Who drives their turbo Buick in a snowstorm

That ice picture is pretty cool. I realize that not everyone has a garage, but for THE LOVE OF GOD can you guys just get a car cover:cry:

You are absolutely right! All of my cars have car covers on them, even the four in the garage!!! Cover them up, boys! You'll be doing yourself a big favor and your car! Speaking from experience.

Listen to GNICETRY, he's got a big point there.

Bruce '87 Grand National
 
Why YES, they absolutely should be denied the opportunity. "Just because I make 7 dollars an hour, doesn't mean I should have a kid." Sure it does. You're screwing the KID. It's not about your opportunity, it's about the kid, or the object's opportunity. Now how's that kid going to get clothes when you can barely pay your rent? Huh? Ahhh I don't have any room in the house any longer, let the dog sleep outside in the winter. Screw it. I wanted my opportunity. I got it, so screw everyone else lol. No. That's not how it works, sorry. No matter how nicely you put it, it's still wrong. You must ENSURE, not HOPE, your shit's squared away not only just for the next five minutes, but for the future, before you go blowing some money on something you may or may not be able to handle. That's called responsibility. Remember the housing crisis? Yea. That's where "I don't believe, just because someone doesn't have a disposable income they should be denied the opportunity to own a classic. " gets you. I think about my car/family/possessions before my own convenience. If you live in Florida, and the dog has to sleep outside for a day, or the classic has to get driven to work once (where it's not covered by your classic car insurance) then fine, but to drive a car like that in the winter is not only irresponsible, but wreckless too, because it's got EVERYTHING wrong for winter driving. And if you can't afford to own another car, or to take a taxi to work for a few days then you can't afford winter tires either. No abs, no winter tires, too much low end torque and rwd. You're going to kill someone driving that thing. And yea I know that just because you haven't killed someone in the winter doesn't mean it doesn't happen. That's just asking for trouble. Not worth it in my opinion. Sorry.

Hmmm. My Dad bought TWO new 1987 Grand Nationals at the same time......not bad for a mechanical engineer.....he said he got the two as he's SURE they'll be classics one day...thus, one for daily driver to drive the hell out of it, (to make him happy all of the time) and the other to store for "investment." (to dangle in front of me)He didn't have disposable income at all, he just managed his money and home wisely....(except for beer!:p)
So, sadly, his big boss at work had been wanting a Grand National so bad, but wasn't on the waiting list like my Dad was when he got the two.....so, Dad being Dad, he sold the other one to this boss for what he paid for it.....of course, when I heard about it, I pitched a fit!!! My father told me "Mind your own G..damned business......they're MY cars and I'll do what I want with them! If you want a Grand National, go buy one!" Of course, Dad was right, it wasn't any of my business at all....I had to live with my two Corvettes. :( Poor baby. Yeah, right.

So Dad got his money's worth with that Grand National..........no car ever made him more happy in his life, including the new 1969 Buick Skylark convertible, STAGE 1 he bought in '69. Now THAT'S the car I regret not buying from him.......sigh:(.


When one works hard for the car of his dreams, he should do whatever in hell he wants to do with it....if this means driving in the Atlantic Ocean during a hurricane, he's entitled to do it......it's none of anyone's G..damn business! (Quote from my late Dad.);) Can you see the point here?

Bruce '87 Grand National


 
I get what you are saying to a point but somehow I don't think GM ever considered any of this when the built and sold all these cars back then as far as driving them in the winter goes.

And as far as killing some one with a GN in the winter..... I can guarantee you that I will do worse to someone with my 3/4 ton diesel with the 8 foot plow hanging off the front of my truck than I would my Buick cause sometimes I drive that truck in the snow like I do my Buick on Dry pavement.... sideways all the way! I'm not proud to say that but sometime I like to get sideways and have fun......mostly when no one is around, but idiots always come out of nowhere when you least expect it and then things go bad and it will be no ones fault but my own and I hope to god it never happens as I don't want anyone to suffer for my stupidity!

I guess what I am trying to say even though I also would cringe at the sight of one of these cars out there in the winter is that there other things you probably need to worry about more than a classic Buick being driven in the winter.

Just my opinion and we all know how that saying goes!

Nice point you made there.....let me share a true story now: Big snowstorm, 1980....50 mile drive from work after it let out at 5:30 PM.....in my '66 Corvette coupe......driving home in the snow.....roads awful...about 2 inches on the road and that's PLOWED! Came down a hill near my apartment, speed 35 mph......some jerk runs across the highway instead of waiting till I passed....he slips and falls about 30 yards ahead of me! I did NOT touch the brakes, steered the Vette to the right, up on a curb, missed a telephone pole and bus stop sign by a mere 2 or 3 inches! Then SLAMMED into a mailbox on my left front.....pieces of fiberglass everywhere! The sap gets up, walks on to the 7-11. I parked the Vette, got out, and retrieved the mailbox from about 40 yards from where I hit it......put it on it's original spot (sideways), looked at the damage to my '66, cried, then drove home.........end of story........If I had touched my brakes at that moment that sap fell, I would have lost all steering control and slid right into the guy, probably killed him (though he should have been honored to be killed by a Corvette!!:D Well, that's me)

By the way, my '66 Vette has always handled great in the snow! I drove it to and from Lima, Ohio back to Alexandria, Va in a blinding snowstorm both ways. Always had great admiration for those Vettes in the snow. I've driven BOTH of my Vettes in snow storms to and from work.......HEY! I have to PAY for them, plus my apartment rent....food........beer.......car parts.....child support....prophylactics......and Spaghetti Os.......jeez!!! A man's got to live BIG, you know?

