1984/1985 Regal T-Type
This is the car that started it all for me. The 84/85 Buick Regal T-Type was Buick's successful attempt at competing with the likes of Chevrolet, with their Monte Carlo SS, and Pontiac, with the Grand Prix. The Regal had something to offer, with the 3.8l V6 that sported a Garret turbocharger. This engine combination was rated at 200hp and 300 ft/lbs of torque, helping propel the T-Type past many of the other anemic 80's "performance" cars. These cars are commonly called the "hot-air" cars because they lacked an intercooler to cool the intake charge. While they are a little harder to modify than the 86+ models, they still have their place in the Hall of Legends.
1986 Regal T-Type
The 1986 T-Type introduced new changes to the turbo Regal lineup. The 3.8 turbocharged powerplant now received an intercooler, which boosted rated horsepower to 235, up from the somewhat anemic 200hp from the year before. Torque was also raised a bit, now checking in at 335 ft/lbs, bettering the previous year by 35 ft/lbs. The car came in a variety of colors, with every T-Type receiving the popular chrome blackout option. The LC2 powerplant drove this potent car to impressive quarter mile times, making it one of the fastest production cars in the United States at the time. This was a rather rare car, with only 2384 examples being produced by General Motors.
Badging for this car consisted of: "3.8 SFI Turbo" on the hood and decklid, "T-Type" and "Intercooled" on the front quarter panels, and "Regal" on the rear quarters. They also had a standard Buick hood ornament, which is a popular item for thieves to heist. Mine was gone after about a week of owning the car!
1987 Regal Turbo T
The 1987 Regal Turbo T was one of the most popular releases of the turbo Regal series. With just over 4000 made, it quickly became a legend. The 1987 model year brought about a few changes for the turbo Regal line, some confusing and some not. For 87, the T-Type badging was gone and the design was simply called the "T" package. This was denoted by a small emblem on the front quarter panel, which can be seen in the photograph above. This, along with "3.8 SFI Turbo" emblems on the hood, designated this car as a Turbo T.
The car came in a variety of colors and all examples had an option for a blackout package, which deleted chrome trim from the exterior. For emblems, the car received "3.8 SFI Turbo" on the hood bulge, a "T" badge on the front quarter panel, a "Regal" badge on the rear quarter panel, and the words Buick and "3.8 SFI Turbo" on the rear decklid. In addition, the front grille was now all black, changed from the previous years chrome and black appointments.
There were other variations of the turbo Regal, such as the 1987 Turbo T Limited, basically a turbo Regal with many more appearance options.
For a powerplant, the T came standard with the LC2 package, just like any other Grand National. This is still a point of confusion today with many car enthusiasts. The other non-GN turbo cars were identical to the GN in terms of the drivetrain and were every bit the musclecar the GN was known to be. The LC2 package included a 3.8 SFI turbocharged V6 engine which was mated to a specially prepared TH2004R transmission (this trans had a special BRF valve body). Horsepower was modestly rated at 245hp with torque checking in at 345 ft/lbs. Real world tests have put this figure closer to 275 hp, however. Horsepower was modestly rated by GM for the simple fact that upper management wanted no other car to have a higher rating than America's sportscar, the Corvette. Even so, the turbo Regals outperformed every production car made in America in the year 1987, earning it the title of the fastest production car in the US.
Imagine a luxury cruiser, that can seat five people comfortably, blowing the doors off other "muscle" cars of the time. Enter the 1987 Buick Regal Turbo T.
The legend continues...
