Greetings Turbo Regal Inner Circle Members 04-13-2016 -
MEMORIES FROM OUR PAST REUNION EVENTS -
I was sorting through some of my photos from years ago and found the below two photos from one of our Reunion events from the early 1990s.
PHOTO 1 - Here are 2 photos I found in my batch of photos. The photo to the left was taken at the Johnsville Air Base either in 1990 or 1991. It shows our 1964 GTO and our 1987 Grand National along side of a military jet that was on display. The photo to the right shows the famous “TWEAKED” Turbo Regal racecar. The Conleys came all the way from Humble, Texas for one of our early 1990 Reunion events. This photo was taken at our old house in Furlong, Pennsylvania. Our driveway was big enough so you could park 25-30 cars. Looking back it seems so long ago now.
DOES BUICK MAKE MISTAKES -
If you ever needed to see proof that Buick makes mistakes, the next photo shows you that - YES, they do. I remember buying a brand new factory GM Turbo Regal hood pad several years ago. I pulled it out to inspect it prior to selling it. I discovered that someone who worked for one of the suppliers had a sense of humor or a Monday morning hangover. The word “TURBOCHARGED” was printed upside-down. I probably should have sold this hood pad for more money, since in the scheme of things it is quite rare!
This reminds me of the 24-cent postage stamp of the airplane printed in 1918 that was inverted. The story is that a total of 700 were printed. However, only 100 were sold before USPS inspectors noticed the error. A gentleman named Robert Siegal bought the entire sheet of 100 from a post office in Washington, DC. At the time he paid just $24 for the entire sheet of 100. That single sheet was later resold and separated into individual stamps and blocks. In the year 2007 one of these single stamps sold for $977,500. Another one sold for $825,000. These are two examples of an excellent return on a $24 investment! By comparison, an original corrected version today is worth less than $100.
PHOTO 2 - The first photo shows the actual Buick Turbo Regal hood pad I had where the word “TURBOCHARGED” was inverted. The second photo is a poster from the Post Office from 2013 when they duplicated that famous 1918 inverted airplane mistake by producing a series of the inverted stamps.
ORIGINAL PAPERWORK -
Having original paperwork dating back to the time of purchase for your car has become very popular among serious collectors. This practice is not limited to just Turbo Regal owners.
When I was buying these cars I always made it a point to be sure to get every piece of literature related to the car so I could pass it on to the new owner. I never really carried a checklist, but I had a pretty good system for things to look for before I would turn over the check for the car and be on my way.
I like to think I was pretty thorough with my system. I do remember buying one car where the VIN number on the title had 2 of the digits reversed. Fortunately, in Pennsylvania if it’s just 2 digits that are switched, you can have a state trooper sign a document about the error and have it corrected. That was the law in Pennsylvania back in the early 1990s. If the correction could not have been done, I would not have bought the car until the seller had it corrected in his state.
Every state has their own set of laws regarding car titles and what is required to register the car in your state.
PHOTO 3 - We show 2 groups of original paperwork that I got with 2 different Turbo Regals back in the 1990s when I was buying and selling them. In the photo on the right, at the bottom right you can see the brown envelope that the hand crank for the astroroof came in. The hand crank was a back up in case the electric switch failed. Next to it in the center is the actual paper temporary license plate that came on the car when it was new. This temp plate was probably good for 30 to 45 days. The photo on the right shows the red cards, which are the various Recall Notices from Buick. The wrapper to the far right appears to be the wrapper that would have been on the leather steering wheel at time of delivery. Items like this usually would have been thrown away.
PHOTO 4 - The photo on the left shows a brown envelope with the part number 25517418 on it. This is the envelope that contained the front license plate bracket that attached to the bottom lip of the front bumper. If you failed to use this bracket, any license plate you installed would kink in the middle. This envelope was usually tucked into the spare tire wheel well area. The photo on the right shows a nice collection of original paperwork including 4 photos, possibly of the car sitting on the dealer lot before it was detailed for sale. The stock number is clearly visible in green numbers 1014. Again, most of these items were seldom saved.
I can remember taking a heat gun and removing the fender emblems and removing the oil sticker from the sun visor on our 1987 Grand National. I came from that generation that removed all the emblems, hood ornaments, trunk locks, etc. and filled in the holes left behind!
I remember the trunk lid was opened by a rope from under the rear seat on the 1956 Crown Victoria Ford I had. Every emblem, trunk lock, etc. was removed from the trunk lid and filled in. Back then the 1956 Ford Crown Vic was a $500 car. Today it would probably fetch 8 to 10 times that much. The model was only made for 2 years - 1955 and 1956. Personally, I think the 1956 looked better. This is the car I ended up putting a rebuilt engine into on my high school property. I could look out some of my classroom windows and see my car under a tree by the one entrance. Not something you could get away with today on school property. It took me 2 or 3 weeks to get the engine back in the car.
NEW PRODUCT IN THE WORKS -
The company that is making our display boxes for the lighted LED display signs has figured out how to make this new unique part that will fit every 1984-1987 G-body car not just Turbo Regals. The part will be made in stainless, unlike the GM part, which is not made in stainless and is prone to rust.
This clever new product should be available for our Spring Open House. We expect a very high demand for it and we will be making it available to the other vendors that we sell to. It’s a modification that makes it far more useful than the original GM part.
ALUMINUM BRAKE DRUMS -
I email Cardone every few days waiting on word as to a price structure on their new reproduction aluminum brake drums. I also hope to have some on hand for our Open House. Hopefully this week I will find out more information.
VACUUM BRAKE SYSTEMS VERSUS POWERMASTER SYSTEMS -
I can’t say for sure if it’s a trend, but in the past several weeks we have sold several times more vacuum brake setups than we have sold powermaster systems. The demand this past week alone has been at an all time high for vacuum setups.
I have had to contact several junkyards to see if they have any brake pedals that we can buy. At this point we are even buying turbo brake pedals.
If you are coming to our Spring Open House, we need brake pedals - either version - we are a buyer for them.
We welcome almost any Turbo Regal part, if it’s new or like-new condition in trade.
OUR NEW BUSINESS VENTURE -
We will have several of the new acrylic signs on display at our Open House and at the TurboBuick/Richard Clark event in North Carolina.
