actually read what it said.
Flash forward 25 minutes and we're outside Pep Boys following a purchase of items for an upcoming video. Mark tries to turn on the Buick to no avail. Unlike my turn with the SLS, it's quite obvious the battery's caput. We look at that receipt again: it was from a repair shop warning us that we needed a new battery. I picked up a banana and threw it at Mark.
Thankfully, however, as we were next to a Pep Boys, this was not a problem. We picked up a new battery for about $140 and bought a cheap socket wrench set because we weren't quite fortunate enough to have one on board. After a mere 7 minutes and 45 seconds, Mark had swapped out the new battery while I exchanged the old one.
So here's an Edmunds.com Top Tip: when your battery dies, make sure you're parked next to Pep Boys. Reading comprehension is also recommended.
James Riswick, Automotive Editor @ 9,030 miles
1987 Buick Grand National: Back on the Road for $762.18
February 13, 2013
Thanks again to Morgan's Auto Service in Santa Monica, CA, our long-term 1987 Buick Grand National is back on the road.
Greg Morgan and his team replaced our leaking heater core, which turned out to be a bit more complicated then we all originally thought. Turns out the Grand National uses a specific heater core that's different than one used in a run-of-the-mill Regal.
And, once we finally got the right part ($196.88), which of course cost more than the Regal unit, Greg's team went to the extra effort of reusing the original Harrison "brand" top and bottom portions of the original heater core. They removed them from the leaking core and soldered them onto a new brass American-made core so the car doesn't appear to have been molested. Nice touch guys.
Because we had driven the Buick 4,000 miles since its last oil change, we also asked Morgan's to change the oil and filter and give the car a thorough check.
They used 15W-40 conventional oil and added a bottle of Justice Bros. zinc additive to the oil to protect the GN's flat tappet camshaft. They also told us the battery needs replacing and there's a small leak coming from the radiator.
Stubborn and cheap as we are, we said we would deal with that stuff down the road and we settled the bill, which totaled $762.18, including $411.75 for labor.
Scott Oldham, Editor in Chief
1987 Buick Grand National: GNX Video from 1987
February 8, 2013
In 1987, the Buick Grand National was essentially the quickest car around. But there's always room for more. So Buick took it up a notch with the GNX. Only 547 were built, none with T-tops.
If you had the money to own one, you owned the street. Check out this 1987 local news video of the GNX construction process and what things were like in Detroit and the auto industry 26 years ago. Even Jim Wangers, the father of the Pontiac GTO, is interviewed and was surprisingly down on the GNX program.
Scott Oldham, Editor in Chief @ 9,005 miles
1987 Buick Grand National: Heater Core is Leaking
February 6, 2013
Our long-term 1987 Buick Grand National is sick. And it has been bed ridden for a week.
Last Friday I drove the GN about 45 miles east to Pomona to check out the Grand National Roadster Show. It was raining. All was well.
That night, however, on the return trip home, it quickly became obvious that the Buick wasn't right. I could smell coolant inside the car when the air conditioning was running, and the defogger would not work. I drove home looking through a fogged up windshield with a severe headache from the coolant fumes. I would occasionally put the windows down for some fresh air, but it was raining quite hard and soaking the Buick's pristine interior just felt wrong.
Obviously, the Buick's heater core is leaking. The parts are ordered and we plan to get it fixed this week.
Scott Oldham, Editor in Chief
1987 Buick Grand National: The Impostor
February 5, 2013
All of you naysayers were right. We editors just couldn't keep our long-term 1987 Buick Grand National in good condition. Despite Takahashi's extensive detailing efforts, what you see above is how our car looks just after a few days in my care. "Care" being a term open to interpretation.
Okay, that's a lie. I found this car near our office, and was struck by the contrast to our GN. Who would let one get this bad? But a second glance revealed that it was not what it seemed. This car is a wannabe, a clone, an...impostor.
There are a number of cues proving this is not a true GN, but it was the seats that first tipped me off. No swirly logo in the headrests. That, and there's only one real-deal GN on Earth that's anywhere near this level of crummy condition, and it resides at a makeshift restaurant called Captain Bob's Chowder House on Redemption Rock Road in Princeton, Massachusetts. If you've been there at any point in the past twenty-five years, you've seen it.
Jason Kavanagh, Engineering Editor
1987 Buick Grand National: Fuel Economy Update for January
February 4, 2013
Our 1987 Buick Grand National is a fuel-thirsty beast. No surprise for a car of its era, and intentions.
