The Numbers Game with the (SPI) Trunk ID Label - Kirban

[Dennis Kirban]

As most Turbo Owners are aware on the inside of your trunk lid is a label that says DO NOT REMOVE. Depending on the year of your Turbo Regal (1984-1987) this label can be found on either the drivers side of the under belly of your trunk lid or the passenger side.

Exact position on every car was not a goal at the plant! by the employees. This label in simple terms is the DNA for your Turbo Regal. In 1987 they were arranged in 13 rows across in alphabetic order. Every year they were in alphabetic order, but without checking different number of rows may have been used in earlier years.

If you have 94 or more codes post a photo of your label. You can white out your VIN number if you wish which is the 17 digit number across the upper left of your label. Anything higher than 94 is a very very well optioned Turbo Regal. I don't think I have ever seen one that has hit triple digits (100). I am not 100% sure having 100 codes is possible. I do recall seeing 98 codes.

At the other end of the spectrum would be the fewest codes listed. My personal Turbo T has exactly 4 in each row of 13 rows for a total of just 52 codes. Doing some quick math with my car I am thinking somewhere someone has one maybe with just maybe 48-50 codes which would be very low. My car has tilt, cruise, and had factory body side molding for example.

The problem is, the codes just do not show options they show features that went into building your car. Example the codes VD6 and VD7 are for aluminum bumper inserts. They were not options you got to pick and choose when you bought your car but are listed as codes. Generally speaking yes, most codes will be for options associated with the build of your car and some codes are standard related to emissions and stuff I can't remember so please don't ask me.

But as more and more owners want to discover what is rare this is one way to determine rariety, either lots of options, or very few options. Based on my vast experience with ones I have owned I can tell you one of the rarest non options would be to have a Grand National with no tilt. Another somewhat oddball arrangement which I have also had was a radio delete car with a factory power antenna option.

kirbanperformance.com


denniskirban@yahoo.com

Owned a few over the years everyone has had that trunk ID label.

 

[rmar]

82 is all I have.........

 

[getchasum]

At the other end of the spectrum would be the fewest codes listed. My personal Turbo T has exactly 4 in each row of 13 rows for a total of just 52 codes. Doing some quick math with my car I am thinking somewhere someone has one maybe with just maybe 48-50 codes which would be very low.

I think the Gov Meth test cars will have some of the lowest codes.
May can get Gary to count his.

 

[WLDWST]

Here's mine. Not as many as some. More than others. Looks like I have the aluminum bumper inserts. I have concert sound and rear defrost also.

 

[wile87]

for some reason mine was removed. is there any way to get a repo sticker?

 

[usetaboost]

Another somewhat oddball arrangement which I have also had was a radio delete car with a factory power antenna option

My car has this

 

[charlief1]

I'm in the same situation as Wiley. No sticker.

 

[gculver]

Dennis, only 88 here! but I think you know this car:smile: !
View attachment 69344
GC

 

[TexasT]

Fairly low option

 

[Polecat]

90 codes

Not a very picture but the car is still in storage. I have no idea what they all mean but mine must have the block heater as one of the options. Looks like 90 in total.

 

[tb3]

wow! Dennis Kirban! can't believe its taken this long for you to come around. welcome aboard! your responsible for taking lots and lots of cash out of my wallet over the years.
both my 84 and 87 have exactly 87 codes. kinda weird. both are astroroof with concert sound, factory alarm, twilight cent lights, plus all the usual. i'm pretty proud of them. just ask me :biggrin:

 

[Dennis Kirban]

kirbans 2 cents worth

It is weird that Buick don't ryhme with quick not sure if we spelled ryhme correctly either!

No label is a problem, because to develop one you need to come up with 50 plus codes. The 1986 and earlier ones had a clear laminated coating over them that made them appear yellow.

The 1987 ones at least all the ones I have seen had no lamination over the actual label. Some newer GM cars today simply have the label affixed to a part of the spare tire cover. The 2004-05-06 GTO is one such example. The newer labels today are smaller in size also.

I do not know who offers those labels anymore and if they did how legal it would be since it involves your VIN number.

I do know most serious collectors of these cars are very aware of the importance of a trunk ID label as it is part of the documentation for the car. I know in my personal experience that is one of the first questions I ask before I go any further. No label raises a red flag as to possible issues that may or may not have happened to the car over the years with theft being one possibility.