It makes for a very unusual gift as we can direct print a photo of your car on the acrylic and have it framed and lighted by LED lights for display. Already we are getting various signs made for companies in our area. This is also an ideal method for having your car displayed in a lighted display box for your garage or man cave room. The ideas are endless.
WEIRD WEATHER -
Like most of the country, we are having some pretty wild weather. Saturday I went to get gas cans filled for the lawn mower and it was snowing! 2 weeks ago it was 75 and 80 degrees.
GREAT SONG TO LISTEN TO WHEN CRUISING -
I heard a great song the other day while cruising down the road. The female artist is Maren Morris and the song title is “My Church.” You can hear it on You Tube. It has almost 5 million hits. It’s the perfect car song as it talks about driving down the road listening to the radio.
BCA NATIONALS -
The BCA Nationals, which stands for Buick Club of America, is actually coming to Allentown, PA July 27th thru the 30th. Allentown is about 25 minutes from where we live. The big car show day is Saturday, July 30th. They expect over 1,000 Buicks of all kinds.
Sometimes we forget that our niche market has a parent national club. For more exact details and location, go to their website - www.buickclub.org/2016anniversary
PREPARING FOR OUR SPRING OPEN HOUSE -
If you are planning on attending our Spring Open House and want to buy the Spoolfool one-piece rear filler, be sure to place your order soon so we have one set aside for you.
The same goes for the Pypes dual exhaust system. In either case, we will not charge you until the day of our show.
Call and speak to Christina to place your order - 215-766-1611 x 0.
Remember, we are always in the market for good used Turbo Regal parts that you can “cash in” as trade value towards items you want and need. Bring any cores, especially turbo cores, which we need.
HERE IS MORE BREAKING NEWS - SPRING OPEN HOUSE -
The crown jewel of our no reserve auction will be a complete original used set of GNX wheels. The starting minimum bid will be under $2,700. Again, this is a no reserve auction as long as the starting bid has been met. Wheels are original with no curb rash. The set comes with a new set of the correct 2-piece lug nuts, valve stems, and decals for the center caps. Everything you need. Also included is a copy from the page in the GNX book stating the offsets for the front and rears match the stamped offsets on these real GNX wheels. This verifies they are correct. You could have the winning bid and own them!
I have seen photos of the trophies that Russ and Nancy have donated for our event. The trophies are impressive!
We are having the company that makes the sign display frames for us work on a new Buick project. If all goes well, we should have samples on display at our Open House. It’s an item nobody has reproduced and fits every G-body car made. I thought of it the other day when I was in a junkyard.
We will have some really neat items on display and some custom-made things for sale at our Open House. Remember, this event has no rain date. Yum Yum donuts go quickly. We will have our usual M&M contest.
Please, if you are coming bring us any CORES you may have. We badly need good clean steering wheel cores (1986-1987), correct 1986-1987 mass air flow sensors, and stock 1986-1987 Turbo cores.
We really need these 3 items in order to keep the flow of rebuilt parts available to others. I also buy or trade for most any good Turbo Regal items that you may not need or want. Bringing them to our Open House is an excellent time to cash them in and avoid shipping costs.
Mike Bernard, who makes the Spoolfool fillers, is donating a one-piece rear filler for our raffle. This is another reason to plan to attend. We like to thank Mike for his generosity and support of many of the Buick events.
Also, I been going through my original photos and Turbo Buick literature and we will have a lot of original Grand National literature available for sale. Also, there will be some neat GNX items we had made up for sale. This is one Open House you do not want to miss.
This is the first time our event and the Turbo Buick/Richard Clark event have been back to back. Two Spring Time Buick events you do not want to miss.
BREAKING NEWS JUST ANNOUNCED -
2016 TurboBuick.com / Richard Clark Event - North Carolina - May 4 - May 7
Thanks to ZPLUS, you ALL are going to enjoy a tech seminar on Friday night, May 6th, from 8 pm - midnight. It will include guest speakers, such as Richard Clark, John Spina, Bob Bailey, Nick Micale, Dennis Kirban, and a HOST of others!
EVERYONE is welcome and this event is FREE OF CHARGE, thanks to our great and newest sponsor ZPLUS! You are going to have LOTS of questions answered as all the big names in the Buick world will be guest speaking at this event.
The location of the Friday night seminar is 1214 Turrentine Street, Burlington, NC 27215. It is the same 10,000 sq ft location used for previous seminars. The location is only 15 minutes from all the hotels and Richard Clark location.
YOU DONT WANT TO MISS THIS!
REPRODUCTION GNX-STYLE DASH FOR SALE -
Complete pre-mounted GNX dash for sale. All of the cutting, fitting and alignment work is complete, just wire the dash and install the entire unit.
Kit Includes:
Applique with correct color indicators
Metal mounting plate
Plastic gauge bezel
Stock pre-cut cluster harness
Stock dash bezel (pre-cut with plastic gauge bezel attached)
New Stewart Warner speedometer with upper speedometer cable
New Stewart Warner tachometer
New Stewart Warner oil pressure gauge with sending unit
New Stewart Warner water temperature gauge with sending unit
New Stewart Warner fuel gauge
New Stewart Warner vacuum/ boost gauge
Plug-and-play harness
$2,250 plus shipping
This one was hand built by a good friend of ours who owns 3 Grand Nationals and has built several of these.
It comes with stock bezel already pre-cut so you do not have to cut your dash bezel. This kit eliminates any possible issues of trial and error since they have built several of these.
Buyer would have to inform us which dash is currently in the car - either digital or analog.
If interested, email me direct - [email protected] - I can provide photos.
CORES NEEDED -
Here is the information on our credits for cores.
We currently need original good 1986-1987 AC Delco mass air flow sensors. We allow $25 Letter of Credit for each core that can be rebuilt.
URGENT NEED - TURBO CORES must be the 1986-1987 Turbo Regal stock ones. They must be complete. We will issue you a $100 Letter of Credit for each acceptable core.
If you ship to us, the post office is the cheapest method. Pack the item(s) with a note with your name, address and phone number
MAIL - Ship to Address -
ATTN - DENNIS
KIRBAN PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS
PO BOX 1199
PLUMSTEADSVILLE, PA 18949-1199
TECH CALLS -
If you need technical information, it’s best to email - [email protected] rather than call us.
We will do our best to answer any technical questions within 24 hours.
