The Buick Grand National is presented not just as a car, but as a cultural icon and a symbol of American identity, embodying a specific narrative and emotional resonance that transcended its mechanical origins.
Mind Map
Click to expand
Click to explore the full interactive mind map • Zoom, pan, and navigate
everything you love about turbocharged
American cars you owe to the grand
this is 1986 Buick Grand National yes
there were other turbo American cars
existing at the same time or predating
the Grand National /t type 1984 1985
dodge omni glhs although that was a
Mitsubishi engine mid 60s Corvair Corsa
84 Mustang SVO and the 62 O's will build
Cutlass Jetfire but all of these cars
with the exception of the SVO were
apologetic dabbles are built by
consultants operating outside the parent
company's sphere of responsibility so
the CEO could Pontius pilot his hands if
anything went wrong none of those cars
made turbos manly enough for the
legendary American male to whom the
first day of buck is the greatest day of
the year but the Grand National did
because it speaks to the one thing
Americans hold in higher regard than
food or guns or the Bible or v8 sore
Twitter's there any other trite gag the
BBC slaps down when talking about what
Americans like you know what we like we
like a good story we want a good story
not just a good story we want a tall
tale a fable something mythic we like
terrific stories legends a mythic legend
and the Buick Grand National is a legend
because it existed during the mid 80s a
low point for American pride Marvin Gaye
died tragically mash ended George Lucas
turned star wars into a screwball comedy
an o-ring blows up one of our space
shuttles iran-contra hits the fan and
Michael Jackson perfected a dance move that
that
every wedding reception but the Buick
Grand National Oh it captured that late
sixties early seventies Rough Trade no
condom Ozark Bone fest from a bass
baritone well digger with 80-grit pubes
cousin think of it how well-known is the
Grand National outside of the United States
States
hey Australia yeah yeah I'm talking to
you this is our equivalent of your xB
Falcon hey Britain Sutton this is
similar in spirit to your Vincent hey-oh
Japan Nihon the chase saga Artemis the
Buick Grand National isn't a standalone
car it's the third trim level of the
Buick Regal and the Buick Regal is a GM
G body and in the 80s that meant the
Pontiac Grand Prix Pontiac Bonneville
Chevrolet Monte Carlo Chevrolet El
Camino and Buick Regal were all the same
ish car this is a Buick Regal now the
Buick Regal had a sports level trim
running gear and engine package called
the T type the T type had a 3.8 liter
turbo v6 which dates back to 1978 when
it made back then a hundred and
seventy-five horsepower there abouts I
know it made more when it got into the
GN and the T type had an extra trim
package option for itself
and that's what the Grand National is
black everything different wheels and
badging and the turbo six emblem here
and there but all the Grand National is
is an appearance package for the Buick
Regal t-type but it's the correct way to
do an appearance package because no one
really wants the T type people who have
T types that will give you laundry
baskets full of reasons why they prefer
the T type over the GN but they're
they're trying to convince themselves
more than they're trying to convince you
and if they could get a hold of enough
General Motors super gloss black paint
and trim pieces they'd murder out their
t type and go around telling everybody
at cruise night that it's a real Grand
National and many do the Buick Grand
National is one of the most faked and
cloned American cars all you need is an 80
80
buick regal and black paint and some
fake jobs are very good now here's how
you can tell if a Grand National is real
first thing easiest thing pop the trunk
and look at the codes you are looking
for code we2 that is the Grand National
appearance package code from General
Motors it's got to say we2 back there
look in the driver's window and have a
look at the steering wheel now look at
the horn button on a real Grand National
the horn button will be black with the
Buick triple shield logo represented in
shadow the T types will have a big red T
however this isn't a total giveaway
because Buick never gave out the
replacement Grand National horn buttons
even back in the day if you requested a
replacement horn button from General
Motors you would get the red T even if
you told them I have a Grand National
son now look at the whole center console
