Encounters with uneducated TR know-it-alls

[BlackMetal]

What are some of your favorite encounters with people who have nooo idea what they're talking about when you get into a discussion about these cars?

1) The first time I brought my GN to work, one of the guys at the parts counter started talking to me about them. One guy asked me if mine was intercooled. Before I could answer, this guy jumps in "all Grand Nationals were intercooled. Only the T-Types came without it". I attempted to inform him of the 84-85 hot air cars. He told me I was wrong. And I did not feel like arguing.

2) Again at work, a journeyman who insisted that my car never had the option of an 85mph speedo, i.e. the one in my car wasn't stock.

3) The first day I installed my alky kit I tried it out without doing any tuning and the ScanMaster showed some detonation still. I called my friend to see if he wanted to go for a ride and while on the phone I told him I finished the install but was still detonating. He said "yeah, using methanol is only going to increase your detonation." WHAT?!?! Tried to tell him that I researched this product since last summer and wouldn't have paid $500 to blow up my car, but he insisted that I was wrong in thinking that alky would allow more boost and less knock.

4) Same friend as #3, while chasing down my misfire problem the last few months, insisted that "stock injectors don't like being run with an aftermarket computer chip. You should put the stock chip back in". Yeah...and watch the KR go back up to 16deg thanks to the factory timing. He even insisted I try the stock chip after installing 009 injectors. Yeah...that would have gone real well...

Those are the most annoying off the top of my head. Worst part is I'm not a fan of arguing so most times I just walk away with these people still thinking they're right. Oh well.

Share some of yours, should be good for a laugh.

 

[T Spool]

I hate "Is that a Monte Carlo?" and I've had "Nice Grand Sport". Hell, when I had my 72 Skylark, I would always get "Nice Chevelle". People just don't know Buicks exist I guess....

 

[SouthernCal GN]

Can't forget about the twin turbo option.....

 

[UNGN]

My biggest beef was ACTUAL GN owners that would tell everyone how fast their cars were, but never took them down a dragstrip. Not even once.

I nearly beat a co-worker's GN with my '94 Dakota Club cab pickup in a "2 out of 3" race at our local 1/8th mile track.

This is also why I keep my engine compartment looking stock as possible. When a GN know-it-all would come by to tell what to do make it faster... put Ram air on it, get rid of the stock intercooler, etc. (basically purchase the entire ATR or K-B catalog), I'd wait patiently for them to ask me what it runs.

When I would say "Mid 11's", the look on their faces would be priceless.

 

[BlackMetal]

Can't forget about the twin turbo option.....

Yeah, stuff like that is common. Worse when it comes to the GNX of course.

I don't mean to come off like I have an attitude about it. It wouldn't bother me one bit of someone said something incorrect if they would just LISTEN when I tell them the correct information. I don't understand where you can gather up the nerve to insist on some incorrect information when you're talking to someone who OWNS the car.

It's something about these cars, I've never seen it happen as much with other cars. Tell people you have a GN and suddenly they know 5 other people who own one, they used to own one but had to sell it, they currently own 3 but none of them are running, their uncle has one that runs 7s, etc etc etc.

 

[SouthernCal GN]

I posted a virtual kill the other day...the guy in the Vette wouldn't run, called the turbo a supercharger, and then proceeded to tell me how he had an SRT-4 that was a 12 sec ride, and the EVO that he had for a week...

Ya'd think that a guy that had owned a turbo car would at least know the difference between a blower and a turbo.....

BTW, he worked pretty hard trying to convince me that my GN had a pretty good install on the non-factory turbo....

 

[86 TR]

It just makes me laugh how dumb some people are. I was at my local track with my bone stock 86 T-type. I just wanted to see what it would run. I get approached by some younger guys. The one kid asked me what it runs, and I said I don't know its the first time its been on the track. He said in a cocky reply well have fun beating my camaro. He said he had a 305. Whatever! He asked me again what was done to it. Nothing!!
He said, I have a friend of mine that knows turbo buicks really good. So this other guy comes over and looks at my car with the hood open and starts to say, he's got a bigger turbo, injectors, etc. I stood there and started looking around to see what other car he was looking at!!

