why are gn's worth more than Ts??
- Thread starter rwrows
- Start date
chopped39
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2004
Well said. Plus with my T the insurance was cheaper:biggrin:
This is a great question. I am new to all this. I bought my T last year. I knew what a Grand National was since I was a senior in high school. How can you forget that bad a$$ black paint. Not to mention the performance they got out of a V6. I never heard of a "T-Type". It funny when I show people my car 90% have no idea what it is. I mention Grand National and they remember that. I try and explain the T has the same motor, chassis, etc. Which most of them don't believe. I love both the GN and the T Type. Personally I like seeing the various colors and options of the T Types. I love the sleeper affect the Limited has. I think as more people learn about these cars the price will go up. There are so many myths about our cars such as twin turbo, V8 turbo, etc. I'm sure you've heard them all. If I had the money I would own a GN, T, and a T Limited. In my opinion they each have unique attributes reguardless of the production numbers.
I was looking for a GN last year and ended up going with the WE4 turbo-T. I love the idea of a all black sleeper. I have had a lot of cars, never liked one make over another. I did notice chevy guys would bag on my mustang and ford guys would bag on my vette, camaro and monte carlo SS. But when The subject of a turbo regal would come up everyone respected them and had some hard to believe story about one. Usually they would say a stock Turbo regal with slicks and your in the 10s or something. I like all of them. But as said many time before the Gns are much more well known. I think that any turbo regal is a good investment.
turbofish38
Le Pétomane
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2002
Comparing a turbo Regal to a GN is an exercise in futulity. First off the whole "aura" or mystique is a perception created by the dumba$$es and posuers in our hobby. Everybody thinks they are a car guy or expert on anything with four wheels. If HOTROD said the 71 Vega was the fastest car in the world than it must be true. Just look at who doesn't know the difference between a MonteCarlo and a Regal. The same applies here. Go back into time. Okay which was faster? A 61 Biscayne 2 door sedan with a 409 horse 409 or a 61 Impala SS with the same motor. Nobody even knows what a Biscuit Sedan looks like unless they spent time at the track. Was a 68 Chevelle 300 coupe with a 375 horse L78 more desirable than a SS396 with the same motor. No because it too wasn't a mainstream icon. Hemi Satelite or Hemi RoadRunner? T-Type? What's that? Oh yeah my Grandma had a 4 door Century with T-Type on the fenders. Those are slow, which is what most people think when they hear T-Type. Now just the word Grand National has substance. That name wasn't hung on the fenders of just any Buick(okay spare me the 86 LeSabre GN story) so when you talk about fast cars that was the name that is associated with the myths and legends. It may have been a white turbo Regal that beat your Mustang at the track Friday night but you know you are telling everybody it was a GN. If you guys want your Ts to go up in value than you'll have to figure out how to capitolize on the GN mystique. IMO you're 20 years too late.
Did it ever dawn on anybody that the reason the 87 GN is worth more than any other TR was just the plain fact that it stickered for more money. Assuming that the values were on a constant variable than 50% of $18K is more than 50% of $16K. Back before these cars were collectables the value was based as a percentage of the retail invoice price.
Did it ever dawn on anybody that the reason the 87 GN is worth more than any other TR was just the plain fact that it stickered for more money. Assuming that the values were on a constant variable than 50% of $18K is more than 50% of $16K. Back before these cars were collectables the value was based as a percentage of the retail invoice price.
I agree. Most car guys respect Buicks (especially those who have ever been to an drag strip). I even get thumbs up from ricers! I think all turbo cars are valued primarily based on condition and mileage and personal taste.
I don't know exactly what the sticker was on the Limted Turbo's or Regal Turbo, but the Grand National ($15,136) was less than $300 more than a WE4 ($14,857).
Technically the GN was the top model, but it is more an appearance package than anything else (with a few items that technically slow it down). Appearance packages (special editions do historically do well in collectors eyes, Corvette collectible edition's usually do very well compared to the base model.
The base models were
$11,562
$12,303 (reading off a window sticker picture so I might be slightly off)
The LC2 and required AC and T package were 1442, 775 and 508 respectively.
So that made a no Option Turbo Regal $14,287 and no option Turbo Limited $15028
pontiac6269
Member
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2006
I have the original window sticker for my 87 Turbo Regal, the total price comes to $17,338.00.
i also would like to have a GN, T-type, and a T limited. right now i only have a T. i will have a GN soon (hopefully)
toofastforyou
2FAST4U
- Joined
- May 25, 2001
"86gngirl", you already had part of the answer when you said that "they are the same"...But what I really meant was that I refuse to believe that an '86 isn't worth as much as an '87...I don't understand why a subtle difference like a front grille actually does really affect the value of a GN...especially when the rest of the car is identical appearance-wise...
T-Types are a different story...They have always been worth a little less than GN's and probably always will...Heck, even when they were new, they cost less than GN's, so I don't see why they would suddenly be worth more now!...
Well, that pretty much sums up what I meant in my previous post!
:wink:
Claude :smile:
T-Types are a different story...They have always been worth a little less than GN's and probably always will...Heck, even when they were new, they cost less than GN's, so I don't see why they would suddenly be worth more now!...
Well, that pretty much sums up what I meant in my previous post!
