Greetings Turbo Regal Inner Circle Members 01-12-2022 - NEXT CONTEST - GUESSING CORRECT HAMMERED PRICE ON LAST GN BUILT - As many of you know we announced a few weeks ago that we would hold a contest involving what the hammered price would be on what notably will be the highest price paid for an original 1987 Grand National. In Photo 1 below we show the group of prizes the winner will receive. There is little doubt this Grand National will set the high bar for a price paid for a Grand National. I tip my hat to Bob Colvin for seeing the potential way in advance back in 1987 and how he was able to pull this transaction off. Must have caught Buick off guard as Buick also let GNX 547 slip through their fingers. If you think about it on the surface it would appear that someone at Buick might have dropped the ball to having allowed not only the last GNX slipping out to a Buick dealership and ended up getting sold to a private party and then around the same time make the same mistake where the last Grand National being produced ended up being sold to a Buick dealer. I believe Buick does own GNX 500. Someone must own GNX number 200 which was the original game plan to make 200 then the number increased to 500. Again just a few random thoughts about how these two historic cars have ended up. On the other hand, too bad there's no way to document the very first VIN for the model year 1987 Turbo Regal. Someone today could possibly own the very first 1987 Turbo Regal or Grand National. It might even have the 1986 black pull straps on the inside door panels if someone on the assembly line was not paying attention. Here are the rules: The contest is open to any customer of ours except those that are connected to the Turbo Regal business. You get one guess and one guess only. That guess must be emailed to me [email protected] Your single one guess must be submitted before midnite Thursday January 20th 12 midnite eastern time. The winner will be announced in the following Wednesday weekly Inner Circle after the actual auction. In case of a tie which is possible, the earliest email will be declared the winner. Here is a thought along similar lines Dodge has I believed announced the Hellcat model Challenger will be ceasing production at some point. Try and make Dodge a deal to purchase it and if you are young enough it would make a worthy investment in years to come. That car has all the necessary ingredients, it is popular, packs plenty of performance, and has always been a car that collectors want. PHOTO 1 - We have pictured what the winner will receive for having the closest guess under what the hammered price was on the last Grand National sold for at Barrett Jackson Auction January 22nd 2022. An autographed book Kirbans Guide to Buying a 1986-1987 Buick Turbo Regal, Kirban Guide to Buick Turbo Regals DVD with Bad To The Bone Decal, our new Bad To The Bone Beanie hat and a turbo inlet bell with a pack of M&Ms. M&Ms is awarded at every contest we conduct in memory of my Mom. THE CLEVER WAY SOME COMPANIES ARE PACKAGING THEIR FOOD PRODUCTS - We all see the clever ways various companies have changed or modified their packaging and or product size. Either the actual contents shrink slightly or the number in the package is less and or the price increases. I bought this bag of Mini Crispy Wafers the other day. Their idea of using the word “Mini” is a real stretch. I am not sure what the proper term is for something smaller than mini! My thumb is longer and wider than each of the 10 small wafers they had in this oversized bag. The picture on the front of the bag of the actual wafer is more than double the size of the “mini” individually wrapped wafer in the bag. The bag is over twice as big as it needs to be to accommodate the 10 small individually wrapped wafers in the bag. Granted every company is faced with the issue of either raising the prices to offset the additional costs or shrinking their product. It is so rampant today. PHOTO 2 - We show the open bag alongside one of the 10 mini wafers. If I had to guess you could probably fit 30 of these mini wafers in this bag they use. MORE PARTS THAT WE GOT IN THIS LAST TRAILER LOAD - We hope to send Greg back again at the end of this week for another load to bring back. Again everything pictured is listed under the Rare Parts section for sale. PHOTO 3 - The top left shows a NOS spare tire washer, radiator overflow cap, horn center contact plate, NOS marker lite, EGR cap, and pair of aftermarket covers for the side of the seat trim. . The top rite shows a fan, 