The Grand National managed to earn 20.6 mpg from its best tank of fuel so far, and a lowly 14 mpg from its worst tank, resulting in an average of 16.1 mpg over the life of our test.
Automotive Editor Mark Takahashi was behind the wheel for the Grand National's best tank. Read more about his recent trip to Las Vegas here.
Kelly Toepke, News Editor @ 8,810 miles
Worst Fill MPG: 14.0
Best Fill MPG: 20.6
Average Lifetime MPG: 16.1
EPA MPG Rating (City/Highway Combined): N/A
Best Range: 282 miles
Current Odometer: 8,810 miles
1987 Buick Grand National: Las Vegas Road Trip, Part 3
January 30, 2013
It was a whirlwind trip on a number of levels. I intended to leave Las Vegas at 6:30 a.m. on Monday morning so I could meet up with Riswick, new staff writer Mark Holthoff and blast-from-the-past editor, Josh Sadlier for a round of golf in Malibu. When the clock struck 3:00 a.m. I realized I wasn't going to make my tee time and kept going. Considering the latest developments, I was quite all right with this.
We took our time leaving Las Vegas, checking out at 10:45 a.m. and hitting the road for L.A. around noon. There were a couple of pockets of traffic, but for the most part the Grand National handled the intrusion well. At one point the engine did die, causing a very brief moment of dread, but it fired right back up.
The fatigue I felt from the drive up was amplified by the revelry from the night before. It felt like my body was wrecked before we even hit Barstow. It seems that this Buick from 1987 was in better shape than I.
On the return trip to L.A., I managed to get 20.6 mpg, which represents the best tank of the trip. The worst tank was the first, from L.A. to Barstow, which registered a lowly 14.1 mpg. The average came to 17.6 mpg over the 600-mile road trip.
After all was done, I was glad for the experience and gained yet another deathbed memory. After we unload the Grand National after its Edmunds tour of duty is up, I think I'll have fond memories of this car.
Mark Takahashi, Automotive Editor @ 8,805 miles
1987 Buick Grand National: Las Vegas Road Trip, Part 2
January 29, 2013
The road-trip conversations inevitably drifted from obscure music and movie quotes to more serious matters. Right around 245 miles into our journey, we both came to a very poignant conclusion.
We decided that we didn't want to keep dating other people. My relationship status changed a few miles before I shot this picture.
We weren't that far out of Las Vegas. We pulled onto the strip just as the sun went down around 6:00, and that's when I started working. I broke out the camera equipment and setup my signature night shot out the windshield. It was especially easy to rig the suction cup mount to the glass T-top.
In all honesty, we were growing tired of the Grand National at this point. The seats aren't very supportive and the ride is on the bouncy side. We also couldn't find any kind of a recirculation button or lever for the air conditioning to keep from inhaling the fumes coming off of a big rig's brakes. She was a real trooper, only complaining that the seatbelt was crossing her ummmm...chest in an uncomfortable fashion.
I'd probably pick a more modern and luxurious car for road-tripping duties, but our old Grand National certainly has an appeal all its own. Compliments were given from complete strangers, with one telling me, "You're rollin down the strip like a straight-up gangsta!" I think that's a compliment, right? Big Black also turned plenty of heads as we cruised our way to the Venetian. Apparently, it's big with European tourists.
The accommodations at the Venetian were exquisite and we dined like Henry VIII at Carnevino in the Palazzo Tower. I highly recommend the dry-aged rib eye and egg ravioli. Sorry, but photos and details of the next 12 hours are ummmm?not available.
Mark Takahashi, Automotive Editor @ 8,517 miles
1987 Buick Grand National: Las Vegas Road Trip, Part 1
January 28, 2013
It was a three day weekend. Actually, it was an uncharacteristic four-day weekend, as I decided to take Friday off, too. On Saturday morning an opportunity to spend a night in Las Vegas presented itself to me, but as much as I like Vegas, I was initially hit with a strange twinge in my gut.
Basically, I didn't want to go to Las Vegas alone. I can't think of anything as sad as spending a night in Sin City by myself. I went ahead and took the offer, thinking, "What's the worst that can happen?" Images of me waking up in a tub of ice and missing a kidney popped into my head.
Then I started texting a girl I was interested in. The thing is, we had only been on two dates so far. Granted, the dates went exceptionally well. "Fortune favors the bold," I told myself.