CAR FOR SALE - 1987 Buick Grand National - CFS038
Solid Roof, Garage Kept, Mileage - 75,000, Analog Dash, Tilt and Cruise
1 Re-paint - looks super (no checking), Recent Front Header and Front Bumper painted
Power Seats, Power Antenna (not working), Power Windows
Console-mounted Water Temperature and Oil Pressure Guage
Adjustable Fuel Regulator, Windshield Dual Gauge Boost and Knock Sensor
Power Steering, Power Brakes, AC blows cold
Bilstein Shocks, Hotchkis Lower Trailing Arms
Front Frame Brace, Rear Seat Brace, K&N Air Filter, Larger Rear Sway Bar (Kirban)
3 inch Down Pipe, RJC Airflow Distribution Plate
Trunk ID Label signed by “Molly”
New Starter, New Headliner, New Front Bumper Fillers
Synthetic Oil changed regularly, Factory Alarm
6 CD/FM Alpine Radio - (have the factory cassette/radio as well)
Many extra parts still in original boxes come with car.
Runs super
Bob Hudspith, Hopatcong, New Jersey
973-770-2014
email - [email protected]
PRICE - $17,500 - or Best Offer
Here is a link to the Grand National for sale on our website:
http://www.kirbanperformance.com/product/44297/1987+Grand+National+For+Sale+CFS038.html
FOR SALE -
From time to time, whenever we spot an unusual or an exceptional car or truck for sale, or one we have for sale, we will put a blurb in our weekly Inner Circle. Also, any cars that our customers have for sale will be featured here and you can see their car with photos on our website. In this category, we will run the descriptions for two-to-three weeks and, if there is no interest in that particular vehicle, it will be deleted the following week. Any new vehicles that we add will appear first, so the oldest listing would be at the end of this section.
If any of these vehicles perk your interest, email me personally - [email protected] - for more information and photos.
TIPS AND IDEAS YOU HAVE TRIED -
If you have a tip or a discovery that you found that works on your Turbo Regal, drop us an email giving us the details so we can pass the info on to our readers. Remember, even with my knowledge, I don’t know it all. Simply email me at - [email protected]
NEW PRODUCTS FROM US -
1978-1988 GM G-Body, Including Buick Turbo Regal -
BOLT-IN REAR SHOCK TOWER BRACE & HARDWARE
This 100% jig built, bolt-in brace ties the rear upper shock mounts together to share the load and stiffen the chassis. Strong 1-1/4" tubing is MIG welded to 3/16" thick laser cut brackets for a perfect fit.
This brace is designed to clear all of the popular exhaust systems and works equally well on coil over setups and traditional spring/shock combinations. Overall distance from floor to the bottom of the brace is approximately 5".
All UMI products are built from US steel, then they are powder coated black. Hardware is included to makes this a true, easy bolt-in installation.
Features:
Manufactured from 1-1/4" USA Tubing
CNC laser cut 3/16" mounting brackets
Grade 8 hardware included
Easy bolt-in installation with basic hand tools
Powder-coated black for a durable long-lasting finish
Made in the USA by UMI
Our top photo shows the brace and the hardware. The lower photos show this rear shock tower brace installed on a car with coil over springs. NOTE - The brace in the photos is red, but we only offer it in black.
NOTE - You may also be interested in these related parts - #1586 Powder-coated Black Rear Seat Frame Brace Kit® and #7169 Reproduction GNX Rear Seat Brace Kit (5) Set.
Another excellent way to stiffen the suspension on your car.
7715 - 1978-1988 GM G-Body, Including Buick Turbo Regal -
Bolt-In Rear Shock Tower Brace and Hardware - $130
Here is a link to this Shock Tower Brace on our website:
http://www.kirbanperformance.com/product/44295/BOLT-IN+REAR+SHOCK+TOWER+BRACE+%26+HARDWARE+%237715.html
1984-1989 ALL GM Car Models, Including Buick Turbo Regal -
GM LICENSED DOOR JAMB VIN DATA DECALS
Every 1978-1987 G-body car had 2 tamper-proof door jamb VIN data decals. It’s impossible to remove the originals decals without destroying them. These decals are required by Federal Law to be printed on tamper-proof paper. These important decals show the car’s date of manufacture and the 17-digit VIN number. In many cases, your original decals may no longer be readable, may be missing, or may have paint overspray on them. We will have a display board at our Spring Open House showing all the GM car door jamb VIN data decals from 1969 through 1989.
You can email me direct [email protected] as we also can supply the correct reproductions for every GM car model from 1969 through 1989.
NOTE - Here is the link to view this on our website. Our website gives you all the information that we need to know in order to get you correct reproduction door jamb VIN data decals.
http://www.kirbanperformance.com/inner_circle.php?nak=394
ALWAYS LOOKING FOR IDEAS -
If you have any product ideas that would fit our Turbo Buick market that you would like to see available, email me direct - [email protected]
ALWAYS IN A BUYING POSITION FOR TURBO REGAL PARTS -
Got any Turbo Buick parts you are not using? Why not cash them in for parts you need with a Letter of Credit. Simply email me a list - [email protected]. Also, we are still buying dead or partially dead 1984-1987 Turbo Regals under $4,000 that are within 250 to 350 miles of our location.
NOTE - ABOUT LINKS IN THE INNER CIRCLE -
We have heard from a couple people that have had problems with the links in our Inner Circle.
When we check the links, they work fine. However, if you are not able to be directed to the exact website page or internet site, you can "copy" and "paste" the link into the URL in your browser (such as Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, etc.) If it doesn't link in one browser, it may work in another.
Most people having problems are using Internet Explorer… If you are having issues with links, try another browser to see if it works.
You may need to "UPDATE" your browser to be use you are using the current version.
NOTE ABOUT PHOTOS ON THE WEBSITE -
We have heard from a couple people that have viewed the photos on the website. Because these have to be low-resolution photos to work on the Inner Circle segments on the website, any photos of text don't appear clear when enlarged. This is a problem when you are trying to see numbers, such as those on the VIN labels or pages from Options booklet. Also, because of photo reproduction and computer screen variations, the colors may not be true to the actual product or photo.
