I did drop the tank and install a newer fuel pump back then, but had to reuse the original sender, and even tried to “fix it up” a bit, as it was so loose the wiper barely touched the sensor wire. When I first got the car in 2004, there were no aftermarket fuel senders for the tank, so you were stuck with the original factory GM sender. I laughed it off, then realized that after owning the car for 16 years, the gas gauge never really worked right, and pondered if I could actually do something about it. After making sure I was awake, I realized it was probably pegged, and a quick love-tap to the top of the instrument cluster brought it back to earth.

That day though, the needle was…well…gone, like out on vacation, nowhere to be seen. If the needle moved, it probably had something in it, and if it was sorta-kinda resting near E, there’s a chance it was close to bone dry. Now, normally the gauge was, well, not very precise. F-I-N-A-L-L-Y, I get to post some non-nerd content 😉Ī few weeks ago I was driving my 1986 Buick Grand National around, and while waiting at a red light, glanced down to check my fuel level.

1987 grand national gas tank