She responded 90 minutes later with, "Vegas? Tonight? What time did you need to leave? I've never been to Vegas." The fact that she was even entertaining this idea started to make her stock climb. Scheduling intervened, however, and we decided to head out on Sunday afternoon instead.
I hopped online, got a reservation at the Venetian. Scored a great deal on a sweet suite with two queen beds (I didn't want to be presumptuous) and then headed into Edmunds HQ to pick up the Grand National. I figured four hours in a car together should either make or break this endeavor.
We ended up leaving CasaHashi at 12:35 pm.
She was strangely familiar with the Grand National. As it turned out, she once owned an 80s-era Buick. Cool chick factor: climbing. We plugged the tape adapter into our iDevices and realized that we had similar tastes in music. Still climbing.
The stereo setup really doesn't sound too bad in the Grand National. You can really hear the tape adapter spinning in the player, so we just turned up the tunes louder. That also helped to drown out the numerous creaks coming from the interior. Seriously, I think there's a ping pong ball in a red Solo cup stuck in the driver's door.
At one point, I started hearing a weird humming coming from the back. It sounded like something was wrong with the car. Panic. It turned out, it was a rear speaker making some odd noises. Whew.
As we got up to highway speed, she noted that the weather-stripping around her door was whistling pretty noticeably. We just turned the stereo volume up higher.
Somewhere around Victorville on the 15 Freeway, the gas gauge was hovering between half and a quarter full. I wasn't sure how much range we had, so I stopped in Barstow at 2:50 pm. The time we spent in the car flew by. Still climbing.
11 gallons of premium fuel later, I pointed the Buick north.
Mark Takahashi, Automotive Editor @ 8,361 miles
1987 Buick Grand National: What's Different?
January 25, 2013
Photo by carguychronicles.com
While recently watching "Black Air", the documentary movie about the Grand National, I noticed something different about the last Grand National ever produced. It was a fleeting and somewhat blurry image of the front of the car, so I went back and froze the video to get a better look. Yep, seems those guys at the factory added a little something extra to mark the last Grand National to roll off the assembly line.
I then did the obligatory internet search and came across this photograph by carguychronicles.com that puts it into plain sight. Can any of you Grand National fans pick it out?
John DiPietro, Automotive Editor
1987 Buick Grand National: Great Visibility
January 21, 2013
I hear a lot of complaints from modern car owners about how thick A-pillars have gotten. Before crash tests got so restrictive, rollover protection and roof strength tests were alien to U.S. cars in the 1980s. Just take a look at how thin the pillar is on our Grand National. There's no need to bob your head back and forth to see through turns. The same held true for our departed 1985 Porsche 911.
I remember seeing concept sketches in design school where someone used a thick trellis-type A-pillar that had the windshield overlapping it. I thought it was brilliant because it allowed the driver to pretty much see right through. I so wish that concept had survived into production somewhere, but I suppose the big issue today would be where to place a side curtain airbag assembly. Someday, perhaps?
Mark Takahashi, Automotive Editor @ 8,198 miles
1987 Buick Grand National: Adding Oil
January 18, 2013
Between detailing duties, antenna repairs and my usual duties, I finally managed to fulfill a request to check the Grand National's oil. The requestor said that the last time he checked, it was about a half quart low, so it didn't register as an urgent issue.
I took it out for a short drive to get the engine up to temperature and checked the oil as I topped off the fuel. Sure enough, it was down by half a quart. I poured in some Valvoline Max Life High Mileage 5W-30, which is the same stuff that our mechanic has been using.
Mark Takahashi, Automotive Editor @ 8,192 miles
1987 Buick Grand National: Learning to Detail, Part Three
January 16, 2013
In the last installment of my detailing day at Meguiar's, we just finished the cleaning part of the procedure which included using clay bars and a liquid compound. This pretty much eliminated those offending swirl marks, but we weren't done yet.
The next step, polishing, is actually optional. It adds a deeper glossier finish, but depending on how much time and effort you want to commit to the project, it's one that can be skipped. We swapped off the heads of our dual-action polishers and loaded them up with Meguiar's Ultimate Polish. We selected a slower speed setting on the polishers and also lightened up on the pressure.
The key here was to keep in mind that we're just transferring the polish from the bottle to the paint. We're not trying to press the stuff deep into the surface. We were left with a very thin film that wiped away easily with, you guessed it, microfiber towels.
The next step, waxing and protection, is mandatory, as it'll ensure that all the hard work up to this point won't be wasted. Because our Grand National is mostly garaged and not exposed to harsh environments, I opted for their Gold Class Carnauba liquid wax. The Mikes said it would impart a deeper luster to the black paint and was only marginally less effective at long-term protection. The application process was identical to the polishing.
