the other brands at the Optima Challenge

nice crusty ol Ford!  Just sitting here in the finals means that there is a lot going on that isn't obvious to a view on the surface

gotta love this GN

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10162584600355129&set=pcb.2054400371635720

wow, when's the last time you saw someone commuting in a GN or GNX?

 

comparison between the famous Buick GNs at SEMA this year, part 2, more thorough gallery

Ring Brothers above, Dutchboys below

comparison between the famous Buick GNs at SEMA this year

Ring Brothers above

 

Dutchboys Hotrods above

I think I'd like to know why Buick GNs are the latest thing that are getting the extreme talents interest for SEMA builds

In 2022 there was the Kevin Hart owned but Salvaggio Design built GN, and the Roadster Shop GN https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2022/11/there-were-even-2-gns-in-central-hall.html

there were even 2 GNs in the central hall, close enough to compare how their builders varied on the restomod details. The first is Kevin Hart's built by Salvaggio Design, with a Caddy turbo v6 from an ATS V. The 2nd is Roadster Shop GN

the caddy engine was originally a twin turbo, with 464 and 445 ft lbs, now with 650 hp and only 1 turbo

read more about it at https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/kevin-harts-dark-knight-grand-national-is-a-subtle-twist-on-turbo-buick-muscle

or https://www.motortrend.com/features/kevin-hart-salvaggio-1987-buick-grand-national-restomod/

the Roadster Shop is bringing an Buick Grand National to SEMA

https://www.facebook.com/RoadsterShop

we have all heard of the Buick GN / Grand National, but I hadn't heard of the twin, the Regal WE4 until now

only 1,547 WE4s were produced.

The only differences between a WE4 and the Grand National were the interior color, aluminum wheels, exterior badges, aluminum bumper supports, and aluminum rear brake drums,

as opposed to the Grand National’s rear spoiler, cast-iron drums, and steel wheels and bumper supports, making the WE4 basically a lightweight GN.

https://www.hotrod.com/articles/readers-ride-1987-buick-regal-we4-turbo-t/

A seriously good documentary on the Buick GN (I never heard of the 1982 hoj)

http://gmauthority.com/blog/2017/10/in-its-heyday-the-buick-gnx-was-quicker-than-a-ferrari-f40-video/

Meet the twins, built together, bought together, stored and sold together.... finally, someone's lifelong commitment to purchasing a cool car for investment paid off, and it wasn't Vettes or Vipers (neither have appreciated in value) it was Buick Grand Nationals

One car had 592 miles, the other 807 miles

http://www.gm-efi.com/features/buick-aficionados-unearth-a-pair-of-brand-new-86-grand-nationals/
hat tip to
http://www.thedrive.com/news/9045/two-like-new-buick-grand-nationals-are-the-barn-finds-of-the-year

This story doesn't divulge the selling price, but does state that the owner wanted 200 thou for the pair. Compare that to the ZR 1 that sold at Barrrett Jackson for 39 thou. Roughly the same year made, roughly the same miles, and both are GM cars... but the Buicks are two to three times more appreciated, in demand, and valued. http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2017/02/another-stupid-investor-bought-zr-1-at.html

if you were a millionaire, and owned a GN, would you let it look this bad?

David Spade owns this 1987 GN... he likes things from 1987

That's when his Playmate ex wife was born, and his current girlfriend Naya Rivera.

can you imagine dating a young woman of 30, when you are 52? Must be nice to be wealthy, and own a GN... but damn, fix up the car to at least look like a condition #2. 

if you're serious about GN turbo 6 power, see Kenny Duttweiler, here's why

It started out that if you could make 600 hp on the dyno, everybody was ecstatic—they couldn’t believe it. Then a year later, it was 1,200 hp and 20 years later or whatever it’s 1,900 hp. I’ve got one on the stand right now that made 1,930 hp.

