Ihaveahotair - From Ypsilanti MI

[Joseywales2]

Own a 1984 GN, with T Tops. Not much out there for us hot air GNs. Saved my GN from the scrap yard, the GN is what I wanted since HS.  I bought it cheap off the scrap dealer and now I am trying to put it back together by myself. It is a daunting task since I had only basic automotive knowledge. I have learned a lot already, and I jumped up and down when I got the car started last fall. My biggest challenges are finding how to vids and instructions. Electrical and vacuum systems are my biggest challenge.  I own the buick service manual but it is hard to read. The chilton manual for 78 - 87 G bodies does not include turbo buicks. I am a happy recipient of knowledge esp. pics and video for 84/5. I follow turbobuicks.co m, www.turbobuick.com, On youtubeI follow classic gbody garage, turbobuicks101, and venomgt87. Thank you for letting me join this community.

[Steve Wood]

Welcome to the board, I don't have much stuff on the hot air cars, but there are vacuum and electrical diagrams here..probably the same as the manual

http://www.vortexbuicks-etc.com/8485_trouble_shooting.htm

[Scoobum]

Turbobuicks 101. Never heard of it...

[TexasT]

Welcome. Pix might help. What are you working on now or what are you having trouble with?

[Joseywales2]

I need to replace the front floor panels. There are holes not big ones but I think, to do it right I should weld patches. There is rust in the upper and lower A pillars, and I'm not sure what to do. i could could use fiberglass but I don't think that is the right approach. I am not a strong welder. 

[TexasT]

Only way I known to get better at welding is to do it. If you don't get it right the first time cut/grind it out at try it again. I would recommend an actual mig with some 90/10 argon/co2 mix instead of the flux core. Much less mess. Even the 75/25 is better than the flux core.

Once you get a handle on it you will find all kinds of uses.

[Joseywales2]

Is it worh it to pay the $$$ for the Miller welder or is there a less expensive welder that would be good. I have a lot of sheet metal to practice on. 

[TexasT]

Depends on how you want to go about stuff. In general miller and Lincoln are a bigger up front outlays but this gives the ability to get parts in the future if you need to repair it. The hf or other off brand Chinese stuff might be a one shot deal. Once it quits you get to invest in another one because there isn't a part availability. Will the off brand break? Who knows. But I becomes what you want to put your money into.

I have an off brand as I picked it up used as a disposable unit. If you can find a good used name brand for the money you want to spend even better. But as that goes you lws(local welding supply) is where you will get the welding gas and consumables. They might have used trade in stuff. And also will usually be able to get parts but those you can get off the  interwebz. But you can't get gases off the interwebz so it is good to have a relationship with the lws so they don't gouge you on the gas

[Joseywales2]

Thanks for the good advice. I ended up getting a used Hobart 140 @ a local welding supply store.