Desirable, 87 WE4 with WO2 Sport App Package??

[turbofish38]

"According to Dennis Kirban's book, Kirban's Guide to 1986 & 1987 Buick Turbo Regals, "They (Buick) did this so it would not be confusing having two Turbo Regals available at the same time in black." He goes on to explain, "The only difference between the new WE4 version and the black one with the WO2 exterior sport package would be the old WE4 version would have matching black bumpers. The new one would have chrome bumpers."

BS!!!! The WE4 is the one and only Turbo-T! Every other car including the black ones are just turbo Regals. Even the W02 optioned non black cars. Buick did this for two reasons. First the GN black bumpers were already made.It was cost effective. Second, it eliminated the possibilty of the assembly line kicking out a black bumpered turbo Regal. A black Regal with out the W02 package but with black bumpers. The assembly line did not deviate from what was printed on the build sheets. Hence you will never see a WE4 that does not have the W02 code on the SPID label. Buick was under CAFE restraints in 1987. In other words they could only build so many turbo Regals in relation to the sales of the rest of their fleet. The WE4 was just another means or louphole that enabled Buick to kick out almost 30,000 TR's that year. The GN was way hotter in sales than anything else. It only made sense to make another model only available in black.

What I'm trying to say is that Dennis should have left that paragraph out of his book. It unsubstaniated(sp) facts that just confuse. Speculation more than actuall fact. There is no such thing as a "new" or "old" WE4. There is just one WE4.

 

[darkred87T]

My Turbo Regal has the "T" package complete with the "T" emblems and the T on the horn. The T package is also listed on the window sticker as an option which included the rims and some other junk. Wouldn't that make it a Regal Turbo T?

 

[TexasT]

My Turbo Regal has the "T" package complete with the "T" emblems and the T on the horn. The T package is also listed on the window sticker as an option which included the rims and some other junk. Wouldn't that make it a Regal Turbo T?

Check out the link I posted. The WE4 was called the "Turbo T" package by Buick. No other Regal was called this in the factory literature. You and many others can call it what you want but as Turbofish38 pointed out there is only one 'official' Turbo 'T' as far as factory lit is concerned.

 

[tomcatturbo]

I owned a Turbo T- Apparently there were only 1547 WE4 Turbo T's that were considered Turbo T's for 1987. I owned one of the 1547, and they're considered to be pretty rare.

Here's an exerpt from Hemmings, quoted by Dennis Kirban:

A grand total of 1,547 WE4 Turbo-T units left the assembly line, meaning that aside from the GNX, the Turbo-T is one of the rarest turbo Regals to leave the line. The announcement of the model came compliments of a Buick Product bulletin dated November 11, 1986; already well into the model-year production, with a production start date of December 8. Interestingly, just two days prior, a bulletin had been released stating that the WE4 would no longer be available with the WO2 black-out kit trim package.

According to Dennis Kirban's book, Kirban's Guide to 1986 & 1987 Buick Turbo Regals, "They (Buick) did this so it would not be confusing having two Turbo Regals available at the same time in black." He goes on to explain, "The only difference between the new WE4 version and the black one with the WO2 exterior sport package would be the old WE4 version would have matching black bumpers. The new one would have chrome bumpers." Just how many truly black WE4s Buick made before the change is not known, but it's a good bet that not too many of these were built.

 

[BEATAV8]

"The only difference between the new WE4 version and the black one with the WO2 exterior sport package would be the old WE4 version would have matching black bumpers. The new one would have chrome bumpers." [/I][/B]

This Kirban quote doesn't make any sense to me.
Chrome bumper = NOT a WE4

 

[turbofish38]

This Kirban quote doesn't make any sense to me.
Chrome bumper = NOT a WE4

Same here. Like I said no such thing as a NEW or OLD WE4. And only the WE4 can be called the Turbo-T. Look where ever you care to. Buick did not call any of the non-Black turbo Regals, Turbo-T's.

Every non-GN turbo Regal has the "T" emblems. It is part of the Y56 Sport package. This does not mean Turbo-T. That same emblem was used on every model of Buick in 1987. It's just a shorter version of the T-Type moniker.