I finally get to make a pass and I just luckily happened to be lined up against the kid in the camaro and he runs 15.6 @88mph and I run a 13.7 @ 97 mph. I Get back to the pits and the kid tells his buddy I told you it wasn't stock.

To make a long story short. I saw the same guy at the track 1 year later after I made some necessary upgrades. Wasn't even a race. He run 14.7 @ 96mph and I run a 12.20 @ 109mph.

I guess those guys seen something I didn't to make it run so good.

 

[JayC]

Can't forget about the twin turbo option.....

That will be a reality soon

 

[chopped39]

I remember cruising archer ave in chicago back in the day. maybe 1991 or 92.and people would pull up next to me and call my car a wana-be.the wanted to know why I had a gn hood on my car. Then they go on and tell me that grand nationals are the only v8 turbo cars. and i had a monte carlo drive train in my car. then they say if their turbocharged grand am got traction they would have beat me . oh those were the days. like ron white says ."YOU CANT FIX STUPID":biggrin:

 

[turbofabricator]

That will be a reality soon

I HAVE the original FBI-Twin Turbo option, You know, the one everyones brothers-neighbor-uncles-friends-dad had! I spent two years detailing it! IT has twin stock turbos, twin stock throttle bodies, twin stock intercoolers and It DID have twin fuel regulators. (changed it to Razor's alky system instead)






That is EXACTLY why I built it in the first place. I haven't had anyone tell me that they have seen this one before............yet. Gonna be some dik head some time that will tell me they read about it in a Car and Driver magazine, someday.

 

[231x20psi=462ci]

hey Ken B thats one sweet ride dude.

 

[josh watson]

holy

holy ****e.....I've never seen that before....not with stock parts to say the least. I think everytime you meet a moron...tell them it's factory...and tuned up to 300 hp...at the wheels..and then offer to race.

 

[fubar2.5]

Ya'd think that a guy that had owned a turbo car would at least know the difference between a blower and a turbo.....

BTW, he worked pretty hard trying to convince me that my GN had a pretty good install on the non-factory turbo....[/QUOTE]

Well I own a turbo car and a supercharged car and I don't know the difference between a blower and a turbo. A turbo IS a blower.A supercharger IS A blower.

 

[darkred87T]

Some guy came up to me at the track a while back when I was running near stock times (being nearly stock). He asked me what I ran and I told him my last run was a 13.2@102. He told me there was something wrong with my car and it should be running 10s like his buddy's GN. The funny thing is, I didn't even have the hood open.

 

[turbofabricator]

Ya, with twin turbos my car should be twice as fast. Let's see.......stock they ran 14.30's, so my car should run 7.15

 

[Buger99]

I had guy tell me why I didn't buy the faster 6-speed one. I told him I didn't have enough money for that one.

 

[Epitome]

Parked with the hood open at a car show a few years ago two 16-18 year old guys walk up and look at the motor.

Teen 1: This is one of the twin turbo ones.....see (pointing at the turbo)

Teen 2: I only see one turbo.

Teen 1: Look...One (pointing at the housing for the intake side)...Two (then pointing at the exhaust side housing).

Teen 2:Head nodding.......oh.....ok.

I never said a thing.

 

[lyonsd]

I posted a virtual kill the other day...the guy in the Vette wouldn't run, called the turbo a supercharger, and then proceeded to tell me how he had an SRT-4 that was a 12 sec ride, and the EVO that he had for a week...

Ya'd think that a guy that had owned a turbo car would at least know the difference between a blower and a turbo.....

Well technically speaking, a turbocharger is a subset of superchargers.

 

[Pronto]

Dealing with stupid comments is something that a TB owner must endure. It's our pennace for beating everyone. I just keep my mouth shut and let them blab away with no clue. Very few will listen to the real story.

 

[TurboJoe3.8]

First car cruise I took it to when I bought it two years ago, two guys come up to me and ask me why i took the V-8 out, and put in that lowly six cylinder. Didn't bother to even answer them.

Same cruise, I'm talking to a buddy by his car next to mine, and two more guys are looking at the GN and one guy is telling the other how somebody 'ruined' this GN by putting in 'that ugly aftermarket sunroof', and somebody must of added the intercooled emblems, because 'they never came with em'!