HurstGN

Sorry. I loose it sometimes. In case anyone wants to observe a moment of silence tonight, at Midnight Corwin Jeep, one of the oldest Jeep dealers in existance, becomes Corwin Service as of Midnight tonight. They will now just service Jeeps, but no longer sell new ones. Luckily, other dealers that are remaining in business came to Corwin's rescue to buy all their vehicles on the lot to help Corwin save some semblance of their business. So, all these dealers now have to sell Corwin's old inventory. I'll bet that means these dealers will be ordering less in the next few months because they don't need as many vehicles. Yea, that helps Chrysler make more money. Oh crap....there I go again. Lord, I apologize for makin' too much sense of the new car dealers' predicament... be with the starvin' pygmies down there in New Guinea, amen.

A Buick, Olds, Pontiac, Cadillac, and GMC show will be held rain or shine at Budd Baer Buick in Washington PA on June 14th. The show is hosted by the Western PA chapter of the POCI. There will be judging for 11 classes (1st, 2nd, and 3rd for each class). Dash plaques for the first 50 cars. Music, food, door prizes. Registration 10 - noon. Judging begins at 11 am. Trophies awarded at 3pm.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 1DandyDaves</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The BIG question is. How many cases of beer does it take a couple of do it your selfers to restore an old Buick? Dandy Dave! </div></div> Depends. Is the beer to dull the pain of the bills paid by the owner of the restoration, or is the beer to lube up the owners friends to come over and do the harder parts of the restoration?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Reatta Man</div><div class="ubbcode-body">As for all of this government spending, the numbers are starting to counter the rhetoric and media spin: 2. Insiders and Wall Street forecasters are now saying unemployment is going to get worse, some saying MUCH worse instead of leveling off or going down. Joe </div></div> Hrmm, lets see....government forces 2 of the big 3 to downsize dealers by closing them down. So this results in lost jobs for those working at the dealer. Lost wage taxes to the local municipalities as well as federal taxes. Vacant buildings, many that were recently renovated with a single purpose to sell and service cars. This in a time when almost every company is scaling back be it publicly known or not. You don't have to be an insider to see this will make the unemployment scene worse, along with all the other affected businesses by this move. Even in the smallest parts like the small local food establishments that lose the workers coming in for lunch. I see this as a major loss for the entire country. And as I understand it, many of these dealers are 100% privately owned. They own their property and buildings. They own their inventory. They employ people and sell cars, and make a living doing so. They pay franchise fees to the automakers. They even foot the bill for purchasing incentives when new cars are sold. So how does shutting these dealers down make sense? You now make it harder to buy some of these cars if the dealer closed and you just can't or don't want to go 10, 20, or even 30 miles further to buy a car. You have a product to sell, and in most circles, you put it into as many marketing and sales channels as you can to get a sale. If the dealer wants to live like a pauper because he sells fewer units, so be it. The automaker sold a unit. Is this unit sold any different than one sold 30 miles away? I don't get it. I'd think the idea is to sell more units. I could see Billy Mays selling cars on TV if it could be sold for $19.95 (plus shipping and handling). Seriously, the idea is to sell more cars cost effectively. Where is the savings for GM and Chrysler by losing sales channels? Can anyone adequately explain how shutting down a profitable business makes GM or Chrysler a stronger company? I only quoted Joe here because he made the point of unemployment. I am in no way taking exception with anything Joe posted.

chicago style voting now in Texas? What is this world coming to?

Just keep looking that happy as you go through the job, and the look when you're finished will be incredible. As will be the feeling of accomplishment that you did alot of the job yourself.

OK, report from last night. 1) That was REAL hockey last night in Game 4....especially the 2nd period. Hitting, breakaways, goaltenders standing on their heads, and even a shorthanded goal.....yes, real hockey!! 2) I purposely didn't speak to the president about the incident before the meeting...I wanted to see if word got to him through the grapevine. Nothing was said about treating others with respect, whether you like their car or not. Maybe something will come up at the board meeting Monday...we'll see...I'll be there too. There was a welcome for new members as is the tradition, and somebody new was in attendance. So while it wasn't made known to the entire club at the outdoor meeting, it was known. We were asked by several members if "that's the car there?" and "that's them?" by folks that know of the incident. Yes, Mr and Mrs were in attendance. Mrs was pleasant as usual. Mr was enjoying himself, but when he left, a car was just barely in his way to get out of his spot. Mr abruptly rammed the car in reverse, then drive and got around the car in his way. I wouldn't have been as abrupt on the throttle in such close quarters...but Mr seemed a tad upset that he couldn't get out fast enough. So it seems Mr has a bit of a grumpy streak in him.....it's just sad that it upset S on her birthday. That just seems to be Mr's personality, and one that can ruin a day. As folks have said, words can hurt if not well chosen. I know I'll try to ensure I don't make this mistake.

