Image via Autotopia LA/YouTube
Back in the day, this 1986 Buick Regal T-Type was one hot ride. Sure, your non-gearhead would glance at it and be nonplussed while fawning over a flashier but slower Ferrari, but for those in the know these were highly desirable. Somone decided to build one and make it impressive by today’s standards, going a different route than GM took in the 80s.
Elvis’ old Caddie is being auctioned right now.
Instead of turbocharging, the owner of this Buick still stuck with forced induction but went with a supercharger, a really big one. But that isn’t bolted up to the factory engine. Instead, when the OE mill blew up, the owner decided to do an LS swap.
We know, not very creative, but it was an effective move. With the highest setting on the blower, the guy says the car is making 1,176-horsepower, a lot for a car like this. Even better, it has a sequential gearbox to really make use of that, roasting tires with glee while ripping down the road or track.
Looking under the hood, you can see the LS sits further back than the stock engine did and there’s a nice big intercooler tipped at an angle. A heat extractor in the hood helps keep temperatures from getting ridiculous. That setup apparently splits the weight between the two axles to nearly even, something we’d never guess with an old Buick.
What’s also great about this build is how the owner honored the toned-down nature of the factory product. Instead of going with bright aesthetics, everything is instead greyscale. The modifications are subtle and smooth, nothing is in your face. For those who don’t really know cars, this ride probably looks overly plain and unimpressive.
But to watch Shawn Davis’ face as this guy is ripping through the gears, it’s obvious this thing really hits hard. Watch the video to see the full cage and other details, plus see this amazing car in motion.
Images via Autotopia LA/YouTube
