How rare are Hot Airs?

Back to the original thread starters question about rareity. Here's a little guide that I use to determine how rare something is. Okay lets use the hot air as an example. Lets say in 1984 there was 5000 Buick dealers in the country. Take the 4100 or so hot airs made and give each dealer just one. Thats one car for the entire 365 day year. Hmmm looks like at least 900 dealers didn't get one. Some may have recieved 2 or 3 or more. I know one of my local dealers had at least 6 GN's on his lot back than. And you cant really say that little farm town dealer had any demand for a hot rod. There you go. Even when they were new they were rare.
 
84

Mines an 84 Grand National, leather seats, still Hot air. I havent seen another ha in this area
 
mine is still a 84 gn hot air but i have seen too many end up with chevy engines,some with 455 buick (my other one included) and various other
ch, bop ,cad engines in them
mine needs some paint and other stuff but the big project is the hot air 65 special im still trying to set up(wiring)
 
Pinto wagons are RARE :eek: BUT who wants them :confused: not a fan of HA cars .. ya I did have 1... wasn't even a good parts car :p oh .. I don't own a Buick anymore :biggrin:

Grumpy,
With much respect to what you know about cars and have accomplished.
I mean that in all sincerity.

As a respected member on this bard, I just don't understand why you would make such a comment. Probably just a joke, but in my mind, in bad taste since this is a HA forum discussing HA cars.

Sure, don't like it, don't read it.
Sure, Free forum and freedom of speech and expression.
Sure, you had them all and have "been there done that".
But does your "status" make your comment helpfull or respectable?
Just don't understand sometimes.
 
Grumpy,
With much respect to what you know about cars and have accomplished.
I mean that in all sincerity.

As a respected member on this bard, I just don't understand why you would make such a comment. Probably just a joke, but in my mind, in bad taste since this is a HA forum discussing HA cars.

Sure, don't like it, don't read it.
Sure, Free forum and freedom of speech and expression.
Sure, you had them all and have "been there done that".
But does your "status" make your comment helpfull or respectable?
Just don't understand sometimes.

topic caught my eye.... car is rare ??? yes ... doesn't mean its worth much BUT hey its worth what anyone will pay for it ... hell I have one local to me ... 85..one owner .. 50k original... beautiful car for someone looking for a HA.. IF it were a 86/87 it would be sitting in my yard :cool: ok I won't come back in here ...hell don't even own a Buick now :p ;)
 
haaa!!!! :p interesting reading. I wish I had more time to play on the internet these days.

Brad... c'mon, thats no way to make friends. :tongue: 54 turbobuicks, and the only other ha that shows up and you call his car "junk"? :redface: You've got to expect him to get his feathers ruffled a little. :biggrin: I remember back in high school, man, if somebody knocks somebody elses hot-rod, theres gonna be a rumble down at the abanded car wash after school. Nowadays though, I'm such a ding-dong and cut-up, I actually encourage people to knock my car.

There are hot airs on ebay all the time, and theres quite a few for sale on various online used car sites all the time. I think that almost half of the 84/5 hotairs that where made are still out there in one mostly complete shape or another. That estimate is based on years of scientific research. :tongue: Most seem to be pretty well hit with cancer, and (or) drive train is pretty tired or abused (or missing). Unless you have a pristine mint condition hotair (like that one on ebay), I don't see any reason to buy one for the investment, but, stranger things have happened. Better wait another 20 years before it'll pay off, probably.