Well, for those following this thread.....this club meets tonight. As I'm responsible for their apparel and other club offerings (hats, shirts, jackets, license plates, etc) so I will be there. Plus there's pizza tonight. I know this has floated about others locally, and I've done a little research. The Mrs. is typically quiet and soft spoken. The Mr. is apparently known for "speaking his mind" and sometimes being abrasive. Kinda like a grumpy old man is expected to be if you subscribe to the stereotype. At the outdoor meetings such as this one, everyone brings their cars, weather permitting, and new members are welcomed. The president of the club will put a halt to the chatting at some time to do this and make other announcements. I'll be paying attention to see if the president makes any mention of being nice in general to other cruisers and encouraging them to join the club. I would hope he does...we'll see. It will be a short meeting as the Pens are plating game 4 tonight and it's a home game. GO PENS!!! I'll let you all know what transpires at tonights meeting.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: special55</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Notice the silly grin on the idiot standing under the body completely oblivious to the overwhelming task ahead of him to reassemble the beast. </div></div> Notice Rich is oblivious to the irony of wearing a shirt that says "You ain't seen nuthin yet" in this photo. Oh, I can see some good stories coming from this restoration. Uh huh. Seriously, good start. I wish you a 400 point finish!

OK, I live here, and I don't know directly of the "incident" Saturday....cause at that time I was elsewhere in front of a TV being disappointed. OK, where were you Saturday morning? The Bible Chapel cruise was well attended and everyone had a good time. I even had a cake for Sandy (yea right), but had to eat it all by myself cause you guys weren't there. I like Rich's idea of parking the Edsel for a while. That could be fun to watch. We gotta talk and find out who this was, and do they attend the regular club meetings? If so, how about this....JOIN the club. Be sure to park next to them at every club meeting and talk about how you're in the process of rat-rodding the Skylark ...and people just don't understand you ...and how hard it is to rat-rod a 400 point show car. Then point out how it was in a national magazine (The Bugle) when it was on display at the World of Wheels show ... and how those were the good old days when keeping chome shiny was easy. Wow...picking on the Skylark is cruel. That's a nice car. It's on my picture frame here at work with all the shots from the world of wheels. I seem to recall lots of people taking pictures of it there, and commenting on how nice it was. Yup, ignorant probably sums it up well.

I was gonna say a house is missing. You'll need somewhere to live after the divorce. we all know she'll get the cars and garage. I have my $100 ready to buy a car for cheap. Ah, another internet hoax in the making. Just kidding....nice cars, nice garage, but a bit small. Better add on.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Thriller</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I don't know whether or not this piece is stock, but it's kind of neat. </div></div> That is stock on the GNX. It's 1 of serveral interesting parts on those cars, like the ceramic turbo underneath it. The blueprinted engine from the factory. The fender flares and return of portholes for 1987. Underneath, it has a special rear-end with a panhard rod setup. Nice additions to 547 special cars that year, including each one numbered on the dashboard.

Yesterday on a local talk show, Mike Pintek on KDKA radio, they interviewed the publisher/editor of Automotive News from Detroit. If I recall correctly, it was Kevin Crane. The jist of what Kevin had to say was that in some automotive circles, GM now stands for "Government Motors". Since the govt. loan was made, he asserted that the government was calling the shots behind the scenes, and it was the government that wanted Pontiac gone, primarily because they want GM to be an example of "green" technology. Since excitement and a history of muscle didn't fit that mold, Pontiac was eliminated. He also went on to say that he expects more strings to be pulled and GMC will be next. He said he feels like a general at Pearl Harbor on December 1st. He knows something big is yet to happen, but he doesn't know what. Personally, I think eliminating GMC and making all trucks under the Chevy brand would have been more sound financially. If an upscale truck is desired, make an SE model and add the bells and whistles to give it some added flair. Pontiac should have continued to fill the enthusiast niche market they were aiming for. when the new Camaro cames out, Pontiac could bring back the Firebird. Keep the G8 and make it a 2 door coupe. Add some style to the GTO and make it more distinct. Just what I would have leaned towards. Now, IF, and I say IF, the Obama administration is calling the shots here because they loaned GM some money, then heaven help us all. Government should not be allowed to take such actions. Just my personal .02 worth.

