Need help knowing if car is GN or T-Type..Please read!!!

[Ted]

Hi there
I am coming to you guys to ask for help with a problem I have. Back in 1997 I was a 23 year old kid who was i love with Buick Grand Nationals. On my way to visit family I drove by a 1987 Buick Grand National that had a asking price of $8500.00. I thought to myself holy **** something must be wrong with it. So I stopped and took it for a test spin and the thing ran fawless and looked great. I when back and got my brother in law, who has been around cars for 30+ years and had him check it out. He said it was mechanically sound and had great paint and NO rust. The people selling it were selling it for their son who was in college, so I thought it would be a great idea to low ball them with a price of $7500.00, because he was in school and they lived up in the UPof Michigan were this car has NO market. After about a week of the them thinking about it they excepted my offer. So I go the car and drove it for about a month with no problems.
So now one day at work I drove by another GN and I decide to stop and look at it. Call me weird but I like looking at cars I already own. All of a sudden I started noticing things on this other GN that mine did not have. He had a spoiler and had the turbo 6 on his head rest and did not. I had turn signals on the front fenders with a blue square with a line in it. I beleive that is the Regal logo. He had chrome rims and mine were black. The owner of my car did tell me that he changed the rims to make the whole car black. It was like someone had shot my dog. I when home and call my brother in law and told him, he said that he would call Buick and see if the was a code that let me know if it had the Grand National package. He called me back and said it was the WE4 code and to look in the trunk. I looked and it was not there. WTF!!!! I felt like I just bought the Brooklyn Bridge. It wasn't that I got ripped off, because the car had ALOT of aftermarket parts on it, it was the fact that it was not a true GN. What I need to know is, is this car a T-Type or is it a Turbo Regal Limited. The car only has a T-Type logo on the horn. The side emblems are GN logos and the back of the trunk only had a 3.8 SFI Turbo emblem. The car had a GN dash cover on it, so I could not see that it did not have the Grand National logo, I beleive it said Regal Limited.The seats had GN towels on the them. I thought I read somewhere that Turbo Regal Limited were very rare like only 1500 made.

This is only one of two times in my life were I felt like a FOOLwned:. I never called the owner back, because I signed a piece of paper saying sold as is and because it was so cheap and did have some much after market stuff. So if anyone could help me figure out what model my car is I would greatly apprecite it. Thanks you in advance!!!

[TurboDave]

Well, obvously it's not a GN (no GN code). It is a Turbo Regal though, the LC2 code says that much at least.
I'm no expert on the limited's but the side marker lights up front would tell me it is.

[Orlando_87GN]

The VIN says it's a 1987 car.
There is no WE4 code on the stick so it's not a WE4.
There is no WE2 code so it's not a Grand National.
The car is not a Limited, or else the VIN would be different.

What you have is a Turbo T that someone has put GN badges on the side and painted insides of the wheels black.

The 'Grand National' was just an appearance package. It was actually heavier and slower than a Turbo T because of the steel wheels and lack of aluminum bumper inserts.

If your car runs good and you like it don't worry about it, it's the same car minus the seats, carpet, horn ring, dash plaque, wheels ect.

[turbofish38]

I can tell you the PO's really screwed up a fine car. Your car isn't a Limited but it was a rare two tone turbo Regal. Not many of them left. Two tone silver and dark gray. RPO D84 is the code for two tone paint. 12L is the code for silver and 15U is the dark gray. I also noticed it has RPO K05 which is the block heater. T87 is the cornering lamps. It's also has a factory CF5 astroroof. And it's also one of the rare examples of a non-GN Regal that has the steel bumper reinforcements. All 87 GNs recieved steel reinforcements. Most non-GNs recieved aluminum reinforcements. The are a few exceptions and your car is one of them. The code for the aluminum reinforcements are VD6 for the front and VD7 for the rears.

[ULYCYC]

Does the vin on the trunk label match the cars vin?

[BrightSilverT]

Whoa..Eric your the Best, you just confirmed that I also have the Aluminum Reinforcements!! Oh, sorry for the HiJack

[TurboGNNN]

SO basically this guy's car is an even more rare TR than a GN

[Grumpy]

soooo ..it's suppose to be like this ???

[turbofish38]

Here. Check out this thread from the other place. Scroll down and click on the links. There is a really nice pic on what your car looked like. TurboBuick.Com

I cant say if it would be cost effective to return your car back to stock. If it was me and the paint is really that good than I would do a little detailing to make it look like a GN. Put the emblems in their correct spot(yours are to low on the fender) and paint those chrome corner light bezels. Those wheels are from a 84-85 GN. If any thing you could replace those fenders and make it a WE4 and nobody but us here reading this thread would know.

[gbsean]

funny how people look at different things....I noticed it was originally a 2 tone car.....Wa 8537 is the Grey and 8535 is the silver...the 2 tone is a sharp combination...if you have the time and the funds I would switch it back

[87granny]

i agree i would change it back too .Got the models of the silver and gray and its a sharp color. I say make it right because the color combo is rare

[Rottydogg84GN]

i would put it back to orig. Why make it something that its not

[PRSRIZD_V6]

Originally Posted by gbsean

the 2 tone is a sharp combination...if you have the time and the funds I would switch it back

Hellz yeah, that looks sweet. 80s sheik at it's finest. The GN badge on that car looks misplaced to me too...

[TurboGNNN]

^ yup i think it's a lil too low

[Purple87SS]

Def. a rare combo. It just sucks it was sold as a "GN" and not a T. He probably could have got it even cheper if he did some homework prior to the sale. But hey, its your car now so enjoy it.