BUICK RACER Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: The Old Guy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Derek Actually when I was born, General Motors was still a Private (possibly a PFC) and I am 75 so Suzanne may have a new patient. </div></div>Not yet, you won't be 75 til Sunday, August 10th, so quit lying about your age!!!!! Only old ladies like me lie about being 29! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest imported_Thriller Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BUICK RACER</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: The Old Guy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Derek Actually when I was born, General Motors was still a Private (possibly a PFC) and I am 75 so Suzanne may have a new patient. </div></div>Not yet, you won't be 75 til Sunday, August 10th, so quit lying about your age!!!!! Only old ladies like me lie about being 29! </div></div>So GM got you out of diapers and into a job...I understand now.As spry as you are Old Guy, Suzanne wouldn't deal with you...she only deals with the sickest of the elderly.Hmmm...perhaps that's the answer to aging of BCA members...bring on health car professionals...now I'm searching for Lamar's tongue in cheek smiley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HurstGN Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 OK, so many posts have been added, I'll touch on a couple....Jake, It's not the club, you gotta loose the foil hat dude! (that said with great sarcasm) To the Gentleman with the boatload of Buicks...you're not odd...you just have more time and money than most of the rest of us. with the means to do so, you do what you enjoy to the fullest. Not all want and/or can afford so many cars. So. It's your money and time. If you're enjoying yourself, then it's the guy that made the off-handed remark that is the idiot in my opinion.I see comments that GN's all parked together aren't that much to look at...you know, you seen one, you seen them all. To those of us who own them, we see the little differences each owner has done to make their car their own. So we appreciate them, and that's what matters. I understand not knowing makes them less desireable to look at. You look at what interests you and we all must understand we all don't like everyone elses car. If we did, we'd all still be driving Model T's in either black, black, or black. Hrmmm, could I make a GN reference there. I better not. As far as the GN's are concerned, I own the one model year where a GN <span style="font-style: italic">wasn't </span> black, an 82. You may find this story interesting. An event that happened once in Kentucky, I got the car to the event. This event had never had an 82 GN attend before. Once one tried to attend, it got a hundred miles from home and died en-route. It returned home. So, here's a very rare turbo 82 GN on display. I was excited. I got the car there for everyone to see (even with only 5 cylinders firing due to a bad plug wire). What did we receive for a welcome and comments? Well, most had no idea what it was. For the car show, I was told I was trying to put my car in the wrong class, it had to be a T-Type because it wasn't all black. One attendee walked by and said "oh, what's that?" His friend said "that's one of those slow cars, it's nothing to look at" and steered him over to the 87's not far away. Was I hurt, a little. But I knew it was the ignorance of not knowing what the car was. Another thing that happened that trip was there was a video crew shooting the event for VHS tape sales after the event. They went by the car several times then eventually started shooting video of an 18 wheeler all decked out in BF Goodrich custom advertising on the thing. A friend of mine took great offense to this and went to give them a piece of his mind. He was kinda far away, but we heard it all. He was yelling at them asking why they were wasting time shooting a truck at a Buick event while right behind them was 1 of 20 cars ever made with these options. I'll not repeat his words since they were not for this forum. hehehe He returned to our tent and said that ignorance like that just pissed him off. Sheepishly the crew came over and spent about 30 minutes with us, of which about 10 were shot on tape. They usually didn't spend that kind of time with a single car unless it was running low 9's or better. My friend Mark felt vindicated by their coming over. I was just happy to have somebody take an interest in the car.Another thing may be the false perception of the people you meet. This happened this weekend. Our chapter hosted a cruise, and there was a mid 70's vintage Century there. It was being worked on. Fresh paint, but no emblems on it yet, just the open mounting holes. All black wheels on a green body colored car. Exhaust exiting ahead of the rear tires. But no owner in site. Stripped down, no power, no A/C...a lightweight car. It looked like it was being built for racing. I formulated my vision of the owner. A young kid restoring the car...working hard and pouring every penny he could into the car, maybe waiting tables or something like that. It was about 2+ hours later the owners came out to the car. Boy was I wrong. A couple in their 70's I'd guess. Definitely not waiting tables for car funds. It was apparently her car and he was doing the work on it. So in this case, I was the idiot that had a different mental picture of the owner. But it didn't take away from the work he had done. He was doing a fine job on the car.So we all make mistakes. We all don't always like the car the other guy owns, and that's fine by me. I like the stuff that's different. OK, enough typing for now. Nobody's probably reading this far, and the Stutz needs work...