For some really nice photos of the Buick Y-job, the new Riviera, and many other Buicks, see this site. http://www.netcarshow.com/buick/ It's well worth the time to look around. The photos of the Y-job are fantastic!! And after seeing the new Riv in the daylight and lit up at night, I WANT ONE!!! Dan

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JZRIV</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Derek, As I was reading in disbelief, I thought, how could this be happening in a US state.....then I saw you are from Canada. </div></div> Jason, Why would you think this can't happen in the USA? We have restrictions placed upon us too. Like, if you buy a new car, you MUST have CA emissions certification, even though you live and title the car in PA. Yup, Swindel got that one through and we never saw it coming. Also, there's a bill in the PA transportation committee to restrict you to 100% factory mufflers and exhaust. There's one that's going to get lots of us in trouble, and kill lots of sales of aftermarket parts in PA. As far as the immobilizer goes, I don't agree with the way it's being imposed upon you, but if you have to for legal reasons, well, you have to. I'd hope that the BCA judges would take into account that you are compelled legally to make this modification, and NOT penalize you for it. The way I see it, if you make a modification because you want to, then you can be penalized in judging. If the modification is purely due to legal reasons, then you should not be penalized. I'd hate to see the BCA take a stand that forces a member to break the law in order to be judged at an event. Just one members opinion. Dan

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JZRIV</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TOPCAT</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Here's my wife and my Wildcat GS Peace WildBill </div></div> Wild Bill, Tell your wife thanks for letting you post....assuming she knows. LOL Thats a classic shot by the lake and the car and wife look great. They compliment each other well. </div></div> What lake?

Photos from 2000 when our chapter did a fall tour. A few of my favorites posted here, and the entire set of photos is at http://www.pittsburghbuickclub.org/swf/2000FallTour/ All photos were taken by me in my 87 Grand National as I was driving the car. I had the t-tops out and I held the camera out the open roof with the right hand and shot as I steered the car with the left hand. As we all made a procession through the intersection Leaving the swimming area of the lake Approaching a real nice view of the lake And the view of the lake with the fall colors coming into their own Finally, pulling in for a club dinner Enjoy! Dan

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: my3buicks</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Here we are back to the same old problem. A thread ditzing a car, a Buick, a possible BCA member's car, a potential BCA members car. Maybe it's not everyones taste, maybe it is, maybe they have a flawless 72 Skylark Conv sitting in there garage and this is just a toy. Maybe they will read this thread and say screw the BCA. </div></div> I don't think this is a problem. I had an opinion on the car and I spoke my mind. Is that so bad? If so, then so sorry for having an opinion on this car. From now on I'll just not say anything to keep everyone happy. Not everyone likes my cars...and I have no problem with them having an opinion as such. I like my cars, and if you like them too, then that's cool. If you don't like them, that's cool too! I guess it all depends on what crayon you are in that box, and some crayons are apparently better than others.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 1DandyDaves</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Gee, ya know, maybe if we lost the wheels, and got it closer to the ground with the right rubber, it may not look half as bad as it does. Is that interior black? I bet the seats are some hot in the southern summer. Burn right though your blue jeans. Dandy Dave! </div></div> Did you look at the ebay auction? Even losing the wheels it's still hideous. 3 32" tv's inside, suicide doors that open 180 degrees.....OMG this thing is just so wrong on so many levels. Ironically, it's as tall as a 3 story building and it was built by Mr. Scrape. Hrmm, remove that E at the end and it may be a more fitting name.

Well, since this topic has strayed from Bye Bye Kitty to Peanut butter, I'll go ahead and tie the topics together with a YouTube video.... Enjoy!

