11-09-2011 Inner Circle

Greetings Turbo Regal Inner Circle Members - 11-09-2011

HOW TO HOT ROD YOUR BUICK V6 -

At the 2011 GS Nationals I bought a book that was published in 1986 by HP Books. It is entitled, "HOW TO HOTROD YOUR BUICK V6."

PHOTO 1 - The photo on the left shows the cover of the 176-page book "HOW TO HOTROD YOUR BUICK V6." The first inside page is a 2-sided full-color Molly Designs advertisement. It features his Buick clothing line he had produced back then. This would be prior to his Grand National and GNX clothing line.

The photo on the right shows one of the pages featuring Molly Designs Buick clothing. The book covers everything related to building a performance Buick V6 engine, complete with illustrations and GM part numbers for the various hardware available back in 1986 from Buick.



This past Sunday (11-06-2011) I attended the Riegelsville Kiwanis 21st Annual Fall Roll Out Car Show. This event is held in nearby Riegelsville, PA on several fields behind houses along the main highway. It's a huge event with several hundred cars every year.

PHOTO 2 - There were two unique station wagons at this event. First, I saw this 1964 Studebaker Lark Wagonaire with the sliding roof panel, shown in the top photos. The other ultra rare station wagon I spotted was this extremely mint 1959 Buick full-size station wagon, shown in the lower photos. This station wagon was massive. I can't imagine how difficult it was to restore a car like this, since it's doubtful many reproduction trim part and other parts exist for this station wagon.

PHOTO 3 - This altered wheel base, Buick powered dragster at this same show was impressive. The top photo shows a close up of the Buick powerplant. The attention to detail with the engine was equally impressive.



FOLLOW UP ON BUMPER REINFORCEMENT BAR -

In last week's Inner Circle (11-02-2011) Photo 3 we showed a used set of mini front bumper brackets that we saw for sale at the GS Nationals. The explanation with that set for sale was it was an export only item to Canadian cars.

Since then I heard from Chris Tobie, who now works for Honda, but worked for GM back when these cars were new. In 1985 he was a Buick technician and worked on many of the 1984-1985 Turbo Regals at the dealership.

According to Chris, they had a recall on these brackets because they did not meet crash tests specifications.

He says they also discovered if you used a floor jack and jacked up the car by the bumper and it had those mini brackets on it, the rear bumper would bend under the weight of the car.

He did send me a copy of the recall, which is for the rear bumper. The explanation was, if the car was rear ended, the rear bumper could bend and puncture the gas tank, possibly causing a fire which could result in injuries to persons in or around the car.

I don't see anything about a front bumper recall, which I assume may be a different recall concerning the mini brackets.

So in review, it is possible that both theories may be correct since cars that were exported to Canada would not need to meet U.S. regulations.

In any case, these "mini brackets," as I refer to them, are quite rare to find today on Turbo Regals, since some were removed during the recall when the cars were virtually still fairly new. It appears that they were only installed on the 1984-1985 models.

I have a 1991 3-volume set of Buick 44W parts books. In the illustration for the 1984-1987 G47 bumper/front they not only show the standard reinforcement bar and list it in steel and aluminum, but also the small mini brackets that we mentioned last week. GM refers to them simply as "brackets" listing a left hand and a right hand.

PHOTO 4 - We show the actual illustration from the 1991 44W Buick Parts Book. The part listed as #21 with a blue arrow is the front reinforcement bar. Most of you are familiar with this part. Listed as #21 the chart shows it being offered in steel (Part #25505367) and in aluminum (Part #25523558.)

In 1987 the steel reinforcement bar listed for $131.45 and the aluminum reinforcement bar listed for $190.

Where it gets confusing is in this illustration there is another front bumper reinforcement bar listed as #27, which shows just a very small portion of this other reinforcement bar (Part #25517840.) According to my parts book, it is listed as Canada with a code Z49. Code Z49 means "Canada Export," according to my options booklet. This bar was $31.50 back in 1991, according to my parts book. I personally have never seen this style reinforcement bar and with the illustration being so vague, I have no idea what it actually looks like compared to the full-size or the mini reinforcement bars. We have indicated this #27 reinforcement bar with a green arrow.

