1987 Buick Grand National was made to be Kevin Hart's 'Dark Knight' - Autoblog
Comedian and actor Kevin Hart put another of his cars on display in SEMA, this time it’s a 1987 Buick Grand National aka ‘Dark knight’.
After the “Michael Myers” 1969 Plymouth Road Runner and the SpeedKore “Hellraiser” 1970 Dodge Charger, Hart is adding another awesome Restomod car to the show.
It’s clear that Hart knows a thing or two about car restoration, that’s why he chose this 1987 Buick Grand National, an old G-Body that’s ideal for restomod builds.
For reference, the 1987 Buick Grand National is one step below the GNX that Kevin Hart shared on social media some time ago, and it’s worth half the price. Despite that, the car’s reputation as the ‘Dark knight’ has made it one of the main stars at SEMA.
Familiar skilled hands worked on the project, Dave Salvaggio of Salvaggio Design and Sean Smith are the two main names here. They have successfully preserved the car’s “soul” even after doing a ton of complicated engine and bodywork.
1987 Buick Grand National was made to be Kevin Hart's 'Dark Knight' - Autoblog
The original 3.8-liter V6 engine was replaced by a 3.6-liter twin-turbo V6, usually found inside the bowels of the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing, but instead of having a twin-turbo setup, the team decided to install just one turbo similar to the one found on the car’s original engine.
If we take the Cadillac's twin-turbo engine as a reference, we can assume that the ‘Dark knight will have an output close to 472 hp and 445 lb-ft. Pretty impressive for a car that weighs a little over 3500 pounds.
The original four-speed automatic transmission was also replaced by a new eight-speed automatic.
As you see in the photos above, there’s some makeup work on the exterior, Salvaggio Design used a new carbon fiber hood and splitter to replace the original metal body. The entire build was reinforced and lowered using a new custom frame, while a Detroit Speed suspension manages the front axle.
1987 Buick Grand National was made to be Kevin Hart's 'Dark Knight' - Autoblog
Not much is happening in the interior as well, not for lack of ideas, but to keep the result as close to the original as possible. We can see a clean design using premium materials but without excessive visual noise.
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