Yes indeed. I met Harold when they came to Pittsburgh. He had room for 5 and brought 4 GM cars, and one of his own for our show, his GN. Harold was a true representative for the GM cars. He not only hauled them around, ut he knew about them, and was more than willing to share that knowledge. A fine representative for the vehicles he carried around. You couldn't ask for a nicer guy to escort these vehicles from one destination to another.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: The Old Guy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I drove the Buick "Bug" down the drag strip, and drove the Blackhawk around the parking lot giving rides at the regional in PA. </div></div> At the time, I was the director of the then, National Pike Chapter (now Pittsburgh Tri-Shields) and host of the Great Lakes Regional. I was fortunate to get the first ride in the Blackhawk that day, and to this day I am still grateful for the pleasure of being honored with the ride. I always loved the Blackhawk, and still think if it became a production car it would sell like crazy, call me prejudiced. That ride sealed the deal for me that the Blackhawk will always be my #1 wanted car that I will never be able to have. Nothing will ever come close to that experience. We are still proud of the regional we hosted despite bad weather. And we'll also be forever grateful for Buick sending us the 4 cars for display at the regional. Ah the memories.

Pardon my Ignorance here, but I have a question with the BCA National registration form. There appear to be two types of registration for the national. The first is a BCA member for $50, and the second is a Non-BCA member for $70. Is this a policy change to permit non-BCA members to register and attend a national event? Or am I reading this wrong?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: John Chapman</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Now, where's my assault rifle? Cheers, JMC </div></div> Sorry John....sold out.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Matt Harwood</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I've said it before: The UAW seems willing to ride their gravy train right to the end of the line, where there will be a spectacular crash that kills everyone. </div></div> We see this happening here in Pittsburgh. Our transit union (bus drivers) is in negotiations with the Port Authority (public transportation) for a new contract. Currently, they pay NOTHING for healthcare. 0! And the negotiations are demanding they still pay 0 for healthcare. They claim they've earned it. Meanwhile, my tax dollars, and yours too via federal funds, are paying for these clowns to insist on this benefit that nobody else gets. I'm filling in my healthcare form this week for next year, and I'll pay 5% more for healthcare than I did last year. Add to that the union is insisting on a 4% pay increase per year for the next 4 years. WTF?! Have you seen the way the economy is going? And it's not just the unions...management has their share of the blame too. Back to our Port Authority here...they're boring 2 parallel tunnels under the Allegheny river to connect downtown Pittsburgh to the North Side of Pittsburgh at an initial cost of $485 Billion (with a B dollars). Why not put up a bridge? Well, somebody must have seen a TV show on the big dig in Boston and thought it was a cool idea....so we have tunnels being bored. They have gone way over budget already, and the contract to install rails and electric was just bid. The low bidder of the only 2 bids places was for $85 million. Port Authority didn't like the bid saying it was more than they expected, so they think they'll open the bids again. Yes, a fiasco like I've never seen. Using mostly federal funding, along with state and local funding. When all this started, and some costs were made public, we did the simple math. Cost of new tunnels divided by the number of anticipated riders multiplied by the number of years expected to pay off the tunnels and we came up with a fare of over $20 per rider. This didn't include cost overruns, inflation, maintenance of the system....nothing else. And with these kind of numbers, management decided to forge ahead with the project. Oh, you ask how beneficial is this project...well, a 5 minute walk across a bridge and you've accomplished the same thing. And if you think there aren't bridges to walk over, look for the "3 sisters" bridges on-line. We have 3 identical bridges over the river where these tunnels are being bored. Add to this saga, Allegheny county is paying a 10% poured drink tax on alcohol to raise funds for the Port Authority, and this has raised over $40 million this year. Yea, it's alot of money. The sad part is, if the parties can't negotiate a contract soon, the Port Authority may be bankrupt and all this is for not. So here we see the union trying to grab every dollar they can, management spending the tax dollar like drunken sailors (apology to any drunken sailors, no offense meant to you) just because management didn't earn the tax dollars handed to them, and all the little guys involved for not making SOMETHING happen to stop all of this. And I sit here, paying my bills, my taxes, and watch somebody else [censored] away all my hard work. It just pisses me off how nobody is accountable anymore. I don't know where the fix is for GM or Chrysler, but i do know I'm tired of working my a$$ off for somebody else to take my money and bail out some big company that ruined it for themselves. If the govt gives any money to GM or Chrylser, I want my new car for free out of the deal. I paid for it!!!