If you would like to have us email you any photo at the higher resolution for viewing, just email us and we will email them to you. Be sure to be specific on which pictures you want to see - Reference Inner Circle date and photo number 1, 2, 3 or 4 - [email protected]
2016 CALENDAR OF EVENTS -
KIRBAN PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS SPRING OPEN HOUSE -
Saturday, April 30rd, 2016 - 9 am - 2 pm -
NOTE - The date was changed to APRIL 30th
Once again free Yum Yum donuts and coffee will be available in the morning. Terry Shaw will be conducting a seminar on the importance of having your car appraised.
We will have several unique limited production items available for sale at this event. Also samples of our new project. Although not strictly car related, we can do car photos as well. This is a very unique format done on a special machine. In my immediate area I only know of two companies that have this machine.
We will be awarding 3 different trophies at our Spring Open House, courtesy of Russ and Nancy. One will be for Longest Distance driven in a Turbo Regal to our event. Another trophy will be awarded for the car needing the most TLC, meaning the one Turbo Regal needing the most tender loving care. Last, but not least, Kirban’s Choice Award, which will be one that I pick that I like or represents a car that I would buy.
Russ and Nancy have agreed to do the cooking. The luncheon is strictly by donation with all proceeds going to PBS, which Russ and Nancy support.
This is the only Open House we are doing this year, so you don’t want to miss it.
Most of our website products will be specially priced. We will have an array of used parts for sale, our M&M contest, and our no reserve auction. The feature item this year is a set of used original GNX wheels being offered at no reserve. They do have a starting bid price. This event has no rain date.
Ideally you could attend our Spring Open House on the 30th and then take a drive down and attend the Turbo Buick/Richard Clark event, which starts the following Wednesday.
These are 2 great Turbo events back to back.
2016 TurboBuick.com NC Buick Nationals
TURBO BUICK/RICHARD CLARK EVENT - May 4th - May 7th, 2016 - Burlington, NC
This event is held at Richard Clark’s shop, located at 2557 Faucette Lane, Burlington, NC. If you have never been to his shop before, it would be a great event to attend.
Once again, I am the MC for the FREE luncheon on Thursday. We will be at this event as a vendor. Bring any cores you want to cash in for a Letter of Credit.
The event moves to the nearby racetrack for Friday and Saturday.
For more information, go to turbobuick.com and look for this under “Events for 2016.”
I know that Mike Barnard (owner of Spoolfool), Nick Micale from Arizona, G-Body, Pete Hoffman, and our company will be in attendance.
LUNCHEON INFO!!! / LUNCHEON INFO!!! / LUNCHEON INFO!!!
NOTE - If you are planning to attend the FREE lunch, here is information on how to make your reservation:
Kirban Performance Products is handling the FREE LUNCHEON reservations at the 2016 TurboBuick.com NC Nationals at Richard Clark's Garage
To make reservations for the Thursday, May 5th Luncheon, YOU MUST SEND AN E-MAIL TO THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:
[email protected]
Include the following information:
1. Full Name of you AND all your attendees
2. Number of people in your party
3. City
4. State
5. email address
Eileen Kirban will add your reservation to our list and will send a confirmation email. Pick up your luncheon tickets at the door.
She will also send updates as the event gets closer.
TECH SEMINAR seminar on Friday night, May 6th, from 8 pm - midnight - 1214 Turrentine Street, Burlington, NC 27215. It will include guest speakers, such as Richard Clark, John Spina, Bob Bailey, Nick Micale and a HOST of others!
EVERYONE is welcome and this event is FREE OF CHARGE, thanks to our great and newest sponsor ZPLUS! You are going to have LOTS of questions answered as all the big names in the Buick world will be guest speaking at this event. YOU DONT WANT TO MISS THIS!!!!!
RIDE ON MOLLY 6 - Saturday, May 21st, 2016 - California
For more information, contact Alan DeCarr - [email protected]
This event is now in its 6th year since Molly’s passing.
PYPES EXHAUST & MAX PERFORMANCE OPEN HOUSE CAR SHOW - June 18th, 2016 -
Held at their Headquarters, 2705 Clemens Road, Hatfield, PA 19440
This event has no rain date. Open to all American Muscle cars and trucks.
For more details, contact - [email protected]
This is a huge event that I usually attend, however, this year I can’t since it’s the same weekend as GM at Carlisle and I’m speaking both days at GM Carlisle.
GM CARLISLE - June 17th-19th, 2016
I am a guest speaker at this event both Friday and Saturday. I’ll be talking on Hurst, Hurst/Olds, and also about the door jamb VIN data decals. Seminars are always free at Carlisle.
Now that our granddaughter has a 2012 Camaro SS, she is planning on attending and showing her car. Carlisle is one of the largest swap meet facilities in the country. If you are planning on attending, bring any cores you want to cash in for a Letter of Credit. I will be able to take them. This will be the second year I been a guest speaker at Carlisle and it’s quite an honor. Over the years I have spoken at several National Pontiac and GTO conventions.
Check their website to see dates of all their upcoming 2016 events - carlisleevents.com
BCA NATIONALS - July 27th-30th, 2016
The BCA Nationals, which stands for Buick Club of America, is actually coming to Allentown, PA July 27th thru the 30th. Allentown is about 25 minutes from where we live. The big car show day is Saturday, July 30th. They expect over 1,000 Buicks of all kinds.
Sometimes we forget that our niche market has a parent national club. For more exact details and location, go to their website - www.buickclub.org/2016anniversary
GS NATIONALS - September 14th-17th, 2016 -
Beach Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, Kentucky
See the GSXtra for more details, or their website - gsnationals.com
EAST COAST BUICK REGIONALS - September 16th-17th, 2016 at Cecil County Dragway in Rising Sun, Maryland
Event includes a judged car show on Saturday open to all Buick makes and anything Buick powered. Free Vending. Saturday race classes must be Buick powered.
For more information, contact - [email protected] or [email protected]
This is not a misprint both the GS Nationals and East Coast Buick Regionals fall on the same weekend.
ABOUT OUR EMAILS -
Any inquiries concerning used parts, you must email me direct - [email protected] - I will answer you. However, if I fail to answer you within 24 hours, please email us again. Since expanding into used parts, I get a lot of emails and sometimes I may forget your request or may not remember who requested the item.
IN CLOSING -
It’s now just a few weeks until our annual Spring Open House event. Hoping we’ll have some nice warm dry Spring weather for our Open House.
