Barn finds simply never stop being exciting. Each next dusty, forsaken vintage car found confirms that there are still unfound treasures stashed away in our highly-trafficked world. While this barn find might not have the same level of pomp and circumstance as, say, a lost vintage European race car, this supercharged 1987 Buick GNX was the hottest American car in the 80s, and this one only has nine original miles on the clock. Given its perfect condition and rarity, this thing will go for big bucks.
1987 Buick GNX interior | King of Cars and Trucks
This Buick GNX barn find is blowing the internet’s mind
We see here a confluence of impossibly rare details piled high enough to make for a very valuable car. According to Carscoops, the Buick GNX, purchased by its original owner in 1987, was driven home and parked in a barn for over 35 years with only 9 miles on the clock.
First off, the Buick GNX is a rare car, no matter the condition. Buick only made 547 examples of the GNX, of which this car is number 414. So, on its worst day, a Buick GNX is a rare and valuable car. So, what does that make one that is effectually brand-new?
Where did this Buick GNX barn find come from?
Sadly, this rare car’s original owner passed away, and Carscoops says that a man named Lee Polsky was charged with liquidating the man’s collection of barn finds. Polsky runs New Jersey’s King of Cars and Trucks, and after a year of digging through this pile of cars (including a 440 six-pack Road Runner), Polsky finally reached the buried GNX. To his surprise, he found a 1987 Buick GNX in near-perfect condition.
Amazingly, the car sat in the barn for all these years in the same condition as it would have arrived at the dealership all those years ago. The hottest American car of the time had a sheet and some garage junk covering it. With the debris cleared, Polsky found a car with the window sticker still present and affixed to the window, and the protective coverings on the seats, steering wheel, door panels, and carpets are there, just as they would have been when the car was delivered to the Buick dealer in 1987.
How much horsepower did a Buick GNX have?
The Buick GNX was meant to be the super Buick Grand National. It had to be more limited and hotter than a three-dollar pistol. The GNX came with a 276-hp turbocharged 3.8-liter V6. This chunky black car could rip a 0-60 mph sprint in only 4.7 seconds.
The GNX and the Buick Grand National used the same 231 cubic-inch V6, but only the GNX got the turbocharger. However, it wasn’t just that. According to Hemmings, the Buick GNX got a special Garrett T-3 turbocharger equipped with a ceramic impeller; an intercooler with the same dimensions as the stock one but more cooling fins per row; a ceramic-coated turbo shield and inlet pipe; a larger diameter dual exhaust; and a recalibrated ECU that permitted 15 PSI of boost.
How much is a Buick GNX worth?
That’s the $64 question. In 1987, a Buick GNX cost $29,999, a steep price but fair considering the rarity and power. We have seen the Buick GNX fetch as much as $205,000. That said, this one, with so few miles and all the original materials, created one hell of a buzz when it hit eBay recently. Before the car could sell, the listing was pulled for having “inaccurate information”, or so says the eBay listing. A note on the listing warned bidders that the car was also listed locally and would pull the ad if he got $349,000 for the GNX.
Do we think he got his wild price, or did eBay actually pull it? Either way, this is an incredible barn find situation that we aren’t likely to see happen again.
Keyword: Barn Find Alert: A Brand-New 1987 Buick GNX With Only 9 Miles Discovered in a Barn After 35 Years