Through the whole process, we used the polishers to tackle the big areas and used the foam applicator pads for the smaller sections, like door handle pockets.
In the end, the Grand National looked absolutely stunning. Seriously, I couldn't stop looking at it even if Amber Heard showed up and started juggling flaming chainsaws next to it.
I learned quite a bit about detailing from the Mikes that day, and here are some of the important nuggets of wisdom that I'll pass on to you:
Read the directions and follow them.
Buy a lot of microfiber towels.
Only wash microfiber towels with other microfiber towels. DO not toss them in with cotton.
Don't use too much product. You're only wasting it and making it harder to remove later.
A lot of car care products are equally effective. Proper technique is the key.
There's nothing wrong with "all-in-one" products. Using a wash/cleaner/polish in a bottle could be a good thing to use between more serious detail jobs like this.
If you use a good dual-action polisher, it'll save a TON of time and it's virtually impossible to screw up the paint unless you drop it on the car.
There are more, for sure, but if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment here (it actually works for this long-term car) or find me on twitter (@mark_takahashi)
Mark Takahashi, Automotive Editor @ 8,105 miles
1987 Buick Grand National: Learning to Detail, Part Two
January 15, 2013
If you're new to this detailing series, head on back to part one to catch up, I'll wait.
Great! You're back and you know that we're doing a pretty decent detail and we have a lot of time on our hands to do it. Now on to part two: after the wash, cleaning.
Mike Pennington and Mike Stoops from Meguiar's and I determined the next course of action: clay bar. I'm an old dude and clay bars are still fairly new to me. I always thought of them as something to use when you really want a good detail and have a lot of time. I was wrong, and I've been doing it wrong.
The Mikes taught me to flatten the clay bar into something resembling a small pancake — you don't need a big brick of the stuff. Use plenty of whatever spray that comes with the clay bar to lubricate it over the paint surface. Use light pressure and just wipe that clay pancake all over the paint (that's Mike Stoops demonstrating it above).
Check it to see what kind of contaminants are coming off the surface and knead the clay a bit to give yourself another clean piece. Wipe clean with a microfiber cloth (seriously folks, buy these things in bulk) and you're left with a glassy-smooth surface.
This took no time at all and very little effort. If you're tired or your arms are sore, you're using way too much effort. The wash cleaned off surface contaminants. The clay bar cleans off what they called "attached" contaminants; the stuff that has embedded into the paint.
Now for the liquid part of the cleaning. We used Meguiar's Ultimate Compound for this step. You can use the foam applicator pad or, as we did, a dual-action polisher. DO NOT USE A PROFESSIONAL ROTARY POLISHER, you will likely damage the paint. We applied the compound in an "X" to the foam polishing pad and set the polisher to a higher speed setting. With moderate pressure, you press into the paint and move it in smooth overlapping strokes in areas that are about two-feet-square.
It was surprising to me how little compound was needed to clean the entire car. You don't even need to load up the pad with compound with every new section; only when it needs it. You should be left with a thin film, not a caked-on mess or even a white hazy veil. Less is more, here. Wiping it off (microfiber again!) is another art.
Fold the towel in quarters. The initial wipe "breaks" the surface of the wax. You should get about 75% of the wax off with this wipe. Flip the towel over to the clean side and wipe the remaining compound off. It's way easier if you don't use too much product, and just like the clay bar, effort should be light.
We kept evaluating the surface with the xenon light to see if it required another pass or two with the polisher. The results were stunning, as you can see in the test area shown below.
That concludes the cleaning portion. Next up: polishing. Look for Part Three shortly.
Mark Takahashi, Automotive Editor @ 8,105 miles
1987 Buick Grand National: Learning to Detail, Part One
January 14, 2013
I woke up early one morning and staggered to my backyard to wash our Grand National. The sun wasn't up yet (then again, neither was I) and I could see my breath in the cold air. Oddly enough, I still wasn't miserable. There's some strange gratification I get from hand washing a car. As someone who once had aspirations of being a car designer, the washing process often gives me a peek into designer's thought process; as if I'm getting a feel for the car when it was still made of clay.
But this was just the beginning of the day for me and the Buick?
I headed south into Orange County, headed for Meguiar's HQ in Irvine. Yes, that Meguiar's; you know, Barry, Car Crazy, car care products. I was going to get a lesson in detailing cars from the Meguiar's experts: Mike Pennington and Mike Stoops.
