Vintage GN video

[bmackinnon]

"I use the ultrachip, my wife uses it".

Heck ya! Hilarious! :biggrin: My buddy and I used the Kenne Bell chip back then and were into doing huge smokey donuts in any parking lot that we could find full of kids (like us) with T/A's, IROC's, and 5.0's... also LOVED racing all the kids with late 60's/early 70's chevy, pontiac, ford musclecars and BUSTING THAT ASS!! with our new Buick's.... they all hated us!! :biggrin: I had a guy with a '70 Olds 442 with a 455 race me 3 times in a row down a little country road!!! He couldn't freakin' believe I was whoopin' his ass with a little V6!! fun times...

 

[just plain john]

I can visualize the camcorder, about the size of a small suitcase atop someones shoulder recording to a full sized VHS tape. Now you can do the same thing on a cell phone, and upload it too.

 

[troGNman]

Wow! A great blast from the past.

I was there with my '86 GN in a very long DOUBLE row of Grand Nationals. I remember there being a lot of out of state cars....NJ, NY, CT, MD, etc.

It was an awesome place to have a show because it was full concrete in the show area and the vendors and exhibition cars were in the shade in a HUGE hangar.

I remember another neat exhibit car the was not mentioned was the '90 Firebird Firehawk on display.

 

[fitz3820]

I was at that show too, brought my mullet and my brother's 86 GN. My other brother brought his '87 (that I own now).

We drove down from CT and Dennis had a set up with a local car dealer so we could wash all the road grime off our cars.

I have pics somewhere, I will post if I can find them.

 

[Victory]

Actually, Dennis shot this movie when he was first developing an interest in cars...
YouTube - Automobile parade

Now THAT's funny. LOL

 

[Dennis Kirban]

I was at that show too, brought my mullet and my brother's 86 GN. My other brother brought his '87 (that I own now).

We drove down from CT and Dennis had a set up with a local car dealer so we could wash all the road grime off our cars.

I have pics somewhere, I will post if I can find them.

I had forgotten all about that....dealership was O Neil Buick owner is a personal friend of ours and is the one that we did all the turbo regals through over the years.

We even had on display the brand new Buick Reatta member back then a lot of hype about the 2 seater Reatta.....course in hind site......its only the later ones or last year production that seem to garner much value.

I can't remember if Molly was at the first one at the base or not. I think he was with his Dad.

The banquet in the one huge aircraft hanger think we had over 250 people for the banquet....even the commander of the base was there.

times sure has changed....

denniskirban@yahoo.com

those of you that have commented about being there and still having your car pretty smart move....

 

[jlat]

hello peoples: I was just looking at the you tube Auto parade and those bicycles going bye could be from today. Bicycles have cum a long way with alot of fancy improvements but basically the same. Auto's that's a different story.
IBBY

 

[fitz3820]

Some pics of the 1991 Kirban Reunion. I really needed a haircut...

Enjoy!

 

[GNVenom]

Some pics of the 1991 Kirban Reunion. I really needed a haircut...

Enjoy!

Maybe it's just me, but it looks to me like you just GOT a haircut!

 

[asto-t]

John, Thanks for posting video. I wonder what number gnx`s were at the event. This base is only 5 minutes from me....long gone due to base realignments...strange but most of the runway is still intact

 

[we4Mateo]

Awesome video. I had a ride in the WE4 I currently own in 1990. I was 10 and remember those days fondly. Probably why I bought the car when offered sight unseen for over 5 years. Thanks again...and the car is still great for putting grins on little kids' faces.

 

[reggie44]

Wow!

WOW! Thanks John for posting such a great video and more so taking it 'back in the day' and keeping it all these years! And as Paul V. said also thanks to both you and Dennis for still being so active and keeping things going in the Buick Turbo community along with many other people!

Incredible to see how all original and untouched most of the cars are in the video. Many of them of course still have the original Delco white sided factory batteries and all black Powermaster brake bowl. I also can't believe how many T-Types and WE4's are at the show. These days at a big Buick show one is lucky if they see 5 or more clean untouched T-Type's.

As Dennis said, sigh those were the days. Everything seems to be changing but I don't think for the better sometimes.

 

[Dennis Kirban]

John, Thanks for posting video. I wonder what number gnx`s were at the event. This base is only 5 minutes from me....long gone due to base realignments...strange but most of the runway is still intact

The one GNX was 547 lst time ever it was shown until it was shown again at my birthday event 3 years ago which I know you were there for that.