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serb Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 Dan,Get 'em.stevo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest imported_Thriller Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: HurstGN</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I see comments that GN's all parked together aren't that much to look at...you know, you seen one, you seen them all. To those of us who own them, we see the little differences each owner has done to make their car their own. So we appreciate them, and that's what matters. I understand not knowing makes them less desireable to look at. You look at what interests you and we all must understand we all don't like everyone elses car. If we did, we'd all still be driving Model T's in either black, black, or black. Hrmmm, could I make a GN reference there. I better not. </div></div>I certainly intended no offense with my earlier comments and hope none was taken. I love the black GNs, I just have trouble looking at them separately - there may very well be subtle differences, but with the same colour and interior, to the untrained eye, it looks like a bunch of cars the same. It's something I struggle with. Now, there aren't that many around here, so it wouldn't be the same issue at a local meet as at a BCA National where you are more likely to see a bevy.I guess it comes down to everyone having different tastes in cars. Just because it is a Buick doesn't mean that every BCA member is going to fawn over a vehicle. Whether it be brass era, pre-war, the lavish excesses of the '50s, the power of the muscle cars, the forgotten 70s, the turbo cars of the 80s, or the hand-crafted Reattas, it won't turn everyone's crank. The reality is that we all have to accept that different people have different tastes. We also should to our best not to be insulting, and we also have to not be too thin-skinned when someone doesn't love our Buick like we do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HurstGN Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Thriller</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I certainly intended no offense with my earlier comments and hope none was taken. I love the black GNs, I just have trouble looking at them separately - there may very well be subtle differences, but with the same colour and interior, to the untrained eye, it looks like a bunch of cars the same. It's something I struggle with. Now, there aren't that many around here, so it wouldn't be the same issue at a local meet as at a BCA National where you are more likely to see a bevy.</div></div>Oh no Derek, that's exactly what I meant. You're not up on every square inch of the cars, so we all look the same to you, and many others. I get that. We look like the output of that assembly line, every car identical. So, the 2 guys on the end get the attention and those in the middle get no attention. Thats how it goes. At least at an all Buick show we're not called "Monte's" by those walking by. You did know we're not Monte Carlo's right? I'm in the same boat as you when I look at the other Buicks....just I'm below the waterline and sinking fast. I don't know much about them at all. Never had time enough to research and learn. So when I walk over to a car with an ultra rare option, I'm the idiot that sees the shiny thing-a-ma-bob and overlooks the really rare otion right in front of my nose. I just hope my ignorance doesn't offend the owner...hence I try to keep my trap shut and not say something stupid. This doesn't happen too often. I know once I did ask a question and the answer was soooo obvious I was ashamed at not knowing it. Dirty laundry time.... Back many moons ago, I attended my first national ever in Columbus. Registered too late to take the car to the show, so we went to look around. In the modified area (which was very small at the time) was a gorgeous 50's era hardtop car. It drew me to it like a magnet, it was awesome. A very light purple paint that was stunning. I went over and looked. The hood was down, so I couldn't see the motor. Well, I guessed the motor wasn't modded since he wasn't displaying it. So I looked it over and to me, it looked like a stock 50's Buick...I didn't see the reason for being modified. (Remember, I was new to these cars, so don't laugh too hard, many of you probably know this car.) So I asked, why was he in the modified class. The answer was "this car was never made in a hardtop, it was only available as a convertible". WHAT?!? Yea, he made the car a hardtop. He literally made a top for the car and made it look bone stock! Oh, the paint wasn't a factory color, and the engine had been swapped (I didn't see that tho) and A/C added. It was an incredible job. I'm not sorry I asked. It was worth looking like an idiot to know how much work he did to the car. I looked at it another 10 minutes before just walking away amazed at the work he did. To this day the owner probably tells people of the deedeedee that had no idea what he was looking at.From this incident, I learned that there are no dumb questions, just those that aren't asked. (OK Stevo, there are dumb questions, but you can learn from them like I did. ) I'm glad I asked that question. I really had a new appreciation for the quality of this car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Shaw Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Dan, If you want to see a rare option..... You should see the Acetylene Starter on my 13 Buick! Most people see the acetelyne tank on the running board and think it is for the headlights. Then they see the light bulbs in the headlights and get confused.... That's when they finally ask questions...