10-23-2019 Inner Circle

Greetings Turbo Regal Inner Circle Members 10-23-2019 –

COLLECTIBLES –

Since we moved, I’ve come across lots of collectibles and things I didn’t even know I had. As we go through the items, we will make some unique items available to our readers before we put items on eBay.



“CARS” MOVIE VINYL TWO-SIDED BANNER FROM 2011 –

The “Cars” movie had come out in June of 2011. The Regal Theatre had some sort of contest and was selling one of the promotional vinyl banners that advertised the movie.

Going by memory, I think they were taking bids on the vinyl banner and I must have had the highest bid as I won the banner featured in Photo 1. This banner is huge, approximately 8 feet tall by 17 feet long. It is a two-sided full-color banner.

See the Rare Parts as it is for sale and reasonably priced. We are giving our customers first chance to own it before we go the eBay route. The banner has been stored inside for over 7 years and not been exposed to the sunlight.

PHOTO 1 - The photo on the top left shows the front side of the Cars movie banner. The photo at the top right shows the backside of the Cars banner. The bottom left photo shows the front side of the Cars banner on the driveway in front of our 1987 Turbo-T. The bottom right photo shows the front side of the banner behind our 2000 FRC Corvette.



TWO MORE TURBO REGAL COLLECTIBLES FOR SALE –

Back when cigarette smoking indoors was popular and accepted, most tire manufacturers made miniature tires of their popular brand and put a glass ashtray in the center as a wheel. This idea started way before Turbo Regals came along.

Goodyear was one such tire company that made miniature tire ashtrays. Probably one of the last versions they did featured the Goodyear Eagle VR 50 series tire. This would be the tire that came on the GNXs when they were new. I believe Corvette may have used the same VR 50 series tire as well.

I have one of these unique ashtrays for sale. This is the perfect gift for that GNX owner that thought they had everything possible related to the GNX.

Another item I have is an 65th Indianapolis numbered plate for the May 24,,1981 race. It has the small power six logo in the upper right corner with car #147 under it. I happen to have 2 different numbered plates in my personal collection, which allows me to sell this one.

PHOTO 2 –The photo to the left shows the original Goodyear glass ashtray with the Goodyear VR50 rubber tire around it. The photo to the right shows the 65th Indianapolis 500 May 24, 1981 dash plate. It is brand new. It is also in mint condition. Both these unique items are in the Rare Parts section for sale.



BUICK DEALERSHIP TRI-SHIELD LIGHT-UP DISPLAY –

Probably about 10 years ago at the GS Nationals someone was selling several of these huge 4-foot diameter Buick Tri-Shield dealership signs. I bought one and it has been hanging for many years inside my pole building. It is back lit. It is in very good condition.

We have it currently for sale on eBay, #254392080361. We will not ship it because it is so big. I have no way of packing it.

PHOTO 3 – Here is a photo of this original Buick tri-shield display sign. It measures 4-foot wide in diameter. The price we have on eBay is $495 OBO.



MORE TURBO REGAL COLLECTIBLES FOR SALE –

Among the display items we had made several years ago I found one that I had gotten made that shows the correct 1986-1987 Turbo Regal Mass Air Flow Sensor alongside the modified Camaro V6 sensor that was a popular substitute available from most local auto stores.

Unfortunately, nobody has reproduced a correct looking mass air flow sensor for the 1986-1987 Turbo Regal, which has made the translator a popular and more reliable alternative.

PHOTO 4 – We show this mass air flow sensor display that we had made several years ago. It is listed for sale under the Rare Parts section.



WATCH FOR WORD NEXT WEEK ON TWO CLEVER NEW PRODUCTS –

Both new products are geared for the restoration market. These products were developed by Dave Walden, owner of ECS Automotive Concepts. He has the distinction of winning the Best of Show at the National level at the Mopar Nationals. He did it 3 times with 3 different Mopars, which is an amazing feat.

Most car collectors/restorers would be lucky to win in their class. Dave did it best overall on the National level 3 times with 3 different cars.

He developed these two products because nothing was on the market that worked. One product can be used for every-day usage.

This is the same company we deal with that is fully licensed by almost every car manufacturer to reproduce the VIN decals for body shops and collectors. These are the same VIN decals we offer our customers. Watch for more information next week.



“KIRBANS GUIDE TO 1986 & 1987 BUICK TURBO REGALS” -

This “Kirban’s Guide to 1986 & 1987 Buick Turbo Regals” was the very first book I ever wrote. It was first printed in October 1997. The latest printing was a 6th reprint in August of 2011. I recently contacted the printer. They informed me they are closing later this year. The file for my book was done in film back in 1997 and that format is no longer used and the film has been destroyed.

