Another Hot Air bitching thread!!!!

[hot air 84GN]

hot air BS

WOW! That's a lot of bitchin. Hot air cars are unique. If your I/C your car, you will have a faster car....obviously! I personally don't really care about going fast (been there done that). Hot air cars look great, inside and out, and im my opinion thats really all that counts. Anyone can have a fast car. But to look good while doing it, is just the icing on top.

 

[O SO LO]

1984 GN--Stock Turbo w/adj. wastegate actuator, 42.5 blue stripe injectors, Poston headers, Homemade 2 1/2" downpipe w/RJC flange (no elbow), Walboro 340 fuel pump-hotwired, Adj. Fuel Press. Reg., 87 ECM-w/Turbo Tweak chip, 87 MAF, MAT, 87 Coil/Ign. Module-Hotwired Adapter, K&N Cone Filter, Powerlogger, Scanmaster, Rebuilt Trans. with Trans Oil Cooler, Boost, Water Temp., Oil Press., Casper's Knock Gauge, 160 deg. Thermostat


Soooo you bought all these performance parts in your sig above just for the looks then?!!!!:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin: Yeah Right!!!!!!

Just improving on what is there... I do have all the original parts that I could change back to original in a weekend Not looking for a 10 sec. track car- driving 2 hrs to a car show this weekend and a 5 hr drive (each way) next weekend

 

[Boostnitup]

Racing a "Hot-Air"

My car was ran in "Hot-Air" form for a couple years. The times were all over the place with low 14's to 16's dependent on air temp, track conditions, and gremlins affecting operation. High altitude and thin air did not assist my times. I also ran it with street tires 236/60/15 on the back and traction was non existant.

I also street raced the car. On the bottle I did not lose. A TA33c, 36lbs blue tops, Translator plus, ported steel oversized valve heads, and ATR exhaust really woke up the car when running the bottle. I always ran a small shot (no larger than 75 horse).

I salute those who can pull it together and make the combo work. Now I can run a 13 second pass leaving the line at idle (no boost) 108 to 110 mph trap speed off the bottle. Simply going intercooled woke up the car.

Combination is everything. I am sure the car would put a 12 second pass down with someone else driving it, and a willingness to build boost at the line. That tow home from the track located in Pueblo, Colorado is $250 so I am easy on the car. After latest mods... I am hoping for 118 mph, and a sand bagging 12 second timeslip.

 

[MoeJr]

I seem to be one of the few actual HA enthusists that roams here. One of the main problems is there are few HA's available that haven't had an intercooler hacked into them. There were less than 10000 84-85's made and 30000 86-87's. If ya want an intercooled TR then buy one and at least leave some HA's available to us who like them for what they are.

 

[turbonut85]

SHEESSSSH......this is interesting, to say the least. I still have my 85....and it's STILL a Hot Air...probably always will be. No time slips yet, probably because I'm still learning, and a little afraid of breaking something. Some day.

So My opinion on all this: I hope to see more success in the Hot Air Buick world, and far less 84-85's being converted. There are so few left out there, and SOOOO many IC cars still out there, I say if you wanna go IC, go buy an IC car, PERIOD....that's what I did. Now I have the best of both worlds. Having both allows me to compare, think, and brainstorm. I'll be honest...converting the 85 crossed my mind more than once. Hell, I even bought all the parts needed to do it....then I chickened out, said the hell with it, and found a nice IC car. I do believe I'll always have an interest in the Hot Air's....they always grab my attention first when I'm at a Buick meet! So, I say: Keep em HOT AIR!! my .02 ----Keith

 

[MoeJr]

I second what Keith said. With 3x the IC cars out there buy one of those and leave the hot airs to people like me that like them stock.

 

[charlief1]

I second what Keith said. With 3x the IC cars out there buy one of those and leave the hot airs to people like me that like them stock.

