Hot air car worth buying?

[03tenth]

Have a chance to buy an 85 GN low miles, nice car & well kept!
I really like the 86 87 intercooled cars, but for same money
you could get a clean 84-85..
If you guys could do it again what would you buy?

 

[BRAD_PADGETT]

03- I was in your same position four years ago. I bought a A quality 85Gn. I have spent alot of money and time getting the car from a 15 to a 12.5 second quarter mile car. If you want to go fast pay the price and get an 86/87 TTYPE. These years are cheaper to improve and allow you more opportunities to increase power. One example is the hot air downpipe-nobody makes one. A custom built 84/85 2 1/5 downpipe (no turbo elbow)will be $850 Spend your wallet on an 86/87. In the end you will be happy. My 2 cents. Brad

P.S. Read my sign.

 

[usetaboost]

I've seen excellent hot air cars go for 4k. If u want the investment get a 86-87 car. Look what they go for on ebay,here, etc. Usually no less than 10k unless you get one that needs work, but then everything does. If u just want a nice driver get a hot air like what I'm trying to find, If you want balls to the wall and want to pay for it, like me, get a IC car.

 

[FlaBoy]

I would definitely re-buy my hotair if I had to do it again... but then again, I was in a different position than you were. I bought mine because I needed a car (mine had just been totaled), I wanted it to be a GN, but I didnt have the budget for an 86-87 GN. It was either a hotair GN, or no GN at all, and I got a good deal on an unmolested 85. As has been mentioned, if your ultimate goal is to run low 12's or 11's, youd probably be better off going with an IC car. It doable in a hotair, but will take more money and effort to get there in the long run. If all you're looking for is a clean GN that will run low 13's, then a hotair can do that pretty easily, and will generally cost a bit less than an IC in the same condition.

another thing to consider. While the hotairs cost a bit less nowadays, who knows what prices will be like 15 years from now. When you consider that TOTAL production for hotairs (84 AND 85, GN's AND T's) is somewhere around only 2000 cars (I dont remember where I got this figure from, I seem to remember reading that somewhere, if I'm wrong, someone please correct me) then the hotairs are quite a bit rarer than the IC'd cars (they made like 20,000 of em in 87 alone, if i recall). I have no idea what the prices on these cars will be like in the future, but if you look at 30-40 year old cars nowadays, an original, early model, numbers matching, with a low low production will generally get you quite a bit more money than a later model, even if it has the better engine/performance, but had higher production numbers. Like I said, this is all jsut speculation on my part, none of us know where prices will be in the future. Maybe I'm just telling myself this to make myself feel better

Theres also the draw, aside from possible increased value in the future, of having a rarer car. I've been to a few car events with my GN, and even some TR only events, and I've yet to see another hotair in person at any of em. Mines not in GREAT shape (body is a little rough in spots), but I still get a LOT fo attention from the people there, especially the TR guys, since a lot of them havent actually seen a hotair before. Its kinda cool when I pull up next to 5 or 6 GN's at the local cruise, all of em with huge turbos, chrome aplenty under the hood, great paint jobs, etc. and I have people wlaking past them and looking under my hood because I'm the one thats different, or that they havent seen before.

whichever way you choose, bet of luck... and if you DO get it, welcome to the hotair world!!!

 

[03tenth]

Thanks everyone !

 

[Saladin45]

I personally am looking into getting a hotair to start with. Mainly so that I can get my hands on a GN (As the price of these babies is shooting up quickly) and slowly work it into my own project car. If your looking for racing, then I would say if you have the money to get an 86 or an 87. But if you don't have a ton of cash, but want to slowly build a running car into a beast, then get yourself a hotair Grand National. In the end I'm sure it'll cost more, but you'll have something that runs well and you at least bought it for cheaper.

It all depends on how you value it.

 

[BRAD_PADGETT]

Salindin45- Great advice- I figured the same thing out four years ago and I am a really happy 85GN owner. Always look to the future and go one step at a time. Brad

 

[Boy Buick85]

Sorry for being off topic here guys,
but if anyone is intrested in buying and 85 T with a S*#t load of mods I have one for sale. Once again sorry for being off topic just thought i would mention it:smile:

 

[Saladin45]

If only you were selling a few months from now...

I'm off by only like 2 stacks.

 

[luisturbog]

worth buying

Hell yeah! Its worth buying; as long as you don't get taken to the bank. They are becoming rare cars to find, and let me tell you; a good running hotair car is fast. Not only that when most people find out what you have they are pretty intimidated by turbo buicks.