1986-1987 stock oil fill tube & cap and Caspers Electronics ECM connector repair kit. The bottom left shows two Richard Clark Turbo license plates. The bottom rite we show a Grand National and a Buick Tri-Shield license plate. PHOTO 4 - The top left shows our original VDO Boost gauge and water gauge with the twin console holder. The top rite photo shows a 1986-1987 used plenum and throttle body. The bottom left photo shows 3 different brand new metal license plate frames. We Brake For Corvettes, We Brake for Mustangs, and Bad To The Bone. The bottom rite photo shows a Caspers Hi-Lo Switch, NOS GM hose and used EGR valve. DON GARLITS TURNS 90 YEARS YOUNG THIS FRIDAY - A good friend of mine, Jason out of Canada, reminded me of this milestone birthday for legend Don Garlits. I know Don personally as years ago I did him a favor that he has not forgotten. I called him the other day and wished him a happy birthday. I have his private cell number. I said I would publish his email address so my customers could wish him a Happy Birthday. Don still continues to set records switching to electric power. Amazing at his age to still be that sharp and active. Most of us, if we are even lucky to reach that milestone, are able to function! Years ago I bought a bunch of parts from an employee at Hurst when they were sold to Mr Gasket. Among the parts was a batch of pictures showing Don working on one of his dragsters at the Hurst plant. I figured he must have broken down at either Atco or Englishtown and Hurst gladly opened their facility so he could make the repairs. Hard to imagine how many ¼ mile passes Don has made over his loooong career. Here is Dons email to wish him a Happy Birthday this friday [email protected] Granted he may not be a Buick collector but I am fairly confident any of my readers would gladly make room in their garage or bedroom for a real 426 Hemi car. I know I would. I had a 1967 GTX Hemi car many years ago. Paid five grand for it. Sold it for I think $9500. Car had less than 30,000 actual miles. I thought that was a great deal. Just one of many mistakes I made over the years like so many of us have done with cars that have passed through our hands. BRING A TRAILER SETS A RECORD PRICE - The largest selling price was made the other week. A 2005 Porsche Carrera GT smashed the record for the highest price sold. A cool price of just over $1.9 million dollars. Beats the highest previous price by over 400 grand. Think it should be called “Bring Your Wallet” instead of “Bring A Trailer”. WIDE VARIETY OF USED TRIM, BODY, BUMPERS, MOLDINGS - PICK UP ONLY We recently acquired several plastic bins packed with used 1984-1987 Turbo Regal interior plastic trim parts. Almost every imaginable plastic interior part including ECM covers, T-Top moldings, seat trim, a-pillar moldings in various colors, including door panel armrests, and pull straps. I also have a wide variety of used black outside trim molding around the windshield and back glass and some used exterior Limited stainless moldings etc. We also have some exterior parts, core support, Turbo Regal hood, powder coated transmission mount, driveshaft, complete tilt steering column, 4 of the 1984-1985 Grand National wheels to name some of the bigger items we have. We will not ship. You must come to our location to buy them. We may ship the wheels. SYCLONE WITH 9,500 MILES FOR SALE - This vehicle is still available from my long time personal friend who lives near Nashville, TN. I sold a few of his Turbo Regals recently. He is seeking $39 grand. Email me and I can provide you with his personal email. BREAKING NEWS 1987 GRAND NATIONAL HARDTOP FOR SALE - The car is located near Chicago. It is a hardtop with a mere 26,000 miles on it. Two owners. Car was taken down to bare metal and repainted 8 years ago. Car was always kept in the garage. Paint does have some flaws. Paint is cracking on the header panel. Overall nice exterior with all new weathersripping and seals. Concert sound II car with factory radio. No cracks in the dash or console. No tears or fading in the seats. Under the hood is a built factory block with stock crank, rods, forged pistons and a comp camshaft. Everything is well documented. Engine was built by Gary Oswald of Street Performance, a well known performance shop from years ago. Car has only gone about 1,000 miles since the work was done. Maintains factory heat and AC. The entire car is rust free. Rides on reproduction GNX style wheels with new tires. Perfect turn key, enjoyable show and street car. Asking price is $38,500. Clean