Beautiful and rare Rosewood Metallic Buick Turbo T. One of only 37 built in 1987 in this color. All the power and performance of the Grand National. Numerous upgrades, including 16-inch GNX wheels. What a cool car!

When you think of turbo Buicks, you think of the nasty black Grand National. But I’m here to tell you that the Turbo T is where it’s at. All the same go-fast hardware under the skin but with a unique look that’s arguably far more attractive, especially with the W02 blackout trim. The result is a brutally fast G-body that’s a little less in-your-face than the GN, and for a lot of us, that different look is insanely attractive. Showing just over 58,000 original miles, this is a very clean turbo Buick. It appears to have been repainted once in its original Rosewood Metallic and it retains a great shine that’s probably better than GM was doing in 1987. There’s no evidence of accident damage or rust repair, and like most turbo Buicks, this one was probably treated as something special from day one. All the blacked-out trim is in great condition with none of the fading and chalkiness that plagues cars of this vintage, and it does carry the all-important ‘T’ emblems on the front fenders. We also like the fact that it received front and rear spoilers from the factory, sport mirrors, and the bulging hood to clear the turbocharger housing—all subtle signals that this is not a car to be trifled with. The plastic bumper inserts are not cracked or crumbling, which is important on GM cars from the ‘80s, and all the glass is in excellent shape. Nice chrome bumpers are a great contrast to the intense all-black look of the GN, and all the badging was reinstalled after the paint job so it looks right. And the stand-up hood ornament is just plain cool on a car like this.

You could actually get a bench seat in your turbocharged Regal, but fortunately, this Turbo T has a pair of buckets flanking a proper center console with T-handle shifter. The leather-wrapped wheel is standard Grand National fare, albeit colored to match the rest of the burgundy interior, and we like the upscale vibe that’s a little less severe than the Grand National’s all-gray setup. You get the same mediocre gauges tucked into the corner of the speedometer like an afterthought, but they’re joined by an A-pillar mounted boost gauge and a Scanmaster ignition retard and data readout on top of the center stack. There are also secondary controls tucked in the leading edge of the console for that same system, as well as a hidden switch behind the shifter that controls the exhaust cut-out. Everything works except the tach, which seems to be pegged at full scale, likely as a result of the ignition system modifications. The seats are in excellent condition and still supportive, if not exactly bolstered for aggressive driving. There might be a little fading on the carpets, but nothing excessive and the interior has a clean, well-maintained look. The trunk is also nicely finished with a correct mat and space-saver spare that doesn’t look like it has ever been used.

Buick’s 3.8 liter turbocharged V6 was the giant-killer of the 1980s and remains potent enough today that it still takes some pretty serious hardware to beat it on the roll. This one has a few bolt-on upgrades that should be familiar to any Grand National fan, but nothing so extreme that it takes away from its street-friendly nature. Thanks to a revised ECM, it starts easily and idles nicely, something that can’t always be said for a stock turbo V6, and as I said, it’s docile enough to drive every day. A few shiny pieces dress up the engine bay and you’ll note the A/C has been converted to R134a refrigerant so it’ll be easy to maintain in the future. Underneath there’s a 200-4R 4-speed automatic transmission that serves up crisp shifts and keeps the turbo in its sweet spot, and it feeds 3.42 gears on a limited slip out back. The exhaust is a custom setup the eliminates the catalytic converter (check with local rules for emissions legality) and replaces it with an electronic cut-out device that gives the blown V6 a bit easier breathing. Twin stainless mufflers sound wicked without changing the peculiar V6 buzz that is endemic to the blown Buicks. Also note the super clean floors, stock suspension, and recent shocks that preserve the soft Buick ride. 16-inch black mesh wheels were borrowed from a GNX and are outfitted with a set of 245/50/16 performance radials that do their best to get the power down.

We understand that not a lot of guys enjoy coloring outside the lines. A black GN is always a safe bet. But if you’re like us and like to stand out without giving up performance, this incredible Turbo-T certainly delivers. We think it’s gorgeous and all the hardware is there to make it one of the most entertaining cars you’re likely to drive. For turbo Buick fans, this is a great find. Call today!

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