Whenever we run a story on a Turbo Regal; T-Type, Turbo-T, Grand National, GNX, whatever it may be, we always see a ton of interest, reflected by the metrics on our site. It could be a Mecum auction sale, a full feature, tech story, or basically anything pertaining to these cars.
But if we dare spotlight one that no longer relies on its turbocharged V6 for motivation, the hate comments come in droves. However, when something is done right, it just is. The car you’e looking at on this page is just such an example. It started out in life as an ’86 Buick Regal T-Type, complete with the LC2 turbo V6 that’s also found in the ’86-87 Grand National.
However, after the car’s owner, Frank Trutanic, blew up the engine he elected to swap it out for something more modern with an additional two cylinders. Namely, an LS engine block. To spice it up further, he equipped it with a supercharger and a six-speed manual transmission. A drift brake was applied for added measure.
It arrives to the party complete with Speedtech suspension, Baer brakes, Forgeline wheels and much more. Frankie recently headed down to Southern California to pay AutotopiaLA a visit, where it was spotlighted for an awesome video feature.
Although it’s typically set up for over 1,100 horsepower, it was “only” tuned for around 800hp for the video shoot. Even with a 3800-lb curb weight, it’s still a very potent and entertaining, car that will either put a smile on your face, or absolutely terrify you. Or both, as we see in the video above. Enjoy.
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.