title and carfax. Partial trades considered. Email me [email protected] and I can provide more info and photos. IN STOCK NO WAITING - We have one redone leather grey steering wheel in stock. Best to call our office to make sure it's available. SHOW CAR EVENTS FOR 2022 - The dates have recently been announced for the 41st annual GS Nationals. The dates are May 11th thru the 14th 2022. Beech Bend Raceway, in Bowling Green, KY. Facebook BuickGS Nationals. Instagram BuickGSNationals TIPS AND IDEAS YOU HAVE TRIED - If you have an idea or tip or a product idea, send it to my email [email protected] IMPORTANT - INFORMATION ABOUT OUR SHIPPING ADDRESS – If you are returning any cores for a Letter of Credit or cores that we charged you for, it is important that you send them to the address below. Please make sure you put a note in the box with your information. KIRBAN PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS 529 HAYCOCK RUN ROAD KINTNERSVILLE, PA 18930 For all other returns such as a part you purchased that is incorrect or defective you must call Christina and get a RA number. She will determine if it goes to our main warehouse in Kintnersville, PA or our distribution center. CORES NEEDED - URGENT REQUEST – Here is the information on our credits for cores. STEERING WHEEL CORES. Currently we need good 1986-1987 Turbo Regal steering cores. They must be straight and not have rusted spokes. We will issue a Letter of Credit of $100 for each acceptable core. You must email me [email protected] a photo first to make sure the steering wheel is acceptable. POWERMASTER BRAKE UNITS. Currently, we are accepting powermaster brake units. We give a $150 Letter of Credit for each acceptable core. Or, we will pay $125 cash for each powermaster core. To avoid having your core not accepted, you MUST first email me a photo of the core you plan to send in - [email protected] - We will NOT accept any cores that have severe rust issues or have been disassembled. Core must have the brake switch and brake bowl reservoir. Too many of the cores we have been getting are in such terrible shape they are worthless to us. TURBO CORES must be the 1986-1987 Turbo Regal stock turbo. They must be complete. We will issue you a $175 Letter of Credit for each acceptable core. We need cores now. Or we will pay $150 cash for each complete stock turbo core. BRAKE PEDALS we issue a letter of credit for $50 for each powermaster brake pedal or we will pay $40 cash for each pedal. MASS AIR FLOW SENSORS must be the 1986-1987 Turbo Regal sensors. They can not be cracked or broken. Each acceptable unit is worth a letter of credit of $40 each. We need cores now! 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. UPS or MAIL - Ship to Address – KIRBAN PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS 529 HAYCOCK RUN ROAD KINTNERSVILLE, PA 18930 CLASSIFIED ADS - We accept Classified Ads in our weekly Inner Circle emails. Over the years several customers have asked about placing an ad in our weekly Inner Circle. Here are the options and the costs. Ads can be from any individual or company. It needs to be automotive related, meaning it does not need to be specifically Turbo Regal related. It can be for something for sale or something wanted. Maximum number of words is 125 words, which is about 7 to 9 lines of copy. No photos. You can list a website. We recommend you state your name, phone number or email, a price, and your location in your ad. The cost for an ad for 2 consecutive weeks is $25. The cost for 4 consecutive weeks is $40. You save $10 with the 4-week plan. No changes can be made to your existing running ad. You can only run one ad at any given time. We will have a code system at the end of your ad, so we will know what week number your ad is to run 2 or 4 weeks. It can be an ad for something for sale or an ad for something you are looking for. We have never missed a single week since we started the Inner Circle email format in 2009. It’s something I enjoy doing and I just always seem to have enough material to write about. Our weekly Inner Circle now reaches over 3,500 members every Wednesday direct to their inbox. The Inner Circle also appears every Wednesday on our website with the related photos. Your ad would be visible to both groups of readers. So, the exposure to your ad is well over 3,500 potential buyers. Ads submitted by the previous Sunday would appear the following Wednesday in the weekly Inner Circle. Ads and payment (paypal) must be submitted by email to - [email protected] CLASSIFIED AD - FOR