MEMORIES FROM OUR PAST REUNION EVENTS -
I was sorting through some of my photos from years ago and found the below two photos from one of our Reunion events from the early 1990s.
PHOTO 1 - Here are 2 photos I found in my batch of photos. The photo to the left was taken at the Johnsville Air Base either in 1990 or 1991. It shows our 1964 GTO and our 1987 Grand National along side of a military jet that was on display. The photo to the right shows the famous “TWEAKED” Turbo Regal racecar. The Conleys came all the way from Humble, Texas for one of our early 1990 Reunion events. This photo was taken at our old house in Furlong, Pennsylvania. Our driveway was big enough so you could park 25-30 cars. Looking back it seems so long ago now.
DOES BUICK MAKE MISTAKES -
If you ever needed to see proof that Buick makes mistakes, the next photo shows you that - YES, they do. I remember buying a brand new factory GM Turbo Regal hood pad several years ago. I pulled it out to inspect it prior to selling it. I discovered that someone who worked for one of the suppliers had a sense of humor or a Monday morning hangover. The word “TURBOCHARGED” was printed upside-down. I probably should have sold this hood pad for more money, since in the scheme of things it is quite rare!
This reminds me of the 24-cent postage stamp of the airplane printed in 1918 that was inverted. The story is that a total of 700 were printed. However, only 100 were sold before USPS inspectors noticed the error. A gentleman named Robert Siegal bought the entire sheet of 100 from a post office in Washington, DC. At the time he paid just $24 for the entire sheet of 100. That single sheet was later resold and separated into individual stamps and blocks. In the year 2007 one of these single stamps sold for $977,500. Another one sold for $825,000. These are two examples of an excellent return on a $24 investment! By comparison, an original corrected version today is worth less than $100.
PHOTO 2 - The first photo shows the actual Buick Turbo Regal hood pad I had where the word “TURBOCHARGED” was inverted. The second photo is a poster from the Post Office from 2013 when they duplicated that famous 1918 inverted airplane mistake by producing a series of the inverted stamps.
ORIGINAL PAPERWORK -
Having original paperwork dating back to the time of purchase for your car has become very popular among serious collectors. This practice is not limited to just Turbo Regal owners.
When I was buying these cars I always made it a point to be sure to get every piece of literature related to the car so I could pass it on to the new owner. I never really carried a checklist, but I had a pretty good system for things to look for before I would turn over the check for the car and be on my way.
I like to think I was pretty thorough with my system. I do remember buying one car where the VIN number on the title had 2 of the digits reversed. Fortunately, in Pennsylvania if it’s just 2 digits that are switched, you can have a state trooper sign a document about the error and have it corrected. That was the law in Pennsylvania back in the early 1990s. If the correction could not have been done, I would not have bought the car until the seller had it corrected in his state.
Every state has their own set of laws regarding car titles and what is required to register the car in your state.
PHOTO 3 - We show 2 groups of original paperwork that I got with 2 different Turbo Regals back in the 1990s when I was buying and selling them. In the photo on the right, at the bottom right you can see the brown envelope that the hand crank for the astroroof came in. The hand crank was a back up in case the electric switch failed. Next to it in the center is the actual paper temporary license plate that came on the car when it was new. This temp plate was probably good for 30 to 45 days. The photo on the right shows the red cards, which are the various Recall Notices from Buick. The wrapper to the far right appears to be the wrapper that would have been on the leather steering wheel at time of delivery. Items like this usually would have been thrown away.
PHOTO 4 - The photo on the left shows a brown envelope with the part number 25517418 on it. This is the envelope that contained the front license plate bracket that attached to the bottom lip of the front bumper. If you failed to use this bracket, any license plate you installed would kink in the middle. This envelope was usually tucked into the spare tire wheel well area. The photo on the right shows a nice collection of original paperwork including 4 photos, possibly of the car sitting on the dealer lot before it was detailed for sale. The stock number is clearly visible in green numbers 1014. Again, most of these items were seldom saved.
I can remember taking a heat gun and removing the fender emblems and removing the oil sticker from the sun visor on our 1987 Grand National. I came from that generation that removed all the emblems, hood ornaments, trunk locks, etc. and filled in the holes left behind!
I remember the trunk lid was opened by a rope from under the rear seat on the 1956 Crown Victoria Ford I had. Every emblem, trunk lock, etc. was removed from the trunk lid and filled in. Back then the 1956 Ford Crown Vic was a $500 car. Today it would probably fetch 8 to 10 times that much. The model was only made for 2 years - 1955 and 1956. Personally, I think the 1956 looked better. This is the car I ended up putting a rebuilt engine into on my high school property. I could look out some of my classroom windows and see my car under a tree by the one entrance. Not something you could get away with today on school property. It took me 2 or 3 weeks to get the engine back in the car.
NEW PRODUCT IN THE WORKS -
The company that is making our display boxes for the lighted LED display signs has figured out how to make this new unique part that will fit every 1984-1987 G-body car not just Turbo Regals. The part will be made in stainless, unlike the GM part, which is not made in stainless and is prone to rust.
This clever new product should be available for our Spring Open House. We expect a very high demand for it and we will be making it available to the other vendors that we sell to. It’s a modification that makes it far more useful than the original GM part.
ALUMINUM BRAKE DRUMS -
I email Cardone every few days waiting on word as to a price structure on their new reproduction aluminum brake drums. I also hope to have some on hand for our Open House. Hopefully this week I will find out more information.
VACUUM BRAKE SYSTEMS VERSUS POWERMASTER SYSTEMS -
I can’t say for sure if it’s a trend, but in the past several weeks we have sold several times more vacuum brake setups than we have sold powermaster systems. The demand this past week alone has been at an all time high for vacuum setups.
I have had to contact several junkyards to see if they have any brake pedals that we can buy. At this point we are even buying turbo brake pedals.
If you are coming to our Spring Open House, we need brake pedals - either version - we are a buyer for them.
We welcome almost any Turbo Regal part, if it’s new or like-new condition in trade.
OUR NEW BUSINESS VENTURE -
We will have several of the new acrylic signs on display at our Open House and at the TurboBuick/Richard Clark event in North Carolina.
