Two Like-New Buick Grand Nationals Are the Barn Finds of the Year

These consecutive-VIN “twins” still have the window stickers.

byKyle Cheromcha|
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Alright, so technically these two sub-1,000 mile 1987 Buick Grand Nationals whiled away the last thirty years in an unassuming (if incredibly dusty) garage. But we think you'll agree that the discovery and rescue of these identical G-Bodies is about as classic a barn find story as they come. William Avila and his friend Shawn Mathews chased a Facebook rumor about a guy selling two time-capsule Grand Nationals all the way to a small town in western Oklahoma and ended up with both the cars and one hell of a story, as told by Avila on Facebook and spotlighted by the folks at GM EFI Magazine.

Avila writes that as a G-Body enthusiast, he came across a Facebook post in a random group about a guy looking to sell two dealer-mileage Grand Nationals for $200,000. That sounds absurd at first, especially to most outside the hardcore GN fan community, but Avila figured it would be worth the trip just to see if these cars were legit and roped his buddy Mathews into taking the three-and-a-half hour drive. When they arrived, the seller took them to an old house and popped open the garage to reveal the "twins," as Avila lovingly refers to them.

And it's not just because they're identical cars with identical options and near-identical mileage—these two sport consecutive VIN numbers, and the window stickers from the same dealer prove they've been together since they left the factory. They were both covered in dust on the outside, and while the owner drove one occasionally, the other was sealed shut and still retained that new car smell when he cracked open the door. Apart from sagging headliners in both and a suspicious stain on one of the back seats, they're practically perfect.

William Avila | Facebook

Mathews was the one with the cash on hand, though his offer didn't reach the seller's $200K asking price and the two friends went home without the cars—surely a crushing feeling. Then Mathews pulled his offer, deciding he might want to put his cash into what would have been one hell of a Mustang, and the whole deal appeared destined to fall apart. Avila writes about his fear that the cars would be split up, the historical relationship and significance ruined.

Thankfully, Mathews changed his mind and made a deal with the seller, and he and Avila went to pick up the twins last Friday. After a tense-sounding standoff with the emotional seller over the order of the transaction and a few hours at the bank, the cars were loaded up and driven away to the safety of Mathews' shop. 

Once the few minor issues are fixed and everything is refreshed, these beauties will hit the car show circuit together as two of best Grand Nationals in the country. And according to Avila, they'll never be separated.

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