“JustaBuick” - Clifford Wilkinson’s 1985 Buick Grand National
Drag racers all too often set their sights on building the biggest and baddest V8 engine, completely unaware of the enormous potential in a V6. In the mid 1980’s, Buick introduced their reimagined version of a muscle car, the Buick Regal Grand National. With a factory 3.8l turbocharged V6 engine in the ‘85 model, Buick began to dispel the myth that a 6 cylinder car couldn’t hang with the big dogs. In fact, the ‘85 Grand National’s 0 to 60mph of 5.5 seconds beat the 5.8 second 0 to 60mph of the ‘85 Ferrari 308 GTB Quattrovalvole. Clifford Wilkinson, of Bluffdale, Utah, is keenly aware of the monstrous potential of an expertly modified V6 engine. His menacingly powerful 1985 Grand National, nicknamed “JustaBuick”, with a perfectly fabricated and tuned turbo-charged V6, is an absolute force to be reckoned with at the track. Blowing the doors off countless competitors with their magnificent V8 engines, Wilkinson and “JustaBuick” are proof that bigger isn’t always better.
When Wilkinson returned from his deployment to Afghanistan in 2013, he purchased a 1994 Pontiac Firebird Firehawk. Not long after, he decided to trade the Firehawk with a friend for this 1985 Buick Grand National. The Buick was in somewhat rough condition, but not too atypical for a nearly 30 year old car. It was missing some bushings, paint was beginning to chip, rust was forming on the pillars and doors, everything was held together with zip ties and, according to Wilkinson, the steering wheel “was like a weeble wobble”. After fixing things up on the Buick, Wilkinson planned to make it nothing more than a reliable cruiser as his priority at the time was building his Pontiac Grand Prix GTP for drag racing. However, once curiosity got the best of him and he took the Grand National to the track, his plans drastically changed. Wilkinson’s Buick ran the fasted he’d ever gone in the 1/4 mile at 13.50s, even faster than he’d pulled in the quarter in the Grand Prix GTP that he had spent so much effort on modifying for racing. After his pass in the Buick, Wilkinson parted out the Grand Prix GTP and poured his money and time into creating “JustaBuick”.
With a desire to crank up the power on “JustaBuick”, Wilkinson reached out to engine builder and Grand National racing legend and record holder, Richie Balcom, to enhance the 6 cylinder engine. The motor was fitted with Champion Racing System heads and a new Precision 7270 Turbo. Wilkinson also added a Fuel Air Spark Technology (FAST) computer for precision tuning, which Balcom and Otto Pernek have expertly guided Wilkinson on to achieve optimal tuning and boost. “JustaBuick” also got a fresh new turbo 400 transmission with a tranny brake and a Performance Torque Converter feeding a Moser Engineering 9” rear axle.
To bolster the chassis, Wilkinson added BMR Suspension tubular control arms in the front and Viking Performance front and rear coilovers. He also replaced the stock brakes with Aerospace Components street brakes. And in order to fit the sharp new RC Components wheels with beadlock conversions from OMF Performance and 275/60 15” Mickey Thompson ET Pro Street tires in the rear, Wilkinson installed a frame notch and mini-tubs.
The cockpit of “JustaBuick” has reupholstered stock seats, a Cheetah shifter, 5-point safety harnesses and AEM Electronics gauges. Wilkinson also deleted the factory HVAC in order to drop a few more pounds in his pursuit of speed. In addition, Jeff Morrey of J3 Performance Fabrication, based out of Logan, Utah, built and installed a certified 8.5 roll cage, leaving Wilkinson plenty of room to safely shave some more time off his quarter mile runs.
One of the most distinguishing features of the 1985 Buick Grand National is the jet black paint. In fact, the ‘85 Grand National was only offered in this blackout exterior with matching painted bumpers, front and rear air dam and deck lid spoiler. It’s no surprise that when Wilkinson hired Dixon Rasmussen to repaint “JustaBuick”, he chose to maintain this classic Grand National jet black appearance, merely swapping the factory hood with a lighter fiberglass one with custom hood vents and trading the stock bumpers for fiberglass. To add a unique flair to the car, Wilkinson installed halo rings to the headlights which he wired to the ignition to automatically engage when the car is started. The halos have a striking similarity to the iconic Grand National Turbo 6 logo.
Since completing the upgrades to “JustaBuick”, Wilkinson has undeniably achieved his objective of cranking up the power in his Grand National, and not by any small margin. In 2023, at the Buick GS Nationals at the Beech Bend Dragway in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Wilkinson powered his V6 “JustaBuick” to a personal best 9.713s 1/4 mile time at 137.71mph with a 60’ of just 1.38s, shaving nearly four seconds off his pre-upgrade time. Despite this magnificent improvement in performance, Wilkinson aspires to push the envelope even further with a new goal of 9.5 seconds. You can bet that once he hits this mark, he’ll be all in to squeeze even faster times out of this fierce Buick.
With his heart and soul poured into the car, Wilkinson has had a phenomenal time racing “JustaBuick” at the track or on the streets. When he first starting racing the car, the former Rocky Mountain Raceway in West Valley City, Utah was his go-to track. Since then, he’s competed at the Buick GS Nationals for the past three years and fought the elevation at the former Bandimere Raceway in Morrison, Colorado for several years. Wilkinson has also raced “JustaBuick” at the prestigious Street Outlaws No Prep Kings at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway along with numerous bracket races at the Vegas Street Car Super Nationals (SCSN). While he loves the thrill of the race and enjoys setting and breaking his goals for the car, Wilkinson admitted that he really just races to enjoy the experience and spend time with his wonderful family and friends. And the shot of adrenaline every time the sound of the turbo blowing off through the hood vents is just icing on the cake.
Wilkinson has been fortunate to have the expertise and support of numerous friends and families members who have been instrumental in the build and with his racing endeavors. His builder, Thomas Dyckman, who owns two Grand Nationals, was indispensable throughout the ground-up restoration process. Without Dyckman’s extraordinary expertise and talent, “JustaBuick” wouldn’t exist. Wilkinson is also forever grateful to his engine builder, Richie Balcom, and his tuners, Balcom and Otto Pernek, who are always available to check the data logs for “JustaBuick” and provide Wilkinson with guidance on adjusting the boost. Wilkinson also credits his biggest fan and father, Alfred Wilkinson, who tragically passed in late 2023, for his unwavering support. Alfred’s pride for his son was beyond obvious as he loved to share with others that his son was a race car driver. Wilkinson’s mother, Kathy Campbell, has also been a tremendous help in his racing career, even assuming his pit crew responsibilites at SCSN in Las Vegas. He also wanted to give a big shout out to Lance Hurley, who is always just a phone call away for help with “JustaBuick” or to hit the streets with Wilkinson for some testing. He’s also incredibly grateful to Ian Austin and Josh Minson, friends who are always willing to lend a hand and offer sound advice.