and all the trim pieces on a real Grand
National all of them will only have gray
uppers and black lowers the upper part
will be gray the lower part will be
black and the same goes for the door
trim because the T type minty Reed if ur
n't colors the Grand National was only
gray and black walk around to the front
of the car no Grand National ever had
chrome bumpers now look at the grille
all grilles from 1986 and back were
chrome only the 1987 Buick Grand
National had a blacked out grille so if
you have someone and they have an 87 and
it has a chrome grille something's up or
or if they have a different year an
earlier year and the grilles all blocked
out mmmmmm that's suspicious too this
has nothing to do with authenticity but
watch out for bumper fillers this is
just a bit of bodywork between the
bumper and the headlights those things
crack and rot out really quick now the
name Grand National starts in 1982 two
years before the black GN debuted in 84
so the Grand National began before it
began the 1982 proto Grand Nationals
were just some self congratulated
lipstick job on the 82 regal for winning
a round round race only 215 were made in
1982 and of those 215 only 35 had turbochargers
turbochargers
and they weren't even all black these
proto jeans were nothing but gift bags
for shipyard magnates who would later
regifter their cone titted West Virginia
wives flown here you go Mary Mary Ann
Mary here's a new car for you it's an
exclusive car remember you signed a
prenup then in 1983 no Grand Nationals
1984 the Grand National returns although
a good number of people consider this
and I'm one of them that 1984 was the
true start of the Grand National because
it was all black and they were all
turbos even though the 84 is were hot
Air's no inner cooler inner cooler
started in 1985 and in 1984 American
needed the Grand National it fit
perfectly into the mid 80s
because 1984 was a turning point for our
economy but not for all citizens that's
the thing you must understand the 80s
the late 80s were prosperous and cocaine
cowboys and all that glitter yes yes
there was money but the mid 80s was also
the beginnings of the great split
between the rich and the poor I'm
quoting John Green from crash course in
1981 President Reagan persuaded Congress
to reduce the top tax rates from 70
percent down to 50 percent and in 1986
Congress further lowered the same top
income tax rate from that 50 percent all
the way down to 28% this was called the
tax reform Act but you know it better as
reaganomics and trickle-down economics
who wealth was coming but not for
everyone and the culture expressed this
frustration through many mediums aimed
at perceived oligarchy which didn't give
a damn about you look at music Billy
Joel's Allentown Bad Brains Reagan youth
I mean you're gonna have a whole thing
about eighties punk rock in itself
movies The Breakfast Club The Terminator comics
comics
Frank Miller's Batman Alan Moore's
Watchmen and cars the Grand National
think about it this is General Motors
the biggest Americanist
heartbeat of America
ten chevy truck International race of Champions
Champions
General Motors the automotive equivalent
of the ten commandments creating a
shadowy antihero a real-life Dark Knight
an Avenger for the disenfranchised a
twisted hero a foreboding Raven for
channeling our national feeling of grand
and justice a sinister rolling reminder
to any passing oligarch death claims all
yeah you want to know the truth this is
[Music]
fluttering get closer gladly
that that's the twist that's the
brilliance of the Grand National yeah
the Grand National has an aura around it
that it's a horrible chunk of disease
and rampage but when you drive one and
please please do you'll discover that
the GN is a car that explodes with joy
and happiness it's like seeing a punk
rock or all dressed in black leather and
you think he's bad news and then you
talk to him and you find out he just
exudes happiness and serotonin ahh
there's no point to talk numbers go
watch any other the hundred or so Grand
National videos and mini docs and black
hair if you want to listen to someone
read an instruction manual to you
besides the GM 3.8 liter turbo six is
easier tuned than a trombone and this
particular GN is no exception this Grand
National has a PT 54 turbo a rebuilt
engine ARP Hardware high pressure fuel
pump a lock-up torque converter that
engages at 3,000 rpm forged pistons a
double roller timing chain and an
enlarged intercooler the Grand National
only came in automatic like a girlfriend
man yo man you're missing the point ok
