Buick T Type question

[Triplegreen500]

The turbo 6 could also be had in the GMC Typhoon

and GMC Syclone

as well as the 89 Turbo Trans Am

It was a serious motor. I believe the GMC's used the 4.3L version, while the GN/T-type and the T/A used the 3.8.

Dad tried to make me a GM guy. He loved his Oldsmobiles, and my first car was a hand-me-down '83 Cutlass Supreme (same body as the GN). Non-turbo 3.8, auto, console, buckets, aluminum wheels...pretty fun car. Not huge on power, but fun to do donuts in rain and snow! Test drove a GNX new in '87, turned the salesman (and my dad) green in the process That put me in love with boost...and in '91 I bought my first new car ever, my '91 Daytona C/S AGS competition package car - and I still have it.

Very different animal...FWD, 2.5L 4 cylinder turbo, manual transmission...but, a Mopar (my love of Mopar was ingrained at an early age courtesy of mom's '70 Charger 500 that she bought brand new), and I love it!

If you're looking at a GN/T-type, go for the later motors. I have heard of...attitude issues, shall we say?...on the carbureted motors. The EFI cars, you can add an intercooler easily enough and there are tons of aftermarket tuners out there for them. If you want to make serious power...get a hardtop car, NOT a t-top car. The hardtop goes a long way to keeping it from turning into a pretzel under high boost. And...look it over CAREFULLY before you buy. These cars are driven hard and put away wet.

 

[sam dupont]

Paul Newman had a Volvo wagon with a GNX drivetrain. He said he wasn't concerned with being able to drag race, but wanted to have good passing power at highway speeds.

I have a T-Type turbo setup from a low mileage 1980 Monte Carlo. Bought the car from a dealership after it came back from a test drive smoking. It is a suck through version. I bought it having heard a 3.8 Buick, and 2.2 Mopar mated together make a great 440 twin turbo. The little one is supposed to spool off idle and 3.8 gives volume. That's the secret of the GN... little lag.

 

[chargervert]

Alot of guys saying go 86/87 model but a quick internet search shows those cars in comparable condition are 25k +. If your buying to build and make it go fast than get this one dump 5k in mods in it and it will be just as fast as a 87 GNX that you cant touch for less than 80K now days. If you want it for collector value than pay up for a 86/87 model as those will always carry more collector value.

My friend just sold his 87 GNX for more than 100k! He replaced it with a Hellcat red eye wide body Challenger,with change leftover!

 

[RemCharger]

Back to the question at hand! Get an 86-87 T type to start with!

 

[Hey-O]

While they can all run, it always surprised me how little HP they had, it's all about the turbo. As stated 86, 87 were the better years. The 2004r is by far better than a 700r4. The 700r4 was a piece of junk if used behind anything with HP. I've blown both up several times. The only reason the 2004r and the 8.5 rear-end didn't come apart on the GN was the fact that the car had lag and that gave the drive train time to preload at launch. I was a G- Body guy for years. The GN was a very nice car! Just my opinion.

 

[ESOXER]

Dad bought me an 84 T with a blown engine, had 37k on it. We never started it, as my parents were divorcing. Car kinda disappeared from his buddies property. It was only 400$. Kinda have always wanted to get one again.

 

[sam dupont]

Drove a stock 87 GN with a hyper chip of some kind. Supposed to give it another 30 hp.
It did it's thing consistently and would have for a driver who had never drag raced. Just put it in drive, stab the throttle and it goes bluuuuuu like a sick calf, as you would expect a highly optioned, plush, 4,000 pound, 6 cylinder car to do, and that served perfectly to get it rolling before the turbo spooled. It ran like a stock NA 6 cylinder in a Regal for a second, second and a half, then it lit; going mid 13's. Almost stock, 91 octane, old tires, getting 28 on the highway.

 

[sam dupont]

 

[Edward Zeliesko]

slicks/dump pipe, chip, adjustable autuator, for boost, fuel pressure regulator, 11.80 very easy !! 231cubes

 

[6t4polara]

Fuel pump, larger turbo and injectors will get you in the 11's.

 

[Slap Stick]

IIRC the GNX had an aluminum independent axle rear.
And the speed was chip limited at 132 or so.

 

[Triplegreen500]

Close, but not quite. It was a torque-ladder-bar-style rear suspension, but still a solid axle setup.

 

[Slap Stick]

Well, my pornographic memory failed me.
Thanks!

 

[eldubb440]

the biggest problem with a V6 is they never sound like a V8

 

[Hey-O]

IIRC the GNX had an aluminum independent axle rear.
And the speed was chip limited at 132 or so.

Aluminum rear axle housing cover. They used a 8.5 rear end. Same as the mid 80's 442's. That rear end is a clean bolt into any G-body GM.

 

[Slap Stick]

That must be what I remembered about aluminum.

 

[joe smith]

Aluminum rear axle housing cover. They used a 8.5 rear end. Same as the mid 80's 442's. That rear end is a clean bolt into any G-body GM.

Some of the 60's 442's had aluminum rears..

 

[WileE]

3.8 one of the best GM engines

 

[Hey-O]

Some of the 60's 442's had aluminum rears..

1970 4-4-2, W-30 455 or W-31 350 could be ordered with lightweight third member. The up side was about 20 pounds lighter and ran about 20 degrees cooler.

 

[chargervert]

W27 axle package IIRC!