Grand Nat'l GNX Typhoon Syclone radio in Reatta

[Bushwack]

This topic was discussed a while ago but I wanted to re-energize it as a bluetooth-like application.

I replaced this radio ( http://forums.aaca.org/f200/am-fm-cd-radio-will-fit-321839.html) with one from a Buick Grand Nationl/GNX - part #16085434. Connections are identical and installation was easy.

Beside iPod interaction, the radio has bluetooth-like features for most smartphones (even though it is a wired connection). In California (like many states), only hands-free use of a phone is allowed or you can be fined (in some states, points can also go against your driving record). With my BlackBerry connected, I can hear the other party easily through the car speakers and they can hear me with the phone placed on the center console.

A couple footnotes: It is not easy carrying a conversation if you're in a convertible with the top down. Also, you still need to handle the phone to answer, hang up, dial, etc,. But you can't beat its use if you need to speak on the phone....hands-free.

.

.

.

.

Edited February 11, 2012 by Bushwack (see edit history)

[Guest 68vwdubb]

Bushwack, your new radio looks great in your Reatta! Pretty cool adding some newer technology to the Reatta! I own an 87 Grand National that I bought years and years ago as a true stock car. It even had the original tires and battery way back when I purchased it. So it was never molested in any way, externally or mechanically. I have also looked at many GN's and have never seen this style of radio in one. Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but I didn't even think a factory cd player was even a factory option on the GN's or the 547GNX's, for that matter. To me this radio appears to be from around 1990/1991. It looks very good but I just can't picture it out of a GN?

[Jim]

I have to agree I suspect it is not from a Grand National as CD players weren't popular in GM cars until '90 and then for a few years they were single disc stand alone players.

I am also curious what year the pictured radio is actually from as I would like to put one in my wife's driftwood convertible.

[NCReatta]

I have seen many of the exact same radios in Park avenues until about '96 I believe. Most have tape players, but if you look around I'm sure you can find one with a CD player.

Chances are, however, you'll have to recondition the CD player.

[jonlabree]

I have one in my 90 and it came from a GNX, not GN. It was an optional radio in the GNX's There were very few Gnx's made thats why they are hard to find.

[Jim]

I have one in my 90 and it came from a GNX, not GN. It was an optional radio in the GNX's There were very few Gnx's made thats why they are hard to find.

I am not familiar with the GNX and GN What are the years and differences?

Jim

[jonlabree]

Jim, They were fancy GN's with vents on the fenders like I have on my hood. Also a different interior and seats. Just a spiced up version of the GN. But very few were made. I belive 77 and 78 only. Thier resale value is now thru the roof. BIG BUCKS.......

[Guest 68vwdubb]

" I belive 77 and 78 only". Nope! There were 547 GNX's made in 1987. They were the last 547 GN's that rolled off the line from GM in December of 1987 then shipped to ASC Mclaren for their conversion. The interior ALL stayed the same except for the insturment panel and guages. The seats, console, trim were all the same. Also, the GNX's were Not offered with factory t-tops or the astro roof as they called it back then. The rear wheel drive 1987 Buick Regal was still being built when the All New front wheel drive 1988 Regal was being built. The Grand Nationals were made from 1982 1/2 through 1987. The 1982 1/2 was a 2 tone black and silver Regal that most people forgot about. GM skipped the Regal GN in 1983. Then they came on heavy in 1984 as the only black exterior. So from 1984-1987 they only came in black exterior. The 86 and 87 are the most sought after since 86 and 87 were the only years that the 3.8 turbocharged engine was intercooled. The 86 and 87 Grand Nationals all had the two tone black/gray cloth interior. The GN's had a speedomter that only goes to 85mph! I have went past that in2nd gear in mine and that;s not really abusing it. But anyways, the GNX speedometer went to either 150 or 200, can't think for sure at the moment. The X also added more guages within the cluster. Under the hood, they tweeked the engine from 245hp to 276hp on an X. They also said they understated the hp at 276 because they didn't want to irritate the Corvette people any more than they already were! The rear axle was also beefed up quite a bit. Yes there were fender vents as well. The wheels went from a 15 steel chrome wheel to a 16" alum honeycomb wheels, as well. But, the interior aside from the guages was identical! I am still not convinced that the radio was different. I would be willing to bet the GNX radio was indentical to the 87 GN radio. The really cool thing was on the dash above the glove box, the GNX had a badge identifiying what number it is! FWIW, most 87 GN's very well euipped like mine with t-tops, power seat, tilt, cruise, a/c, full power stickered for just over $18,000. The ASC Mclaren option package added a whopping $11,000 the price tag. Dealers were selling them from sticker to $35,000 back in late 87, early 88. And yes, they bring very big bucks. Most of them that were parked, now with 400 or less miles normally bring 85,000 to 100,000. However, I have a customer through ebay that just bought number #287 in Scottsdale from Barrett-Jackson with 289 miles for only $71,500! What a great buy! The GNX is in a league of its own. I love my 87 GN, but always wished I would have been able to afford the X back when I bought mine! I will be doing more research on the radio's.

