Spotted tonight

LomileWE-2

Regular
Apr 1, 2020
456
1,424
60477 Cook
Real Name
Chuckles
Downtown Tinley Park
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v6buicks

TCG Elite Member
TCG Premium
Oct 22, 2018
6,267
15,469
Franklin, IN
Real Name
Jon
I've always kinda wanted one of these or the GN varient for all the car show mind fuckery. I find it hilarious that you CANNOT convince some of the most die hard car guys that such a thing was in fact made by GM. I feel like they would just begin to hate all Grand Nationals or think that Regal GNs came NA. Their heads would explode.
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Mattstrike

Random Crazy Custom Car guy
Feb 13, 2014
542
1,139
I know something about everything about these cars, depending on who asks and how much beer I drank before I answered.

1981-1989 or so saw nearly every Buick model with a "T-type" variant. I've personally only seen the Electra (PA), the LeSabre, and Regal. The Regal needs no introduction, you all know about the GN, GNX, and probably even know about the super rare 1989 Trans Am pace car deal. I think the only model to escape the T was the Reatta, probably because GM failed to deliver the RWD variant they developed...

What makes the BLT (Buick LeSabre T-type) special is that it's the only FWD H-body platform to race (and win) in Nascar. Something like 119 LeSabre "Grand National" models were produced in '86 to qualify the body for racing, for the explicit purpose of testing out a rear quarter window delete body panel. I think the most recognizable car was Bobby Allison's #22 with it's Miller graphics.
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Notice the full interior?

Somewhere on the interwebs there is a photo of one of the LeSabre's leading a pack of G-body cars around a track. The '86-87 LeSabres were legit racecars, the T-type Lesabre was just a poor follow-up. I don't know if the #22 car was in fact a "flame red metallic" car, I'd like to think it was - my '86 LeSabre limited had that 1-year only paint, looked similar to the photos of the #22 car once you factor in UV fading over the years (also, c'mon, how many of these GM cars survived clear coat failure? That paint was special).
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The T-type was special in that it was supposed to be Buick + Turbo, but FWD defeated that. The GN badges were special because they were *real* race cars - as far as I know, only the Regal and LeSabre actually raced.

The T-type is the predecessor to the SSEi and PA Ultra - if the FWD 440-t4 hadn't been such a shit basket all of the FWD 3800's would have been turbochargered from the factory and available to the public with a warranty. GM actually made a Turbo variant of the LG3 FWD motor (I think they planned to turbo the 3800 from the beginning with no N/A variants, explains the EGR and oversized EVAP stuff).
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There isn't a car on the planet I love more than a BLT: it's the original 3800 car, a true grassroots racecar, a spiritual succession of the G-body (My opinion).

I have a 1987 BLT that I want to build a modern replica of the '86 BLGN/#22 car. Flame red metallic, sealed beam headlights and grille, turbo LG3 + 4t80.
 

Mattstrike

Random Crazy Custom Car guy
Feb 13, 2014
542
1,139
Almost forgot about this one, 76 Unocal pace car. I think there was a follow up for the '87 with the updated front end as well. Attention to detail is interesting, the rear quarter windows and surrounding body work almost look like it rolled off the assembly line like that - the top of the windshield and cover for the soft top, not so much.
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:rofl: that car does not have a full interior. These cars were race chassis’ with body panels on them, nothing more.
Dry humor, a slight departure from my usual mix of irony and sarcasm. Though, since this was one of the first unibody cars, I wouldn't be surprised if everything rear of the hood and fenders that's not the chassis and roll cage was fiberglass.
 
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