That’s from a 265ci V6 engine. The evolution is interesting because I started out with a stocker that made 200 hp and then we just kept adding better turbos and better everything.

http://www.hotrod.com/features/1502-take-5-kenny-duttweiler/

Sgt Bill Chaffin, LASD, SWAT, drag racer and friend to Big Willie owns a 1987 GN that has 28 NHRA class championships, engine built by Kenny Duttweiler

http://picssr.com/photos/navymailman/interesting/page3624?nsid=32590873@N04

The largest collection of GNs in the world, and a warehouse of GN parts, includes a GNX that has never been tanked up and turned on

Richard Clark's shop in Burlington North Carolina

http://www.letskolab.com/the-worlds-largest-collection-of-buick-grand-nationals/
https://gbodyforum.com/threads/turbo-buick-nationals-at-richard-clarks-shop.37553/
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/06/movie-review-black-air-the-buick-grand-national-documentar/

A ZR-1 went for 22 thou this weekend, it has 74k miles though... and a GN went for 16 thou

http://www.barrett-jackson.com/Events/Event/Details/1994-CHEVROLET-CORVETTE-ZR1-181449

http://www.barrett-jackson.com/Events/Event/Details/1986-BUICK-GRAND-NATIONAL-2-DOOR-HARDTOP-181070

Hagerty and Motor Trend tv, joining up on a bench racing show

It's called Generation Gap,  and the hosts are Hagerty expert Davin Reckow, who spends his days hunting down hard-to-find classic car parts and his nights wrenching on his two Chevelles, while Matt Lewis drives a 2011 Mitsubishi Evo X and spends his days interacting with classic car owners across the globe as Hagerty's social media analyst.

Davin thinks that nothing worth owning was built after 1974; Matt thinks that a car doesn't have to be old to be great. In this series, they each bring a car and try to convince the other how much better their car is

On the Motor Trend channel of You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGvTvFzdMg_O9JEZFHVjEmdcLPj_sEhv2

Here is one example episode between a GN and a 69 Chevelle

1986 GN pulled out of storage with only 17,588 miles after 18 years of garage queen treatment.

http://www.streetlegaltv.com/news/watch-this-1986-buick-grand-national-start-after-18-years-in-storage/

The video is a complete waste of time, they move the car around on dollys, turn it on with no drama, back it out, put it on the trailer. That's it.

The real story is that a collector with a 69 Camaro, a Mustang, and other cars in the garage, had a GN that he'd kept dry and out of the sunlight and finally parted with after 18 years. Less than 18k miles on the odo... great find. 

The Buick GN gets it's own movie doumentary!

found on http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2012/07/19/coming-soon-the-other-dark-knight-film/

Next month, Buick performance enthusiasts will get a sneak peak at a documentary film that shines the spotlight on the hottest car to roll out of Flint in the last 25 years when the first 20 minutes of Black Air: The Buick Grand National Documentary will be shown at the Buick Performance Group Nationals on August 4 at the National Trail Raceway in Hebron, OH. The film is scheduled to be released in early December.

Filmmaker Andrew Filippone Jr. has spent four years tracking down Buick GN and GNX owners, racers and collectors, as well as members of the media who road tested the cars, plus the key players responsible for engineering, styling and marketing at Buick and General Motors.

In the documentary, Filippone said he attempted to explore new territory (for a car film), delving into issues of culture, social class, inheritance, and privilege as it related to the turbocharged V-6 Buicks, and away from the usual focus on mechanics and performance.  

http://gnmovie.com/

Crower Cams and Equipment 2nd annual open house and car show was a hit!

Last years open house was the first, and I had a lot more time to take the tour and many more photos, for those galleries, see http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/search/label/Crower

These two are frequently found at San Diego cackle events, and will be at the upcoming weekend Mopar show in Carlsbad on the 17th







The Hunter Special was here last year also, and my gallery for it is: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/06/vintage-race-cars-crower-1st-open-house.html

Great tool caddy

The kids were having a fun time with the jump house thing (no I don't have kids or know the right name for the inflateable fun house)



The above 3 engine shots are of DRW owner Don Wang's GN... in the below photo