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Well I traded the 2003.5 M3 for a running driving (project) 1987 Grand National. The car is 30 years old. Some rust, doors and decklid, oil leaks, trans fluid leaks, motor mounts bad, body mounts bad, needs paint badly (and some ody work). It is titles miles exempt due to the year but the odomoter shows 53k. Once I carfax it I will know for sure based on the older emissions tests I hope. It was from Miami originally then sent to SC and now Atlanta. The guy drove it 3 hours from SC to my house.

More details and pictures to follow.

Everyone can relax, I found a car...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CPss95p3Ck

-BP

Basement Paul wrote:Everyone can relax, I found a car...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CPss95p3Ck

-BP

Sounds about right.

Here is the outside of the GN and the engine. It looks better in the pictures than it does in person. My opinion. I really hate the Cragar soft 8 rims............... It did come with 4 original rims although they have some rust and flaking chrome.

Here is the 1987 T Type parts car I just picked up, the doors are better than mine and it came with a GN hood and decklid which are better than mine. It has a complete engine although it's apart and a trans but it is apart too. My first step I think will be to rebuild this engine and transmission so that the GN will always be a "moving under it's own power car. Then I will pull parts off the T Type as I need them if they are better than my GN part. I might also practice welding on the T Type before I do it on the GN.

The T Type started out black, then a bright sea foam teal and now silver. The rockers are rusted and the header panel busted. All the bumper fillers are gone too. I will likely sell it as a roller when the GN is done.

You're a badass! Two Turbo Buicks in a week. Cool!

-BP

20k GN's produced in 1987
1.5k T Types in 1987

Which one is worth more?

-BP

Basement Paul wrote:Which one is worth more?

-BP

Hard to say. Currently the GN average is $24k and the T is $17k. But in 20 years who knows.

ttamrettus wrote:20k GN's produced in 1987
1.5k T Types in 1987

I think I worked on about a third of those GNs. And for some reason no 1986s or hot air cars!

I like the turbines and rally wheels that came stock but I am seriously SERIOUSLY digging those NASCAR looking wheels.

Well I have decided to actually keep the T Type and to sell the GN. The main reason is that I don't want to have to "restore" 2 cars. So I am going to work on the T Type. Especially since there were only 2000 of them made. The GN is on Craigslist. $9500. I might consider $8750 cash.

http://s26.photobucket.com/user/ttamret ... /1987%20GN

So I have some upsetting news. I had a guy interested in the "GN" until he decoded the vin #. Turns out the car is a fake. The 8th digit of the vin is supposed to be a 7, for a turbo charged v6. The vin is an A, for a carburated v6. My T Type has the correct 7 vin. So now the car isn't worth anything to restore, just as parts or to drive.

With that being said, I am going to try and sell it as a running driving REGAL. Plus what I do to it will make it more drive-able for me too. I cleaned up the floor pans, added rust inhibitor, applied short strand fiberglass over the small holes, rattle canned some black of it, added some dynamat and now to install the carpet. I also installed the new sun visors. Once the interior is back in, I am going to install the door drip guards.

I will take pics once the interior is together and the other small stuff installed. At least this way it will look much more presentable.

On the upside the thing can sit for a month and it starts right up.

Who would have thought?? That sucks but I think it's time to just start driving it and having fun with it. Get your money's worth out of it in mileage and smiles!

-BP

What a difference a day can make. Installed the console, the new carpet and the outer window felts. Now I guess to order the seat covers. Then to start the mechanical repairs / upgrades. Oil leaks, trans leaks, dual front piston brake caliper upgrade, astro van steering shaft upgrade. We will see.

It sucks that the car is a fake!! Looking at the pics, I keep thinking that
it's amazing that someone would go through all of the effort to make a
GN out of a normal Regal. All of the parts seem to be there. Perhaps there
was a totaled out GN that was a good donor car??? The question I have
is what does the title call the car? Should the title call it a "Grand National"
or should it just be a "sports coupe" or something?

GM