In that same illustration item #28 (indicated by the red arrow) shows the one side of the mini bracket, Part #25517838 for the right hand and #25517839 for the left hand. The GM price for these back in 1991 was just $8.25 each. The description by the mini bars reads the same as the other Canadian Export reinforcement indicated as #28.

So in review, from what I can gather from my Buick parts books, in 1984-1985 Regals not just Turbo models that were exported to Canada could have had TWO different versions of front bumper reinforcement bars on them. This is besides having the all steel or aluminum full-length reinforcement bar that the U.S. models received. This would also explain why in the U.S. you seldom see the mini version or the other one listed as #27 in the illustration.

In all the years I have been involved with these cars, I have yet to see any of these Canadian versions on the rear bumpers, so it would appear that not many were produced. Or, as Chris stated earlier, because of a recall they were replaced on most of the U.S. Regals when the cars were fairly new.

Again, I can only go by what facts I have in the Buick books I have in my collection. Of course today, any version besides the heavy steel reinforcement bar is highly sought, since it's another way to eliminate several pounds of dead weight with either the aluminum reinforcement bar or the mini steel bar set.



ON THE NEWS FRONT -

The November 2011 MUSCLE CAR REVIEW magazine has two articles of interest to Turbo Buick owners.

The first is a 4-page article on a GNX entitled, "BUICK'S BULLY." It relates to a individual who had one years ago and sold it to start his own business. He was even fortunate enough to get the Molly GNX jacket with the GNX, which was still in the original plastic bag!

The second article in this magazine is entitled, "THE T PARTY, Honoring the Buick Turbos" and covers this past Buick Performance Group event held at National Trail Raceway in Ohio in August.

As many of you recall, we were there, as was Richard Clark. Besides an array of Regal Turbo-Ts and several unique Turbo Buicks, there were reportedly 52 Turbo Trans Ams at the event. This was the most I have ever seen in one place!

The first picture in this article is a unique as they lined up 8 Turbo Regals to form the letter "T." They took a photo overhead of the 8 Turbo Regals with their owners standing along side each of the cars.

If you were there, you probably recall how hot it was during that event. Muscle Car Review may be difficult to find unless you go to a major newsstand such as Barnes and Noble. Be sure to pick up a copy.



ONE COSTLY MISTAKE -

Read this the other day in our newspaper. The police pulled over a Jeep that had run a red light. The owner fled on foot. Upon searching the Jeep, the police discovered $500,000 dollars in cash in a secret compartment!

So, in review, the driver of the Jeep who fled has not only the police searching for him, but the person that money belonged to is probably looking for him too, probably more so than the police.



2011 CHRISTMAS SPECIALS -

Be sure to check out our website as we have announced our 2011 Christmas Specials. Discounts range from 10% to as high as 15% on a huge array of parts, including ZDDPlus™ for your oil. The effective dates runs thru 4 pm December 16th, 2011. Be sure to check out our website for complete details.

NOTE - Our website will not be able to calculate the discounts, so you MUST call in your order to take advantage of the Specials.

Here is a link to the 2011 Christmas Specials page on our website:
http://www.kirbanperformance.com/inner_circle.php?nak=155



URGENT REQUESTS -

We are in dire need of stock 1986-1987 Turbo Regal turbo cores! We will allow $100 Letter of Credit for any complete 1986-1987 Turbo Regal turbo core. It does not need to have the inlet bell nor the wastegate actuator.

We also need badly 1986-1987 Turbo Regal original AC Delco factory mass air flow sensors. We allow a $25 Letter of Credit for each one. They can be missing the screens. Unit cannot be cracked or busted.

We really need both of these cores so we can continue to offer the services of having rebuilt ones for other 1986-1987 Turbo Regal owners.