Step one was done in my yard; a wash with real car wash products, a clean mitt and a gentle drying. Once at the Meguiar's shop, the Mikes started my education. The wash removes surface contaminants. That makes sense, right? But the miles between CasaHashi and Irvine probably deposited a fine layer of dirt and grime, so we wiped down the cool surfaces (keep it out of the sun, people) with clean microfiber towels and a quick detailing spray.
Now we had a clean surface to work on, but next was an all-important evaluation.
When you set out to detail a car, you have a lot of variables to consider.
What is the condition of the car? Our Grand National was suffering from a lot of swirl marks; likely caused by our weekly car wash (they don't use microfiber towels). It's not easy to illustrate swirl marks in paint, but the picture below is a pretty clear indication of the paint, and those swirls were everywhere. Using harsh sunlight is a good way to evaluate the surface, but we used some bright handheld xenon flashlights to bring out the flaws.
What are your goals? That's easy, let's get rid of the swirls. But we also had to maintain the "character" of the Grand National's crappy orange peel factory paint.
How much time do you have? I planned on begin at Meguiar's all day.
What is your skill level? I'm a novice, at best, but I'm with pros and I'm here to learn. I'm also here to pass this info on to you.
Your answers to the above questions may vary. Fortunately, there are a lot of options that change with the amount of time required, effort involved and ability of the detailer. Of course, the easy and quick route won't give you concours results, but maybe you just want your car to look good, right? Me? I wanted the Buick to look badass.
Look for Part Two shortly.
Mark Takahashi, Automotive Editor @ 8,105 miles
1987 Buick Grand National: Detail Oriented
January 10, 2013
I love black cars. But as most people know, black cars require a bit more care when it comes to maintaining the paint. A few weeks ago, I was approached by someone representing Meguiar's car care products to see if there was something they could do for us. Well, yes...yes there is.
Even though the Grand National gets a hand wash every time, there are plenty of swirl marks from the dry off. And this offense shall not stand.
So I'm heading down to Meguiar's in Irvine, CA to get the full treatment. But I'm not just dropping it off to go shopping or surfing. No, I'll be right in there working on the car. They're going to tech me everything I need to know about the latest detailing products and procedures. Good thing, too, because my skills are at least 20 years old.
But there are concerns I voiced prior to agreeing to this. You see, Grand Nationals are notorious for having bad paint jobs. Not only is the paint delicate, but the orange peel (pictured above) on the surface is pretty prominent. Some call it personality, I call it a flaw. In any case, I made sure to tell them that the orange peel must remain.
There's a story that some guy decided to eliminate the carbon fiber weave pattern under the paint of a Ferrari F50. He ended up with a perfectly smooth red surface, but inadvertently stripped the car of $100,000 worth of resale value. I know the Buick is no Ferrari, but original is original, and I'm in no mood to hear it from Grand National purists.
Look for details shortly.
Mark Takahashi @ 8,000 miles
1987 Buick Grand National: Fixing the Antenna
January 9, 2013
The replacement nylon antenna cable and the instruction booklet showed up at Edmunds HQ last week, so it was time to get down to some repairs. I've noted before that electricity and I aren't friends, but I figured there wouldn't be too much in that arena that would keep me from completing the task. But there was plenty other stuff that got in the way.
The instruction booklet from GBodyParts.com was very detailed, with 27 steps and 40 pictures to guide me through the process (more if you have a GNX). My first read through the pages terrified me. At one point, I would need to unbolt a good part of the front fender and pry it away from the rest of the car to get the antenna assembly out.
Wait, what?
The instructions noted to be careful not to bend the panel back too far or you'll end up putting a crease in it. So the possibility of turning this minor repair into a major screw up exists. Great. Add that to the boss telling me that I better not "mess" up his car, and the pressure was on.
I followed the instructions to a T. I disconnected the wiring to the antenna motor and attached a long wire so I could fish it back through the engine bay. Then I took to unbolting the front quarter panel after taping up any possible areas that might get scratched by the socket wrenches.
Then there was the dreaded "pull the panel away from the rest of the car," bit. I knew this would be the hard part, so I moved slowly and deliberately. I could see the assembly inside, but I couldn't quite get enough of a gap to pull the motor out. I tried and tried to no avail. Out of frustration, I walked outside for a break and started texting the bossman.
"I don't think I can fix it," I tapped into my phone, "I'm afraid I might?"
