The term parts bin special is used to describe cars built by mixing and matching an array of existing off-the-shelf parts to create a new combination with reduced engineering costs. There are many noteworthy examples in classic car history — for example, the Shelby AC Cobra started out as a British AC Ace with a Windsor V8 from a Ford Fairlane, and the original Mustang was mostly constructed with parts from the Ford Falcon. General Motors also had many examples of this, from the GMC Syclone to the '94-96 Impala SS. This philosophy led one enthusiast to raid the proverbial 1980s GM parts bin and fuse a 1984 Chevy El Camino with a 1987 Buick GNX, calling the result the "Grand Camino."

A custom 1987 Buick Turbo T reimagines a high school legend with WH1-inspired styling and modern turbo performance.

Some cars are restored. Others are modified. And then there are builds like this - machines that carry history, emotion, and a story that spans decades.

This 1987 Buick Turbo T, known as the “One-of-One WH1,” is more than just a performance build - it’s a tribute to a car that left a lasting impression back in the mid-1980s.

What do you get when you mix a 1987 Buick Grand National, a supercharged LT1 V8 from a Camaro Z28, a custom-fabricated chassis, and independent suspension parts from Nissan drift cars? For purists, that might sound horrifying, but Stevie Martin from SS Motorsports wanted to try something completely outside the box. His "Drift National" is certainly a polarizing build, but he told Autotopia LA that it still gets a lot of positive attention. "I wanted to build it so even the G-Body guys could respect it. Right off the top, they're going to be upset... but as soon as they see it or hear it, they fall in love with it."

Classic Industries has released a brand‑new digital version of its full‑color Buick Regal parts and accessories catalog for the 1978–1987 era, with full support for all Buick Regal and Grand National variants (Grand National, GNX, T‑Type, Turbo‑T, and Sport). You can now download the catalog as a PDF or request a free printed copy, making the entire restoration resource instantly accessible on desktop, tablet, or mobile.

A 1987 Buick Grand National GNX expert might be able to confirm that Omar Navarro's '87 GNX tribute isn't one of the 547 real ones that Buick manufactured, but it would have to be a GNX guru. The reason for this is that Omar took his solid original 1987 Buick Grand National and purchased an original GNX as a parts car from a car auction in Nevada that had been in a roll over crash.

On Sunday, June 8, 2025, the rolling hills of Valley Center, California, played host to the 31st Annual Buicks at Bates car show at Bates Nut Farm. This iconic gathering, renowned as the largest Turbo Buick event on the West Coast, attracted over 100 classic and turbocharged Buicks, including the legendary Grand Nationals and Turbo Regals. Also in attendance were several early Buick GS’s and close to 20 GMC Syclones and Typhoons with one of the 10 Marlboro special edition Syclones coming out of hiding for the show.

The 3.8L turbocharged V6 engine that powered the Grand National and GNX was a unique creation in an era still recovering from the muscle car collapse. Unlike most performance cars of the time, it didn’t rely on a big V8. Instead, Buick engineered a torquey, boost-happy V6 that could blow the doors off cars with twice the displacement (1987 GNX #51 produced of 547 built - lead photo).

In the haze of underwhelming American cars of the 1980s, Buick—a brand long associated with elderly buyers and soft luxury—did something unthinkable. It unleashed a pair of performance monsters that tore through quarter miles and took down Corvettes, Mustangs, and even European sports cars. These were the Buick Grand National and the ultra-rare, legendary GNX (1987 GNX in lead photo).

The Buick Regal, introduced in 1973 (1978 Regal shown above), emerged during one of the most tumultuous eras in American automotive history. Stretching across the tail end of the muscle car era into the smog-choked malaise years, the first few generations of the Regal prioritized style, comfort, and luxury over outright performance. From 1973 through 1987, the Buick Regal became a case study in how government regulations, economic shifts, and changing consumer tastes could transform a car from a potential performer into a cruiser fit more for Sunday drives than drag strips.

"Then came 1987... together, Buick and ASC McLaren created the 276-horsepower GNX. The Grand National Experimental. The Grand National to end all Grand Nationals, its final form." After the recent Superbowl halftime show where hip-hop musician Kendrick Lamar used a Buick GNX replica — it wasn't a real GNX, although Lamar does own one — as a centerpiece for his performance in front of 127 million viewers, interest in these classic Buicks has risen yet again. YouTube channel Throttle House recently published a retrospective review of the GNX that serves as a brief introduction to its history and features.