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As a long time Ferrari aficionado, Richard Clark of Burlington, NC was happy camper anytime he could climb behind the wheel of his Ferrari Testarossa. \u00a0He even used it to commute to work\u00a0when the weather was good.<\/p>\n
One day, a local police officer and friend of Clark\u2019s stopped by his workplace and challenged him to a race to the local diner; loser buys lunch. Clark thought it was his friend\u2019s way of offering him a free meal.<\/p>\n
They met in the street \u2013 Clark in his Testarossa and the cop in a blacked-out Buick Regal.\u00a0 The two squared off and within a matter of seconds, the Buick was leaving the Ferrari in the dust.<\/p>\n
Clark admits that, at the time, he had \u201cno idea what kind of car it was,\u201d but he soon learned he\u2019d be buying lunch and the car that beat his Ferrari was a 1987 intercooled turbo Buick Grand National.<\/p>\n
Suddenly, the Ferraris no longer piqued Clark\u2019s interest; he wanted a Grand National and he set out to find one for himself.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe \u201887s had been sold out,\u201d says Clark, \u201cso it took me the better part of a year to find one for sale.\u201d<\/p>\n
Extended Production<\/strong><\/p>\n While most assembly lines shut down and retool for the coming model year during the summer, Buick kept right on pushing the 1987 Grand Nationals along the line until December 11, 1987, when the last Grand National rolled off the assembly line in Flint, Michigan.<\/p>\n \u201cAbout a year later, I had some trouble with the engine,\u201d Clark explained. \u201cSo I took it to the dealership for service. When I got it back, it was running worse than when I\u2019d brought it in!\u201d<\/p>\n While mechanically inclined, Clark had never cared about working on his own cars. He purchased a few tools and began \u201ctinkering\u201d with his Grand National\u2019s 3.8 liter V6.<\/p>\n \u201cSuddenly there were more tools, then after that, there was a parts car,\u201d he shared. \u201cThen I started buying them up. I\u2019ve parted out dozens of them. People seem to think I have a junkyard out there.\u201d<\/p>\n Clark taught himself or learned from others how to properly tune a GM 3.8 liter, turbo-charged V6. Soon, he became an expert in all things Grand National.<\/p>\n There are many misconceptions about the value of the 1984-1985 models years versus the \u201986 and \u201987 years.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople see those \u201884s and \u201885s going for cheap on eBay, so they come into my shop thinking they can get an \u201986 or \u201987 cheap too,\u201d he laughs. \u201cBut there\u2019s a world of difference in power and reliability. In 1986, Buick finally got it right, and those two years (\u201986 and \u201987) were stellar performers!\u201d<\/p>\n However, even more coveted is the 1987 Buick GNX \u2013 a car that started out as a Grand National, but was then shipped to AC McLaren for upgrades in appearance and power.<\/p>\n \u201cThe McLaren-modified GNX received flared fenders for wider tires, as well as some interior upgrades, including better dash gauges,\u201d explained Clark. \u201cBut the larger and quicker spooling turbo combined with a much improved exhaust system made the car outperform any car available at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n Clark purchased a GNX from a Buick employee. The car has just 6 miles on it. He then purchased a 2nd<\/sup> GNX as a daily driver, but his most prized possession is \u201cGNX #33.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe #33 GNX was owned by Heinz Prechter of American Sunroof Company,\u201d Clark recalls. \u201cIt was a sunroof-equipped GNX that I attempted to buy from him several times, but he wouldn\u2019t budge. Then, he committed suicide and his family put the car up for a sealed bid auction in 2006. My bid won and I now own the \u201c33.\u201d<\/p>\n As time passed, Clark purchased more and more \u201cparts cars\u201d for his blossoming Grand National-only repair business. He\u2019ll begrudgedly work on earlier models of the T-Type V6 Regal, but prefers to repair and improve the \u201986 and \u201987 models. People have traveled from as far away as California and Canada to have their Grand Nationals serviced at Richard Clark\u2019s Garage<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know anything about any other cars,\u201d Clark admits. \u201cI\u2019m just a one-trick pony with these Buicks.\u201d<\/p>\n Clark holds a convention of Grand National owners in early May of each year, as well as tuner days.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have some dyno days here where some of the best turbo tuners in the country show up,\u201d he explains. \u201cAfter the tuning, we race!\u201d<\/p>\n With Piedmont Dragway<\/a> just 15 minutes away in Julian, NC, the Buicks parade to the strip to test their ETs.<\/p>\n Clark now owns the largest collection of Buick Grand Nationals in the world. He welcomes visitors to take a look around at the shop and the backyard full of GN parts cars.<\/p>\n \u201cSome people might be upset to learn that some of my parts cars only need a fresh battery to start them up,\u201d he laughed. \u201cThey\u2019re actual running cars!\u201d<\/p>\n With a full-time assistant mechanic, a window and weather strip guy and another full-time painter, Clark normally has 8-10 GNs in his shop during any given day.<\/p>\n \u201cI have a bevy of friends who come in to work part-time as well,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Got a GN? Check out Clark\u2019s Facebook page for contact information.<\/p>\n Here’s an amazing short video of Clark’s back lot: \u00a0https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/frankie.walker.7528\/videos\/638714056277826\/<\/a><\/p>\n Check out the full hour documentary about the Buick Grand National called “Black Air:<\/p>\n![\"Black](\"http:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/black-air-buick-gnx-1354594573.jpg\")
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