It makes for a very unusual gift as we can direct print a photo of your car on the acrylic and have it framed and lighted by LED lights for display. Already we are getting various signs made for companies in our area. This is also an ideal method for having your car displayed in a lighted display box for your garage or man cave room. The ideas are endless.
WEIRD WEATHER -
Like most of the country, we are having some pretty wild weather. Saturday I went to get gas cans filled for the lawn mower and it was snowing! 2 weeks ago it was 75 and 80 degrees.
GREAT SONG TO LISTEN TO WHEN CRUISING -
I heard a great song the other day while cruising down the road. The female artist is Maren Morris and the song title is “My Church.” You can hear it on You Tube. It has almost 5 million hits. It’s the perfect car song as it talks about driving down the road listening to the radio.
BCA NATIONALS -
The BCA Nationals, which stands for Buick Club of America, is actually coming to Allentown, PA July 27th thru the 30th. Allentown is about 25 minutes from where we live. The big car show day is Saturday, July 30th. They expect over 1,000 Buicks of all kinds.
Sometimes we forget that our niche market has a parent national club. For more exact details and location, go to their website - www.buickclub.org/2016anniversary
PREPARING FOR OUR SPRING OPEN HOUSE -
If you are planning on attending our Spring Open House and want to buy the Spoolfool one-piece rear filler, be sure to place your order soon so we have one set aside for you.
The same goes for the Pypes dual exhaust system. In either case, we will not charge you until the day of our show.
Call and speak to Christina to place your order - 215-766-1611 x 0.
Remember, we are always in the market for good used Turbo Regal parts that you can “cash in” as trade value towards items you want and need. Bring any cores, especially turbo cores, which we need.
HERE IS MORE BREAKING NEWS - SPRING OPEN HOUSE -
The crown jewel of our no reserve auction will be a complete original used set of GNX wheels. The starting minimum bid will be under $2,700. Again, this is a no reserve auction as long as the starting bid has been met. Wheels are original with no curb rash. The set comes with a new set of the correct 2-piece lug nuts, valve stems, and decals for the center caps. Everything you need. Also included is a copy from the page in the GNX book stating the offsets for the front and rears match the stamped offsets on these real GNX wheels. This verifies they are correct. You could have the winning bid and own them!
I have seen photos of the trophies that Russ and Nancy have donated for our event. The trophies are impressive!
We are having the company that makes the sign display frames for us work on a new Buick project. If all goes well, we should have samples on display at our Open House. It’s an item nobody has reproduced and fits every G-body car made. I thought of it the other day when I was in a junkyard.
We will have some really neat items on display and some custom-made things for sale at our Open House. Remember, this event has no rain date. Yum Yum donuts go quickly. We will have our usual M&M contest.
Please, if you are coming bring us any CORES you may have. We badly need good clean steering wheel cores (1986-1987), correct 1986-1987 mass air flow sensors, and stock 1986-1987 Turbo cores.
We really need these 3 items in order to keep the flow of rebuilt parts available to others. I also buy or trade for most any good Turbo Regal items that you may not need or want. Bringing them to our Open House is an excellent time to cash them in and avoid shipping costs.
Mike Bernard, who makes the Spoolfool fillers, is donating a one-piece rear filler for our raffle. This is another reason to plan to attend. We like to thank Mike for his generosity and support of many of the Buick events.
Also, I been going through my original photos and Turbo Buick literature and we will have a lot of original Grand National literature available for sale. Also, there will be some neat GNX items we had made up for sale. This is one Open House you do not want to miss.
This is the first time our event and the Turbo Buick/Richard Clark event have been back to back. Two Spring Time Buick events you do not want to miss.
BREAKING NEWS JUST ANNOUNCED -
2016 TurboBuick.com / Richard Clark Event - North Carolina - May 4 - May 7
Thanks to ZPLUS, you ALL are going to enjoy a tech seminar on Friday night, May 6th, from 8 pm - midnight. It will include guest speakers, such as Richard Clark, John Spina, Bob Bailey, Nick Micale, Dennis Kirban, and a HOST of others!
EVERYONE is welcome and this event is FREE OF CHARGE, thanks to our great and newest sponsor ZPLUS! You are going to have LOTS of questions answered as all the big names in the Buick world will be guest speaking at this event.
The location of the Friday night seminar is 1214 Turrentine Street, Burlington, NC 27215. It is the same 10,000 sq ft location used for previous seminars. The location is only 15 minutes from all the hotels and Richard Clark location.
YOU DONT WANT TO MISS THIS!
REPRODUCTION GNX-STYLE DASH FOR SALE -
Complete pre-mounted GNX dash for sale. All of the cutting, fitting and alignment work is complete, just wire the dash and install the entire unit.
Kit Includes:
Applique with correct color indicators
Metal mounting plate
Plastic gauge bezel
Stock pre-cut cluster harness
Stock dash bezel (pre-cut with plastic gauge bezel attached)
New Stewart Warner speedometer with upper speedometer cable
New Stewart Warner tachometer
New Stewart Warner oil pressure gauge with sending unit
New Stewart Warner water temperature gauge with sending unit
New Stewart Warner fuel gauge
New Stewart Warner vacuum/ boost gauge
Plug-and-play harness
$2,250 plus shipping
This one was hand built by a good friend of ours who owns 3 Grand Nationals and has built several of these.
It comes with stock bezel already pre-cut so you do not have to cut your dash bezel. This kit eliminates any possible issues of trial and error since they have built several of these.
Buyer would have to inform us which dash is currently in the car - either digital or analog.
If interested, email me direct - [email protected] - I can provide photos.
CORES NEEDED -
Here is the information on our credits for cores.
We currently need original good 1986-1987 AC Delco mass air flow sensors. We allow $25 Letter of Credit for each core that can be rebuilt.
URGENT NEED - TURBO CORES must be the 1986-1987 Turbo Regal stock ones. They must be complete. We will issue you a $100 Letter of Credit for each acceptable core.
If you ship to us, the post office is the cheapest method. Pack the item(s) with a note with your name, address and phone number
MAIL - Ship to Address -
ATTN - DENNIS
KIRBAN PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS
PO BOX 1199
PLUMSTEADSVILLE, PA 18949-1199
TECH CALLS -
If you need technical information, it’s best to email - [email protected] rather than call us.
We will do our best to answer any technical questions within 24 hours.