How do you think I feel. The earlier car get no respect at all. If it wasn't for us the later cars wouldn't exist.:biggrin:

 

[boostmaster]

How do you think I feel. The earlier car get no respect at all. If it wasn't for us the later cars wouldn't exist.:biggrin:

Well Charlie at least you don't have to worry about people buying them and converting them..........they just don't buy em'.......doh!!!!:biggrin:

Pete

 

[UncleDave]

Depends on your goals

It's clear that I'm not a purist, but I would never discourage anyone from preserving the original character of any fine automobile, especially a classic Turbo Buick. See, this is part of what makes this community work. We all love Buicks, and turbo Regals in particular, and we are very passionate about our cars no matter what our goals are.

If your goal is to tweak and tune and push the performance of the little 3.8, then what's wrong with swapping in an IC setup? Personally I would draw the line at keeping only what was available in these cars throughout the years. It's like taking your '83 Mustang 5.0 and swapping the carbed motor for an newer FI motor. It's still a 5.0 Mustang. I'll stick with a Buick Turbo 3.8 of any configuration, whether IC or HA. Absolutely no SBC or non-Buick 3.8 turbo allowed. At that point it is not even a Buick Turbo Regal anymore in my book.

But it is true that these HA cars get little respect simply because the performance is at a lower level than the newer cars. This is sad, because much care goes into preserving one of these cars. Boosting performance while preserving stock appearance is not to be taken lightly. It requires determination, much money, resisting the urge to convert in order to take the easy path just because there are more parts available. I truly commend anyone who has made the decision to preserve their HA. I'd award a trophy to a clean hot air any day over an intercooled car. Look at Turbonut85's car; there is absolutely NO WAY I would ever consider bastardizing such an immaculate beauty!

 

[charlief1]

Well Charlie at least you don't have to worry about people buying them and converting them..........they just don't buy em'.......doh!!!!:biggrin:

Pete

:tongue::tongue::tongue::tongue:

They do buy them though Pete. They buy them so they can take parts off of them to fix the newer cars.

 

[turbonut85]

It's clear that I'm not a purist, but I would never discourage anyone from preserving the original character of any fine automobile, especially a classic Turbo Buick. See, this is part of what makes this community work. We all love Buicks, and turbo Regals in particular, and we are very passionate about our cars no matter what our goals are.

If your goal is to tweak and tune and push the performance of the little 3.8, then what's wrong with swapping in an IC setup? Personally I would draw the line at keeping only what was available in these cars throughout the years. It's like taking your '83 Mustang 5.0 and swapping the carbed motor for an newer FI motor. It's still a 5.0 Mustang. I'll stick with a Buick Turbo 3.8 of any configuration, whether IC or HA. Absolutely no SBC or non-Buick 3.8 turbo allowed. At that point it is not even a Buick Turbo Regal anymore in my book.

But it is true that these HA cars get little respect simply because the performance is at a lower level than the newer cars. This is sad, because much care goes into preserving one of these cars. Boosting performance while preserving stock appearance is not to be taken lightly. It requires determination, much money, resisting the urge to convert in order to take the easy path just because there are more parts available. I truly commend anyone who has made the decision to preserve their HA. I'd award a trophy to a clean hot air any day over an intercooled car. Look at Turbonut85's car; there is absolutely NO WAY I would ever consider bastardizing such an immaculate beauty!

You're gonna make me blush......

Thanks for the compliment.

 

[DBR84GN]

1st time posting & down the 1/8 mile

First of all i would like to thank all the members on this site for all their research and knowledge.I have been reading and going back over old posts for years. Finally took the buick down the 1/8 mile for the first time today.We were just riding around and went past the local dragway and decided to go in and watch. I got the itch and ask the owner if I could just make a time run. The temp was 96 deg and humid. I only have the boost turned to 18 psi and the chip is burnt for 24psi so its probably a little rich on the top end. Dont know for sure as I dont have a power logger and i can't go by o2 readings any more cause my otc 4000 dont get along with my PAC. So with no tuning and no knock showing on my knock gauge. Here are my times I know there not to great so don't laugh out loud. Remember this is the buicks and my first time down the track. I only made one run it was at the end of the day.
Rt .206 ,60 ft 1.775 ,330 ft 5.247 ,1/8 8.28 ,mph 80.21 No more groaning there are my times good bad or indifferent.

