The Buick Grand National is one of the most famous cars the American company ever manufactured. It climaxed with the sensational GNX of the late-1980s, but the regular Grand National was equally superb, showing the V8 world that a V6 could make big power and be just as fun to drive.
With such a brilliant pedigree, nobody wants to see a car like this rotting away. However, one 1986 Grand National was recently found in a garage, having been parked since 1994. This car genuinely had not moved since that year, but YouTube channel Two Lou’s Garage was able to come to the rescue.
The story of how it became stuck for so long does have a heartbreaking segment. In 2018, the original owner had started doing engine work on the car, but they passed away in 2025 before it could be completed.
That is where this team came in. From September 2025 to July 2026, they rescued the car, did a lot of work on it, and did everything they could to get this stunning Buick back running again. As their video showed, they managed to pull off a miracle.
How Much Work Was Required on the Buick?
It is fair to say that this car needed a lot of work. Initial inspections underneath the Buick showed that the transmission was gone. The floor pan was also torn apart, and a huge explosion of the driveshaft had split the steel shaft. That had ripped into the cabin of the Grand National.
Thankfully, the 3.8-liter turbocharged V6 engine was with the car. Producing 235hp and 330lb-ft of torque, this engine took the fight to many legendary V8 engines. However, the engine in this Buick was scattered around the garage in boxes. Thankfully, all the components were found and cleaned, and overhauled, and over several months, the magical V6 engine was slowly rebuilt.
Naturally, after so many years hidden inside, the Buick needed a good clean. There were some clear signs of wear and tear after this had taken place, but the Buick looked so much better once they had completed their work. Incredibly, they were able to get the car running again, for the first time since 1994. Some troubleshooting was needed, such as plugging back in the positive crankcase ventilation valve. But after 32 years, this car was finally living again.
Why the Buick Grand National Was So Good
The Grand National itself was first introduced in 1982, this being the second-generation model. Buick did so to celebrate its NASCAR manufacturer’s championship. At the time, Buick was viewed as a more conservative division of General Motors, even if it had produced muscle cars in the past. The 1986 model, however, was arguably the best Grand National thanks to that incredible V6 engine. Fuel injection and a four-speed automatic overdrive transmission were just two of the car’s advanced features.
At the time, the Grand National was viewed as more of a luxury grand tourer. However, the V6 engine turned it into an incredible coupe. This culminated in the amazing GNX, for “Grand National Experimental,” introduced in 1987. The upgraded engine with its Garrett AiResearch T-3 turbocharger was rated conservatively at 274hp, whereas in reality it had closer to 300hp. It was the perfect sendoff for the second-gen Grand National, with a new version coming in 1993.