NEW PARTS FROM US -

All of the new items listed here are currently available.

The headliner molding clips is a must-have item, as it appears they are unique to these cars since they do not fit any later GM cars. Sooner or later your Turbo Regal will need a headliner and chances are when you remove your original clips, some of them may break.

1978-1988 Buick Regal (All G-Body Models) -
HEADLINER MOLDING CLIPS (8) SET

This is a complete set of the 5 upper windshield garnish plastic molding clips and 3 upper rear window garnish molding clips, which secure the metal molding by the headliner.

This is a must-have part as many headliners are starting to sag and need to be replaced. Because the original unique clips are plastic, many may break or crack due to age and heat when you remove them in order to replace the headliner.

One of these clips has already been discontinued by the major supplier for GM, since both of these clips were last used on the rear wheel drive platform cars back in 1988.

This kit includes enough new correct black plastic clips for the front windshield and the rear window moldings on any 1978-1988 G-body vehicles, which includes all 1984-1987 Regals.

Complete set includes 5 of one style for the front molding and 3 of the correct style for the rear molding, enough for one car.

Another excellent replacement part for any interior restoration. Keep a set for when your have the headliner redone.

#7362 - 1978-1988 Buick Regal (All G-Body Models) -
Headliner Molding Clips (8) Set - $19.95 / set

Here is a link to these clips on our website:
http://www.kirbanperformance.com/product/43893/HEADLINER+MOLDING+CLIPS+%288%29+SET+%237362.html



Another hard-to-find interior parts is the 1978-1987 Buick Regals A-pillar moldings set. What GM did originally was simply modify the hardtop versions to fit the optional T-Top ones. These are made from the original GM molds. The best deal is to buy the set. Directions are included to modify them for a T-Top application.

1978-1987 BUICK REGAL (All Models) -
Also fits 1978-1987 Chevrolet - El Camino, Malibu, and Monte Carlo
Oldsmobile - Cutlass, and Pontiac - Grand Prix -
REPRODUCTION INTERIOR PLASTIC A-PILLAR MOLDINGS

Because of many requests for restoration items, we can now offer reproduction interior A-pillar moldings made with the original GM tooling.

These are a high-quality reproduction of the interior plastic A-pillars, which fit many of the 1978-1987 GM models noted. They were made using the original GM tooling, so they are EXACT reproductions.

You can buy the driver's side, the passenger's side, or both sides as a set.

By now, many of the originals are faded and have become brittle due to age and exposure to sunlight. In some cases, the original driver’s side A-pillar may have been drilled at one time to accommodate a guage holder.

Originally all the GM A-pillar moldings were made to fit the hardtop models. They were modified and cut at the factory to the correct lengths for the T-Top models. So, if you need to replace the A-pillars on a T-Top model, you will need to remove the original to measure for the correct length. These reproduction replacements would need to be cut to match the original length, but only if you have a T-Top model.

These are molded in dark blue plastic, identical to the originals. A-pillar moldings need to be properly prepped and painted to match the interior color of your car.

NOTE - We also offer interior spray lacquer paint: Part #6822, specify grey, dark blue or burgundy.

NOTE - These are made to fit the hardtop models, but can be modified to fit T-Top models.
Another great interior restoration item!

#7359 - 1978-1987 Buick Regal (All Models), Chevrolet - El Camino, Malibu, and
Monte Carlo, Oldsmobile - Cutlass, and Pontiac - Grand Prix
Reproduction Interior A-Pillar Molding - DRIVER'S SIDE - $29.95

#7360 - 1978-1987 Buick Regal (All Models), Chevrolet - El Camino, Malibu, and
Monte Carlo, Oldsmobile - Cutlass, and Pontiac - Grand Prix
Reproduction Interior A-Pillar Molding - PASSENGER'S SIDE - $29.95

#7361 - 1978-1987 Buick Regal (All Models), Chevrolet - El Camino, Malibu, and
Monte Carlo, Oldsmobile - Cutlass, and Pontiac - Grand Prix
Reproduction Interior A-Pillar Moldings -
DRIVER'S & PASSENGER'S SIDES - $55 / set

Here is a link to these A-Pillar Moldings on our website:
http://www.kirbanperformance.com/products.php?search_text=7359&submit_button=



OUR NEW COLLECTIBLE ITEMS -

We recently were granted a license by James Ibusuki for a unique product.

