1986 Buick Regal - Bridging The Gap

Towards the end of this generation of the Buick Regal's 1978-1987 production run, Buick ramped up the horsepower and torque so much on its high-performance versions that it was faster zero-to-sixty than Chevrolet's lordly Corvette. To bridge the performance gulf of performance between the 3.8-liter V-6 powered base models and the big dogs, for 1986 and 1987, Buick made Oldsmobile's 307-cubic inch V-8 optional. Sorry, V-8 lovers, it was the lower performing of its two versions.  

It was a bit of novelty if not a throwback of sorts since Pontiac (4.9-liter) and Chevrolet (5.0-liter) V-8's were available on Buick Regals from 1978-1980; from 1981 through 1985, the only V-8 available was the Oldsmobile, 5.7-liter diesel. 

Making all of 140-horsepower, it's not like the 307 transforms car this into a poor man's Grand National. Hardly. Contemporary road test of similarly powered GM G-bodies with the "LV2" Olds engine pegged it zero-to-sixty in roughly 13-seconds. 

Compared to the Grand National's approximate 5-second blast from zero-to-sixty, this car might as well have been standing still. The added oomph of the 307 barely negating its additional bulk over the 110-horse, Buick V-6. 

I've driven these cars with LV2 and Chevrolet's LG4, 305-CID engine and they are sah-low. Wide-ratio "Metric" transmissions and super tall rear axles doing the added poke of the V-8 absolutely no favors whatsoever too. I wonder why they even bothered. Did make for smoother running automobile, though. 

If you wanted automatic overdrive, you had to step up to the haughty T-Type or Grand National; the almighty GNX was 1987 only. For 1987, buyers could have also order the turbocharged V-6 in the Regal "Limited" but those are almost as rare as the GNX. 

1986 advertising literature claims the 5.7-liter, Oldsmobile diesel was available in 1986 on these cars but there's little real-world evidence any of these were built with that engine. If they were, they came backed with the "AOD" (automatic overdrive). Fuel economy of the Olds diesels in these cars was negligibly better than the V-6 models. Olds 307 powered Regals too. 

My Facebook Marketplace find here is for sale not far from my triple-wide here west of Cleveland, Ohio. Only 43,000 or so clicks on it's 37- going on 38-year old analog odometer. Asking price is a "you've got to be kidding me" $10,000. This is well bought at around half that amount.