This is not to imply as the only possibility as some cases body shops remove that label if the owner wanted the repaint to also include the underside of the trunk lid.

The label clearly states do not remove.

Here is another interesting tidbit. From what I have seen all our cars (turbo) should have the color matched mirrors. The codes would be D35 or D68. One code denotes power adjustable passenger side mirror. The code for chrome fixed mirrors don't even show up in the GM price directories with a price.

They do show up however, in the GM Production Options booklet. The code for the chrome fixed left & rite mirrors is DR3. My car has this feature. I happen to have my original window sticker and nothing is indicated on that for mirrors. It does list them at the top of the window sticker under standard items but should have been upgraded to painted ones as the other standard items such as the basic V6 engine was of course updated etc.

I know a few other turbo cars are out there with chrome mirrors as well. Basically mistakes happen and this is probably one example.

A few years back I had a brand new hood insulation pad and the wording was upside down but the Turbo logo was correct.

kirbanperformance.com

denniskirban@yahoo.com

owned a few over the years some even escaped with decent paint

 

[87lightweight]

my old garnet red 87t had chrome mirrors with the blackout package,
it also had am-fm no cassette with concert sound i wish i had a pic of the label
i believe there is a person here that can make all the stickers it is in the restoration thread

 

[Phoneguy]

Mine shows only 80 codes and I thought is was a highly optioned car.

PW, PDL, tilt, cruise, delay wipers, power antenna, power drivers seat, digital dash, power trunk, remote passenger mirror, rear defrost, twilight sentinel, posi, dealer added moonroof.



I know that my car does not have
Concert sound
Astroroof
Body side molding
Lighted vanity mirror in visors
Map lights
Block heater
Aluminum supports


What else ?


Bryan

 

[Dennis Kirban]

kirbans 2 cents worth

You do not say if its a GN or Turbo Regal example a Turbo Regal could have painted pinstripes which would add another code. I can't think of what additional codes come to mind however I personally have seen and know of several very loaded Grand Nationals that have 92 and 94 codes.

If you have 88 or more that is a lot of codes no doubt. Just like I stated earlier anything less than my 52 codes at the other end of the spectrum would be extremely rare.

Member they had some goofy ones like buzzer for headlites and buzzer for key left in ignition and soft ray glass tinted glass, again I am just thinking out loud. Nickel dime options so to speak, but nevertheless they carry a code.

Also remember a good bit of the buyers like myself simply picked out a car that was on the lot and did not sit down and order up one checking off every single option etc. By the time a lot of the buying performance public was aware that the little V6 Buick would out perform the more popular Monte Carlo SS production was near the end. The last 10,000 built was limited to certain options also.

Anyhow that is my food for thought


kirbanperformance.com


denniskirban@yahoo.com

The important thing is to have a trunk ID label!

 

[Phoneguy]

Sorry , the car is an 87 GN. The car is in my sig.

Bryan

 

[gbsean]

one of the things Dennis pointed out with GM cars having label attached to spare tire covers is that deallerships when prepping new cars would sometimes do a batch at a time and mix up the spare tire covers...would create havoc when looking for a paint code....

 

[TurboDave]

Rats! Only 92 codes on my 86.

However Dennis, my label is arranged in 15 columns instead of the usual 13 columns, each having 6 rows plus two more codes at the bottom of columns one and two.

 

[Dennis Kirban]

kirban 2 cents worth

like I said before my 87 it has 13 rows and I was unsure as I thought other years number of rows varied. Yours probably has the clear lamination over the trunk ID label also.

Having 92 codes is a high number....your car was pretty costly when it was new. My guess probably $18,300 or $18,500 retail.

kirbanperformance.com

denniskirban@yahoo.com

Good to see so much imput....owned a few over the years some even had the factory paint look the same on both sides of the car!

 

[TurboDave]

kirban 2 cents worth

like I said before my 87 it has 13 rows and I was unsure as I thought other years number of rows varied. Yours probably has the clear lamination over the trunk ID label also.

Having 92 codes is a high number....your car was pretty costly when it was new. My guess probably $18,300 or $18,500 retail.

kirbanperformance.com

denniskirban@yahoo.com

Good to see so much imput....owned a few over the years some even had the factory paint look the same on both sides of the car!

Good guess, it was just over 19K if memory serves. I'd have to dig out the original window sticker to confirm. Yes, it's the laminated one that is turning yellow.