The second-generation Regal came with anything from a 196-ci gas V6 to a 350-ci diesel V8. The most desirable powerplant of the lot, however, is the 3.8-liter turbocharged V6 in GNX specification.
Produced in very limited numbers for the 1987 model year, the Grand National eXperimental easily kept up with the most powerful Chevrolet Corvette of that era. The 1987 Buick Regal Limited in the video below and photo gallery is no GNX, but a clone of the most desirable Regal of them all.
Available with engines ranging from a 110-horsepower sixer to the Oldsmobile 307-ci gas V8, the Regal Limited before your eyes isn't for the faint of heart. A drag-prepped car with road-legal drag radials out back, chassis number 1G4GM11Y3HP420590 packs a 455-4 big block connected to a Turbo 400.
The vehicle identification number indicates that said vehicle was originally equipped with the Oldsmobile engine rather than the 231-ci turbo V6. Back then, said lump was rated at 140 horsepower and 255 pound-feet (346 Nm). By comparison, the GNX is believed to make over 300 ponies and 400 pound-feet (542 Nm).
Offered for sale on Doug DeMuro's online car auction platform, 1G4GM11Y3HP420590 doesn't come with any estimates for the 7.5-liter colossus hiding under the aftermarket fiberglass hood. The bumpers are fiberglass too, and there's also a fuel pressure gauge hiding in the hood's massive cowl.
Photo: Cars and Bids
The 4 in 455-4 indicates a four-barrel carburetor (Rochester Quadrajet), although the 455-4 in this car is rocking a Holley. Owned by none other than Emelia Hartford, the GNX tribute definitely makes a helluva lot more torque than Buick ever squeezed out of the 455-4 in road-going applications. Torquier than any muscle car engine of that era, the 455-4 was rated at 510 pound-feet (691 Nm) at 2,800 revolutions per minute.
It all went downhill in 1971 with the reduction in compression ratio, then again in 1972 with the switch from SAE gross to SAE net. When unleaded gasoline and catalytic converters became a thing in 1975, it was truly game over for the muscle car scene. At least until the 1990s, that is...
Turning our attention back to Emelia's one-off drag car, we're dealing with a Poston GS112 street/strip camshaft, a TA Performance single-plane intake manifold, TA Performance headers, and a custom exhaust system with 3.0-inch piping. Highlights further include a 3000-stall torque converter, a Ford 9-inch rear end with 4.30 gearing, 35-spline axles from Stange Engineering, a 12-gallon (45-liter) fuel cell from Jaz in the trunk, and a taillight-mounted battery disconnect switch.
Gifted with a boxed and reinforced chassis, the Regal Limited also rocks polyurethane bushings, QA1 suspension, 15-inch staggered wheels from Weld, and a 10-point roll cage. Offered with small imperfections (think ripples on the trunk lid, condensation in the right headlights, and various paint chips and scratches), the car is titled in Montana under Hartford's limited liability company.
Purchased in November 2022, the car may not pass emissions testing in certain states. California is particularly sensitive about this stuff, which is only natural because the C in CARB stands for California. With two days of bidding left, this badass machine is going for $18,750 after 15 bids.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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