Buick bringing back the Grand National and GNX.

[timswi]

A guy I know just bought an 08 or 09 Mustang Shelby edition I believe. Supercharged V8, 600HP I believe. Scariest car I've ever ridden in for raw HP. Has looks to match it's power. I think it more than lives up to it's predecessors.

Another friend of mine has a '12 Camaro. Biggest pooch I've ridden in for what you'd expect. V6 - 6spd car. Nothing about it appeals to me. Has 32K miles on it and starting to have stupid little problems. Power steering pump. Heater fan. Front end won't stay lined up, eats tires.

I've not ridden in a Challenger. But I think they best hit the mark to capture the look.

Edit: Forgot to mention the Buick GN. Just leave it alone. No way in He** they'll build a car that will be the sleeper that the GN was. That car stands alone in my opinion. None of the manufacturers built anything during that time that could haul water to it, let alone stand beside it.

Oh, I'm not saying the Camaro and Mustangs ain't something to contend with..They are to be sure. I'm just saying the Challenger is a testament to history in the appearance department where the others are starting to go cartoonish.

The attempt at the GTO was an abomination in my opinion..They could have done anything better. A girl I work with had one and it was wicked fast. Just couldn't get past the commuter car appearance. A GTO (in the day) wasn't considered a sleeper..An over-optioned LeMans was though.

GM needs to have a designer not wedded to "transformers" figuring out what these need to look like...I can pretty much guarantee they'd sell if they looked right.

 

[jrdepew]

I've built numerous grand national engines for my 87 cutlass project. First few were my first engines ever, and they met various forms of demise...from main cap walk due to detonation, to a folded over ring that beat the crap out of the engine bores. I finally got it running 7.0x in the 1/8th mile with a small turbo. Engine was backed by a powerglide.

I then sold most the buick stuff and moved onto an LSx engine. Had it built to handle ~800hp. Pulled the car into a buddies garage and the body came off the frame to reinforce all control arm mounting points, notch the frame for bigger tires, etc. Body went back on and a 10pt cage was installed. Around this time I bought my first house (2.5 years ago or so) and haven't touched the car since. Sold the engine off without ever running it...

Someday I will get back into cars, but for right now I have a house and land that I want to get the way I want before worrying about fast cars again. They are tons of fun, but they also have to be the worst investment in the world...like taking money and throwing it into a bonfire lol.

But...I will never forget the look on the guys face when a dark blue 87 cutlass, black wheels, and a 1/4 vinyl roof completely blew the doors off his new corvette...

As it sits today...


Joe

 

[Relic]

Wonder if Buick will put the new GNX on the NASCAR circuit? Be cool if they did!!!

 

[300UGUY]

I am a life long GM guy, but I kinda wonder why? Buick is supposed to be a step up from the chevy, a step down from the caddy. They have done very well making cars that are preprogrammed to head south on I75, every November. I understand the car geeks wanting performance, but it seems to be a questionable marketing decision.

 

[ovrszd]

I've built numerous grand national engines for my 87 cutlass project. First few were my first engines ever, and they met various forms of demise...from main cap walk due to detonation, to a folded over ring that beat the crap out of the engine bores. I finally got it running 7.0x in the 1/8th mile with a small turbo. Engine was backed by a powerglide.

I then sold most the buick stuff and moved onto an LSx engine. Had it built to handle ~800hp. Pulled the car into a buddies garage and the body came off the frame to reinforce all control arm mounting points, notch the frame for bigger tires, etc. Body went back on and a 10pt cage was installed. Around this time I bought my first house (2.5 years ago or so) and haven't touched the car since. Sold the engine off without ever running it...

Someday I will get back into cars, but for right now I have a house and land that I want to get the way I want before worrying about fast cars again. They are tons of fun, but they also have to be the worst investment in the world...like taking money and throwing it into a bonfire lol.

But...I will never forget the look on the guys face when a dark blue 87 cutlass, black wheels, and a 1/4 vinyl roof completely blew the doors off his new corvette...

I hear ya. Life gets in the way sometimes!!!

As for a good investment. You are totally right when it comes to HotRods. You can buy em at 50% of what it costs to build em. You just don't quite get the same satisfaction!!!

 

[xtn]

My friend 25 years ago had an 87. It was the fasted Buick. I had an 87 Mustang GT. It was the fastest Ford. He could jump me off the line consitantly 2/3 of a car length. And the rest of the quarter would stay exactly the same, give or take a foot... 2/3 of a car length. If we did any kind of rolling start we were neck and neck consistently.

But there is no way even a 400hp Buick sedan is going to come close to beating the fastest Mustang these days. The 80's GN and GNX were triumphs. Now I think they're just trying to cash in on the name.

xtn

 

[ovrszd]

The 80's GN and GNX were triumphs. Now I think they're just trying to cash in on the name.

xtn

Sadly, I agree!!!

 

[RobertN]

The Challenger and Mustang are the best throwback styling I think.

I have always been a Mopar fan. But, I think what they did with putting "Daytona" stickers on the Ram pickups, and the Daytona edition of the "new" Chargers is sacrilege. The real Daytona's were legendary on the track.

I take exception to the new generation Hemi too. The 426 generation Hemi was really something. A 'Cuda or Roadrunner with Hemi really meant something(So was the Aussie Hemi-6 Chargers for that matter). Although the new generation Hemi is a fine motor, Mopar really watered down the name putting it on the new generation, which is just a standard production motor.

Kind of like the Impala, GTO, Ford 500... just to name a few. Seems Dodge is the only company to be successful at bringing back old classics... IMHO. Actually even the charger is borderline (it's nice, just nothing like the original). The Challenger is bad*ss though.

 

[Tomtint]

My friend 25 years ago had an 87. It was the fasted Buick. I had an 87 Mustang GT. It was the fastest Ford. He could jump me off the line consitantly 2/3 of a car length. And the rest of the quarter would stay exactly the same, give or take a foot... 2/3 of a car length. If we did any kind of rolling start we were neck and neck consistently.

But there is no way even a 400hp Buick sedan is going to come close to beating the fastest Mustang these days. The 80's GN and GNX were triumphs. Now I think they're just trying to cash in on the name.

xtn

Back in 86, I bought a new Mustang GT 5 speed. A good friend of mine had a 86 GN. He would always get a jump on me for the first 50 feet. ( I think better traction ) but I would always pass him.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

I have always loved those boxy body styles of the GN and the Monte carlo around the 80's. Would make a perfect sleeper with a nice LS turbo charged motor under the hood.