|
GNX
Registry - The Official
Buick GNX Registry!
Never buy a Buick GNX without verifying
rpo codes (rpo sticker located on the backside of
trunk, specifically rpo code "T2L" used for all GNX's, build date and vin
located on inside driver door
jamb sticker). NOTE: Do not ask for help from some guy
claiming to know everything about these cars, the Buick
GNX was built in 1987 and some GNX's have as many as 4
or 5 different owners. As long as you are aware of what
is special about a Buick GNX, then you will pay for it
accordingly. The VIN is located on windshield, trunk rpo code sticker, door jamb build date sticker, motor
and transmission. If you want to speak to a person then
contact Rick Hunt GNX X-Ray Owner and former ASC
employee or Joe Harrington (GNX Guy), former
GNX # 375 owner and
rare nos/oem GNX parts collection, available through
TurboBuick.com bulletin board. Become a member of
TurboBuick.com for
free and post your comments or questions online. All GNX's are IDENTICAL with having the same
factory RPO
Codes, in fact some GNX's have a moonroof installed by ASC/McLaren
(example:
ASC Founder/Owner Heinz Prechter GNX # 033),
however, there are no t-top GNX's. Here is an example of
GNX # 005 registered with GNX Registry, The Official
Buick GNX Registry, by the original owner October 7,
2003. GNX # 005 was a gift (option to purchase) to the
largest Buick Dealership in California in 1987. If you
have read or heard, the first GNX made available to the
public was GNX # 011. GNX # 005 owner decided to sell
his GNX in 2003 with 487 miles for $42,410, because it
did not fit with his collection of rare vintage automobiles (example: 1929 Duesenberg). In their
friends photo album, you can see Arnold "the Governator"
with Lew and his wife, original owner of
GNX # 005.
Real GNX's are very high in price, unless
high in mileage, so it is rare you will have the
opportunity to buy a fake or cloned GNX for less than
market value. If you can buy a GNX Clone with
reproduction GNX parts or actual GNX NOS parts, then a
true GNX Clone will resemble an actual GNX. A GNX
"CLONE" (A.K.A.
Re-Created GNX's - Photos) even have the T2L rpo code located on the back side of the
trunk, ASC emission sticker under the hood and ASC
sticker on the door jamb. If the rpo code sticker is missing -- be very
cautious of any Buick Regal Turbo T, GN, or GNX. All GNX's are identical, meaning, fender
flares, fender vents, GNX emblem badges front and rear,
power antenna, concert sound speakers in doors, "3.8
SFI Turbo" hood bulge emblems were NOT installed,
stewart warner gauges, stiffer suspension (panhard rod &
torque arm, photo shown below), upgraded turbocharged engine, "GNX" Turbo
Shield, ceramic impeller, modified transmission,
16x8-inch alloy wheels, GNX dash plaque with respective
number # 1 -through- # 547. Buick had three objectives
with the GNX; to drop its 0-60 by almost a second over a
stock GN, to revise the body and interior in functional
areas, and to build a limited number to create
exclusivity and collectability. It met them all.
If you want to become a member of GNX
Registry or want to sell a GNX or GNX parts, contact
Brett Wallace to list it
here for FREE.
ASC/McLaren contacted
GNX Registry
to help sell/get the word out that GNX # 033 was for
sale, which sold for $91,110.10 in December 2006 to
Richard Clark, multiple GNX owner of #33, #110 (5.7
miles), and #313 (YouTube video shown below during an
open house event, that I attended October 2008). E-mail
GNregistry@aol.com
or contact Brett Wallace, by phone at 920.279.5466 or
visit
www.GNregistry.com,
www.GNregistry.org. Buick GNX - The Fortunate 547.
Evolution of the 1987 Grand
National into the 1987 Buick GNX
Buick sure saved the
best for last
with the Grand National and its ultimate GNX version.
These machines were described as the fastest-ever
U.S. production cars, and as such,
will probably see their values continue to increase in
the years to come.
