Random Car Picture Thread

Treburkulosis said:

My buddy Austin sent me a few pics of the Can Am. View attachment 549018View attachment 549019

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Beautiful cars.
Love them both.

Treb .. just 6 miles away, over in the next town,
they have a street that has small stores on each side of the street.

They close that 4 block street to normal traffic & hold a Car Show every Thursday, so it is the day after ours.
Pedestrian foot traffic only
Live Bands too

There used to be a White Castle restaurant in a nearby town, they held a Car Show one night a week,
The vehicles had to be 1958 & OLDER, that were in the Parking Lot

Treburkulosis said:

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First Gen Camaro dash.

Wild one said:

First Gen Camaro dash.

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Correct, its actually a 67 car.

Im a day late and a buck short, but yeah I was still in my younger hot rod days when this happened...

A few shots in the car pool line this morning.

The Buick Grand National and GNX Cut a Deep, Dark Path Through GM Muscle Car History​

These hot Buicks defined American muscle in the 1980s.
Benjamin HuntingWriterMecum AuctionsPhotographerAlan MuirIllustratorAug 28, 2024



The Buick GNX (short for “Grand National Experimental”) was the ultimate expression of G-body performance; a rear-wheel-drive coupe that served as a coda for the Detroit automaker’s history of producing fast and fun-to-drive coupes. Arriving in 1987, the GNX took the Buick Regal—which was already offered in go-fast Grand National form—and turned up the wick on turbo technology that Buick had been perfecting for nearly a decade. The result was one of the quickest and most visually distinctive cars of the 1980s, and this low-production model has remained an icon of American muscle to collectors and fans nearly 40 years after it first debuted.

Buick’s ’70s Experiments Feed Its Turbo ’80s Efforts​

By the beginning of the '80s, Buick had carved out a niche for itself compared to other General Motors divisions by pursuing turbocharged V-6 engines instead of the more common V-8 options found in models from Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac. Its initial efforts dated back to 1978, when the company began offering a four-barrel, 165-hp turbo 3.8-liter engine in several of its models (with a slightly less-mighty two-barrel carburetor option also available).
This engine was itself derived from a series of turbocharged concept cars put together earlier that decade by engineer Don Baker, Buick’s chief of experimental development Jack DeCou, and Buick’s head engineer Lloyd Reuss. The company’s turbo powerplant made its public debut under the hood of the Buick Century Pace Car at the 1976 Indy 500, where it served as proof-of-concept for an electronic engine management system that included a knock sensor—a key piece of turbo technology.

The Grand National Lays the Groundwork for the GNX​

At the start of 1982 Buick took advantage of its recent championship win in NASCAR—which was often referred to as “Grand National” racing—to create a commemorative model called the Grand National. Based on the Buick Regal coupe, it was little more than a paintjob and sticker-package, but it laid the foundation for the brand to push forward with the most potent version of its turbocharged formula to date.


By the time the Buick Grand National name once again found its way onto the Regal’s order sheet, it was 1984, and a lot had changed. Sequential fuel injection, computer-controlled ignition, and a relocated turbocharger for the 3.8-liter V-6 amounted to a serious punch with the pedal down: 200 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque.
By 1986 the presence of an intercooler added 30 extra horses, up another 10 the following year, but deep inside Buick a secret skunkworks was taking the Grand National concept as far as it possibly could. This “Grand National Experimental” model, or GNX, arrived in 1987 and sent shockwaves across not just the rest of the industry, but also through the halls of General Motors itself.

The Buick GNX Takes Turbo Engineering to New Heights​

Though it looked very similar to the Buick Grand National, the GNX was a quantum leap forward for the brand in terms of engineering acumen. The vehicle was built in partnership with ASC/McLaren, which meant that the GNX didn’t share line space with the Regal but was actually assembled at a separate facility, further adding to its air of exclusivity.
The drivetrain was radically revised to include better breathing heads, a more robust Garrett turbocharger that made use of a lighter, quicker-spinning ceramic impeller and reduced-drag turbine shaft seals, a gaping exhaust system, and, of course, an improved intercooler (also sourced from Garrett). Operating at 15 psi, the setup was good for 276 horsepower and 360 lb-ft of torque—at least that was the advertised number. Some independent tests of the era quoted the GNX’s output at over 300 horsepower.
The GNX also received suspension upgrades over the Grand National (a longitudinal rear ladder bar, more aggressive springs, and an aluminum rear axle housing cover), better heat management (thanks to front fender vents, a transmission cooler for its four-speed automatic, and a front-mounted oil cooler), and 16-inch tires. The GNX’s body was stiffened compared to the standard Regal/Grand National.

The Original Darth Vader Ride​

Visually, the differences between the Buick GNX and the Buick Grand National were more subtle. That was by design, given how much of an impression the all-black Regal coupe already made. The car was ground zero for the “Lord Vader, Your Car Is Ready” meme that came to be applied to any blacked-out machinery from that point forward (including a famous ad for the Chevrolet Impala SS in the mid-’90s).


In addition to its unique wheels and fender vents, you can spot a GNX by way of its flared fenders (needed to fit the wider rubber that came standard with the car), as well as GNX badging on the outside of the car and stitched into the front seats. There’s also a plaque on the dashboard showing each individual car’s production number.