It was that last part that stopped me before I hit "send." Afraid? C'mon, man-up. I deleted the message and stormed back inside. I pulled the panel a little more than I was comfortable with, then reached in and yanked that sucker right out. There was much celebration and taunting of inanimate objects.
Wait a minute, this antenna assembly doesn't look like the metal one in the pictures. It was a replacement unit made from plastic. Turns out, I wasn't the first to fix this problem. That changed things a bit. I was prepared to drill out some rivets, but instead, I just had to pop some clips, unscrew a few bolts and pry the thing open.
I fished out the old broken nylon cable, cursing its very existence. Then I fed the new one in and wrapped it around the spool. After the whole thing was back together, I gave it a quick test. Success!
Putting the car back together was much easier than I expected. I made sure to line the bolts up with the old witness marks so that the fender would fit the way it should. The instructions noted that this could be very frustrating, but I had no problems. We now have a working power antenna again and there wasn't a single scratch on the car.
In the end, the part and instructions set us back $51.10. Our local stereo shop quoted $185, but their estimates seem to be pretty optimistic compared to the final bill. In the worst case scenario, I saved us $130 or so, and the whole thing took about four hours. When it happens again (and it probably will), I'm confident I could get it done in one hour.
Mark Takahashi, Automotive Editor @ 8,017 miles
1987 Buick Grand National: It Can Haul Other Stuff Too
January 7, 2013
You didn't think we bought our Grand National just to do cruise '80s nights and do burnouts did you? Well, yeah, we did, but that doesn't mean it's useless when you want to pick up some groceries.
Just look at the size of that trunk, it's huge in the way that only GM cars of the mid-'80s can be. There's no need to wedge things in, they just fit. Of course, we've never really tried to put anything sizable in there so as not to scuff that lovely carpet. You might note the T-top covers there on the floor. Those have been used and they work great.
Also note the original spare tire. It's labeled for temporary use only, something we could have discerned just by looking at it. Would you go farther than a few miles on that thing?
Trunk full or not, the GN is driving quite nicely these days. Took it home in traffic and it was supremely comfortable. No errant noises or squeaks to speak of and a ride that is shockingly precise for a car of its age and lineage.
Ed Hellwig, Executive Editor @ 7,945 miles
1987 Buick Grand National: Stuck in the Middle
January 4, 2013
As noted in the last Grand National post I put out there, the power antenna has been stuck at half mast. After consulting with Scott Oldham, we decided on a plan of attack.
Since the antenna motor sounds like it's trying to retract, that means it still works. The likely problem is a flimsy nylon cable that runs up the mast. According to many sources, these cables snap quite often.
I found a replacement cable from GbodyParts.com for the very reasonable price of $34.95 and promptly ordered it. It should be in this week, so I'll attempt to get at this project soon.
Until then, there's no radio. When I last went to drive the Grand National, the battery was almost dead. It turns out the antenna motor must've been trying to retract for a while. A quick jump from another vehicle got it back to form, but I had to pull the fuse for the radio to keep this from happening again.
Look for my attempt in a week or so.
Mark Takahashi @ 7,900 miles
1987 Buick Grand National: Watch Black Air
January 1, 2013
Black Air: The Buick Grand National Documentary is not The Godfather. Or Scarface. Or Smokey and the Bandit. It's no cinematic masterpiece.
Watch it anyway. Buy it and watch it. You'll love it. I did. I watched it on Christmas Eve with my father. And when the film was over we didn't say a word, we just walked outside and went for a ride in our long-term Grand National.
Wouldn't you?
Black Air is a documentary about the origin, development, and the lasting legacy of the Grand National, Regal T-Type and GNX that Buick produced between 1982 and 1987. It includes telling interviews with the people that designed, engineered and assembled the cars, the journalists that tested those cars 25 years ago and the man that bought and still owns the very last Buick Grand National ever produced.
Black Air was released to the public on December 11, 2012, 25 years to the day that that last black turbo GN was built at GM's Pontiac, MI production plant. And there are moments when the film feels like it was written, produced and directed by one man on a very small budget, which of course it was. Andrew Filippone Jr. is that man, but his passion for these turbo Regals is wonderfully captured in his film, which he spent four years creating.
For me, the best part of Filippone's 70-minute creation is the old images. He got his hands on 25-year-old video footage of that last GN going down the assembly line and photos of the 547 GNs being converted to GNXs at the ASC/McLaren facility in Livonia, MI. Very cool stuff. And stuff I've personally never seen before.
