Buick Grand National Street & Strip Upgrades - Part 3

In this episode, we focus on making some good old turbocharged horsepower on my 1987 Buick Grand National. We also take a trip back to 1987 to look at performance recipes back then.
This is part of a multi-part series where we're making a host of modifications to this classic American muscle car to improve its performance on the street and strip. Thank you for watching and subscribing!
Join me on Facebook! / tomsturbogarage
Get BLACK AIR: The Buick Grand National Documentary today! www.gnmovie.com
For more Grand National details and photos, visit my website at gn.turbomirage.com.
Disclaimer
The content provided in this video is for informational use only. Video content is provided at the viewers own risk and the viewer will not hold the parties involved in creating, producing or delivering this information liable for any loss, injury, claim, liability, or damage of any kind resulting in any way from any errors in or omissions from the information. Thanks for understanding.

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thank you for that! I really enjoy reading and replying to everyone's comments, it's like having a bunch of car buddies all around the country and world. I'm still very amazed by the positivity and support- it's very inspiring!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Regarding the porting, you're correct - that's why I only removed the small bottleneck right after the throttle body in the upper intake. It only make sense to do this while I was in there removing the EGR riser.

[@ExBuickRacer]

Tom and RCGuy, The 86-87 n/a Regals and Turbo Regals did indeed use the same block (casting number 25526109); the only difference was the 1/2" hole drilled into the boss cast in the front of the block to accommodate the turbo oil drain line. I raced a 10-sec GN for many years; the 2nd motor I put in it was based on a n/a block I pulled from a junkyard Regal...I had a buddy of mine at a machine shop drill the hole and clean it up. The heads are the same as well: 8445s, cheap at the junkyard.

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Hi Chris and thank you for the support! I can't add links in this comment box, but the Facebook link is in the video comments, or just type in Toms Turbo Garage in the Facebook search bar. See ya!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Hi Ryan! I've never had any issues with any water/alcohol/methanol injection on any car that I've ran it on. I've been running it on my 4G63 powered cars since 1999 and love it.

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Hi there and thank you! Regarding your question, I have a TurboTweak chip, that bypasses the EGR function. Currently, I have four videos that focus on Grand National mods, you can see them on my channel. I just watched a couple of your videos and your car is fantastic!

[@solesearched]

Tom, this show deserves to be on TV, its that good in my opinion!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thank you Jim, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thank you very much for all of the kind words and I'm glad I could pass along some inspiration!

[@chinogrande8773]

10 yrs old video but still a treasure trove

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thank you and I'm glad you enjoyed it! I always struggle with how much or little detail to add about certain topics, but usually if I don't mention tools, it means that it can all be done with a good starter tool set from Sears, etc. I try to call out specialty tools like the valve spring stuff. Thank you for the suggestion, I definitely appreciate that.

[@JobeMinacum]

The 1989 TTA was the fastest production car in 1989! Such a cool car! My 1st project car was a 3rd gen -a 82' Firebird S/E, just a 2.8 v6 4 speed, with the WS6 suspension package! It handled wonderful, but it was so slow! Eventually I saved up enough to buy a 350 and 4 speed trans out of a 2nd gen Z28, rated at 360hp, it made it a whole different car!Then I got a rear end from a 88 Z28 with the 3.45's and Posi. With full exhaust, a cam, an intake and carb, I ran high 12's! I miss that car!!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Hi Terry, it may take a little while due to schedules, etc. but I definitely plan to test it out at the track when I'm all done wrenching on it.

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thank you Ivan, I appreciate that! Lots more cool stuff coming soon!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

That's a good tip and very true. I usually don't get that deep on my videos for a few reasons. Mainly, I would hope folks that are considering modifications have already ensured that the foundational things like this (engine with good compression, recent tune up, sensors set/operating properly, etc) have already been considered.

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thank you! The EGR gasket is placed on the intake manifold, the metal plate then goes on, then the EGR valve is bolted on, on top of the plate. You'll see that it's very straightforward once you're in there. Good luck!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Indeed. This car has a Precision TE-44, so it should be a good compliment.

[@TomsTurboGarage]

You're welcome Dale, glad you enjoyed it! Lots more to come!

[@BeautyMavenRaven]

where did you find the value spring compression tool?

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thank you and I'm glad you enjoy the videos! I agree that the plate does look like a restriction, but the size of the plate openings equal the volume of the throttle body inlet. I'm going to give it a try and see if it helps.