That means once my current supply of this 6th reprint is exhausted, it too will be out of print like our other book. Because of the many photos in the book, it would be very time consuming to scan each page and retain the quality of the original printed book.

It goes without saying, as the Turbo Regal values increase each year and once my supply of these books is nearly exhausted, the few remaining copies of my book will surely increase in value. Even used copies will at some point fetch more than the original retail price of $34.95.

This 350-page book was a tremendous undertaking for me to do back in the mid-1990s. It took well over a year for me to write it and for my wife to fix all the grammar. It was very time consuming. There were times when I had writer’s block and felt like giving up. Prior to this, I had never even attempted to write a book nor was I ever involved in a project that took over a year to see the final results.

Fortunately, I had several turbo cars on the property back then. Because of so many differences, I was always checking various things and calling my source at Buick to verify my findings.

It’s a shame that books are slowly losing their appeal and, just like the daily newspapers, are slowly disappearing. If you have not bought a copy, you may want to buy one before they are out of print.

I have already seen this book and the other book I wrote that’s out of print listed on eBay for $100 or more.



STILL AVAILABLE TURBO REGAL COLLECTIBLES –

Back in 1998 I had Matt Blair do a Halloween theme cartoon for us. Matt Blair was one of the cartoonists we used over the years for our printed Grand News issues. This original artwork of this Halloween cartoon is still available for sale. See Rare Parts for price.

We also still have available the TRD MOLLY DESIGNS nameplate featured last week. See the Rare Parts section for price.



DENTIST STORY LAST WEEK –

Our dentist story in last week’s Inner Circle struck a nerve with several readers responding with their horror stories involving getting dental work done.



WELL-OPTIONED LOW- MILEAGE 1987 GRAND NATIONAL FOR SALE –

This Grand National is still available. This extremely well-optioned, low-mileage 1987 Grand National that is for sale. The owner wants me to sell it for him. He has had it 6 years. The miles on this Grand National is a mere 48,200. Options include factory moonroof, power windows, power locks, tilt, cruise, delay wipers, concert sound, power trunk, digital dash, power seat, working power antenna, and posi rear. The Grand National is located in Maryland.

It has a beautiful repaint done prior to his owning it. He had paint correction done and ceramic coating this past Spring. The car really shines, probably 100%, better than original. Everything functions 100%, even the original AC.

Additional features include embroidered floor mats, few chrome goodies under the hood, Kirban adjustable fuel regulator, hot wire kit, 60lb injectors, adjustable wastegate, TT chip, new bumper fillers, new fuel tank, and has dual a-pillar gauges and console gauge package. He checked the car with a magnet and shows no putty or filler anywhere. It has the factory chip guard along bottom of the car.

According to the owner Mike, the Grand National has had 4 previous owners. The car shows no accidents or any indication that mileage is not accurate.

The price is $26,900. This Grand National is priced to sell. You would be hard pressed to find a better example of a well-optioned 1987 Grand National that would measure up to the quality of this one at this price. A factory moon roof with a power seat option is extremely rare. This car next Spring would easily bring several grand more than it is priced at this Fall.

This car is show quality from any angle. For more information and photos, email me direct [email protected]

Pass the word along to your friends who may be looking for a great-looking well-optioned Grand National.



PART #7330 - CUSTOM-MADE CENTER ARMREST CONSOLE WITH CUP HOLDER - FOR SALE -

We recently had a customer order the wrong armrest console, so we have this one, never used, and ready to ship from our location. It is the mini one. The color is grey. Go to our website type in #7330 into the search to see a photo. Normally they run $145.99.

The price for this one is just $129.95 with $15 shipping. This is just a one-time deal for the one we have at our warehouse. Call our office 215-766-1611 to place the order with Christina, and make sure you indicate it is the one we have in stock in our warehouse to obtain the special price! This is still available.



1985 OLDSMOBILE 442 HARDTOP - FOR SALE LOCAL TO US –

This 1985 Oldsmobile 442 hardtop sold locally the day before the Inner Circle went out last week. We had about 10 people requesting photos of this car.



ONE-OF-A-KIND POWERMASTER BRAKE DISPLAY ITEMS -

All three of these displays have been sold.


TWO COLLECTIBLES FOR SALE THAT ARE NOT TURBO REGAL RELATED –

These are still available - both the full-size store displays Maxine from Hallmark with her dog Floyd. I also still have the R2D@ cooler. These are all in mint condition. We will not ship. Pick up only. You must be local. Email [email protected] for price and photos.

Both are still available for sale. I may consider a reasonable offer on any of the above collectibles.



CORES NEEDED - URGENT REQUEST –

Here is the information on our credits for cores.

POWERMASTER BRAKE UNITS. Unit must be complete. We will issue you a Letter of Credit for $150 for each acceptable core. We currently will not buy any powermaster units outright, only Letter of Credit towards parts.

