For Sale -1986 Buick Grand National (Boca Raton Florida) $9500

I am selling a 1986 Buick Grand National this is a t-top car 145k miles all original this is a great everyday car cold ac, needs some tlc… Needs paint, some weather strips, has after market wheels car came that way have not found a good set of stock rims. Has digital dash, has the up graded radio not working but i have someone looking into it for me.. Car has to go got a DUI need to pay legal fee’s. Price is 9500. OBO you can call me at 561-702-3005 ask for Frank,or email me at OUTLAWMUSTANGLX@AOL.COM Please i need to sell the car NO low ballers, NO tire kickers, the car is FOR sale NOT for Free..

Will entertain any real offer.. thanks

Cash for Clunkers Kills Some Classic Cars

The 1997 Bentley Continental R was a piece of junk. Barely worth $3,500. The 1997 Aston Martin DB7? Worth as little as an old Ford Explorer. The 2006 Roush Ford F-150? With its 450 horsepower V8, it was worth about as much as a 1996 Dodge Caravan.

At least, that’s what somebody somewhere seems to have thought.

Motor Trend reports, “Before the government’s CARS ‘Cash for Clunkers’ program opened its doors, many car enthusiasts voiced opposition to the plan, fearing that rare and collectible cars would be at risk of government-funded destruction. Now that all is said and done, it turns out they were, to some extent, right.” The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which managed the government program, “recently released a list of every vehicle submitted to the program, which in turn gave their owners a $3,500 or $4,500 voucher towards a new car that was substantially more fuel-efficient depending on the trade-in’s efficiency. While the list is heavily populated with trucks and SUVs, many of them hailing from Detroit, there are a few oddballs, and worse, a few tragedies.”

That Bentley Continental, for instance. It’s listed as a trade-in that was destroyed under the program – meaning it was exchanged for a government voucher, worth a maximum of $4,500, used to help purchase a new car costing less than $45,000. The Continental itself cost more than $300,000 brand new.

It’s doubtful, in fact, that its value could have slipped under $4,500. Howard Krimko, past chairman of the Atlantic region Rolls Royce owners’ club, told the New York Times that he “could not imagine a scenario in which a ‘97 Bentley R would be worth only $4,500. Even if it’s a total disaster, it has to be worth significantly more than $4,500. The seats for the car would be worth more than that.”

The same should be true of the Aston Martin DB7, an exotic drop-top sports car that cost over six figures brand new.

Some vehicles made valuable by their scarcity were apparently destroyed. Jalopnik cites a 1987 Buick GNX – prized by American muscle car lovers, this was a standard Buick Grand National converted with the help of supercar builder McLaren with a beastly supercharged engine and retuned suspension. Only 547 were built, and a functioning example today is said to be worth more than $50,000.

Some of the reported clunkers weren’t too exotic to believe – they were too new. The Detroit Free Press reports, “2008 model year vehicles deemed clunkers ranged from a Scion xD to 10 Mercury Grand Marquis sedans to two copies of special edition F-150 pickups, sporting 450-hp V8s and Chip Foose-designed paint jobs.”

At which point, we start to question these reports. The Scion xD, you see, wasn’t eligible to be a Cash for Clunkers trade-in.

Program rules required trade-ins to be rated for less than 18 mpg in combined driving. The least-efficient xD built managed a 28 mpg rating. Other non-qualifying vehicles on the list include a 2008 Hyundai Accent (29 mpg) and a pair of Ford Aspires (700 mpg, if we remember correctly. The Aspire was a cardboard roller skate with a 4 horsepower engine, right?).

Autoblog comments, “We find it hard to believe that many vehicles” on the list “were actually destroyed through the Cash for Clunkers program, and while they may be officially on the list, their inclusion is more likely explained by an error in the submission process, typos or dealerships that managed to game the system.”

The New York Times notes, “The report doesn’t list details on the car’s condition or where it was turned in, a catastrophic hurdle for anyone looking for an explanation.” Program rules required the clunkers to be in running condition – but in the early days of the program, dealers were required to disable the cars’ engines with a silicate solution before even applying for Uncle Sam’s voucher, so there is no way to verify that some of these cars were actually functioning before their engines were demolished.

Motor Trend also notes, “The list specifically notes that the cars listed have been submitted to the program but not necessarily approved or even reviewed yet.” Some may be declined, or may be simple data-entry errors that will be clarified as the government process the Cash for Clunkers paperwork.

If you’re in the market for a new car, check out the U.S. News rankings of this year’s best cars as well as this month’s best car deals.

1987 Buick Grand National in the Fast & the Furious 4

For the latest Fast and  Furious movie the main character portrayed by Vin Diesel drives a 1987 Buick Grand National.

