Jump to content
Create New...

1986 Buick LeSabre Grand National


Recommended Posts

I had never heard of this car, the 1986 Buick LeSabre Grand National:

http://www.lesabret-type.com/LeSabreGN.html

86buickgrandnationaltk5.jpg

Exactly What is a LeSabre Grand National?

Many do not even know that Buick Division of General Motors produced the Grand National on a platform other than on the Regal but there was a very unique Grand National built in late1985 – the 1986 LeSabre Grand National. 117 (or 112) copies were built to qualify the new, first year 1986 LeSabre FWD Coupe body for NASCAR competition. The main reason for building the 1986 LeSabre Grand National was to get the new body with modified rear quarter windows sanctioned for Winston Cup racing that year. The modified windows gave the car a streamline advantage over the large rear quarter windows. All LeSabre Grand Nationals were produced in December, 1985 in one run, from one run sheet – some of the first FWD LeSabre Coupes produced. Serial numbers are sequential or nearly sequential and all have the same exact options. Around that time Buick Motor Division changed its marketing strategy from a performance to luxury car image and cancelled future LeSabre Grand National builds. Only the one production run of LeSabre Grand Nationals was completed and Buick decided to build no more. As such, the 1986 LeSabre Grand National is the rarest of Buicks wearing the Grand National emblem and one of the rarest of all “modern” era Buicks.

Edited by HarleyEarl
Link to comment
Share on other sites

one of the rarest of all “modern” era Buicks

To my eyes (and I'm a Buick guy), one of the plainest! There's not a thing I like about it; doctor, give me a Buick tri-shield, some curves, a full-width taillight, and some whitewalls and chrome GS road wheels stat!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To my eyes (and I'm a Buick guy), one of the plainest! There's not a thing I like about it; doctor, give me a Buick tri-shield, some curves, a full-width taillight, and some whitewalls and chrome GS road wheels stat!

And the Wildcat name....always loved that Buick name.

But I like this Grand National for it's rarity. It's an interesting little bit of Buick history that's not widely known. And it was a time that Buick was interested in a performance image. I'm glad they flirted with it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, there was a short time that NASCAR teams ran that car before the Regal. In the lower levels, it had a bit more longevity as car turnover is not as fast in the lower levels.

More info here LeSabre GN Link

IIRC, some teams ran the Olds 88 also...Cale Yarbourough's Hardees car was an 88, IIRC. When NASCAR went to the FWD car bodystyles over the fake RWD chassis was about the time I stopped watching NASCAR.

Edited by moltar
Link to comment
Share on other sites

IIRC, some teams ran the Olds 88 also...Cale Yarbourough's Hardees car was an 88, IIRC. When NASCAR went to the FWD car bodystyles over the fake RWD chassis was about the time I stopped watching NASCAR.

Me too.....always irked me that phoniness.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

WOW!!! A front wheel drive LeSabre coupe with ZERO performance modifications whatsoever and sporting such RACE-INSPIRED FEATURES (excuse me while I $h! my pants!) as a rear quarter window insert and embroidered floormats! That's the SICKEST MUSCLE CAR I'VE EVER SEEN!!!

Oh wait, no it isn't. It's my grandmother's car with a f@#king different steering wheel. Kinda sad that a "race-ready" Buick used to mean this:

1970_Buick_GSX_coupe.jpg

OR, even more pathetic is the fact that in the same year that this FWD piece of $h! rolled off the assembly line, this was sitting right next to it in the showroom:

gn1.jpg

Which one of the two would you prefer? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Remind me again why a car whose deviation from the run of the mill production unit begins and ends at the emblem glued to the front fender matters at all.

Edited by XP715
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, that clamshell-hooded Citation GT is a disgrace to the Grand National name.

What an ugly turd-bucket to begin with, and then to make matters worse they glue

a G.N. emblem to it as if it deserves to even wear a Buick logo.

THIS is exactly why I have no problem owning an '84 Mercedes hardtop & yet still

calling myself a diehard GM fan. These '80s fwd bland mobiles did more damage at

GM that some people to this day consider Buick to be a lame brand for geriatrics.

That Saturn yellow GSX would slap that "LeSabre Grand National" into submission

so quick it would end up at an Import used car lot sitting next to a Hyundai Pony.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think I've ever seen one of those, other than that magazine ad back in the day. I do remember the Le Sabre T-Types, though.

I remember this car when working at Buick.

It was the precursor to the actual production LeSabre T-Type. The LeSabre T-Type was introduced after this LeSabre Grand National....and sported the LeSabre MCE changes including the flush-mounted headlamps and revised front end.

They did build a very small amount of LeSabre GN models but, unlike the Regal GN, this LeSabre GN ran a bone-stock 3800 V6 that it shared with the later LeSabre T-Type.

(Incidentally, I LOVE the LeSabre and Electra T-Type models from that day and would love to find a cherry version of either.)

