1987 Buick Grand National — Should You Buy One?
Typical asking price: $30,000–$75,000. There is 1 high-severity known issue you need to know before handing over a check.
Kestrel Take
The turbocharged black sleeper that humbled Ferraris in its day and now trades like the icon it became. The turbo V6 is strong but aging, and originality commands enormous premiums. Verify it is a real GN and not a dressed-up Regal, and budget for turbo-era maintenance.
What we checked
Checked against public records, 2026-09-25
Federal complaint records thin out badly before about 2000, so there is little here to check against. What follows is our own write-up. Treat a short list as us having less to go on, not as the vehicle having fewer faults.
Known Issues for the 1987 Buick Grand National
Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents. How we decide that.
The turbo, intercooler, fuel pump, and injectors are decades old. Many have been rebuilt or upgraded; an unmolested original may need all of it.
Repair cost (estimate): $1,500-$5,000
Source: not yet checked against public records.
Regals and T-types get dressed up as Grand Nationals. Verify the VIN, options, and documentation before paying GN prices.
Repair cost: Not a repair — an ownership-cost warning, not a mechanical fault
Source: not yet checked against public records.
G-body rust at the roof (on T-top cars), trunk, and floors.
Repair cost (estimate): $1,500-$6,000
Source: not yet checked against public records.
Digital dash, interior plastics, and trim degrade and are hard to source correctly.
Repair cost (estimate): $300-$2,000
Source: not yet checked against public records.
Walk-Away Red Flags
- ✗GN claims with no VIN or documentation
- ✗A neglected original turbo and fuel system
- ✗T-top and trunk rust
- ✗A modified car sold as an untouched original
Good Signs
- ✓A documented, verified real Grand National
- ✓A rebuilt or well-maintained turbo and fuel system
- ✓Solid floors and trunk
- ✓Preserved or correctly restored interior
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