As my tiny little brain learns more and more about my 84 hot air gn, and how to improve it and make it run better/faster with its stock configuration non I'cd form... I'm starting to come to the conclusion that hot-airs (given proper mods and tuning) are actually not that slow. And its been proven time and again, long before I even owned one. A second slower than Ic'd car? sure, but stock I'cd cars are considered slow by todays standards. I'm very happy with the performance increases I get with each mod I do as I progress. (and keep in mind I have a 87 and 86 turbobuick too)

Due to low production #'s, there just never was enough interest for the research, time, and money to be put into a aftermarket performance market for these cars like there was for the 86/7 years, and sadly, can't say I blame them since there was way more I'cd cars built, and ,(as I've seen jerryl mention before) they are more forgiving with bolt on upgrades and a crappy tune. I have already proved that statement on my own. I also feel that the availability for performance upgrades for these cars has probably already peeked. :( I'd like to send a big shout out to postonbuick for still carrying headers and bolt on turbo for us. More of my thoughts: I feel we have 3 big big things going for us these days that we didn't have 10 or so years ago. 1. alky injection 2. custom chips (like turbotweak) and 3. websites like this one and gnttype.org so we can all get on here and converse.


time for me to brag. :tongue: My 84 gn has almost every option except digital dash and climate control, nor does it have the engine block heater option. and all are in good working order. Including power seats, trunk release, and factory astroroof, and factory alarm, concert sound, twilight sentenal lights, map lights, blah blah blah. :tongue:

I haven't been subject to any hotair bashing in local buick club, but, they are a super bunch of guys. For these guys that like to bash hotairs online, My best guess for that would be: 1. Its just in their personality to argue and start crap, and 2. (and probably the biggest reason),.... waayyy to much time on their hands. (get a life :tongue: )

In all good fun though, I confess that friends and family have given me a pretty hard time for putting a set of "god-awful ugly" 84/5 stocker t type wheels on my daily driver 86 t type. :tongue: The truth is, I really really think they give a nice "driver" look to a stock looking t type. I'll post a pic, would anybody disagree?
 
so that's what the stock wheels for my car looked like.. those are worse than the ugly Keystones that were on my car when i got it.
what kind of drugs were wheel designers on in the 80's, anyways?
but if you like them, that's all that counts.
 
I tend to like those wheels I have 2 sets of them. Nice sleeper look. I also have a burgandy 84 just like that one I'm restoring.
 
hot airs...

I cant say im a HA fan but ehehy its still a TR.... When I found my 86 it was luck. Had it been an 84 85 i still wouldve taken it. A GN is a GN no matter where the Turbo is located. Icd guys that look down upon a HA arent real GN guys in my book. Its all about the lifestyle in a way, just some choose to live it a lil slower... (jk lol). Hey if I had the $ id own a HA... Why not? Remember the GN had to start somewhere..
 
I might add that good ol' Ken Duttweiler set many NHRA Stock Eliminator records with a Hot Air back between the years of 1984-1988. The lack of an IC didn't slow him or any of his other drivers down. Now there's foresight for you!
 
The production numbers speak for themselfs. Just over 2000 GN's made in '84 & also in '85 is spread out thin. And how many of those are left?
 
Where we hang out we usually have 3, but have had as many as 5 at one time show up. Used to be 6 or so that could show up. Out of those 5 were GN's and one T-type. I also know someone sitting on a hot air t right now. I have seen a few of the t's out there, they do exist.

Jamie
 
84 Ha

I own my second 84 GN--bought on eBay, 54,000 mi.--although it will never replace my original---a 84 GN, LS interior, concert sound, T-tops, trunk carpet, etc. and it was a Canadian Car--Km speedo. Sold when my first daughter was born. Yes, I know where it is and have talked with the owner--he hasn't touched it in 12 years : ( Starting to look pretty sad. Will keep tabs on it and try to get it back.

Mark
 
I have a lot of work ahead of me.

I saved this one from going to the bone yard. It needs a lot of work, but I think it will be fun when I am finished. However, I am one of those rare individuals who actually enjoys working on these things as a hobby. After looking at the codes on the trunk decal, I discovered that it really is an '85 WH1 with a factory moon roof, 3.43 posi, digital climate control and bucket seats. Of course that seems obvious in the pictures; but, I have seen so many of these cars modified from their original condition, I was not sure until deciphering the option codes. I understand that it is 1 of 525 produced? I wonder how many of those came with these options?

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