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HurstGN Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mark Shaw</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Dan, If you want to see a rare option..... You should see the Acetylene Starter on my 13 Buick! Most people see the acetelyne tank on the running board and think it is for the headlights. Then they see the light bulbs in the headlights and get confused.... That's when they finally ask questions...... </div></div>That's one I've never heard of...care to elaborate on how that works? Photos would be nice. Maybe start a thread for unusual and rare Buick options and/or Buick cars called "Everything you ever wanted to know about ***, but were afraid to ask". I'd bet that could be a very popular read by the members. Informative as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Shaw Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Dan, Yup it is a rare one, but not the only one. I have seen a 1913 Mc Laughlin Buick near Seattle with one and I have talked to two others who are trying to assemble the parts for starters on their cars. I even heard of a guy who was brave enough to use it on his car years ago (as a demonstration).There are photos and a complete description in the back pages of the January 2008 Bugle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mark Shaw</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Dan, If you want to see a rare option..... You should see the Acetylene Starter on my 13 Buick! ........ </div></div>Here's another rare option Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 On the surface, it's easy to consider all of the "black GNs" to be the same when they are not. This is a somewhat normal situation witn enthusiasts and probably even moreso to others.The paint and interior color combinations might all be similar, but (by observation) each owner usually makes his own "mark" on the car with different "changes" which can give it more performance and "character". Many times, these changes are incognito or well-hidden, but they are there. The GNs which I appreciate are the "unmolested" ones, which seem to be an unusual find. I believe there were some model-change differences, too, in some areas.It's been amusing, over the years, to watch car cruise (or car show) attendees walk down the rows of cars and try to impress those they are with with their automotive knowledge. With my Mopar friends and associates, one of the most famous comments have been (looking at a 1970 Dodge Challenger 440 Six Pack) "My buddy had one like that with the 440 Six Pack Hemi" or "I had a friend that had one of those in high school, except it was a 4-door". We try to keep a straight face and do not consider trying to "edjukate" these people, but just smile and make a positive generic comment as they walk on down the line of cars. Or they have a friend that has a race car made up with performance car decals/emblems from a car a few years later than the car was produced (like a wrecker driver whose friend has a '67 GTO Judge with the 455 in it--that's what he said). If you told them what was really correct, then you'd insult them and their friend (who knows about those things) who told them about it. When hearing comments made, sometimes it can help to listen to who says them rather than what is said. Looking at the particular person's point of reference can define a lot of the reason the statement was made. To some, having three or four cars is insane (but normal for others) . . . much less having almost 100 (which many might like to see!). To me, if one person has amassed 100 cars, I'd be impressed (with time and money invested, plus having that much real estate to support that activity).There might be a good number of cars/trucks I don't desire to own, but that doesn't mean I don't like them OR appreciate them.Enjoy!NTX5467 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wildcat62 Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 I think a little of what Barney was driving at is that we as club members need to make sure we open up the circle a little more so to speak at meets or events. Like Derek, I'm very shy and not given to be really outgoing. It can be tough for newer folks at an event to approach a group. I'm blessed that so many of my friends were outgoing, but I think everyone at times has felt a little like they may be on the outside looking in, we as club members need to be mindful of that sometimes.I know I'm not always the best at getting to know new people, but I try to be. I think both us longertime members and new just need to take the deep breath and have the initiative sometimes. I know when I'm at a meet it never feels like there is enough