 

[charlief1]

Your 60' was pretty good but I think you have some issues if you got 8.28 quarter time. It looks promising though.

 

[DBR84GN]

1st time posting & down the 1/8 mile

First of all i would like to thank all the members on this site for all their research and knowledge.I have been reading and going back over old posts for years. Finally took the buick down the 1/8 mile for the first time today.We were just riding around and went past the local dragway and decided to go in and watch. I got the itch and ask the owner if I could just make a time run. The temp was 96 deg and humid. I only have the boost turned to 18 psi and the chip is burnt for 24psi so its probably a little rich on the top end. Dont know for sure as I dont have a power logger and i can't go by o2 readings any more cause my otc 4000 dont get along with my PAC. So with no tuning and no knock showing on my knock gauge. Here are my times I know there not to great so don't laugh out loud. Remember this is the buicks and my first time down the track. I only made one run it was at the end of the day.
Rt .206 ,60 ft 1.775 ,330 ft 5.247 ,1/8 8.28 ,mph 80.21 No more groaning there are my times good bad or indifferent.

 

[boostmaster]

First of all i would like to thank all the members on this site for all their research and knowledge.I have been reading and going back over old posts for years. Finally took the buick down the 1/8 mile for the first time today.We were just riding around and went past the local dragway and decided to go in and watch. I got the itch and ask the owner if I could just make a time run. The temp was 96 deg and humid. I only have the boost turned to 18 psi and the chip is burnt for 24psi so its probably a little rich on the top end. Dont know for sure as I dont have a power logger and i can't go by o2 readings any more cause my otc 4000 dont get along with my PAC. So with no tuning and no knock showing on my knock gauge. Here are my times I know there not to great so don't laugh out loud. Remember this is the buicks and my first time down the track. I only made one run it was at the end of the day.
Rt .206 ,60 ft 1.775 ,330 ft 5.247 ,1/8 8.28 ,mph 80.21 No more groaning there are my times good bad or indifferent.

Great runs dude. I see in your sig that you haven't converted over either. I'm sure your combo has wayyy more in it and for your first time out, dude you are 1000 times ahead of most. Tell me were those runs on pump gas or race fuel?

Your 60' was pretty good but I think you have some issues if you got 8.28 quarter time. It looks promising though.

Charlie your way off here. Those runs calculate to high 12's-13.0 in the 1/4. I'd say not bad at all especially at 18psi. thanks again for showing these guys that you don't have to convert to go fast. And as you said the research you learned from using the search feature helped you along the way. So again I say that you can go fast in a hot air it just takes persistance.

 

[MoeJr]

Excellent times. How you running 18+psi without alky? I am glad it is a hot air though. I have had 2 and they both were very strong runners.

 

[WFO]

Charlie your way off here. Those runs calculate to high 12's-13.0 in the 1/4. I'd say not bad at all especially at 18psi. thanks again for showing these guys that you don't have to convert to go fast. And as you said the research you learned from using the search feature helped you along the way. So again I say that you can go fast in a hot air it just takes persistance.

That should run out to a high 12. Pretty stout for 18#.

Race Calculator

 

[charlief1]

I was mixing up my NA cars with my turbo cars.:redface: OOPS!:biggrin: It was late, my dog got out, I spilled my beer, the toilet over flowed.:biggrin: LOL :biggrin:

 

[esinger]

Looks great DBR84GN! Sounds like you know the road you need to travel to make those times better.

So you’ve been a member since December 2005 and you’re only at post count 2? Someone has been doing some major lurking!

 

[DBR84GN]

The runs were made with pump gas and alky. I would like to turn up the wick on her, but the wife says if I join the DOTC club I'm done playing. Some day maybe things will come around to where I can turn it up and go for broke, until then I'll just have fun with it. I really need to start saving some money for paint and polish. Yes I have been doing some major lurking. I wanted to do the research myself to refrain from asking too many stupid questions. I also didn't have a lot of new and great research to post, as it was already said somebody has been there and done that.