As in the years past, there
wasn't a redesign to designate the final GN. Just a
little change in the grille design. This year's car had
the teeth set further apart and the Buick emblem sitting
on the left side. For many, that company connection was
needed, because many longtime Buick fans still found it
hard to believe that the company was building such cars.
The only other external change was the flashy new chrome
wheels which seemed out of place with the cold black
all-business look of the sheet metal.
The performance just kept
being wrung out of the existing power plant with the
final 1987 figure reading 245hp, up 10 from the previous
year. Interestingly, it took an additional 4400rpm to
make the peak horsepower this year, 4,400 compared to
the 4,000 of earlier years.
As was the case with the
previous Grand Nationals, the GN emblem sat high on the
front quarters of the black-only haulers, but the model
sure didn't need to announce its heritage. It was known
to all who had any interest in performance.
Popular Cars magazine
tested the car to see if all that was being said was
true. It was! "The Grand National blasts off the line
with cat-like grace, springing to quarter-mile times of
14.23 seconds at 98 miles per hour without breathing
hard. The 3.8 liter turbocharged engine is an extremely
responsive engine." The magazine also quoted the
horsepower as "over 245" compared to the factory figure
of "only 235." We would certainly bet that the magazine
figure is a lot closer to the correct rating.
Performance Cars continued,
"Time to full boost is a little slow but when the
pressure gets up, power comes on with a big bang. Though
the rumbling V-8 sound is replaced with a whistling
turbo whine, the Buick Grand National behaves as well as
any muscle car ever did."
In the January 1989 issue
of Muscle Car Review, Bob Colvin recalled the building
of the final Grand National at the Pontiac Assembly
Plant. The car is unique for Bob since he is the owner
of it. It marked the end of the final rear-wheel-drive
mid-size model. With the popularity of the model, one
has to wonder if Buick brass ever had second guesses on
that decision.
Buick Public Relations
indicated that the public couldn't believe that the
Grand National was done. The Buick PR manager recalled,
"People would call us begging to put it back into
production. But the die had been cast, and it was over.
There's one other footnote
that should be mentioned on the final Grand National. It
carried the WE-4 designation. 'The Grand National was
the WE-2, and WE-3 identified the GNX.
Finally, there was the
so-called Regal T-Type "Special T." Brock Fisher of
Dayton, Ohio, owns one of the rare versions and explains
what it's all about: "I guess that the best way you
could de-scribe this car is that it's a 'half Grand
National and half T-Type.' There isn't any Buick
documentation that I could find that described how this
model evolved, but the best I can figure out is that
this car started out to be a Grand National, but they
ran out of interiors before the end of the production
run. Thus, they came up with this 'Special T' which used
a Grand National body."
Fisher explained that he'd
never seen another of the model. "There are probably a
lot of people that own these cars that don't realize
they are really different from the standard T-Type. But
I want to emphasize that it is a legitimate variation,
because the 'Special T' is called out on the window
sticker."
The
GNX - The Final (and ultimate)
Grand National.
When Buick added an "X" to
a model designation, one could assume that it meant
something special. Recall the 1970 GSX which was an
appearance modification of the Grand Sport. In the case
of that "X" machine, the changes were strictly on the
outside, but that wouldn't be the case with the GNX.
There was one similarity, though, between the two
machines, that being the bigger "X" in the three-letter
emblem.
For many, the GNX is the
most desirable some-what modern performance car in the
country. It took the second-best performance car in the
1987 Grand National and made it a giant step better.
With all its positives, there is one large negative from
a collector's point of view. There were only 547
produced, which makes the GNX very rare and very
expensive. It has been reported, for example, that GNX
models have reached the six-figure values in 1990s
sales. Experts advise any lucky GNX owner to keep his
car as they are predicted to continually escalate
through the years.
