So I have to thank Matt Smith for the tip on what could be the greatest and most quizzical CraigsList post of all time. Buick produced just 547 examples of the GNX and we’re here to say that #239 is the hardest living example that still exists. The car is for sale for $30,000 and it looks as though it has been street raced, drag raced, demo derbied, autocrossed, and eventually lived in to the point of extinction. Normally you hear stories about a GNX that has been driven about 13 miles at idle since new. Not this bastard. Just the opposite it appears. The car has 73,000 miles on it and judging by the tattered exterior and chewed up interior those were 73,000 hard lived sons a bitches.
The optimist/positive guy in me is happy that this thing apparently got used for some of its intended purpose, to be driven hard. The downer in me wonders how many bank robberies and/or violent crimes it was used as the getaway vehicle for. Looking at the photo shot from the rear of the car, it has lived in that driveway spot for a long time. There is a ton of sand and junk accumulated around the tires which is a sign of dormancy we have seen before. The car definitely got the raw end of the deal on a collision involving the drivers side front corner. Something tells us that the driver was late to make a passing move to the wrong side. Or it happened leaving church…who is to say?
Of the 547 Grand National GNX models built, we’re sure that this is the roughest existing one. Surely, some of them have been destroyed in wrecks or by chop shops, but to see a complete car that is in the shape that this one is in, especially for such revered iron is pretty wild. We’re not indignant about it as lots of people will be, nor are we cracked up by it. We’re more doing the look when your dog moves his head at an angle and studies a particular situation. WTF is pretty much the abbreviation for that expression.
Dave Nutting, one of our resident killer photo contributors and a complete G-Body fetishist had this to say when we showed him:
Trying to think how I can type that my mouth gaped open and I just sighed in disgust and horror
Then…
Aww…Is that mold?
AAAAAND the capper –
We’re outta words (and so isn’t Dave), you have to check out the the photos and then hit the link for the rest of the photos and the complete ad.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE PHOTOS AND THE CL LINK!
CL LINK: AMERICA’S HARDEST LIVING BUICK GNX IS FOR SALE
Maybe it’s a typo, it should be 300.00 or even 3,000. The wire holding the headlight is classic.
Pic # 11 is that a cal trac bar or did the GNX come with that.
The GNXs had a 3 link rear suspension with a track bar. The 3rd link is link an F-body, but shorter and connected to the frame instead of the transmission. That is the big deal when you want to know if you’re looking at a GNX or a clone.
honestly its nicer than anything I own, but the price is also a zero higher than any car Ive ever bought
is that what they call “patina”?!!
I wonder if anyone checked the VIN to see if it was stolen.
$3K for that car would be, in my eyes, a steal if the engine is ok. That poor beast has certainly had it’s ass kicked in hard…
i sort of want it but i have had many odd g-bodies over the years a beat up GNX would actually not be the weirdest LOL
Its been rode hard and put up wet, I’ve always refer to the Grand National and the GNX as the last real Buick, I hope that this one gets sold to the right person and it gets fully restored.
Are you sure that’s 73,000 miles and not 173,000 or 273,000 or even 373,000 miles?
I think that if it was Drag Raced, that more than likely the Speedo or OD was unhooked the car had to be rode hard and put away wet, I think this person is asking way to much even though it is a GNX rare. I could buy a clean 87 GN and build it up to a nice 9 or 10 second car for $30,000 If he would come down to $10,000 I think it would go away very fast to a real collector. I am glad someone got good hard use out of it but to rebuild it back to stock at $30,000 it have to be one of the last 10 on earth.
Say what you will, it is a collectable car and the asking price is not out of line with it’s potential restored price. If you were to purchase it with the intent to sell it to make a profit you would have to buy it for $15K or less.
Agree with Cruzzzer! You can’t do a decent frame-off for less than $120K unless you don’t count your labor. Those floorboards are probably shot and paint is getting more and more expensive with the new reg’s. At least $10-$12K for motor and trans. Luckily, all the parts are still available but a few are getting very expensive! And after the resto, you still have a high mileage car. I might offer $10 for it but no more. At least it’s not a tee-top car. What will it be worth when you’re done? Maybe $75K!
U can buy #234 right now for 39k
With 60k miles on it. Needd nothing
Ebay.
WOW, how does such a rare and sought after car get to this state? On the CL ad, pic #10. What is that a pic of? Underbody somewhere, but what am I looking at? Is that a floorpan with gnX stamped into it or something?
Cheers, Steve
That might be the rear end cover.
There were only 547. If it has all of the special GNX stuff (special turbo, Panhard rod, gauges), somebody will restore it.
I think Reggie Jackson’s GNX is in worse shaped. Burned to a crisp.
I still think I can save it.
I have a g-body for sale. 1978 Pontiac grand am 913-907-0880
We had one worse than that here. It was missing the engine and was beat to hell.
I’d get it running and legal and just drive it. Even in this rough shape, it’s probably all original and they’re only original once.
This gives a whole new meaning to “Drive it like you stole it”!
I can tell you that this car could fetch 10K without issue. I’d pay that for it, no question. This car has seen lots of action, and is perfect for someone like me, who never leaves anything as-is.
I want to buy it and do things where this car is very, very out of place.
It’s nice to see that someone actually enjoyed beating the crap out of a car that was built to have the crap beat out of it. That being said, I would have cared for it a little better. So many hot performance cars just become static displays of what could have been.
I’d offer $20,000 – put another $20,000 in it and you have a $55-65K car
worth $10K to $15k as is
Hard to believe someone would drive a GNX into the ground. My bet is one of two things happens to this car. Somebody restores it, or pulls the power train out of it. No way in hell it will sell for $30,000!
I know of a GNX by me that shows up on EBAY all the time for $75G’s cause it only has 45 miles on the clock but then I see one some guy daily drives about 20 miles away?
Don’t forget that the FBI bought like a hundred of these cars. Could be one of they’re leftovers.
As stupid easy it is to steal that era of GM’s; I wouldn’t be surprised if it got joyrided a lot, damaged, then left on the side of the road when the gas ran out. The owner just pocketed the insurance cash to fix the car.
Saw one at Dallas Auto Auction, (Dealers only), back in ’91 or ’92. Had been stolen, and did not have one piece of sheet metal without a sideswipe. Ran great though…..Have not seen one as abused since then…until now…LOL !!