84 gn question about sequence number

[sean lawrence]

i just bought a 84 gn and i was told it was the third one off the line which would make it very special i suppose being it was the first year of the all black gn. i was told that it was number three because the last number of the vin is 550003. i know its pretty special because there were only 2000 gn's made that year and only 400 with t-tops and only 200 with digital dash which mine has both and to make it even more rare it has power door locks with manual window cranks so some one ordered it this way i guess they did not like power windows because of issues they had, makes me think it was a older person that ordered it this way. i have the factory build sheet that was in the trunk and have de-coded all the numbers and it's all correct. can anyone tell me when the gn sequence started and also is this really as special of a car as i think it is and how much would it be worth? thanks in advance SEAN

 

[novaderrik]

what is the build date? i think my 84 T Type was built in Sept of '83 and was also pretty early in the run.. i'd have to go actually look at the car to see the date and what the VIN is. in 84, as far as GM was concerned the GN was just a fully decked out T Type, so they should be on the same VIN sequence..
i don't know if it is really worth a lot- you'll never get 87 GN money for it- but if it's all original then it's gotta be worth more than an average nice 84 GN..

 

[sean lawrence]

what is the build date? i think my 84 T Type was built in Sept of '83 and was also pretty early in the run.. i'd have to go actually look at the car to see the date and what the VIN is. in 84, as far as GM was concerned the GN was just a fully decked out T Type, so they should be on the same VIN sequence..
i don't know if it is really worth a lot- you'll never get 87 GN money for it- but if it's all original then it's gotta be worth more than an average nice 84 GN..

 

[novaderrik]

my build date is on the sticker on the door. i'd go look at it to confirm the build date, but it's in a mini storage unit with the driver's door about 6" away from the wall.. i could find the Vin and post the last part of it if i think about it when i get home..

 

[RUDE DOG]

Mine is 519663 and the build date i beleive to be feb of 83, but i cant tell by the sticker on door because its all beat to crap. I went by the date stamped on the frame at the rear where the other vin tag #s are.

 

[MeanBuicks]

The stamped cowl tag can provide a clue about the build date. Look for a three digit code that has two numerals followed by a letter. This indicates when the body build began. The two digits represent the month and the letter represents the week. Example: 05D indicates the fourth week in May. 10A indicates the first week in October.

 

[fixinboats]

If you really want to know when it was ordered and you are willing to part with $50, you may be able to get the original dealer invoice from GM Heritage Center. That will have the order date. No guarantees they have it. Maybe it will make sense of the date you come up with. Here's the link:

http://www.gmmediaarchive.com/
or
http://history.gmheritagecenter.com..._and_Vintage_Vehicle_Information_Availability

 

[novaderrik]

ok.. just found my title.. the last part of the vin on my 84 T Type is 487619.. i still haven't gone to look at the car to see if i can get to the build date in the door jam- not that i'd likely be able to get to it without moving a bunch of stuff and pushing the car outside... and since the air temp is -6 right now, that's not happening.. i'm thinking that i remember a Sept of 83 build date, but don't hold me to that..

 

[Hot Air Beast]

My vin for my 84 GN is 550072. I was told that GM did not differentiate GN from other Buick Regals so mine is the 72nd Regal off the line. 003 would make yours the 3rd one off the line and so very, very close to the first one produced. I wrote to George J Zapora, Vintage Specialist for GM in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada in July 2005 with $65 I think, and GM sent me a bunch of information. The letter shows my production date as March 29, 1984. It shows the vehicle as a 1984 Buick Regal Grand National and the Model Number as 4GK47 - Regal T-Type 2dr sport coupe. Option WE2 is the Grand National and 100 were imported into Canada. Cars were produced in the Flint Michigan plant. If you want more info then let me know, give me some time, and I will scan the letter and email a copy.

Phil Errett
1984 GN

 

[sean lawrence]

hey thanks man. sure i would love some more info about the car

 

[Hot Air Beast]

OK - so it is a lot easier to deal by email - the package is hundreds of pages long - some just filler repeating what is in brochures etc. I can copy the whole file and mail it to you or send selected pages via email. Real busy today - can do some tomorrow.

I tried to start a conversation but you didn't answer - sorry I thought you were on line.

 

[sean lawrence]

ok thanks, just when you get a chance its no big deal. thanks buddy

 

[RUDE DOG]

The stamped cowl tag can provide a clue about the build date. Look for a three digit code that has two numerals followed by a letter. This indicates when the body build began. The two digits represent the month and the letter represents the week. Example: 05D indicates the fourth week in May. 10A indicates the first week in October.

My cowl tag has 03A, so does that mean that it was built the first week of may, and it also has the 60H, does that really mean it has lear interior.

 

[novaderrik]

My vin for my 84 GN is 550072. I was told that GM did not differentiate GN from other Buick Regals so mine is the 72nd Regal off the line. 003 would make yours the 3rd one off the line and so very, very close to the first one produced. I wrote to George J Zapora, Vintage Specialist for GM in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada in July 2005 with $65 I think, and GM sent me a bunch of information. The letter shows my production date as March 29, 1984. It shows the vehicle as a 1984 Buick Regal Grand National and the Model Number as 4GK47 - Regal T-Type 2dr sport coupe. Option WE2 is the Grand National and 100 were imported into Canada. Cars were produced in the Flint Michigan plant. If you want more info then let me know, give me some time, and I will scan the letter and email a copy.

Phil Errett
1984 GN

look at my last post.. yours is far from the 72nd Regal off the line in the 84 model year run... in fact, given your production date, it's probably about the middle of the 84 model year run.. it might have been the 72nd one off the line that particular day, but definitely not for the model year.

 

[novaderrik]

just went to my storage unit just now for something else and took a pic of my trim tag while i was there:

going by the date code, the "12D" puts the body build date at the end of December and not the September i was remembering before. given that it's an 84 model, this is December of '83.. my VIN- 487619- puts it way ahead of the others that were posted in this thread.

 

[MeanBuicks]

My cowl tag has 03A, so does that mean that it was built the first week of may, and it also has the 60H, does that really mean it has lear interior.

First week of March actually. Not sure about the 60H.

 

[RUDE DOG]

First week of March actually. Not sure about the 60H.

This is where i read about the 60H on cowl tag http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/threads/how-to-tell-if-its-a-real-gn.371765/

 

[Hot Air Beast]

OK so I was misled. Even so your trim tag doesn't match other info here. My trim tag shows paint as 19L 19U LACQUER
and below that the 60 H for Brandon Sand Gray interior - standard for 1984 Grand Nationals as far as I know.

I was just passing on information given to me by the historic GM division. No intent to mislead anyone. Sorry.

 

[Hot Air Beast]

Oooopppssss - I forgot the trim tag also shows 02D which is i guess early December 1983.

 

[Boostnitup]

Interesting read... Mine is surely one of the most loaded '84 GN's Digital Dash and factory moonroof. It also has the nose badge of the T-type car. 96 Build codes.