The Buick Grand National no doubt has a following unlike any car out there. Being out of production for 27 years, the GN and its 3.8L turbo Buick V6 has paved the way for modern performance vehicles like no other car has. Sequential fuel injection, distributor-less ignition, intercooled turbocharging – all very typical examples of automotive technology today, but these terms were all considered ahead of its time back in the mid-80s, when many vehicles still left the factory with a carburetor.
Here we are in 2014, and not only are they coveted by car collectors, but a huge number of new generation gearheads are building them like they’ve never went out of style. The aftermarket for these cars, though extremely niche, continues to remain relevant in today’s hot rod scene, even with the LSX engines seemingly dominating the hobby. As much as we love LS motors, and believe us when we say we do, we’ll always have a soft spot for the Buick buzzin’ half-dozen!
We ran across this time-lapse video today on YouTube, and although it’s more than a little vague on specs and tech insight, it does offer a glimpse of what it’s like to build such an animal. According to the video description, it’s a Buick 4.1L production block, spec’ing in at 256 cubic inches, stuffed with a forged rotating assembly, and topped with ported iron heads bringing in a boost-friendly 9.5:1 compression ratio.
A TE-45A turbo is depicted and mentioned in the description, and they do say it’s a pump gas setup that will be seeing methanol injection. There’s nothing finer than blending old technology with new, and we welcome that here everyday at GM EFI.
Rick Seitz is the owner and founder of GMEFI Magazine, and has a true love and passion for all vehicles. When he isn’t tuning, testing, or competing with the brand’s current crop of project vehicles, he’s busy tinkering and planning the next modifications for his own cars.