 

[usetaboost]

Just gonna say

Don't be scared of a LITTLE rust when buying. Alot of cars got some. My 79 regal only had 42k on it-with proof- floors were getting soft and driver's rear frame rail was ate out on the bottom. Still bought it, drove it, put a rebuilt turbo on, and blew headgaskets just like any other TB . Damn wish I woulda kept that car, only paid 1500 for it. metal is replaceable. Just cut out the rusted section of my driver's floor last night. Fun 4 hour job but I now have a nice solid floor with a mixture of an old patch panel and fiberglass. Went ok and don't look too bad from underneath and it was my first time doing it, hey at least I got a spot to put my feet now. I'm sick-I like projects.

 

[boostmaster]

Hot Air

Production No's

1984 GN & T Type= 5204
1985 GN & T Type= 4204
1986 GN & T Type= 7896
1987 GN & T Type= 27590

Understand one thing those hot airs are really rare and despite what anyone says they laid the benchmark for performance with Turbo Buicks. And as far as performance goes pound for pound a properly tuned hot air is equal in performance until you reach the upper 11's. Just my O2 worth.

 

[03tenth]

Looked at an 87 gn, some rust, clean interior, not bad cond.
couldn't help but notice should the space between doors and
front fenders be 1/2 inch away on top and 3/16 away on bottom?
but the other end (rear quater) is 1/2 inch all the way from top to bottom?
Is this common, or hacked up?
That 85gn is starting to look really good!

 

[boostmaster]

03- I was in your same position four years ago. I bought a A quality 85Gn. I have spent alot of money and time getting the car from a 15 to a 12.5 second quarter mile car. If you want to go fast pay the price and get an 86/87 TTYPE. These years are cheaper to improve and allow you more opportunities to increase power. One example is the hot air downpipe-nobody makes one. A custom built 84/85 2 1/5 downpipe (no turbo elbow)will be $850 Spend your wallet on an 86/87. In the end you will be happy. My 2 cents. Brad

P.S. Read my sign.

I've seen excellent hot air cars go for 4k. If u want the investment get a 86-87 car. Look what they go for on ebay,here, etc. Usually no less than 10k unless you get one that needs work, but then everything does. If u just want a nice driver get a hot air like what I'm trying to find, If you want balls to the wall and want to pay for it, like me, get a IC car.

Go to any real certified appraiser and I bet unless you have a excellent low mile car there is'nt more than 3-5k difference in value between the hot air and intercooled cars. But as they say in the real world perception is reality. And the perception is that intercooled cars are better. Who created this perception "we did". I remember when I bought my first 84 T Type I was so excited. Like many of you I did'nt know there was a difference between the 84-85 & 86-87's. I just thought man something looks different from what I saw in the magazines. Still it did'nt matter to me. Then when I needed to get some work done on the car I could'nt find anyone to work on it. When I went to a Turbo Buick expert the first thing they would say is "I don't work on those things", "you need to get rid of that slow car", "man you can't make those things run", and the kicker, "you won't get out of the 13's with that thing". It's this perception that runs rampant in our community and has hurt the reputation of a the hot air buick. It does'nt help that there are so few out there that when one is running fast it must be a freak of nature or has tons of cash dumped into it. Don't get razzled and dazzled by all the time slips in the sigs around here I have been to many of the TB events in my area and I can tell you everybody's in an 86-87's not running 10's & 11's even with multiple bolt-on's. I'm almost always the only Hot Air there. It's all in the tuning. Buy what will give you the best car for your dollar and be happy with it.

 

[usetaboost]

Might be joining the ranks!

Apparently there's an 85 t-type for sale in some guys back yard REAL cheap. If it is what it is and it's decent I'll have a new driver!

 

[boostmaster]

Apparently there's an 85 t-type for sale in some guys back yard REAL cheap. If it is what it is and it's decent I'll have a new driver!

Come on in the waters fine !!!!

 

[Boy Buick85]

Well Saladin it may still be up by then so who knows . Also the price is some what Negotiable!!

if i sell the car with the Alky i want atleast 5500.

 

[Boy Buick85]

OooH and yes.... THE WATER IS Quite Nice

 

[Turbo Riviera]

If only you were selling a few months from now...

I'm off by only like 2 stacks.

I'll be selling my '84 GN within your time frame... It's not perfect, but a nice low mile example.

 

[Saladin45]

PM'd you.