I also really enjoyed the presentation by Ronald Yuille, who was a powertrain engineer on the Grand National project back in the 1980s. It's part of the bonus footage on the DVD, and it's filled with behind the scene stories never heard before about the development of Grand National, including a drag race at the GM proving grounds between an intercooled GN prototype and a 5.0-liter Corvette prototype. The Buick beat up on the Vette so badly that the embarrassed Corvette engineers canceled plans for the smaller-engined two-seater.
Another gem is about another drag race. This time on the street between the Chief Buick Engineer Don Runkle and an old big-block powered Buick LeSabre. Runkle was driving a 1984 GN and got spanked. The next morning he ordered his engineers to build the quickest car sold in America. The result was the intercooled 1986 GN. By the way, after all that Runkle went onto Chevrolet and was the driving force behind the 1990 Corvette ZR-1.
Trust me, Black Air is worth the $20. Visit www.gnmovie.com and order yourself a copy.
Scott Oldham, Editor in Chief @ 8,007 miles
1987 Buick Grand National: Do I Still Love It?
December 27, 2012
We've been driving and writing about our 1987 Buick Grand National for exactly three months and in that time we've driven it exactly 3,000 miles.
Get the calculator out. Ok, carry the two. Hit equal.
At this pace, we'll drive the Buick 12,000 miles during our planned 12-month test. In other words, it's falling on the same use pace as our previous long-term old cars, including the 1984 Ferrari 308 and our recently departed 1985 Porsche 911.
The problem is that it feels like we're already getting bored with the Buick. Everyone on staff claims enthusiasm for the car and those that have driven it return with a smile and an apparent desire to do it again. But they don't. The number of staffers grabbing for the GN's keys is down to just a few.
Buying it was my idea and I definitely drive it the most, along with Mark Takahashi, but even I'm losing my enthusiasm for the black Buick and I'm racking my brain trying to figure out why.
Part of me says it's just too normal. You fire it up, adjust the air conditioning, put it in drive and go. No muss, no fuss. Another part of me says it's just not fast enough, but that argument is lame since it would smoke the Ferrari and 911 in a drag race, and those cars held my interest longer. Maybe it's the mild performance combined with its lack of sound. The 308 and the 911 were slow, but they sounded sweet. They also had manual transmissions.
Bottom line is that driving the Buick doesn't feel like the event I thought it would. It's fun and I'm still enjoying it on many levels, but it isn't making runs to the grocery store feel like special moments in my life.
Maybe my expectations were too high. Maybe if I fix the annoying T-top rattle I'll fall back in love with the Grand National. Maybe I need more time to bond with the car.
All I know is that right now our relationship is on the rocks and I'm cheating on it with several other cars.
Scott Oldham, Editor in Chief @ 7,904 miles
1987 Buick Grand National: Left Hanging
December 25, 2012
So our long-term Grand National is showing yet another sign of its age. The power antenna is stuck in the half erect position (snicker, snicker).
I tried to turn it on and get it...ummmmm...up, but it just wasn't feeling it.
I swear, this is the first time this ever happened. Maybe it's the cold weather.
The good news is that the radio works fine. But with the antenna stuck out there for more than four hours, we're going to be seeking professional help.
I took a look under the hood, but the mechanism appears to only be accessible through the wheel well. I am currently looking into treatment options.
Oh, and I REALLY hope the comment function is working now!
Mark Takahashi, Automotive Editor @ 7,850 miles
1987 Buick Grand National: Black Air
December 24, 2012
In case you missed it, the 25th anniversary of the last Buick Regal Grand National being produced just passed. To celebrate that sad but momentous day (December 11, 1987) a documentary DVD was just produced which traces this radical Regal's life from an appearance package to -- especially in the even more potent form of the GNX -- one of the most brutally accelerating cars to ever come out of Detroit. No, "Black Air" is not playing at your nearby megaplex cinema but rather is available for purchase here: http://www.gnmovie.com/.
John DiPietro, Automotive Editor @ - 7,800 miles
1987 Buick Grand National: Cars and Coffee and Vipers, Oh My!
December 18, 2012
I recently took our Buick Grand National down to the weekly Cars and Coffee event in Irvine, CA. It's a bit of a commitment to make it down there, since cars usually start lining up just before 6am. That meant I had to leave my place by 4:30am. Ugh.
