Fuel Pump Failed: 1986 Buick Grand National
As someone who routinely drags long dead cars out of their woodlands refuge, I’ve built up a steely resolve for hearing that the worst case scenario has come true. Sure, this car ran when it was parked ten years ago, what else could have gone wrong with it in the meantime? Wishful thinking that it somehow emerged unscathed from its long-term slumber is a waste of time, and the list of warts is usually longer than you expect. Regardless, I’d love to believe that this moderately clean 1986 Buick Grand National here on Facebook Marketplace that hasn’t run in ten years just needs a fuel pump, but my gut tells me more help will be needed. It’s listed for $18K in Arizona.
The condition appears to be quite decent, with no major cosmetic issues to report from the photos. The paint is dusty but still surprisingly glossy, and the Arizona license plate provide some comfort that it hasn’t been residing in the rust belt for the ten years it’s been off the road due to a dead fuel pump. However, the bottom left of the photo shows a dealer sticker from a dealership in New Carlisle, Ohio, so the Grand National at least began its life in a snowy region. That’s not to say it didn’t quickly depart for friendlier climates, but it’s worth noting that it may have spent some time in the part of the country known for devouring cars whole.
Mileage is reported in the listing as being 82,000, which isn’t terribly high. Factoring in that it hasn’t seen road use in ten years, and it’s likely this example wasn’t used all that much even when running. The interior will clean up well, in my opinion, as nothing here looks terribly filthy or past the point of bouncing back with a good detailing. I can’t tell in the pictures if the knee bolster / trim panel beneath the steering wheel has been removed, but it looks like something is hanging down there. The Grand National-specific bucket seats look to be in good shape, along with the steering wheel and door panels. There are no cracks immediately evident in the dash.
The engine bay appears intact, with no signs of obvious aftermarket modifications. Obviously, the regular rotation of maintenance should be performed in addition to the fuel pump replacement before the Grand National is driven again, but fortunately, these cars are not notoriously expensive to maintain. The seller doesn’t provide much detail in the listing, but that’s (sadly) typical for Facebook Marketplace ads. Still, for local buyers, this seems like a car worth checking out due to the likelihood of being rust-free and the mileage not being offensively high. I’d still bank on addressing more than a fuel pump, but that’s certainly no reason to snooze on this one.
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Comments
1986 is not the one to buy as it doesn’t have the horsepower or intercooler like the 87.
the 86 is pretty much the same as an 87 both are intercooled and make the same power for 87 they just raised the rating by 10 to keep the horsepower rating 5 above the corvette. the 84’s and 5’s are the ones that are slower.
Plus the intercooler is plainly visible in the engine photo.
HP was raised by 10 from `86 to `87, 235 to 245.
https://www.hemmings.com/blog/article/1986-87-buick-grand-national/
wrong, For 1986, a modified engine design with air-air intercooling boosted the performance even further to a specified 235 hp (238 PS; 175 kW) at 4000 rpm and 330 lb⋅ft (447 N⋅m) of torque at 2400 rpm. The Grand Nationals (quantity 5,512) and T-Types (quantity 2,384) were both produced in 1986. For 1987, performance reached 245 hp (248 PS; 183 kW) and 355 lb⋅ft (481 N⋅m) of torque.
looks like 2 folks showed you the truth.. Why are they wrong? I’ve had 3 TRs.. 2 86 and an 87. 10hp and 25 tq are the only differences mechanically.. You must be thinking of hot air cars
If it just needs a fuel pump, why not install it and get it running? Proceed with caution buyers!
Jeff you are so right. I too have seen many cars that ran when parked. Just like every engine laying on the floor has 70,000 miles. Yes always expect the worst.
The clean tidy garage setting and the slight dusting on the car isn’t enough to pursuade me to send a check and call a transport. The Ohio dealer on the window sticker is a great catch too and would have me wondering about it’s past history. The miles are low for most any car but a GN. It is concerning and are in the range for major mechanical work minus the damage from sitting idle for 10 years.
The seller would be wise to pay a local mechanic to come over and install “said” needed pump and do a proper wake up. What’s a worst case $500? Knowing it runs would ease the cost of the asking price of $18,000.
Those that know realize it’s much easier to sell a car not running or mobile sitting stationary. Not running even the most experienced car buyers won’t notice all the possible ills. Paying attention to only the shiny paint under the dust and with only a fuel pump will be driving down the highway. Not so fast.
Engine knock, Trans whine, Bad turbo seals/ excessive engine smoke to needing all new brake and cooling systems. Is this the case with this car. I don’t know.
Do you?
I agree with Super..if I remember correctly the fuel pump on these wasn’t too bad to replace and they are still available 🤔
The difference in ’86 and ’87 Turbo cars is the prom, which most were changed to aftermarket ones for more boost..
My secretary had electrical gremlins w/her new ’87 back when! They’d get stranded on the road for hours & then it would decide to run again for a while.
If it’s just a fuel pump issue, why is the bottom of the dash torn apart under the steering column? More than likely an electrical problem caused this one to be parked for 10 years
Great comments all. for 18k and just a fuel pump why not fix and sell as a running piece. Think this one is a world of doo doo. That’s gotta be much more than its worth. The BJ and me-cum syndrome strikes again. Good luck and be careful out there!!
Cheers
GPC
Worth about half the asking price. A car that no driver babied and doesn’t run now?? Are we talking Florida beach front property again?
Buying this not running is like walking through a mine field blindfolded.
Hey ACZ, I think you meant Arizona Beach front property!
And you can bet, there is more wrong here than a fuel pump.
What’s wrong with wanting the money when the car is picked up? What am I missing?
I totally understand why the guy wanted his funds before the car left his property. There are so many scammers out there. I had a guy trying to pay for one of my cars through Pay Pal. There is no guarantee of funds for cars through them. I told him to wire the money to my bank. He had several excuses why he could not do that. Then he tried to buy it under another name. At that point I told him to bring cash and he could drive the car away. I never heard from him again.
You’re both right, but he thought it would work to pay while the truck was sitting there. Truck drivers aren’t going to wait for anyone. I suggested paying before the truck arrived and for some reason that scared him. He seemed skittish and I think he was looking for a way out. Or perhaps he doesn’t understand how online purchases work. So, my suggestion would be to go in person if you want this one.
If it’s too good to be true!
Why so few photos and info
Take your time buying any car of this site unless you have money to gamble
But there’s always a chance it a treasure
Wish all good luck & hope it’s the diamond in the ruff
Can i assume the fuel pump is in the tank?
Wonder if they could have gotten that torque & hp using the turbo with HEI & quadrajet.
Full pump is in the tank, yes. They would not have gotten anywhere near those numbers with a blow-through setup. One of the best parts of those cars was the ECU tuning and the fuel injection system, having the ability to pull fuel and timing when it leaned out too much, etc.