time to spend with everyone I want to. We only have a couple of days and may not see our friends again until next year, if then. Those Sunday mornings are always a little hard. It's easy to get caught up in many things. I think both newer and older member can see that. I don't think it's deliberate by any means.The interesting thing is it becomes a greater problem every year since I seem to make a bunch more new friends. Time just seemed to erode at last year's meet in Seattle.Can the BCA give everyone what they want? Nope. I still go by my saying of the friendly challenge of the more you put in, the more you will get back from the club. We can just try to invite people in and explain why we enjoy the club, then we'll have a better chance at retaining that member and making sure they enjoy the BCA as much as we do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Stoneberg Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 What is the "rare option" John ? Is it the fact that gas tank is full ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serb Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 That is the way I took it Bill. A full tank is something special nowdays.stevo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Yes, you got it Bill. A full tank. Just trying to inject a little humor in here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 To fill the tank??? Or, to not fill the tank??? That is the question.Now if it was half full...... In the view of a pessimist, it is half empty. In the view of an optimist, it is half full. In the view of an engineer, if all you ever fill it is half way, then it is twice as big as it needs to be. Dave! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89REATTAJIM Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Dave, was that a "Half-Gassed" post? Regards, Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HurstGN Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 That's nothing on that gas tank picture.....only beacuse it doesn't say "Premium Unleaded Fuel Only" on the gauge. Now it it were filled with premium, I'd be impressed...and more impressed is it were race gas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89REATTAJIM Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Since this thread has already been hijacked, I have 1 question: Why were there NO Buicks at the 6/15 "Station Square" show in Pittsburgh??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Oohhh Dan, let me assure you it is high test in that car. The dash may not say Hi test only but the 400 CI in the engine compartment is quite particular. But it is not race gas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Stoneberg Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 Good, I am glad it was the gas guage you were trying to humor us with and not the bright red oil pressure light. That is not humorous in any situation when the engine is running. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 See what happens, I figured the red oil light would only indicate that the guage was on instead of shorted! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney Eaton Posted September 25, 2008 Author Share Posted September 25, 2008 It appears the discussion ended as Flint started. Did anyone make a new friend at Flint?I met a bunch of people and even talked to some with old cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serb Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 Flint...I would have to say that I met a bunch of people at the forum breakfast and the PWD dinner and consider them friends. It was great to meet the gang that I have been kidding around with and learning a lot from, all in one place. Even got to meet people from down south of the Equator.I even had a guy try to steal my pie at the PWD Dinner but then he felt sorry for me when he heard me wimper.Stevo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 Other than at the forum breakfast, and the Heritage tour, and the concert, and the car show, and the swap meet, and the hospitality suite, and the lunch at the food vendors, and the General Membership meeting, and the Chapter Director's meeting, and pushing that 55 off the I 475 overpass just before the beginning of the fireworks, and washing my car in the parking lot, I didn't meet anyone new. Where was everyone else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dcdpgh Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 89REATTAJIM</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Since this thread has already been hijacked, I have 1 question: Why were there NO Buicks at the 6/15 "Station Square" show in Pittsburgh??? </div></div>I tried to attend and was turned away. It was advertised as a "cruise in", but when I showed up mid morning I was told "Sorry, we're full. You needed to be here early to park a show car". Well then they should have promoted it that way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney Eaton Posted September 26, 2008 Author Share Posted September 26, 2008 Dan, the activities in downtown Flint were seperate from the BCA meet. There was enough to do with BCA that I could not work in the Flint stuff. I thought about staying for the Sunday parade but needed to be in central Indian before 5:00pm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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