CAR FOR SALE - 1987 Buick Grand National - CFS038
Solid Roof, Garage Kept, Mileage - 75,000, Analog Dash, Tilt and Cruise
1 Re-paint - looks super (no checking), Recent Front Header and Front Bumper painted
Power Seats, Power Antenna (not working), Power Windows
Console-mounted Water Temperature and Oil Pressure Guage
Adjustable Fuel Regulator, Windshield Dual Gauge Boost and Knock Sensor
Power Steering, Power Brakes, AC blows cold
Bilstein Shocks, Hotchkis Lower Trailing Arms
Front Frame Brace, Rear Seat Brace, K&N Air Filter, Larger Rear Sway Bar (Kirban)
3 inch Down Pipe, RJC Airflow Distribution Plate
Trunk ID Label signed by “Molly”
New Starter, New Headliner, New Front Bumper Fillers
Synthetic Oil changed regularly, Factory Alarm
6 CD/FM Alpine Radio - (have the factory cassette/radio as well)
Many extra parts still in original boxes come with car.
Runs super
Bob Hudspith, Hopatcong, New Jersey
973-770-2014
email - [email protected]
PRICE - $17,500 - or Best Offer
Here is a link to the Grand National for sale on our website:
http://www.kirbanperformance.com/product/44297/1987+Grand+National+For+Sale+CFS038.html
FOR SALE -
From time to time, whenever we spot an unusual or an exceptional car or truck for sale, or one we have for sale, we will put a blurb in our weekly Inner Circle. Also, any cars that our customers have for sale will be featured here and you can see their car with photos on our website. In this category, we will run the descriptions for two-to-three weeks and, if there is no interest in that particular vehicle, it will be deleted the following week. Any new vehicles that we add will appear first, so the oldest listing would be at the end of this section.
If any of these vehicles perk your interest, email me personally - [email protected] - for more information and photos.
TIPS AND IDEAS YOU HAVE TRIED -
If you have a tip or a discovery that you found that works on your Turbo Regal, drop us an email giving us the details so we can pass the info on to our readers. Remember, even with my knowledge, I don’t know it all. Simply email me at - [email protected]
NEW PRODUCTS FROM US -
1978-1988 GM G-Body, Including Buick Turbo Regal -
BOLT-IN REAR SHOCK TOWER BRACE & HARDWARE
This 100% jig built, bolt-in brace ties the rear upper shock mounts together to share the load and stiffen the chassis. Strong 1-1/4" tubing is MIG welded to 3/16" thick laser cut brackets for a perfect fit.
This brace is designed to clear all of the popular exhaust systems and works equally well on coil over setups and traditional spring/shock combinations. Overall distance from floor to the bottom of the brace is approximately 5".
All UMI products are built from US steel, then they are powder coated black. Hardware is included to makes this a true, easy bolt-in installation.
Features:
Manufactured from 1-1/4" USA Tubing
CNC laser cut 3/16" mounting brackets
Grade 8 hardware included
Easy bolt-in installation with basic hand tools
Powder-coated black for a durable long-lasting finish
Made in the USA by UMI
Our top photo shows the brace and the hardware. The lower photos show this rear shock tower brace installed on a car with coil over springs. NOTE - The brace in the photos is red, but we only offer it in black.
NOTE - You may also be interested in these related parts - #1586 Powder-coated Black Rear Seat Frame Brace Kit® and #7169 Reproduction GNX Rear Seat Brace Kit (5) Set.
Another excellent way to stiffen the suspension on your car.
7715 - 1978-1988 GM G-Body, Including Buick Turbo Regal -
Bolt-In Rear Shock Tower Brace and Hardware - $130
Here is a link to this Shock Tower Brace on our website:
http://www.kirbanperformance.com/product/44295/BOLT-IN+REAR+SHOCK+TOWER+BRACE+%26+HARDWARE+%237715.html
1984-1989 ALL GM Car Models, Including Buick Turbo Regal -
GM LICENSED DOOR JAMB VIN DATA DECALS
Every 1978-1987 G-body car had 2 tamper-proof door jamb VIN data decals. It’s impossible to remove the originals decals without destroying them. These decals are required by Federal Law to be printed on tamper-proof paper. These important decals show the car’s date of manufacture and the 17-digit VIN number. In many cases, your original decals may no longer be readable, may be missing, or may have paint overspray on them. We will have a display board at our Spring Open House showing all the GM car door jamb VIN data decals from 1969 through 1989.
You can email me direct [email protected] as we also can supply the correct reproductions for every GM car model from 1969 through 1989.
NOTE - Here is the link to view this on our website. Our website gives you all the information that we need to know in order to get you correct reproduction door jamb VIN data decals.
http://www.kirbanperformance.com/inner_circle.php?nak=394
ALWAYS LOOKING FOR IDEAS -
If you have any product ideas that would fit our Turbo Buick market that you would like to see available, email me direct - [email protected]
ALWAYS IN A BUYING POSITION FOR TURBO REGAL PARTS -
Got any Turbo Buick parts you are not using? Why not cash them in for parts you need with a Letter of Credit. Simply email me a list - [email protected]. Also, we are still buying dead or partially dead 1984-1987 Turbo Regals under $4,000 that are within 250 to 350 miles of our location.
NOTE - ABOUT LINKS IN THE INNER CIRCLE -
We have heard from a couple people that have had problems with the links in our Inner Circle.
When we check the links, they work fine. However, if you are not able to be directed to the exact website page or internet site, you can "copy" and "paste" the link into the URL in your browser (such as Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, etc.) If it doesn't link in one browser, it may work in another.
Most people having problems are using Internet Explorer… If you are having issues with links, try another browser to see if it works.
You may need to "UPDATE" your browser to be use you are using the current version.
NOTE ABOUT PHOTOS ON THE WEBSITE -
We have heard from a couple people that have viewed the photos on the website. Because these have to be low-resolution photos to work on the Inner Circle segments on the website, any photos of text don't appear clear when enlarged. This is a problem when you are trying to see numbers, such as those on the VIN labels or pages from Options booklet. Also, because of photo reproduction and computer screen variations, the colors may not be true to the actual product or photo.
