Hi, all- I gotta say, the Buick community just never ceases to amaze me. What a great bunch of people! Anyhow, I haven't been to the GS Nationals since 2001. Due to some personal/finance issues, a divorce, and lots of other crap, I've had to get rid of my '69 Special 4-door. It wasn't before lots and lots of people reached out on the board and offered me all kinds of help (storage, etc.), but at the end of the day I just don't have the financial muscle and space to keep the car so it had to go. Rusty Langolis found some great places to use the remaining good parts, and I'm glad that virtually every good part from the car is being used. Divorce kinda crushed me, financially and emotionally (and actually the marriage crushed me financially even worse, hence the divorce - but that's a story for another day). And a few layoffs didn't help either. A friend of mine describes my Buick as my "flow"- essentially the part of me that is purely based on joy and satisfaction. I bet everyone on this board can understand that term. I would think about what I wanted to do to the car next - usually falling asleep thinking about the next modification I wanted to do. It was an emotional joy on a very deep level. My Buick was a huge source of pride. I always enjoyed driving it, and knowing what fury lied beneath that gas pedal when called upon. It was a vast improvement over what Buick ever made. My Buick came from my Grandmother. Occasionally someone would wonder why I was devoting time & effort to a four-door - but it was my first car, and she sold it to me for $1 when I turned 16-1/2. Then she died two weeks later. The car always had a deep emotional connection for me. I remember that her neighbor wanted the car for his grandson, but she didn't want it "hot rodded" so she didn't give it to him. I always kept the car quiet, docile, and "polite" (except for the hyperactive gas pedal) so that if she came back, I could give her the keys and she feel comfortable taking it to the store for the Sunday paper (just like during the first 65k miles of its life). I also didn't want it to be a "show" car - I wanted a true driver, so that I never had to sit at a stoplight next to a Mustang thinking "Gee, I wish I had my other car". I didn't want it to have to go on a flatbed to the racetrack- I wanted to DRIVE it. Not that I'm opposed to racecars - but this was just my driver that I also would sometimes bring to the track. I learned a lot with my car. I remember sitting in college engineering courses wondering how whatever thing we were learning about would affect my car. Pressure, tension, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, etc. - all apply to a car. I wonder if that's why I grasped the materials so well, and retain so much engineering knowledge to this day. As far as I know it was the first fuel injected 455 (1993), and it was one of the few nitrous'd Buicks ("Nitrous doesn't belong on a Buick"). I remember when I was 17 and it developed a lifter tick- I thought it was time to learn how to bring a car to a mechanic, but my father told me that I would fix it myself and to just start unbolting things. Once I saw the inside of the motor (especially the cam), I almost instantly grasped the whole concept of these things called pistons and valves and crankshafts which had only been obscure imaginary objects. I've always been amazed at how many people remember my car. I always thought it was kinda blah, but for whatever reason it was always very memorable for other people. That really rocks. Fast forward to today. My car is gone, however we just finished putting the engine into my grandmother's OTHER car (my brother's 1973 LeSabre). Yesterday we took it out for a test drive, and it feels SOOO good to be back in control of so much torque! Maybe 10 miles of driving is all so far, but it was quite impressive to break both big tires loose when doing 25MPH and not have the accelerator to the floor (with a 2.73 rearend). The rest of the car needs a boatload (pun intended) of work, but we're en route to having a fantastic performer/driver/tow vehicle. It's a lot of fun! With any luck, we'll get this 5600# car in the low 14's (maybe 13's????), and maybe break 100 MPH. And hopefully get 15MPG on the highway with the A/C. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEvFGReMLpc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcVylKoQi_k I'm done blathering now. With any luck we'll be able to drive the car to an event this year (Norwalk, Cecil, or maybe Bowling Green) if we can keep going. It would be great to reconnect with all of my Buick brethren in one place. And now that I've been reminded what Buick torque feels like, I can't wait to finish this car up and get it drivable. It's nice to be "back". -Bob C.
Bob, Can you and Derek make the Spring Meet this year? http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.p...-April-26-2015&highlight=ne+gs/gn+spring+meet
Bob .. Im glad so many parts of your Stepchild will live on, great story. .. You're a Buick guy through and through. Another love will cross your path - they find us good guys as their caretakers
Divorce is never an easy thing to go through. It can ruin you financially, polarize friends (or those you thought were friends) and family and so much more. Bob, I am sorry that you, or anyone else has to go through a divorce, but you find out who your real friends are and you start a new life. And, it beats spending any more time with someone you do not love or who does not love you. I'm glad you are getting back on your feet. I wish you the best and I hope another special Buick comes into your life.
It's an EFI 455 with a girdle and all of the "goodies" (Crower Rods, JE Pistons, etc.) which is really designed for a big shot of nitrous (300+HP). TA designed a cam that works fantastic (18MPG in my old car, plus 12.8@110MPH in the 1/4 mile without nitrous). The whole motor was built by TA about 15 years ago, and has held up better than I would've ever expected considering how I beat on it so much! In the new car (5500#) I am hoping for 15MPG highway and low 14's, although it certainly seems to pull harder than a 14-second car so far... (And we still have nitrous in the back of our minds) Let's Go Tech! I was trying to make it up for a hockey game this year, but just couldn't pull it off.
Right on! Glad you got to at least keep the motor and now cool its back in action. IF that isn't good for the soul and morale, then I don't know what is.
You hit it on the head - the soul and morale have felt like they haven't in a long, long time. Having my "passion" be dormant for so long took a lot more of a toll than I had realized (from my sleep patterns to my overall demeanor during the workday, etc.). And BTW, Buick folks are the best. Just sayin'.
Cool story. It seems like you have had a lot of challenges to deal with. No doubt the Buick helps get through them.
Bob, glad to see you turning the corner on returning to your Buick passion. :TU::TU: I had wondered what became of you, and now I know. Always thought your 4 door car was cool.
