Turbo Darth Vader
Buick Grand National
The Buick Grand National is such a wild car. I’ve always loved them. In fact, I even had my Fox Body Mustang for sale when I was a teen so I could buy one.
Never happened, c'est la vie.
When the Grand National launched in 1984, the turbo-charged V6 produced 200hp and 300 lb-ft torque. Buick continued making improvements, like an intercooler, and by ’86 they were up to 235 hp and finally hit 245hp in ’87.
These were fast in their day, and the turbo was super responsive to mods. It didn’t take much to make these rip. Add in the sinister looks of these mostly being blacked out, and these things were just so sick.
Final year for this, Buick pulled the stops and launched the big boi - The GNX.
Rated at 300 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque (and known to be being underrated).
These numbers don’t sound wild now, but at the time, horsepower figures for cars were kind of muted. To put into perspective how the BUICK compared to other cars:
In 1987, Motor Trend ran the GNX to 60 in 4.7 seconds and through the 1/4 mile in 13.4 seconds.
Comparatively:
Porsche 911 Turbo: 0 - 60 in 4.6 seconds
The Ferrari Testarossa: 0 - 60 in 5.0 seconds
The Chevrolet Corvette: 0 - 60 in 5.8 seconds
The GNX ran to 60 faster than a Ferrari.
GNX is the pinnacle, but unfortunately, their production numbers were nearly non-existent, so… they pricey.
Buick Grand National Production Numbers
1984: 2,000
1985: 2,102
1986: 5,512
1987: 20,192
Total: 29,806
GNX Production Numbers:
1987: 547
That’s right. Made for only one year. 547 units.
It’s not rare to see them sell for over $200k.
Grand Nationals though… you can still snag those for a not as eye-watering price.
Vintage Inspo
Jazz Album Covers
I love Jazz so much. My first year away at college I went down a rabbit hole of Chet Baker and Bill Evans and never came out. I’d walk down to the library from my dorm, find some nook, turn on Bill Evans Trio At The Village Vanguard, and try to study.
Since Spotify, almost unknowingly, I’ve collected screenshots of jazz album covers. I have such a hard time pinpointing what it is about them that’s so special, but there’s something here to draw inspiration from. Maybe one day I’ll be able to put my finger on it.
fun fact: when I first launch my YT channel, I tried to make my thumbnails look like vintage jazz albums. I really want to go back to doing that, but it’s my lack of photoshop skills that are kind of the bottleneck :)
While I was listening to music today, the theme from Taxi came on. Growing up I watched so much Taxi (And Nick at Night in general). LOOK AT THIS
What I’ve Been Reading
Shaan Puri is funny and playful, but he’s really one of my favorite framework thinkers. He is next-level when it comes to explaining things step-by-step, namely when it comes to business stuff.
That said, this newsletter, is not that - it’s just him, a really successful entrepreneur and podcaster, selecting 5 tweets that resonated with him, whether it be helpful or funny. It’s a 1 minute read every Tuesday that I look forward to. There are always some gems (like one of the quotes in my newsletter today).
Quote I’m Pondering
“If you want to kill a big dream, share it with a small-minded person” - someone
Song I’m Listening To
p.s. Are you subscribed to my YouTube Channel where I go in depth on all of this kind of stuff??? You should be.
p.p.s. Some of these links toss me a commission without costing you any extra. This goes to buying more things so I can talk about them.
Cheers!
Dominic
I agree with all of your point on the Grand National. Awesome car.
Use midjourney to create AI thumbnails that reassemble vintage jazz albums