SALE - 2007 CHRYSLER ASPEN LIMITED 5.7 HEMI AWD 99,760 MILES - Local to me for sale by one of our customers. His wife purchased this vehicle from the original owner in 2014. It is all original, no body work, original paint. Meticulously maintained, exceptional condition inside & out. Non smokers and no pets. All available options. EVERYTHING works properly. NO issues. Airbag recalls completed. Rear DVD system-wireless headphones (never been used) Towing package, never used. Front and rear heated seats, memory seat and mirrors positions, adjustable pedals, remote start, 115 volt outlet. Alpine AM/FM Satellite radio with 6 CD and Navigation. Selling due to the passing of my wife. Price is fair for a vehicle in this condition with well below average mileage. Totally clean CARFAX $9,500. Glenn email glennhench@verizon,net Phone 267-398-7911 Philadelphia, PA area. The car can be viewed in the Auto Trader in the Philadelphia area. 1 of 4 NEW AUTOMOTIVE TALK SHOW LAUNCHES - Stewart Howden, President of the Classic Auto Mall in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, hosts a new automotive podcast and internet radio show. He welcomes guests, talks about the incredible cars in the facility and engages in general automotive conversation. Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000 square-foot facility with nearly 700 cars on consignment and on display. The show is broadcast live at AmerianWebRadio.com every Saturday at 9am., then uploaded there and podcast platforms in recorded form. You can also visit the facility and watch the show live! Free Admission. Located an hour west of Philadelphia on the PA turnpike. A great winter car activity! Follow on instagram, Tik Tok, & Facebook. www.classicautomall.com 2 of 2 NOTE - IF YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO SEE THE BUICK RARE PARTS SECTION - If you are not able to see the Buick Rare Parts section at the end of this Inner Circle, it is because you are not an actual Inner Circle member, but instead are reading this on the website. You must subscribe to see the Rare Parts section each week. It would go directly to your inbox every Wednesday at 3 pm eastern time. It is FREE, probably one reason why nobody complains about what I write about. To subscribe simply email – [email protected] - to get our free weekly Wednesday Inner Circle email. This allows everyone to have the same opportunity on the parts we list each week. EMAILS TO KIRBAN PERFORMANCE - NOTE - If you email us and do NOT get a timely reply, be sure to check your “SPAM” folder. Some emails do not go through. If you need to email us, use - [email protected] 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. Please remember I have very little knowledge of the mechanical workings of the engine. NEW PRODUCTS FROM US – ELECTRIC 2 ½ STAINLESS DUMP PIPE WITH HARNESS - See Part #7975 for photo and more detailed information on this stainless electric dump pipe. 1986-1987 TURBO REGAL HYPERTECH PROM - If you have a fairly stock 1986-1987 Turbo Regal here is one easy and simple way to improve performance and torque. Hypertech is one of the very first companies to make a Prom for the Turbo Regals. The introductory price good for the month of January is $174.95. The part number is #7973. See our website for picture and more details. BAD TO THE BONE LEATHER KEY CHAIN - Using the same quote and font style we now have a leather key chain. The price is $14.95 and the part number is #7974. See our website for pictures. 1984-1987 TURBO REGAL GM BRAND NEW BLACK WIPER BLADES.- These are available once again. These are brand new GM in the wrapper. See part number #7800 on our website for photo and details. 1986-1987 BUICK TURBO REGAL REPRODUCTION ENGINE OIL DIPSTICK HANDLE, REPRODUCTION TURBO REGAL TRANSMISSION DIPSTICK HANDLE & REPRODUCTION BUICK TURBO REGAL OIL CAP Part # 7970, 7971, and 7972 for pictures and order details. All 3 of them are currently in stock. “BAD TO THE BONE” EMBROIDERED BEANIE BLACK KNIT HAT This black Beanie knit hat has the quote "Bad To The Bone" embroidered on it in the same design as our decal, part #7968. Each black hat is embroidered in red, gray and black. The embroidery work is some of the best I have ever seen. It almost looks like it was printed on the material. A prime example of poor embroidery work can be found on the Power Six logo on the Grand National bucket seat headrest. The embroidery on this hat is much sharper. An excellent winter hat. Also makes a great gift. 7967 - “BAD TO THE BONE” Embroidered Beanie Black Knit Hat - $21.95 CLICK HERE - For the link to this hat on our website. “BAD TO THE BONE” DECAL This “BAD TO THE BONE”decal is similar to the one we sold years ago. The script wording is red and black with a black shadow. The line between the words in the grey area is black. The design is diecut with a self-adhesive backing. Each decal measures about 5-1/2" x 1-3/4”. It is designed to fit in the area on the back window, just under the third brake light on the outside of the glass. It can also be used in other areas, on a tool box, or a car show display board. 