But that's all fine by me, really. I like informal events like these. The real reason some of my Edmunds cohorts and I made the trek was to show off the next Dodge Viper. And it was this bright yellow Viper that stole the show. We also brought down our new Edmunds Nissan NV as a support vehicle. We all managed to chat up some of our readers and hopefully gain a few more followers.
The Grand National was a champ throughout. The drive through the thick morning fog was a bit dicey, but in general, it has good highway manners. The seams on the 405 freeway were soaked up with ease by the high-sidewall tires and compliant suspension. Those fabric seats are also quite comfortable for long stretches, even though they have zero lateral support (hey, whaddya expect? It's a straight-line car).
I was really most pleased with the repaired stereo. I plugged in a tape adapter and piped in music from my iSomething. The music and my horrible singing managed to drown out the many creaks and squeaks that the car emits. If it weren't for needlessly logging precious miles on the odometer, I could see myself taking this on my next road trip.
Mark Takahashi, Automotive Editor @ 7,680 miles
1987 Buick Regal Grand National: Sounds Like
December 07, 2012
Here's the thing about our longterm 1987 Buick Grand National that nobody really talks about.
It sounds terrible. The 3.8-liter V6 just elicits a lethargic, indifferent moan that does nothing to quicken your pulse. It's a muscle car with zero muscle-car thump. About the only intriguing sound from this engine is the whistle from the turbo.
Its 90-degree vee angle is an easy scapegoat until you remember that the ear-caressing Acura NSX's V6 is similarly bent at a right angle.
Jason Kavanagh, Engineering Editor
1987 Buick Grand National: Fueling Up
December 06, 2012
I always thought that having centrally mounted fuel fillers were a good idea. It allows you to pick any open gas pump without worrying about which side the cap is on. This was, however, my first experience with a car with the cap behind the rear plate.
As I pulled the spring loaded plate down, I wondered how I would keep it down. Is there a little latch or catch? Will I have to just hold it there? Nope. I spotted a little tab protruding from the backing. The plastic gas cap was obviously intended to prop the plate open and it worked just as designed.
The fuel nozzle had to be held in place the entire time, though, as the bumper got in the way of letting it rest on its own weight. Not a big deal.
Mark Takahashi, Automotive Editor @ 7,620 miles
1987 Buick Grand National: Singing in the Rain
December 04, 2012
Like skydiving, driving our 1987 Buick Grand National in the rain is either a grin-inducing thrill ride or a life threatening experience that should be avoided at all costs.
I loved it.
Around town the big, black coupe's front BFGoodrich Radial T/As don't even seem to notice the wetness, while its rear tires might as well be on black ice covered in Mobil 1. Stopping and turning aren't issues, but going requires deft throttle control and just the right amount of countersteer. It was fun for me. However, a non-enthusiast driver would no doubt find it to be terrifying, right up to the moment he or she spins the car and takes out a telephone poll.
Any boost from the Buick's turbo and the tires spin. Any boost at all. But the GN's precise throttle response allows the driver to control the wheelspin and keep the wheelspeed from getting out of hand and the car from getting out of control. Add in a bit of steering and you're rewarded with a beautiful, slow speed powerslide and a huge grin.
If that's just not your thing staying out of the boost is possible if you're extra careful. This does keep the GN's rear tires stuck to the asphalt, it's just not as fun.
Scott Oldham, Editor in Chief @ 7,604 miles
1987 Buick Regal Grand National: Return of the Grand National
December 04, 2012
Last week's top news story on Edmunds was about the return of the Buick Grand National, GNX and T-Type.
Remember, you heard it here first.
Kelly Toepke, News Editor
1987 Buick Grand National: The Regal Rocks Again
November 28, 2012
After way too much time of cruising without clear tunes, we had the Buick's buzzy audio system fixed. We used the folks over at Santa Monica Car Sound, as we were happy with the radio restoration they performed on our Acura NSX long-termer.
As we similarly wanted to keep the Regal's stock system, they troubleshot it (bad output and blown rear speakers) and performed the required repairs, which included installing the Pioneer coaxial speakers seen here. The total for the job was $411. Not cheap, but now we can enjoy the most that the Buick's "Concert Sound" system has to offer, which includes cranking out what should be the Grand National's theme song.
John DiPietro, Automotive Editor
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By stovt001
on 12/19/12
12:43 PM PST
Can we not comment on individual entries now? I gave this transition from IL to Edmunds a shot, and I am NOT liking it so far. I miss having just a simple page of new entries and being able to comment on each one.
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on 12/27/12
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The community has been destroyed with this website migration. I think that's what everyone most takes offense to.
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