:wink:
Claude :smile:
Please explain what you ment by that. I said they are the same but different in thier own way. They offered a few different options for both years but other then that its the same friggin car. Does the 87 grill offer a better advantage over the 86 proformance wise? OOO Wait!! The different colored pull straps might!!!
No. The gap will continue to increase between the 2 as time goes on. With GN's being worth more. It has ever since they were released and i dont see it going the other way at this point. Demand is the key as i stated earlier. Nothing else really matters but demand. If there was no demand and they only made 300 Tr's then the value would equally suck for all of them. Dont forget they are all actually T-types or Turbo T's. The GN option is just a package not an actual model name.
GNs have the "legend"
Price?
Yes I'd honestly be interested. Like anything else, it's a matter of price vs desire, I'd love a low mileage station wagon Pinto, and god a PINK MARY KAY one? I'd laugh my ass off all the way home with that on a trailer.Yep. Supply and demand.
87 GN's there is a greater supply but a greater demand. 84 GN's there are very few of them but is there is not as big as demand. For every 15 or so 87 GN's you may see 1 84 GN. How about the 82 GN sport coupes? With only a handful of these prices "should" be sky high but there is not as much demand. Probably because the 82's were slow as well as the 84's (no offense H/A guys) I had an 84 and it was much nicer than my 87 but I could get alot more for my 87 than I did when I sold my 84. I wish I had that car back. Only 2000 made that year and only ones with leather.
I also owned a t-type before and always had to explain to people.. " you know, it is like a grand national".
87 GN's there is a greater supply but a greater demand. 84 GN's there are very few of them but is there is not as big as demand. For every 15 or so 87 GN's you may see 1 84 GN. How about the 82 GN sport coupes? With only a handful of these prices "should" be sky high but there is not as much demand. Probably because the 82's were slow as well as the 84's (no offense H/A guys) I had an 84 and it was much nicer than my 87 but I could get alot more for my 87 than I did when I sold my 84. I wish I had that car back. Only 2000 made that year and only ones with leather.
I also owned a t-type before and always had to explain to people.. " you know, it is like a grand national".
Every time I'm at a show,or cruise night,I get the"Wow! a Grand National".Next..."Is it an 87???" I say "yup"! Would I be pissed if I had an 86 every time I heard that comment? I think so.There's a whole urban legend thing going on with the Grand National,it seems.I like it.My opinion is people know it was a low production run,for 4 years.They think the last year was the most collectible.I hate knowing there were 20 odd thousand built in 87.Wish it was 5000.But only until the next admirer asks if "It's an 87"
"86gngirl", you already had part of the answer when you said that "they are the same"...But what I really meant was that I refuse to believe that an '86 isn't worth as much as an '87...I don't understand why a subtle difference like a front grille actually does really affect the value of a GN...especially when the rest of the car is identical appearance-wise...
T-Types are a different story...They have always been worth a little less than GN's and probably always will...Heck, even when they were new, they cost less than GN's, so I don't see why they would suddenly be worth more now!...
Well, that pretty much sums up what I meant in my previous post!
:wink:
Claude :smile:
Thanks for the explaination. Sorry if I came off a bit harsh.:redface: Anytime I have my 86 out I always get "You should trade that in on an 87. They were faster and had an intercooler. Yours is an after market one".
Its hard for some to believe they are the same. They did alot more advertising, and there were more made in 87. I got my 86 appraised last year, and it is a fair amount, but I bet if it were an 87 it would of been worth a few grand more. I'd love to compare appraisals with a same condition 87 to mine and see what the difference was.
Every time I'm at a show,or cruise night,I get the"Wow! a Grand National".Next..."Is it an 87???" I say "yup"! Would I be pissed if I had an 86 every time I heard that comment? I think so.There's a whole urban legend thing going on with the Grand National,it seems.I like it.My opinion is people know it was a low production run,for 4 years.They think the last year was the most collectible.I hate knowing there were 20 odd thousand built in 87.Wish it was 5000.But only until the next admirer asks if "It's an 87"
i'll admit it. i want an 87 gn, and will have one soon. tired of telling people that my T is the same as the grand national but it came in different colors. hopefully i can keep the T and i'll just tell people it's a regal, and then blow their doors off.
That so true. Last year I went to a show as spectator. I was parking and 2 guys in the car next to me got out. My wife overheard them. One said look a Silver Grand National his buddy say yeah but its only a V6. I just laughed to myself. BTW they both got out of a minivan.
Every time I'm at a show,or cruise night,I get the"Wow! a Grand National".Next..."Is it an 87???" I say "yup"! Would I be pissed if I had an 86 every time I heard that comment? I think so.There's a whole urban legend thing going on with the Grand National,it seems.I like it.My opinion is people know it was a low production run,for 4 years.They think the last year was the most collectible.I hate knowing there were 20 odd thousand built in 87.Wish it was 5000.But only until the next admirer asks if "It's an 87"
Right after I bought the car, I went to autozone to get a oil filter, battery and other ods and ends. When the parts guy asked for what vehicle, I proudly said 87 grand national. To my surprise no one behind the counter had a clue what it was. I told them its a regal with the turbo V6. One of the parts guys said he used to have a regal and it had the mighty V8 and was still a POS. I just laughed and said ya those 305s were boat anchors and got my parts.