Eviscerating the Muscle Car Competition​

When MotorTrend originally drove the Buick GNX in 1987, Buick engineers managed to coax a 5.4-second sprint to 60 mph out of an early prototype. This was backed by a 13.4-second quarter-mile with a trap speed of 104 mph. Further testing of production models revealed a 0–60 time of 4.7 seconds, an astounding number for the period, especially considering the more primitive tire technology of the time.
How quick was that in comparison to its contemporaries?

• The lightest V-8-powered 5.0-liter Ford Mustang of the era, the LX, needed more than 6 seconds to push past 60 mph, and couldn’t crack 13 seconds in the quarter-mile.
• The Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z wasn’t any quicker; 6.3 seconds to 60 mph and 14.6 seconds in the quarter-mile.

More telling, however, is how the Buick GNX fared against more exotic sports cars:

• The Porsche 911 Turbo (0–60 in 4.6 seconds)
• The Ferrari Testarossa (0–60 in 5.0 seconds)
• The Chevrolet Corvette (0–60 in 5.8 seconds).

That last beat-down (the one on the Corvette) caused major issues for the Buick division after the GNX’s launch. It was one thing for a Buick to hang with, or even trounce imported performance cars or cross-town muscle-machine rivals, but once it began embarrassing GM’s own Corvette flagship in a straight line there was much boardroom jaw-wagging about how such a travesty could have been allowed to happen. The issue was compounded by the fact that even standard Grand Nationals were faster than the Vette, making the GNX particularly irksome to General Motors brass.
Fortunately for Bowtie fans, this indignity didn’t have to be tolerated for very long. With the Regal moving to a new front-wheel-drive platform for 1988, GNX production was limited to a single model year.

The GNX and Grand National Make Their Mark​

The legacy of the Buick GNX continues to be felt to this day, not just among enthusiasts entranced by its incredible performance, but also in a popular culture that has latched onto its imposing blacked-out looks. The GNX and Grand National have starred in numerous movies and TV series, including the Fast and Furious franchise, HBO’s The Watchmen, and shows like Walker, Texas Ranger, Miami Vice, and even Unsolved Mysteries. (Photo credit: Mark Hill/HBO)


More than that, the Buick GNX has become a symbol of the '80s, a representation of a period when the automaker still had the guts to go all-in on speed and style. The idea of a mainstream brand producing such a low-volume special model today—only 547 examples of the GNX were ever built—is almost unthinkable. Its scarcity and its speed have helped it become one of the most desirable American muscle cars on the market, which is astounding given how little interest collectors have traditionally had in any model built outside the original 1960s and early 1970s golden era of Detroit iron.

Don’t Forget the T-Type, Turbo-T, and Limited Turbo​

If you’re looking for turbo Buick fun but don’t have six figures to spend on a GNX, there are plenty of other interesting Regals from that era to choose from. In addition to the Grand National and the GNX, Buick stuffed a turbo under the hood of models like the Regal Sport Coupe, the Regal Turbo-T, and the Regal T-Type.
Produced between 1978 and 1987, these versions of the familiar 3.8-liter V-6 (also known as the “231” after its displacement in cubic inches) were good for between 150 horsepower and 245 horsepower, with the latter number belonging to the final-year WE4 Turbo-T. This model mixed the Grand National’s intercooled engine with lightweight aluminum components and a more stripped-down feature set, making it quicker than the all-black warrior.

Buick Grand National Production​

• 1984: 2,000
• 1985: 2,102
• 1986: 5,512
• 1987: 20,192
• Total: 29,806

Buick GNX Production​

• 1987: 547*
• Total: 547

*Pictured, above, is the last Buick GNX off the production line. Read more about it in Scotty Lachenauer’s 2016 story.

Engine and Output: Buick Grand National and GNX​

Prices: Buick Grand National and GNX​

More Buick Grand National and GNX Details​

1986 Buick Grand National front fascia, hood, and wheels and tires.


1987 Buick Grand National side badge.


1985 Buick Grand National side view.


1986 Buick Grand National front view with grille.


1987 Buick GNX interior “547” badge (last one off the production line).


1987 Buick Grand National steering wheel, dashboard, and center console.

Buick Grand National and GNX Highlights​

• The Grand National represented an evolution of Buick’s turbocharged history that began in the 1970s and continued into the '80s with the T-Type, the Turbo-T, and the Limited Turbo
• The first Buick Grand National (1984 model year) introduced sequential fuel injection and a computer-controlled ignition to go with its turbocharged 3.8-liter V-6 engine, with an intercooler arriving two years later.
• The Buick Grand National offered 200 horsepower (1984–85), 230 horsepower (1986) and 240 horsepower (1987), with each model featuring 300 lb-ft of torque.
• The 1987 Buick GNX added an upgraded turbo and intercooler, improved engine heads and exhaust, and a more robust suspension system.
• The Buick GNX was advertised with 276 horsepower and 360 lb-ft of torque, but actual engine output was likely well past 300 horsepower.
• The Buick GNX sprinted to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds and ran the quarter-mile in 13.4 seconds with a 104-mph trap speed.
• The Buick GNX was quicker than every single one of its muscle car contemporaries, including the Ford Mustang GT, the Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z, and the Chevrolet Corvette.
• The GNX also dusted the Ferrari Testarossa in a straight line, and was a near-match for the Porsche 911 Turbo.

Wild one said:

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This right here. Stunning

Not a fan of the wheels,but other then that i love it,lol.

Wild one said:

Not a fan of the wheels,but other then that i love it,lol.

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I give them credit for trying to mimic the OEM wheels but that's just too much. Was also never a fan of the third taillight various customizers liked to add.