TURBO CORES must be the 1986-1987 Turbo Regal stock turbo. They must be complete. We will issue you a $150 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. These are the only 2 items we are currently accepting as cores.

MAIL - Ship to Address –
KIRBAN PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS
PO BOX 1199
PLUMSTEADVILLE, PA 18949


UPS Ship to Address –
KIRBAN PERFORMANCE
529 HAYCOCK RUN ROAD
KINTNERSVILLE, PA 18930



CARSMARTS RADIO IS ON THE AIR AND ON THE WEB! –

Turbo V6 enthusiast Steve Saffier (who produced “Dennis Kirban” story on YouTube) is producer and host of CarSmarts Radio which is in its third season! The show is heard in eastern PA on 610 ESPN Radio every Saturday from 11 am – 12 noon and on WOND 1400 in southern New Jersey, Sundays from 10am – 11am. You can also listen to the live stream at that time - download the podcast on http://www.610 espn.com (Live and Local)

Past guests have included me (Dennis Kirban) Brock Yates Jr, Steve Magnante, as well as car photographers, car museum staff, tech students, car clubs, and much more. Tune up and Tune in! More info at http://www.carsmartsradio.com



TIPS AND IDEAS YOU HAVE TRIED -

This tip comes from long-time customer David Doiron. The door pull straps are secured by 2 sheet medal screws that constantly come loose. Here is Dave’s solution which has worked flawlessly for 30 years.

Replace the screw with pan-head Phillips drive coarse thread machine screws. Anchor them into RivNuts set in the doors. Use the fattest screw size that will fit easily into the strap and use the RivNut that matches.

The hole in the door will have to be opened up to allow the RivNut to be inserted. Dave did this 30 years ago and has not had to tighten them ever. I know from experience, I had to tighten these screws all the time on almost every car we bought to resell.



TIP FROM KIRBAN –

One reason to secure the pull straps permanently is that you eliminate the chance of accidently breaking one of the plastic moldings that the pull straps attach to. By keeping the straps tight, you won’t have that issue.



GOOD NEWS - WE ARE ACCEPTING CLASSIFIED ADS -

Good news - We now 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 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 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 reaches over 3,300 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 3,200 potential buyers.

Ads submitted properly by the previous Sunday would appear that next Wednesday in the weekly Inner Circle. Ads must be submitted by email to - [email protected]

Payment by credit card must be done by phone to our office 215-766-1611 x 0.



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 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 afternoon. 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 Inner Circle email.

The Buick Rare Parts section is only viewed by those that subscribe. Subscription is free, so complaints on what I write are nonexistent!



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 thru.

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 –

1984-1987 Buick Regal (All Models) -
Reproduction REAR DUAL EXTENDED RANGE 10 OHM SPEAKERS (2) Set 

Finally, a company has reproduced the extended range 10 ohm 4" x 10" rear speakers that was an option available on every 1984-1987 Regal, including the Turbo models.

To determine if your car came equipped with the extended range speakers, check for the code “U66” on the trunk ID label (SPID).

These upgraded extended range speakers were included with most of the various upgraded factory radios for an additional cost of $25 for the pair.

NOTE - You must have the factory cages to properly secure this speaker to the back deck.

These have the same matching 3-1/4" diameter magnet. To see if your car has this format check the SPID label for the “U66” code. If the label is missing, measure the magnet on the current rear deck speakers to see if it measures 3-1/4" diameter. 

If it does, these are the speakers you need. 

After more than 30 years, many are blown out due to heat and the age of the speaker.

Each pair comes with an adapter harness so you do not have to cut the factory harness.

Speakers are marked and come with directions so you know which is the plus terminal and which is the minus terminal.

NOTE - You may also be interested in this related part - #7433 Power Antenna Upgraded Steel Cable Repair Kit

Another excellent replacement for any interior restoration.

7877 - 1984-1987 Buick Regal (All Models) - Reproduction Rear Dual Extended Range 10 OHM Speakers (2) Set - $109.95

Here is a link to these speakers on our website.



GM Licensed –
BUICK GRAND NATIONAL BASEBALL-STYLE EMBROIDERED BLACK HAT

This GM licensed 6-panel structured low crown pre-curved visor black hat is made from moisture wicking polyester. It has a micro-hook/loop closure in the back.

The black hat has the Grand National Turbo-six logo embroidered in red, orange and white on the front and adjustable in the back.

This is another excellent Buick enthusiast gift idea.

7876 - GM Licensed - BUICK GRAND NATIONAL Baseball-style Embroidered Black Hat - $17.95

Here is a link to this Hat 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 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 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 direct - [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 –

For those enthusiasts attending the annual GS Nationals this week in Bowling Green, Kentucky, I hope you have great weather for the event.

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