[wws944]

Looks nice.

Do you have to insert a CD in order for the AUX jack, next to the 10K slider, to work?

Are there two extra sockets on the rear for an outboard cassette player?

[jonlabree]

Sorry,

i meant to say 87-86.

And BTW The interiors were different.

[Bushwack]

Just spoke to the seller - this specific radio was pulled from a 1993 GMC Typhoon. Seller assures me these were OEM for 1984 -1987 Grand Nationals, GNXs and 1991-1993 GMC Typhoons and Syclones.

Having spent two hours driving this morning, this unit is head and shoulders (ergonomically) above the Reatta unit. Much easier to change stations or radio bands while driving. The 3.5mm input jack works well with my iPod and I was able to carry on four "hands-free-as-can-be" conversations using the input jack with my Blackberry (more amazing is that AT&T didn't drop one call!).

The CD does not to be in the unit for the jack to work with either an iPod or Blackberry. I'll let the novelty of this radio wear off a bit but I'll probably buy a couple more to install for 'BITE ME' and 'EAT ME'.

[Guest 68vwdubb]

"And BTW The interiors were different" I personally own a 100% stock 87 GN with less than 30,000 miles currently, have owned a couple others along the way, and have looked at several GNX's in person. The interior is the identical, aside from the IPC. The X used Stewart Werner round guages with a speedo that goes to 160. The normal 86/87 GN speedo guages are long & rectangular and goes to 85mph. 63V, do you own a GN ? The only thing I can think of is that you have seen a Regal T-Type, Regal Turbo T, or Regal limited and they have the solid color interior, much often solid gray buckets. As for the 87 GN's & GNX's, they have the two tone black/gray buckets with console floor shift.

[Guest tempest6cyl]

As for the 87 GN's & GNX's, they have the two tone black/gray buckets with console floor shift.

All the 85- 87 GN's that I've seen have had the same cloth black/gray buckets. In 84 they had a Lear Siegler bucket which had adjustable bolsters, thigh supports and leather inserts. I thought it was standard but it could have been an option that year. I drove an 84 demo with them before ordering my 85. 85 had a cloth Lear Siegler bucket seat option which I ordered but, was not on the car when it arrived in Dec. As far as I know they never went into production for 85 and on. No idea why.

[padgett]

Once went to Dennis' when he was hosting a gathering of GNs. Thought I was in some government agency parking lot.

Wouldn't mind a 3.8 turbo but would have to be inside a 89 Trans Am.

[KDirk]

Just spoke to the seller - this specific radio was pulled from a 1993 GMC Typhoon. Seller assures me these were OEM for 1984 -1987 Grand Nationals, GNXs and 1991-1993 GMC Typhoons and Syclones.

Hmm,

I've no doubt of this head unit being OEM for the 91-93 Typhoon/Syclone, but in an 84 GNX? That seems wishful thinking to me, as CD's were bleeding edge stuff in 1984, and even in 1987 they were still rather uncommon. Certainly there were no portable/mobile units around in 1984/85, any that were available in that time frame were component stereo units for home use.

Not that it really matters, but I think the seller's claim of which models/years it was installed in is not entirely accurate. I can see GNX's being upgraded later on with this unit, so maybe that is the source of the claim.

KDirk

[Guest steveskyhawk]

I find these radios all the time in Park Avenues. The AUX input is installed by the ebay guy. Not sure where he gets his cores.