number one every great design needs a
character flaw in a Metal Gear Rex kind
of way and to the smooth auto
transmission in the Grand National means
that you've never drop off boost right
people there are people who convert
these things to manual and then find out
they're running a half second slower in
the quarter-mile the automatic
transmission is part of the Grand
Nationals happiness it wants you to
enjoy it it's a puppy that's running
around to everybody at the park sniffing
everybody come play with me play with me
play with me he wants everybody to have
a turn a grand national wants everybody
to drive it so it's not gonna scare away
anybody with a manual transmission he's
not comfortable with those things no you
open your door you get in the seats go
Boing Boing Boing they're really heavily
sprung stock Buick seats you get iminium
and you bounce and it wears its turbo
right up front or everybody can see it
it's not hiding it down and similar like
a some of the steers like now I'm a
turbocharged car here it is look at it
the grand
Nacional isn't death its life that just
miss masquerading is death meet your
here this is one of the heroes that you
can meet the Grand National will not
disappoint yeah yeah don't don't don't
hype up a Grand National it'll only let
you down meanwhile turbo lag hell yeah
lots of it that's the point you get in
and you you this the the anticipation of
that you push your foot on the floor one
two and then it comes it comes in a
gigantic shove I mean it still is ATGM
you get inside stuffs rattling and
banging you know Josh is moving around
feels like I'm gonna break this shifter
off it's so tinny and thin coming up
from here now the previous owner of this
GN had gay these adding I know these
gauges are right here but their period
gauges I mean this is what would exist
on a Grand National in 1986 if someone
would have done up these are from the
80s that oil gauge there that's that's
not electronic there's an oil line
coming right through the dash up to that
gauge I'm not a fan of a pillar pods but
at least this one has an old-school
knock sensor and it's period and down
here there's a period-correct
quarter-mile timer this digital dash is
odd that was an option for the Grand
National not many people got it but when
you drive it all you want to do is keep
stabbing away at the throttle so you can
feel the pressure build and then then
it's intoxicating how much fun this is
who are those people who said this is an
old car that no one cares about this is
joy in its finest form a Grand National
is everything right and good and a
little bit off with the world it's the
bitter taste of a smokers nicotine kiss
the Grand National loosens the pickle
jar of human goodness it takes you back
to a past that's irretrievably but
internally present just on the edges of
your consciousness like all good things
this childhood innocence can be called
up on a drunken night because sometimes
you start thinking about where you come
from and sometimes you call your mom
just to hear her voice
and when she asks why you called you
just say I have a missed call from you
but maybe it's old my phone doesn't say
you both know it's a bull but you let it
go because you just couldn't bring
yourself to say I just need to hear your
voice mom through the windows of a Grand
National you see it all all the great
possibilities that are welcome in this
country in the world
past and present as if it just happened
yesterday drive a Grand National and
you're right back there playing Turtles
and time and drinking juicy juice out of
a triangular-shaped hole you made with a
can opener in a Shawshank way the Buick
Grand National is a good thing maybe the
greatest of things the Buick Grand
National is a tangible example when all
pretenses worries and fears and doubts
are shaken off and we unleash the grand
Oh wonder [Music]
you're still here the grand national
story doesn't end with this I'm going to
be straightforward is there anybody out
there who will loan us a GNX because if
the Grand National was an album the GNX
Click on any text or timestamp to jump to that moment in the video
Share:
Most transcripts ready in under 5 seconds
One-Click Copy125+ LanguagesSearch ContentJump to Timestamps
Paste YouTube URL
Enter any YouTube video link to get the full transcript
Transcript Extraction Form
Most transcripts ready in under 5 seconds
Get Our Chrome Extension
Get transcripts instantly without leaving YouTube. Install our Chrome extension for one-click access to any video's transcript directly on the watch page.