Also, does anyone remember the Century (A-body) Gran Sport? It was also a very limited edition Century 2-door with Grand National-like all black paint and trim with exclusive wheels (I think 15-inch when the Century T-Type sported 14-inch rims in the day) and a special two-tone black and gray interior....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anyone remember the turbo LeSabre coupe from '78? I haven't seen one of those in at least 25 years.

There's one that's been sitting on flat tires rotting away in the back lot of a tow yard for the last two years that's a mile from my house. Has 90,000 miles on it and the burgundy interior is beyond mint. It was a beautiful metallic gunmetal gray before it all rusted off. Factory Buick rally wheels complete the look, and every single little trinket and piece of trim is present. Supposedly it even starts and runs and drives. Every time I go in to ask how much, the price goes up because THAT'S A GRAND NATIONAL, Y'KNOW! THEY GO FOR ALL KINDSA MONEY ON EBAY!

Right. That's why it's still sitting exactly where you dropped it two years ago. Probably got it for free off an old man who decided he just couldn't drive anymore, too. What a shame. It's an odd variant of a BOF RWD malaise era coupe that I wouldn't mind having at the right price. Pretty sharp looking, really.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry to spout flames H.E., ...it's just that my several month long

anger/depression over the Camaro growing a dog-damn fat

ugly B-pillar from Concept to production has irritated me beyond

belief & made me think more than ever about the lack of direction

at GM and the stupid, unforgivable mistakes they've been cursed

with making for about 3 decades now....

It's disgusting, inexcusable and takes the wind right out of my sails

as far as my GM enthusiasm. :angry:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry to spout flames H.E., ...it's just that my several month long

anger/depression over the Camaro growing a dog-damn fat

ugly B-pillar from Concept to production has irritated me beyond

belief & made me think more than ever about the lack of direction

at GM and the stupid, unforgivable mistakes they've been cursed

with making for about 3 decades now....

It's disgusting, inexcusable and takes the wind right out of my sails

as far as my GM enthusiasm. :angry:

No worries budster....I'm the same. I waited to see that first news and photo of the Camaro and hope against hope it would be a proper pillarless hardtop...nope, just as I thought....crappy, stupid, dumb stationary little window. I've been pissed about it ever since...can hardly look at a photo of the car.

GM is in a habit of doing this, they cut corners or build a car to a price, trying to sell it at garage sale prices....wouldn't it be nice to sweat the details a bit and charge a bit more?!!! Make the car special?!!!!! They could have used the pillarless thing as a marketing thing, it would have added to the aura surrounding this car. A cryin shame. Don't even get me started Sylvester.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don't be hating me.

I just posted it as a curious piece of Buick history.

No one said it was a fire breathing Corvette.

It got caught in a change of direction for Buick.

Don't be hating me and Buick.

I wasn't hating on you or Buick, but rather hating on General Motors for becoming the sad shell of the incredible company they used to be. Look at that '70 GSX. In fifteen years time, they went from selling actual fire-breathing purpose-built muscle cars and top-notch product with awesome styling across the board in all brands to bland, generic-looking cheesy garbage and never looked back. This FWD $h!box and others like it signify the first of many nails in the General's coffin. And there ain't many nails left. As you and Sixty8 were talking about before: look at the new Camaro. The car should be a hardtop, no questions asked. Only GM could build something so incredibly perfectly awesome and then somehow f@#k it up at the last possible second. Compromising on perfection got them to the piss-poor state they're in in the first place, and it would appear as though they could give a $h! less if said pitiful state ever changes.

Edited by XP715
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, believe me, I share the pain. Agree with all you said.

I sometimes think I'm a GM fan based on long ago greatness.

Yes, I can understand that... the '50s through early/mid '70s were their great era, at least as far as products go, IMHO.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

These Lesabre GNs are indeed rare but I actually prefer the T-Types to these. I can even say that these were not worthy to the Grand National name. The car doesn't even have bucket seats or leather nothing like that. It's pretty much a Lesabre Custom coupe cloth 6 passenger car. I still have my Buicks and the T-Type is all mechanically redone now. I have actually been offered a 1960 Pontiac Laurentian 2 door hardtop for free as my friend had no use as it sat in their field for a year or so and they moved. He said if I wanted the car I could have it so I am thinking it might be worth it to put it aside until I finish my other cars. Not everyday you can get a 1960 Pontiac hardtop for free so I may take advantage.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...

Hey there, we noticed you're using an ad-blocker. We're a small site that is supported by ads or subscriptions. We rely on these to pay for server costs and vehicle reviews.  Please consider whitelisting us in your ad-blocker, or if you really like what you see, you can pick up one of our subscriptions for just $1.75 a month or $15 a year. It may not seem like a lot, but it goes a long way to help support real, honest content, that isn't generated by an AI bot.

See you out there.

Drew
Editor-in-Chief

Write what you are looking for and press enter or click the search icon to begin your search

Change privacy settings