7968 - “BAD TO THE BONE” Decal - $4 CLICK HERE - For the link to this decal on our website. “BLACK AIR” BLACK T-SHIRT We now carry “BLACK AIR” black T-shirts for the many Turbo Regal enthusiasts out there. Wording is silk screened in white with a Turbo Buick outline and the words, “WHAT’S WITH ALL THE BLACK CARS?” on the front. The back features the Turbo-6 logo and the words, “BLACK AIR - THE BUICK GRAND NATIONAL DOCUMENTARY.” T-shirts are Gilden brand high-quality 100% cotton. We stock the 4 most popular sizes - MEDIUM, LARGE, X-LARGE, and XX-LARGE. This T-shirt makes a great statement at a car show, and T-shirts also make a great gift for that Turbo enthusiast or for your mechanic. Here are the 4 options for these T-shirts. 7969-M - “BLACK AIR” BLACK T-shirt - size MEDIUM - $28.95 7969-L - “BLACK AIR” BLACK T-shirt - size LARGE - $28.95 7969-XL - “BLACK AIR” BLACK T-shirt - size X-LARGE - $28.95 7969-XXL - “BLACK AIR” BLACK T-shirt - size XX-LARGE - $28.95 CLICK HERE - For the link to these T-shirts on our website. REPRODUCTION "3.8 SFI TURBO" HOOD EMBLEMS These reproduction 3.8 SFI Turbo emblems “Made in the USA” and are an exact reproduction with the black edge. These are made from the same mold that we had them made from over 10 years ago. Emblems are made exactly like the original in chrome plastic with the black edging with a self-adhesive backing. These are 100% correct for all 1984-1987 Turbo Regal hoods. They are packaged as a pair and measure approximately 10" by 5/8”. We also offer a special price if you buy two sets, part #7067. Because the emblems are plastic, it is easy to accidentally break the “3” off the left end of the emblem when washing or drying your car. It’s a good idea to keep a spare set in case a piece breaks off. To my knowledge we have the only reproduction emblems that are “Made in the USA.” NOTE - The trunk 3.8 SFI emblem is part #7510 and does not have the black edge. Another excellent replacement for any exterior restoration. Here are the 2 options for these emblems. 6556 - 1984-1987 Buick Turbo Regal - Reproduction “3.8 SFI TURBO” Hood Emblems (2) - $49.95 7966 - TWO PAIRS - 1984-1987 Buick Turbo Regal - Reproduction “3.8 SFI TURBO” Hood Emblems (4) - $89.95 (Save $9.95) CLICK HERE - For the link to these emblems. 1986-1987 Buick Turbo Regal - AC DELCO TPS SENSOR This is a factory original AC Delco TPS sensor. It is a critical part of the ignition system and is subject to wear. Most sources say it is best to replace this sensor if your Turbo Regal has over 80,000 miles. This AC Delco TPS sensor will be shipped in the original AC Delco box. Another excellent replacement for any engine or ignition system restoration. 7964 - 1986-1987 Buick Turbo Regal - AC Delco TPS Sensor - $79.95 CLICK HERE - For the link to this TPS sensor on our website 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. We also may buy your new or used parts. 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 used if 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 must 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] ABOUT OUR EMAILS - Any inquiries concerning used parts, you must email me directly - [email protected] - and 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 - Remember, the weekly Inner Circle always goes out at 3 pm eastern time so subscribers all have the same equal chance on the Rare Parts. All our parts generally are priced to sell and priced below what others offer. Also our used items are exactly as described. Emails are acknowledged in the order we receive them regardless of when I respond as I am not always by a computer and I only use a flip phone. It's best to email as soon as possible with your request(s) as many of our items sell within the first hour! Do NOT call the office on the listed Rare Parts as you could lose out by someone beating you with an email. Remember if the total of what you purchase on the Rare Parts falls short of $75 we will charge $15 extra for shipping.
Jan 12,
2022