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thank you Justin and I'm glad I can help!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

I agree that it is definitely weird looking. The volume of the openings total the same size as the stock throttle body. With the big open doghouse, the air simply doesn't get to each cylinder properly. Lots of cars have this sort of issue, but it only becomes an issue when adding a bunch of power. I figured I'd give it a try and see if it makes it easier to tune.

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thank you for the great compliment! As long as you guys enjoy the videos and find them useful, that's good enough for me!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thank you Robert, I'm glad you enjoyed it! That Snap-on/Bluepoint tool is very slick!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thank you for the kind words, I appreciate that!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thank you as always for the great support Ryan! Good luck with your car, it is going to be a beast!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Good to know and I'm sure others will appreciate this too!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thank you for the great support Jesse! Just help me out and tell your friends/pets/co-workers/people at the grocery store/etc. I would greatly appreciate that!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thanks and you're welcome man! Oh yeah, when it comes to auto repair work/modifications it's all pretty relative and can be applied to most cars. Good luck with yours!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Hi Daniel and thank you! Unfortunately I don't have much expertise to share on the 2.4 Turbo in your PT Cruiser. I'm sure this has been discussed in the SRT-4/GT forums. This is an issue in many cars, especially when turning up the boost. Have fun with your PT-GT, I bet it's a hoot!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thank you John, I really enjoy that old stuff too and I'd like to get my hands on more articles, etc. Good luck with your car and enjoy it!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thank you Jobe! I love the 89 Turbo TAs just the same. My first project car was a 3rd gen F-Body and I remember seeing a brand new 89 Turbo TA on the showroom floor. It was 32k which was a ton of money back then! I had the chance to buy one 10 years ago and passed on it, which I regret!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Yes, my compressor is on the small side too. It ended up doing just fine though, but I did have the rope just in case. I just had that small problem with it as seen in the video. :-)

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thank you man, glad you get a kick out of it!

[@RedneckMechanics]

Tom's Turbo Garage Hi, i found your channel yesterday while looking for GNX videos, this is an awesome channel and you make wonderfull videos. Thanks for sharing. Ben.

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thank you for the kind words and support Ben! Welcome and I'm glad you enjoy the videos!

[@BoostedBeaverGarage]

Once again, I love the comedy. The masking trick of how to peel the tape will be very useful someday. You probably already know but Snap-On and Lisle produce some pretty nifty spring compressing tools. The Snap-On or Bluepoint part number is GA317 and works on a wide variety of springs and is very quick and easy to use. Lisle has produced two sizes but uses the same concept as the Snap-On tool. Not knocking your tool in any way, just mentioning one of the tools I have found very useful. Robert

[@231mac]

Oh, those '40 hp' chips were hilarious. You were lucky if they made 10, lol! And I love how Kenne Bell is contradicting themselves with the stock ET times. On the front page it shows the stock GN's doing around 14.30's and on the inside page 14.80's. The performance market in the 80's and early 90's was very misleading, at best...

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed the video!

[@johng539]

just would like to say, buy far your the best video, cleanness, most professionalest mechanic I've seen to date, better then any gm dealer, and far more advanced with precision

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thank you for the very kind words John, I appreciate it! I'm glad you enjoy the videos too!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thank you and I'm glad you enjoy them! I grew up in a service station around mechanics, had some training and have learned lots from friends and online resources too. It's funny, one day you're doing your first oil change and it's a really big deal...then a few years later, you have a cylinder head tore apart. It just kinda snowballs as bigger jobs/projects pop up. Have fun wrenching man!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thanks for the question! I had a new 03 Lancer Evo that I sold a few years later because I felt like I outgrew it. The interior was sparse, it was noisy, and I had the CONSTANT urge to hop it up. I guess I like a little luxury and refinement with my performance in a daily driver. The IS-F was like a more refined, grown-up Evo to me. Plus, when I bought the IS-F new, the deals on them were awesome. I love the car- if I ran Lexus, I would have built this car. It's a great total package.

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thanks man, glad you enjoyed it! Lots more fun stuff to come!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Will do man, see ya!

[@bg147]

Growing up, I never really appreciated these Buick runners, but I am not sure if I knew what they were about. They were a bit of a secret, it seems. Today, I respect what they are and especially admire the passion of the GN aficionados.