Bruce '87n Grand National


Bruce '87 Grand National
 
I never driven either of mine in the winter but the grey one I bought, the lady before me did every day up until I bought it off her in 07.
I love TB's but its still just a car and they were built to be used. People have no problem driving 65k pickups in the winter what's such a big deal about a 10k car? When you consider it lots of people think we're nuts for owning a car we don't even drive everyday.




This is where I strongly disagree with a lot of what's said in this thread. They are NOT just another car, they were unique when manufactured and still unique today, and carry their own particular mistique still.
Both of mine have extremely high miles 150k on the 87, and 178k on my 1owner 86. So yes, they've been driven, and I enjoy driving them ALL summer long, every summer, but I refuse to abuse them by driving in on the nasty salty winter roads. Even here, I put them up every winter, in the garage, under covers.
Which might explain why they are both still in practically like new condition, even with all those miles.
These cars are just too unique to be mis-treated like "just another car".
 
I love Turbo Buicks as much or more than anyone on this site. 99% of the GNs still on the road are 5-20k. We aren't talking about 71 Hemi Cuda coveribles or 69 Copo Camaros. If you paid for a car treat it however you want. I personally would rather see one driving in a snow storm than one that never gets driven and just sits in a museum. I always say what a waste, enjoy it. To each his own.

So you don't think we drove those old performance cars in the snow ??? Remember back in the 60/70s they were just cars. We USED them ! They were out DD's. Pay $4k for a car that that couldn't drive to work .. Who is goin to pay for the car ? I had a new 70 Mach1 Cobra Jet. Month later it had snow tires on it.
Then when we got into the Buicks we just put 4 blizzacks on them. Wife had a new 89 TTA.. Did she drive it ?? Hell ya. Car was unreal with 4 snow tires on it.(y)
Funny now you see the 60/70s cars advertized as never been in snow or rusted !! Blue30.JPG Blue30.JPG bluelo30.JPG
 

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Like I said, I do drive and enjoy mine. I just choose not to purposely abuse them in snow/ice and salt.
 
Or you put them in a garage for 40 years an use them as a bench :eek:



Buddy of mine has a 66 mustang fastback half rebuilt with his wife's sh*t piled to the ceiling on it. An another has a 69 Chevelle SS 396 that now has more dents because it's used as a shelf .... makes me itch, haha.

Pictured is how the GN sits and the GTO, Merc Maurauder before it sat over the Northeast winters.

The only thing within 2 feet of it is a chair cushion I use to kneel on.
 

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That ice picture is pretty cool. I realize that not everyone has a garage, but for THE LOVE OF GOD can you guys just get a car cover:cry:
When I fist bought my car I did a bunch of research and bought the most expensive outdoor car cover from covercraft that money could buy. $500 for a custom fit cover. Repels water really nice but it doesn't touch my car anymore. I found that with minimal use it just scratches my car all up. All the edges get worn completely dull. The inside is made of the same material as the outside. Cover craft said take pictures and we can put strips of soft stuff inside where needed. What about the entire inside??? I guess I need to suck it up and send it off to them and spend some more money. For now I have a $500 custom car cover sitting in a corner.

Can't sell it to anyone on here because I don't want any body else to have this problem. What a depressing use of $500. Ok off my soapbox
 
Thats why I use moving blankets over a few sheets;)
Outside? Won't work. And with this cover it would be too thick to put the cover on. I have thought about trying a dust cover first then the outdoor cover but what a pain in the balls
 
Bruce Urie I love reading your stories about your Pop. Sounds like a great man. I think my dad and your dad would have been best friends for sure. I just wanted to add if I had a choice between a GN and a 4x4 to drive in the snow it wouldn't be a hard decision. My story I was 21 and it was 1995. My only thought was gotta get home some how let's see what happens.
 
There are more important things in life than these cars. The conversations and friends made bc of them are just two. We're all going to die and frankly are doing it every day. I assure you, if you knew you were dying tomorrow, you'd drive your gn in the snow.
 
There are more important things in life than these cars. The conversations and friends made bc of them are just two. We're all going to die and frankly are doing it every day. I assure you, if you knew you were dying tomorrow, you'd drive your gn in the snow.
I would drive my gn through rhe front of a bank and rob it if I knew I was gonna die tomorrow.
 
Great thing about this country, we are all entitled to express our opinions and we are all entitled to do what we wish with our property.
 
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