Here's the scoop on my GN:
"The Beast" is a completely documented automobile. I bought it brand new from Spires-Douglas Buick in San
Antonio, Texas in December, 1987. The car still has the little chrome Spires-Douglas dealer add-on
emblem on the trunk lid.
The complete documented history of maintenance receipts from 1987 through the present are retained
at Cavendar Buick, San Antonio, TX. Cavedar bought this dealership from an intermediary owner,
Gunn Buick, who had bought it from Spires-Douglas Buick (the original dealer). the changes in ownership
of the dealership included all computer records of earlier maintenance of customer vehicles. The Beast
now has a little over 90k miles on it; about 80k of those were put on it before 1997 while it served
as my daily drive-to-work vehicle. But it has always been garaged, and when you check out my photos,
I think most people will agree that this looks like a car with perhaps 5 to 10 miles, certainly not
90,000.
Since 1997 the Beast has really lead a pampered life, driven mostly on special occasions; it
has not seen rain at all since 1997. The entire suspension has been rebuilt and upgraded.
The car was painted at Gunn Body Shop in 1998, at a cost of approximately $3000.00. The car
has has many quality upgrades over the years, including in the way of performance add-ons:
Engine upgrades include:
- - ATR's driver's side SS header and cross-over pipe;
- - ATR's 3" SS downpipe with external WG;
- - ATR's 3" SS catback dual exhaust system;
- - Iron CNC ported heads by Champion;
- - ATR's matched ported intake manifold;
- - 42.5 lb injectors with Casper's custom injector harness and FP hotwire kit;
- - Walbro 307 fuel pump;
- - Casper's Volt Booster, 3-Bar MAP Sensor and loom for TurboLink boost sensing;
- - Jay Jackson's 62mm ported & polished Throttle Body;
- - LTI MAF & translator from Ram Chargers;
- - a massive custom 22 row stock location intercooler with a custom aluminum scoop;
- - Performance Instruments GNX+ instrument panel - with VDO electronic speedometer;
- - 3" tach, boost, oil pressure, volt meter, fuel level & pressure, and engine temp gauges; guages.
Suspension upgrades include:
- - full boxed upper & lower control arms with 1LE bushings;
- - front & rear Bilstein shocks, Eibach Pro Kit springs front & rear (lowered car ~.5");
- - new body bushings including the two GNX over-the-rear-axle;
- - Energy Suspension's complete front end polygraphite bushings;
- - Praise-Dyno Kevlar Brake's front pads;
- - aluminum rear brake drums and extended "soft" shoes;
- - aluminum bumper supports added. It has all the body & frame bracing kits;
- - 16" GNX wheels from Classic Industries w/ 245/50/16 BFG Comp TA, Z-rated tires.
The interior is immaculate with many tasteful upgrades by Buick from Hell. The Beast has never
been raced on a quarter mile track. Vehicle condition rating 1.5 on 6 point system, or 94
points in the 100 points' "classic" point system. I wanted this car to be a responsive
street machine, to go like hell, corner with the best, and stop RIGHT NOW. It does all
these things and it's a blast to drive. What's more - it's a striking beauty (I think!) -
even if it is "The Beast". People can't stop themselves from looking at it. Often, guys
just come up to me whenever I am gassing it up or parking it to ask me about it, or just
complement it. I love it!
Rich