Fast and Furious - the 1987 Buick Grand National

Character Name: Dominic Toretto
played by Vin Diesel

Car Specs:

Engine:
Intake: 3.8 Turbo V6
Injection: T/A Performance
Ignition: MSD
Intercooler: Spearco
Turbo: Turbonetics
Cylinder Heads: T/A Performance

Drivetrain:
Transmission: Kilgore 200
Converter: B&M
Shifter: Winters
Driveshaft: Wenco
Rear Differential: 9” 3.73 Detroit Locker

Brake Systems:
Front & Rear: Wilwood
Slide Brake: Wilwood CNC

Exhaust System:
Headers: Hooker
Mufflers: Flowmaster
3” System: Morse

Suspension: Hotchkis

Air Filter: K&N

Fuel System:
Pump & Regulator: Bosch
Plumbing: Earl’s
Fuel Cell: JAZ

Interior Modifications:
Seats: Beard
Seat Belts: D.J. Safety
Rollcage: Matt Sweeney
Interior Panels: Matt Sweeney
Steering Wheel: Grant
Gauges: Auto Meter

Exterior Modifications:
Body Kit: GNX
Hood: GNX

Paint/Graphics: Jack’s Auto Body Gloss
Black

Wheels:
Manufacturer/Model: Cragar Soft 8 Black
Front Wheel Size: 15X8
Rear Wheel Size: 15X8

Tires:
Manufacturer/Model: General Grabber HP
Front Tire Size: 235/60R15
Rear Tire Size: 275/60R215

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Metal Fabrication just got easier

Cone Layout Software

Although I’m just getting started, I really enjoy working with metal. I was not a math whiz in college which I often regret when trying to draw templates for metal pieces and parts. My latest project involved drawing out a template for a cone shape for a part in a motorcycle exhaust. After some research on the web I located the formula but without a degree in advanced math it might as well have been written in Klingon. Just when I was about to give up I located a piece of software called “Cone Layout” from a website called pulserate.com There is both a free trial version or you can pay $30 for the full version.  I opted for the free trial. Install was as easy as clicking “Next” three times.  Running the program was as easy as typing  in a diameter and length and hitting the return button.  Once you have entered the numbers and hit return the software displays a picture of the cone as well as a flat template that you can then print. It’s that easy! In under two minutes I was able to design and print out a template that would have taken me hours if I had to do it by hand. Thank god for the internet and software like this. It allows people like me with limited brain power to accomplish amazing things!

History of the Buick Grand National

Buick Grand National Initial Concept

In 1982, the Regal Grand National debuted. Named for the NASCAR Grand National racing series, it came with a naturally aspirated 4.1 L V6 engine with 125 hp (93 kW) at 4000 rpm and 205 lb·ft (278 N·m) of torque at 2000 rpm or an optional turbocharged version with 175 hp (130 kW) at 4000 rpm and 275 lb·ft (373 N·m) of torque at 2600 rpm. Only 215 Regal Grand Nationals were produced in 1982, and most were not turbocharged. The Buick Regal Sport Coupe package came with the turbocharged engine, of which only 2022 were produced. In 1983, there was no Grand National and the Sport Coupe model was renamed the T-Type; 3732 were produced (190 hp (140 kW) at 1600 rpm and 280 lb·ft (380 N·m) of torque at 2400 rpm).

In 1984 the Grand National returned in all black paint. The turbocharged 3.8 L became standard and was refined with sequential fuel injection, and boosted 200 hp (150 kW) at 4400 rpm and 300 lb·ft (407 N·m) of torque at 2400 rpm. Only 5,204 Turbo Regals were produced that year, only 2000 of which were Grand Nationals.

In 1986, a modified engine design with intercooling boosted the performance even further; in 1987 it reached 245 hp (183 kW) and 355 lb·ft (481 N·m) of torque. Buick dropped the T-Type package for Regal in 1987. There were only 7,896 Turbo Regals produced in 1986. In 1987, when Turbo Regals reached their peak in popularity, a total of 27,590 Turbo Regals were produced through December.

1987 also offered a lightweight WE4 (Turbo T) option. Only 1,547 of this variant were produced. They were painted black and treated to the same blackout package as the Grand National, including bumpers, grille, headlight and taillight trim. The differences between a WE4 and the Grand National were the interior trim package, wheels, exterior badging, aluminum bumper supports, and aluminum rear brake drums as opposed to the Grand National’s cast iron. The rear spoiler was only available as a dealer installed option. 1987 was the only year that the LC2 Turbo option was available on any Regal, making it possible to even see a Limited with a vinyl landau roof and a power bulge turbo hood.

For the final year, 1987, Buick introduced the GNX at $29,000. Produced by McLaren/ASC, Buick underrated the GNX at 276 hp (206 kW) and a very substantial 360 lb·ft (488 N·m) of torque. This was created so as to be “Grand National to end all Grand Nationals.” Changes made included a special Garrett turbocharger with a ceramic-impeller blowing through a more efficient intercooler and a “CERMATEL (Ceramic/Aluminum) coated” pipe connecting the intercooler to the engine. A GNX specific EEPROM, low-restriction exhaust with dual mufflers, reprogrammed Turbo Hydramatic 200-4R transmission with a custom torque converter and transmission cooler, and unique differential cover/panhard bar included more of the performance modifications. Exterior styling changes include vents located on each front fender, 16 inch black mesh style wheels with VR-speed rated tires, and deletion of the hood and fender emblems. The interior changes of the GNX included a serial number on the dash plaque and a revised instrument cluster providing analog Stewart-Warner gauges, including an analog turbo boost gauge. The GNX was claimed as the fastest production sedan ever built at that time. GNX #001 is currently owned by Buick and sometimes makes appearances at car shows around the US. The GNX had a ladder bar that ran from the mid-section of the car to the rear axle, so as to increase traction. This is also the reason why a GNX will actually lift the rear end up when the car is about to launch heavily.