[@TomsTurboGarage]

I can totally relate to this. For me growing up it was European cars. Everyone around me at the time told me they were junk, etc. Now I've grown to appreciate them and what they offer.

[@ExBuickRacer]

Also, I don't know if you addressed this in your other videos but ensuring the TPS is set correctly is a must. Just make sure you have the floor mat taken out when you check the TPS setting, as the the floormat's thickness will throw off your voltage readings (and, hence, the voltage applied when you mash the throttle.)

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thanks Jeff! I had them measured at a local machine shop and they were all in spec.

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thanks Matthew!

[@TheAustinsmiley]

I don't know if you are shopping there but i see a lot of the stuff we sell. Great videos though i do in joy watching them...

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thank you, I do enjoy that part.

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Seeing a Zebronkey is one step below seeing a full-on unicorn in the flesh. Oh yeah.

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thanks man! Yes, I make all of my own music, for better or for worse. :-) I will be taking it to rolling road/dyno if everything goes well. I also plan to visit the track later this summer. Thanks again and have a good one!

[@DBTBSBCB]

I just purchased an 87 GN. Had GN's before and had kids, sold GN, got one back and keeping it. I am doing pretty much like you. Slow and methodical. Some old school and some new. I am having a ball. 61,000 miles, TE44, 42.5 009's, ss 3" Downpipe, exhaust, Walbro 340 hotwired, a NOS 9/11 converter, Turbo Tweeks chip, stretch intercooler, new motor mounts and transmission mounts. Looking for 12's on pump gas. Love the video's. Keep them coming. Tnx

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thanks and will do!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thanks man! Oh, yeah I go to Advance all the time!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thanks for sharing that Jobe! My F-Body was an 83 Trans Am that I modified to look (and run) exactly like the 1992 Firehawk. I would sure love to have that car back. They are inexpensive cars to buy, but finding a nice one is really difficult.

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thanks Clement! These things don't take long in total, but it's taken me awhile since I'm usually too busy to work in the garage. I'm in healthcare technology.

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thanks man, send me any old pics, I love to see what folks are working on!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Haha, thanks man - will do!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Hi Mitchell, I'm pretty attached to the cars I have now, but I did sell the Miata last summer. That was a tough one, but I needed to make room for my Maxi-Van, a.k.a - The Dragon Wagon.

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thank you, I appreciate that!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Well that's an interesting bit of trivia!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thanks William! I like throwing that goofy stuff in there. Can't take this stuff too serious!

[@Bediasman]

I watch do it yourself shade-tree mechanic videos on KZbin all the time. You have by far the most entertaining and informative. I enjoy your videos. Thanks

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thank you for saying that and I'm glad you enjoy the videos!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Haha! I've gotta lay off the anti-seize sandwiches. Believe it or not, they don't seem to agree with the majority of my digestive system/other organs. Thanks for the support too!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thanks man, that would be cool!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Cool, good to know!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

I am using the TurboTweak chip that (I believe) disables the EGR function in the ECU. I would suggest a quick search of the TurboBuick Forums to see if others have had a code/ses light from that. Good luck!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Yes, I definitely considered that. I wanted to see what it would do in this form, and will probably consider a bunch of valvetrain mods in the future.

[@redsiinpa]

Tom, you should run for president. Nice work on this video. Keep up the great work.

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thanks man, that would look good!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

No, according to the included instructions you just drill a hole where where the EGR port is (using the gasket as a guide) and the EGR function is retained.

[@TurboMitsubishi]

Love the comedy you throw into your video's, and the depth of coverage. Hard to believe the power plate isn't restriction though.

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Hi Kyle, when it's just me filming and working alone, I don't always remember to catch every step. They aren't difficult to change at all, just google it or check your service manual for more info.

[@TomsTurboGarage]

The Turbo Buicks do have unique blocks, there is tons if info on this that can be found on the gnttype website. Sorry, I can't post links in here. :-/

[@TomsTurboGarage]

You're welcome and I'm sure this has been covered on the forums at some point. Good luck!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thank you!

[@ExBuickRacer]

With the new injectors, plate and minor porting the car will wake up a bit and give you room to grow. The valve springs are huge in that they will allow the car to rev without fear of valve float and increase the effective rev range to 5200-5300 RPM. If you do the valve springs, I recommend replacing the rocker shafts with heavy duty shafts available at NAPA ($25) as the OEM shafts will break under high load, especially on Cyls 5 & 6 since the shafts "hang in space" over those cylinders.