[Nittany]

Once went to Dennis' when he was hosting a gathering of GNs. Thought I was in some government agency parking lot.

I was the Sales Manager at a Pontiac, Buick & GMC garage at the time that Buick finished the run of rear wheel drive Regals and began producing front wheel drive Regals (model year 1988). The rumor circulating from above was that the Federal Government placed an order near the end of 1987 model year which extended the run by at least 500, a mix of GN and GNX's ordered for FBI and "other undercover" purposes.

[Bushwack]

I remember reading in the WSJ that the FBI special ordered 360 GNX's (don't know about GN's). Don't recall how the interior was to be equipped by I do remember part of the special order was there was to be an option allowing the driver to turn off the brake lights (when applied) and no clear coat (to minimize attention on surveillances, etc.)

[Barney Eaton]

Referring to "Guide to Buick GN, T-Type & GNX" by American Musclecar Publications 1992, The 1987 GNX had a UX1 code radio and there was no option. UX1 was a AM-FM equalizer, tape deck (cassette) radio with clock. There was no radio option on the GNX There were 547 made and they were all alike. The MSRP was $29,290

Other 1987 Regal and Regal limited had the option of U83 standard radio, UK4 AM-FM without clock, UM7 AM-FM with clock, UM8 same as UM7 but with the addition of cassette.

UX1 was the only model with the equalizer. ...... no mention of a CD player.

There was also the ULS = radio delete

Based on the information found in the book, the radio shown did not come from a GNX

[KDirk]

Barney,

was that UX1 code radio the same unit used in the 90/91 Reatta? Sounds like it may have been. While GM used RPO code UX1 for several different head units with slightly varying features, the description provided from the book sounds just like the Reatta Radio.

Interesting that my 95 Deville FSM references UX1 as the base radio (this is what was in the car when I bought it) having AM/FM/Cassette with clock, and tone controls bass/treble) but not with an EQ. Previous generation Deville's (89-93) had a UX1 that was AM/FM/Cassette/Clock with 5 band EQ, and while functionally identical to the 90/91 Reatta Radio was tweaked for Cadillac with white [rather than blue] legend backlighting and a different faceplate to match other instrumentation in the car. Also had analog (knob style) volume/balance and fader controls instead of the push buttons of the Buick version.

I have also seen an AM/FM/Cassette/Clock head unit that was nearly identical to the 90/91 Reatta, but with an orange LED display instead of the bluish VFD used on the Buick versions. This was installed in an 86 Olds Cutlass, and I believe it to be stock.

KDirk

[padgett]

Orange/Amber displays are usually Pontiac. Can tell from the model number what was the using car line.

[Guest 68vwdubb]

" Referring to "Guide to Buick GN, T-Type & GNX" by American Musclecar Publications 1992, The 1987 GNX had a UX1 code radio and there was no option. UX1 was a AM-FM equalizer, tape deck (cassette) radio with clock. There was no radio option on the GNX There were 547 made and they were all alike. The MSRP was $29,290

Other 1987 Regal and Regal limited had the option of U83 standard radio, UK4 AM-FM without clock, UM7 AM-FM with clock, UM8 same as UM7 but with the addition of cassette.

UX1 was the only model with the equalizer. ...... no mention of a CD player.

There was also the ULS = radio delete"

AMEN! Thank You Barney!!

" was that UX1 code radio the same unit used in the 90/91 Reatta"

Definitely Not the same radio.

[Guest my82roc]

I have that exact same radio in both of my Iroc Camaros.Also have a few spares of this unit but all need the cd mechanism refurbished.Most of mine came from roadmasters or Lesabres

[WWS]

The FBI ran quite a few of the Turbo Regals as unmarked cars. I had the opportunity to buy one a couple years ago. It had a long interesting story behind it and was heavily modified by the Govt for use on the streets. It was pretty plain jane as far as options, but could run and handle with the best of them. The agent who it was assigned to, wrecked it in a chase during a drug deal in California. He bought the car from the feds and fixed it back correctly. When he retired, he moved back to Iowa and that is where I saw it.

BTW, if anyone needs one of those radios, I have one that was new when I bought it 2 years year, had the ipod adapter installed and put it into a 1987 442 I had. Kept the car about 3 weeks and sold it, (pretty car but way underpowered) and kept the radio.