By Jen Dunnaway

Editor

The seller threw out the junk rotary engine that came with this RX7 and started from scratch. The little 2800-lb Mazda is now powered by the same 4.1L six cylinder that Buick ran in the early Grand Nationals, topped off by a Turbonetics T70 along with methanol injection and a Dodge Viper rear end geared to 3.08. Ten-second quarter-mile runs and 30 mpg on the highway? Not bad. Check out the auction here.

By Jim Brennan

UDMan

Welcome to the year end wrap-up of the Obscure Muscle Car Parking Lot. If you recall, this series was all about uncovering obscure makes, and redefining what a Muscle Car could be. We have discovered that Muscle originated during the 1950s, blossomed during the 1960s, and continued on through the 70s and 80s in a somewhat de-tuned state only to find a re-birth we are enjoying today. My focus was not to highlight the already established Muscle Cars like the Chevelle SS, the Pontiac GTO, or the Hemi Chryslers, but to find hidden gems that you may not have known about.

So during this week, it is now up to you, the Car Domain reader, to vote on your favorites. There will be specific categories, like today’s example, the 1980′s, when Muscle Re-emerged. In the end, sometime after the New Years Holiday, there will be one car crowned as your favorite Obscure Muscle Car, and park it in the Parking Lot, with a few CarDomain Members rides highlighted.

So what are your favorite Obscure Muscle Cars from the Regan Era?
- The 1986 Pontiac Grand Prix 2+2, an Aerodynamic Coupe produced to dominate the NASCAR high speed tracks.
- The 1983-84 Ford LTD LX, a Mustang 5.0 with four doors!
- The 1984-86 Ford Mustang SVO, a new wave performance car
- The 1984-88 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe, with a screaming four cylinder Turbocharged engine.
- The 1984-90 Lincoln Mark VII LSC, the return of the Hot Rod Lincoln!
- The 1986 Buick LeSabre Grand National, the OTHER, somewhat tamer Grand National.

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

Just 219 miles! Talk about pristine! How high do you think the bidding will go? Check out the eBay aution for more info and pics!

Continue reading "Ultra Low Mile Buick Grand National on eBay" »

By Jim Brennan

UDMan

Welcome to another installment of the CarDomain Obscure Muscle Car Parking Lot, a regular feature which aims to expand the definition of what a muscle car is, and to discover hidden treasures while doing so. Many do not even know that the Buick division of General Motors produced the Grand National on a platform other than on the Regal, but there was a very unique Grand National built in late 1985: the 1986 LeSabre Grand National. This was the debut of GM’s new full-size FWD platforms, and the two door Buick LeSabre (along with its corporate cousin, the Oldsmobile Delta 88) proved to be quite slippery in wind tunnel tests. We have had this question in this series before, but can a front wheel drive two-door really be considered a muscle car?

Continue reading after the jump!

Continue reading "CarDomain Obscure Muscle Car Parking Lot – the 1986 Buick LeSabre Grand National" »

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

Any George Thorogood fans here? Thank for the tip, Maffew!

By Jen Dunnaway

Editor

A while back I spent some time in LA on the set of the new Fast & Furious movie. It was a blast–there was an absolute treasure trove of hopped-up rides, I got to hang out with the CarDomain members whose cars were cast for the flick, and Vin Diesel and Paul Walker were actually pretty cool in real life (Walker is a seriously enthusiastic gearhead, it turns out–and Diesel was tooling around the set on an electric scooter like a giant bald kid). Judging by the rides that turned out for the shoot, as well as the star cars featured below, the latest installation is going to be more domestic-centric than any of its predecessors, with a good mix of American muscle and hot imports–all in all, something for everybody. Read on for vital stats and a ton more pics of the movie’s star cars–and stay tuned to the CarDomain blog for more details on Fast & Furious over the next few days.

Continue reading "Fast & Furious Movie Cars: Official Pics and Specs Now Live!" »

If I could go back to the future, I’d hook a tow-dolly on my DeLorean, set the clock to go back 20 years or so, and haul home something like this never-titled, never-registered Grand National GNX with 9 original miles on the odometer. Turns out that if I had an extra $100K lying around, I wouldn’t have to! Less than 3 hours left on the auction.

Many thanks to Eric for finding this!

Damon has one of the sickest Grand Nationals on CarDomain, so it’s no wonder the Fast Lane Daily guys liked his ride. But since they’re in New York, they couldn’t resist making some Raiders jokes… Tune in right around 3:20.

USA Today posted some apparent screen shots from the new Fast and Furious film. Included among the subjects is one of the mint Grand Nationals that gets trashed in the film (RIP to the six of them), along with Vin Diesel’s mean-looking Chevelle SS, of which we’ve already seen plenty of illicit footage. And surprise, Paul Walker’s going to be driving an R34 Skyline! See the other shots below the jump, and stay tuned for more—now that the stills are starting to trickle out, the official trailer can’t be far behind!

Thanks for the heads-up, Jalopnik!

Continue reading "Fresh Fast and Furious Pics" »

Today’s Buicks have a median buying age somewhere North of social security eligibility, and industry insiders have been speculating on the brand’s demise for years. But while current models might not inspire much excitement among the solid-food set, back in the Reagan era, Buick’s Grand National was a force to be reckoned with. Its factory turbo, menacing all-black paint and wicked quarter mile times made it an instant hit, and it’s still popular with CarDomain members. Damon’s 1200 horsepower project is completely insane, Larry has been tearing up the drag strip with his restored ’86, and this wicked machine has been in Jeff’s family since it roared off the lot  back in ’87. Jeff, I love that there’s a baby seat in the back—but it probably won’t be too long before your little girl is hounding you to pass it on!