[@pcmasterfilms]

Sweet, looks really good, you should consider hitting those ribs on the valve cover and dog house with some finer grit sandpaper and then some aluminum polish to make them really shine!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thank you sir!

[@ExBuickRacer]

With regard to EGR blockoffs...in CA with our strict smog laws and two stage dyno smog test we found that taking off the EGRs drove the NOx levels up at idle and messed up block learns. My car passed the smog test with 72# injectors, dual staged in tank pumps, the factory ECM modified with new drivers to run the injectors, custom chip , AFPR set at 43 psi static and a 212/212 cam. It was close on the hydrocarbons, but the car passed nonetheless.

[@ExBuickRacer]

Actually, the blocks are the same but the cranks are not. The n/a 3.8L Regal cranks do not have the rolled fillets while the Turbo cranks do. The Turbo rolled fillet cranks were also used in the 4.1L V6 Estate Wagons of the same years, which is another source. The Estate Wagons also used the same Powermaster system for the brakes as the GN/TRs.

[@jetjazz05]

I can't believe that you don't have more subscribers, the videos you put out are produced well and are easy to follow, they're fun and informative. I look forward to every new video!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

"Matt" is a jumpsuit that I bought at a flea market many years ago. I could tell you more, but KZbin only gives me 379 more characters. Wait, 351. Wait, it keeps going down as I type, WTF? Now I have less than 300?!

[@NSCA12]

Tom, enjoyed your video. I thought it humorus that when it got to the doghouse portion I was thinking to myself - "I wonder if he plans to put one of Jason's plates on it." low and hehold. lol. Great looking car. We hope to see you at the Nats this year. GSCA Race Director - Jim.

[@ExBuickRacer]

On last comment for the night: my car also had a 62mm TB with port matched doghouse and I installed an RJC power plate with the hole drilled to allow EGR function. Car went 10.74s at 126+ with conservative tune. At any rate, I hope this helps someone.

[@BassManBobBassCovers]

I have always wanted a GN! But my Regal GS is doing me good now.

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Haha, thanks man! I've always been fascinated by the rotary engine and saw many fast ones when I lived in Florida. I don't think I've heard the sound of an uncorked rotaty at full song since I lived there. :-(

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Thanks man!

[@thepainterluke]

Tom, great video. I like the humor and even more the walk thru and know how. A little more detail, maybe at the end of the video, about where to get the parts would be helpful and the tools needed. Good for you and Ill be watching!

[@rpvilleneuve]

GREAT VID LIKE ALWAYS TOM!!! cant wait to see you rip the grand natty down the track. Im just got my head back from getting a full port and polish. Also had springs retainers +1 valves etc done. All im waiting on now is to get my fp black and put her back on the dyno. I plan on sitting on that setup for awhile. 500hp is my goal and im told that will be extremely easy on a conservative safe reliable tune.

[@johnnyboyssite]

Hey tom. Great vid! Love the old promo stuff for GN's! I just finished installing an electric fuel pressure gauge for my WE-4 today. Love your vids !

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Oh yeah, same deal!

[@scotchbudmeister9018]

I ordered a ram air kit and chip from Kenne Bell for my T-Type. Fun car back then.

[@learysinsight9617]

still relevant. great stuff.

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I have no reason to block you and I've never actually blocked anyone on here. Regarding the spacer, I have seen many stock intakes that do not evenly distribute air when you start increasing boost/horsepower, so the theory behind it is legit, which is why I'm giving it a try. I'm definitely not a pro- just a guy who likes to wrench and enjoy cars.

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Great info!

[@JobeMinacum]

We know you love Grand Nationals, but what do you think about the Turbo Trans Am from 1989? Those had the same engine with a few other goodies, and were only rated at 250hp, but they ran 13's! I really want one! I love your videos and hope you continue to make them, as they're very informative and fun to watch!

[@taketheredpill1452]

sweet, intelligent improvements.

[@daniel1997gsx]

Haha.. Tom your humor is fantastic!

[@TomsTurboGarage]

Haha, thanks man!

[@Dartheomus]

Just watched all 4 of your GN videos & looking forward to the next one. The spring video is timely as this is the next project I plan to tackle on my WE-4. Thanks very much for posting these... They're educational, and I caught myself laughing a few times. /inspired to get back to work in the garage! :)