If you would like to have us email you any photo at the higher resolution for viewing, just email us and we will email them to you. Be sure to be specific on which pictures you want to see - Reference Inner Circle date and photo number 1, 2, 3 or 4 - [email protected]
2016 CALENDAR OF EVENTS -
KIRBAN PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS SPRING OPEN HOUSE -
Saturday, April 30rd, 2016 - 9 am - 2 pm -
NOTE - The date was changed to APRIL 30th
Once again free Yum Yum donuts and coffee will be available in the morning. Terry Shaw will be conducting a seminar on the importance of having your car appraised.
We will have several unique limited production items available for sale at this event. Also samples of our new project. Although not strictly car related, we can do car photos as well. This is a very unique format done on a special machine. In my immediate area I only know of two companies that have this machine.
We will be awarding 3 different trophies at our Spring Open House, courtesy of Russ and Nancy. One will be for Longest Distance driven in a Turbo Regal to our event. Another trophy will be awarded for the car needing the most TLC, meaning the one Turbo Regal needing the most tender loving care. Last, but not least, Kirban’s Choice Award, which will be one that I pick that I like or represents a car that I would buy.
Russ and Nancy have agreed to do the cooking. The luncheon is strictly by donation with all proceeds going to PBS, which Russ and Nancy support.
This is the only Open House we are doing this year, so you don’t want to miss it.
Most of our website products will be specially priced. We will have an array of used parts for sale, our M&M contest, and our no reserve auction. The feature item this year is a set of used original GNX wheels being offered at no reserve. They do have a starting bid price. This event has no rain date.
Ideally you could attend our Spring Open House on the 30th and then take a drive down and attend the Turbo Buick/Richard Clark event, which starts the following Wednesday.
These are 2 great Turbo events back to back.
2016 TurboBuick.com NC Buick Nationals
TURBO BUICK/RICHARD CLARK EVENT - May 4th - May 7th, 2016 - Burlington, NC
This event is held at Richard Clark’s shop, located at 2557 Faucette Lane, Burlington, NC. If you have never been to his shop before, it would be a great event to attend.
Once again, I am the MC for the FREE luncheon on Thursday. We will be at this event as a vendor. Bring any cores you want to cash in for a Letter of Credit.
The event moves to the nearby racetrack for Friday and Saturday.
For more information, go to turbobuick.com and look for this under “Events for 2016.”
I know that Mike Barnard (owner of Spoolfool), Nick Micale from Arizona, G-Body, Pete Hoffman, and our company will be in attendance.
LUNCHEON INFO!!! / LUNCHEON INFO!!! / LUNCHEON INFO!!!
NOTE - If you are planning to attend the FREE lunch, here is information on how to make your reservation:
Kirban Performance Products is handling the FREE LUNCHEON reservations at the 2016 TurboBuick.com NC Nationals at Richard Clark's Garage
To make reservations for the Thursday, May 5th Luncheon, YOU MUST SEND AN E-MAIL TO THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:
[email protected]
Include the following information:
1. Full Name of you AND all your attendees
2. Number of people in your party
3. City
4. State
5. email address
Eileen Kirban will add your reservation to our list and will send a confirmation email. Pick up your luncheon tickets at the door.
She will also send updates as the event gets closer.
TECH SEMINAR seminar on Friday night, May 6th, from 8 pm - midnight - 1214 Turrentine Street, Burlington, NC 27215. It will include guest speakers, such as Richard Clark, John Spina, Bob Bailey, Nick Micale and a HOST of others!
EVERYONE is welcome and this event is FREE OF CHARGE, thanks to our great and newest sponsor ZPLUS! You are going to have LOTS of questions answered as all the big names in the Buick world will be guest speaking at this event. YOU DONT WANT TO MISS THIS!!!!!
RIDE ON MOLLY 6 - Saturday, May 21st, 2016 - California
For more information, contact Alan DeCarr - [email protected]
This event is now in its 6th year since Molly’s passing.
PYPES EXHAUST & MAX PERFORMANCE OPEN HOUSE CAR SHOW - June 18th, 2016 -
Held at their Headquarters, 2705 Clemens Road, Hatfield, PA 19440
This event has no rain date. Open to all American Muscle cars and trucks.
For more details, contact - [email protected]
This is a huge event that I usually attend, however, this year I can’t since it’s the same weekend as GM at Carlisle and I’m speaking both days at GM Carlisle.
GM CARLISLE - June 17th-19th, 2016
I am a guest speaker at this event both Friday and Saturday. I’ll be talking on Hurst, Hurst/Olds, and also about the door jamb VIN data decals. Seminars are always free at Carlisle.
Now that our granddaughter has a 2012 Camaro SS, she is planning on attending and showing her car. Carlisle is one of the largest swap meet facilities in the country. If you are planning on attending, bring any cores you want to cash in for a Letter of Credit. I will be able to take them. This will be the second year I been a guest speaker at Carlisle and it’s quite an honor. Over the years I have spoken at several National Pontiac and GTO conventions.
Check their website to see dates of all their upcoming 2016 events - carlisleevents.com
BCA NATIONALS - July 27th-30th, 2016
The BCA Nationals, which stands for Buick Club of America, is actually coming to Allentown, PA July 27th thru the 30th. Allentown is about 25 minutes from where we live. The big car show day is Saturday, July 30th. They expect over 1,000 Buicks of all kinds.
Sometimes we forget that our niche market has a parent national club. For more exact details and location, go to their website - www.buickclub.org/2016anniversary
GS NATIONALS - September 14th-17th, 2016 -
Beach Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, Kentucky
See the GSXtra for more details, or their website - gsnationals.com
EAST COAST BUICK REGIONALS - September 16th-17th, 2016 at Cecil County Dragway in Rising Sun, Maryland
Event includes a judged car show on Saturday open to all Buick makes and anything Buick powered. Free Vending. Saturday race classes must be Buick powered.
For more information, contact - [email protected] or [email protected]
This is not a misprint both the GS Nationals and East Coast Buick Regionals fall on the same weekend.
ABOUT OUR EMAILS -
Any inquiries concerning used parts, you must email me direct - [email protected] - I will answer you. However, if I fail to answer you within 24 hours, please email us again. Since expanding into used parts, I get a lot of emails and sometimes I may forget your request or may not remember who requested the item.
IN CLOSING -
It’s now just a few weeks until our annual Spring Open House event. Hoping we’ll have some nice warm dry Spring weather for our Open House.