The base by far was one of the most ideal situations for having a major car event from security angle to having huge air craft hangers to flat paved areas....plus great back drops for photos.

denniskirban@yahoo.com

 

[usetaboost]

Incredible to see how all original and untouched most of the cars are in the video. Many of them of course still have the original Delco white sided factory batteries and all black Powermaster brake bowl. I also can't believe how many T-Types and WE4's are at the show. These days at a big Buick show one is lucky if they see 5 or more clean untouched T-Type's.

It's statements like this that make me want to have my car all stock appearing. The bling looks nice under the hood but I will admit its cool to see pics of stock engine bays. It would be easy to find your car in a car showDon't see it too often.

 

[Dennis Kirban]

Some pics of the 1991 Kirban Reunion. I really needed a haircut...

Enjoy!

A bit of interest that shirt you are wearing was called the Bad Medicine T shirt...we used to sell them it was probably one of he first shirts done on a national level for the Turbo owners outside of the ones Molly did for his line of clothing.

The artist lived near carlisle, pa and that is where I first ran into him.

Been years since they and many other are available due to the tight GM license policies.

That was a sinister shirt...

not sure if you still got it the shirt ...or the hair.

denniskirban@yahoo.com

 

[kick71]

Wow cool stuff. That was at the airbase correct? I gew up in NE Philly and remember going to this show when I was a kid. We were juniors/seniors in HS and drove up there in my 68' Skylark! Was one of the first times I remember saying I was gonna get one of these cars. Very cool stuff!

 

[asto-t]

The one GNX was 547 lst time ever it was shown until it was shown again at my birthday event 3 years ago which I know you were there for that.

The base by far was one of the most ideal situations for having a major car event from security angle to having huge air craft hangers to flat paved areas....plus great back drops for photos.

denniskirban@yahoo.com

I was there! What did you have about million dollars worth of gnx`s out front of the hall. The only place that had that many gnx`s at one time!

 

[Dennis Kirban]

I was there! What did you have about million dollars worth of gnx`s out front of the hall. The only place that had that many gnx`s at one time!

That was my 60th birthday deal with the banquet at the country club in Warrington. I think we ended up with 11 real GNXs across the front of the building.

It was also the very first time that this country club ever did an event like this normally they do weddings and reunions. We had to guarentee a mininum for dinner to hold the entire building which was a little scary that we would get that many people for a sit down dinner.

Adding to this historic event, this was the very last event that we were fortunate enough that Molly was there and spoke at the banquet. Richard Clark was also there as was many of our customers.

All good memories.

On a side note we have something really special planned for the weekend of August 20-21st. Mark your calendars this will be a rare opportunity and not just turbo buick related. We already signed the contract to make it happen.

No more clues.

denniskirban@yahoo.com

 

[Dennis Kirban]

Wow cool stuff. That was at the airbase correct? I gew up in NE Philly and remember going to this show when I was a kid. We were juniors/seniors in HS and drove up there in my 68' Skylark! Was one of the first times I remember saying I was gonna get one of these cars. Very cool stuff!

You are correct that was called the Johnsville airbase sat right across the corner for the Hurst plant.

Prior to our 2 shows at that base they did run other major car shows there.
Nothing remains of the base there today and as you know the other base Willow Grove is going to go away as well. Interesting enough they plan to retain the runway or runways at the other base so they say. POssible for light planes to land....

Unfortunately if the local goverment thought it though, they could easily set up a drag strip instead....since none exist around that area. Nearest one I guess is Atco and Englishtown. Wishful thinking but we all know how local
government works.

denniskirban@yahoo.com

 

[GNVenom]

We watch the vintage video from 21 years ago, and trivia questions come to mind. I'll throw a few out there:

So...what year did the "open element" K&N air filter become part of our culture? In the video, the only K&N filter available was the short one that replaced the OEM filter.

I'm guessing somewhere around 1992. That was around the time that the small breather filter replaced the air pipe which we all took off.

For that matter, can anyone guess when the aluminum folding chairs became obsolete, replaced by the fold-up "umbrella" chairs everyone uses today....?

How about injector upgrades? My best guess would be 1993 when they first became popular, then known as the "blue top" 36 lb. injectors. Anyone?

These and other trivia questions to follow.