James did the famous gorgeous GNX art print used on the ASC poster around 1987-1988. It also appears on the cover of our "Kirban's Guide to 1986 and 1987 Buick Turbo Regals" book.

We had a company that works with this material wrap it around a 5" tall metal can. The material is a high grade Scotchprint® Wrap Film that is then laminated. The diameter of the can is 4 inches. It's the ideal size to use on your desk to hold pens. The wrap is laminated, so it can't be accidentally scratched and is chemical resistant. Makes for a unique gift for Christmas and is a must have item for any GNX owner.

Here is our complete description:

JAMES IBUSUKI LICENSED - GNX ART PRINT COLLECTIBLE CAN -

First time ever offered!

This is a licensed replica of the gorgeous GNX artwork on a collectible mini metal can.

We recently were granted a license by James Ibusuki for this unique product.

Automotive artist James Ibusuki created this dramatic painting in 1987 for ASC/McLaren to announce the debut of the Buick GNX. James did the famous gorgeous GNX artwork used on the ASC poster around 1987-1988. It also appears on the cover of our "Kirban's Guide to 1986 and 1987 Buick Turbo Regals" book.

We first start with a new sturdy metal can, which helps to avoid dents.

The artwork is digitally printed on a high-quality vinyl wrap, which is laminated and then heat sealed on the can. The lamination enhances the colors, helps to protect the vinyl from sun fade, and makes it more durable.

The can measures about 5" tall x 4" diameter, and has a pop-on black plastic cap. The art print appears twice on the can.

It's the ideal size to use as a pen holder for your desk, to display on a shelf with your other collectibles or to add to your car show display.

It's an unique gift for Christmas or any other special occasion.

An excellent collectible for any Buick Turbo Regal enthusiast, especially a GNX owner!

#7358 - James Ibusuki Licensed - GNX Art Print Collectible Can - $27.95

Here is a link to this GNX Art Print Collectible Can on our website:
http://www.kirbanperformance.com/product/43887/JAMES+IBUSUKI+LICENSED+-+GNX+ART+PRINT+COLLECTIBLE+CAN+%237358.html



GRAY PALLEX SEAT MATERIAL UPDATE -

Currently we have less than half of our roll left, as several customers have bought 2 and 3 sections of it to do several cars. So, if you have a 1985-1987 Grand National, you may want to get a sample of this material to see if it's something you want to have tucked away. Most of the pallex material you find today from companies sells for over $75 to $95 a yard.

We do NOT have the black pallex material. In many cases, the original black material should be good enough to simply re-use and install the new gray pallex material. The black is a lot easier to match whereas the gray is something that can vary. Keep in mind, before we sell you any material, please email me your name and address so I can send you a sample. That way, you know the exact shade of gray material you would receive - [email protected]



ALWAYS IN A BUYING POSITION WORKS -

Got any turbo 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 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].



NEXT YEAR 2012 CALENDAR OF EVENTS -

TURBOBUICK.COM NATIONALS 2012
May 2 - May 5, 2012 - Burlington, NC
For the latest information, go to - www.turbobuick.com/forums or - [email protected]
Event will feature free food, dyno, tech sessions, drag racing, and Auto-X.
This is one of the first Turbo Buick events for the year 2012.



EBAY LISTINGS -

If you would like to see any of the Kirban Performance Products items listed on eBay, here is a link to our store and auctions -
http://stores.ebay.com/Kirban-Performance-Products-Inc_W0QQssPageNameZl2QQtZ%20km



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 -

Be sure to check out our Christmas Special information on our website.

Remember, you MUST call in your order to take advantage of the discounts.

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