The refinement that the GNX
received in so many different areas is truly amazing. A
speed shop couldn't have done a better job. Acquiring a
31hp increase over the standard Grand National engine
was a significant accomplishment. Consider, of course,
that most factory announcements of horsepower are quite
conservative by nature, so the actual figure is probably
much closer to the 400 or greater figure.
The GNX was not a complete
factory creation as aftermarket modifications were
accomplished by McLaren Engines and ASC Inc. But even
though there was this influence, it's generally agreed
that Buick engineer Dave Sharpe was the guiding
influence behind the GNX. He wanted the Regal line to
end with a bang. With the GNX, he succeeded in a big
way!
Everywhere you looked on
the GNX, there were modifications that had been made
with performance in mind. But you really had to look
close on the outside to see that this was a different
breed of Grand National. Huge care was taken by the
company during the assembly process with inspections
taking place at each build station.
There were just a pair of GNX emblems on the sheet
metal, the locations being on the grille and rear deck.
But also, each wheel hub carried the famous trio of
letters. A nice touch was the fact that each GNX carried
its production number on a plaque mounted on the glove
compartment door.
For the brute that beat
under the hood, there was considerable instrumentation
to read. This included the expected oil pressure gauge,
water temperature gauge, and an 8000 rpm tach. The
speedometer pegged at 140mph, which wasn't really that
much out of line for this hauler. But remember, this was
a turbocharged engine, so the boost was also recorded on
the dash for driver viewing.,
The fender wells on the GNX
didn't appear that much different, but they were
constructed out of a special composite space-age
material. Each of the front fenders carried functional
fender louvers located high on the front quarters. With
the heat generated by the power plant, the extra cooling
capability was definitely needed. Weight reduction was a
design goal, and to that end, aluminum components and
reinforcements were used as much as possible.
The heart of the GNX power
plant was the advanced turbocharger, a unit that
completely replaced the stock unit. Special attention
in the new Garrett T-3 turbo was paid to the turbine
shaft seals which reduced drag oh the shaft. There was
also emphasis on lightening the turbine wheel which was
accomplished by its ceramic construction. A so-called
contamination trap was also in place to prevent foreign
particles from getting near the turbine wheel and
creating turbocharger wear.
But what really caught your
eye when the GNX hood was raised was the unique
turbocharger cover which sported GNX graphics. Along
with its dramatic looks, the cover also served as a heat
shield. Another GNX-specific item was the special
intercooler, which had a far more significant capability
than the stock unit.
Connecting the intercooler
with the throttle body is an important pipe that carries
a special heat-resistant line.
With
its horsepower rating of 276, it's kind of surprising
that the engine's torque wasn't greater than 360lb-ft,
which it demonstrated at 3000rprn. Another particular
about this interesting Buick mill is the low compression
ratio of only 8.0:1, but it was pretty typical for a
turbocharged engine. Its maximum boost topped out at
15:1
With
the monster power from under the hood, it would have
been a sin to not have a suspension system and power
train to support it in the manner it deserved. The GNX
engineers considered all the possibilities and came up
with a system that made this top Grand National a hauler
of the first order.
It sounds like a Winston
Cup setup with a rear pan hard bar to absorb rear axle
loads. There's also a ladder bar used with the stock
control arms, which are actually attached to the rear
axle cover. There were also a 32mm front stabilizer bar
and a 19mm rear unit. Boy, they sure don't build cars
like this anymore!
Maintenance was considered
with special rubber bushings used between all suspension
parts. The bushings were such that they could be
serviced easily should any wear occur.
The standard transmission
for the GNX was a reprogrammed Turbo Hydramatic 200-4R
four speed hooked to a custom torque converter.
Transmission cooling was an area for consideration,
something that you wouldn't normally think about on a
street car. The GNX would really be stretching it to
call it a street car.
Located directly in the
middle of the grille was an auxiliary transmission
cooler located just in front of the air conditioner
condenser and just behind the grille. With a series of
hoses, it was hooked up with the regular radiator.
A final statement of its
performance: 103 mph and 13.4 sec in the quarter says
it all. |