 

[darkred87T]

Check out the link I posted. The WE4 was called the "Turbo T" package by Buick. No other Regal was called this in the factory literature. You and many others can call it what you want but as Turbofish38 pointed out there is only one 'official' Turbo 'T' as far as factory lit is concerned.

Your'e right. The definition for the WE4 option code is the "Turbo 'T' package". Y56 is the "T" package (NA with WE4 and WE2). Kirban even has it mixed up in his book when he states that his test car #3 was a 1987 Dark Blue Metallic Turbo T. I guess it's got a lot of people confused.

 

[T-CHRGD]

All I know is that I have been calling my car a Turbo T since I picked it up in September of 1986, before they even made a WE-4. To me a Regal T is a V-8 Regal with the "T" package - Aluminum wheels and performance suspension. As I remember, the "Talk" ( I repeat "Talk" - just what I heard) back then was that Buick came out with the WE-4 due to customer demand. People wanted the all black outside (incl. Bumpers), but they wanted the all grey interior, as they hated the black and grey interior, especially the black carpet. NOT Gospel - Just My Thoughts / Recollections. John

 

[tomcatturbo]

Simply Stated, and I agree as well. If you had a 1987 WE4, then you owned a Turbo T.

There were only 1547 WE4's made in 1987. That's all.

 

[usetaboost]

I feel that I have a way cooler car now-it has black bumpers, radio delete, no power anything except windows, and rear defrost with remote mirror. and the great 3.42 posi-I wonder what the original owner had in mind???Crazy

 

[Quick6'n'-K.C.]

Be careful, ive seen many cars that have rolled over 100K and the sellers act like they have no idea.

I think there was one on ebay last week, advertised for 40-50K and at first glance it was definitely a higher mileaged car.

My opinion, doesnt matter if its a GN, WE4,LIMITED, OR T-TYPE, as long as the car is nice, doesnt need alot of work, and the price is right, buy it if its worth it.


No matter what KBB or Hemmings says.... No way in hell am i going to pay 10 grand more for a car that is the same thing other than a option code and paint color over a regular turbo regal.

BW <----- Just purchased another WE4 this year :biggrin:

 

[notstock71]

So what would the trunk label show on an all black car? Would it show both WE4 and WO2? The reason I ask is I was searching the net and found another all black T. The trunk codes showed WO2 but no WE4.

 

[notstock71]

Here's the tag

Here's where I get confused. This car has the LC2 Turbo engine, VD6 & VD7 aluminum bumper brackets but is a Y56 N/A T package. Are the VD6 and VD7 brackets standard on all Turbo T's or just the WE4? This car is not a WE4. What does the WE4 offer that this car does not have? This car has the 10 spoke wheels but no N78 code. Here's a link to the car.
AutaBuy - Details for 1987 BUICK

I'm totally confused on how to differentiate a standard Turbo T and a WE4 and exactly what the WE4 added over a standard Turbo T.

 

[BEATAV8]

That's a chrome bumper car. Somebody painted the bumpers black - same thing happened to mine. Note the chrome hood ornament and white stripes in the bumper.

Oh just noticed.. it's a maroon car not black (but the bumpers are black)

 

[notstock71]

OK, even more confused now. In order to get the black bumpers what option code is it? Is it different than the WO2? What code is the aluminum wheels that are on this car? Where is the paint code? I see the ad says Maroon but the car is clearly black, repaint??

I am learning real fast it is easier to decipher the old muscle cars versus these.

In case everyone hasn't figured it out yet I am new to these cars and I am trying to learn what codes give you what etc. I want a GN but would also like a blacked out WE4 (WO2 option also??) The guy I bought my Z/28 from has a all black T he says is a WE4 and I am trying to work something out and try and buy it too. I want to learn as much as I can so please excuse the basic redundant questions.

 

[strikeeagle]

A WE4 is simply a black Regal with the WO2 Exterior Sport Package *and* black bumpers. Everything else is just bla, bla, bla. Got it?

strike

 

[strikeeagle]

While it may be true that the moniker Turbo T (Turbo-T) applies strictly to WE4, it is a fact that it has been widely adopted by the enthusiast community as applying to any 1987 non-GN/GNX Regal with the LC2. Asserting that it isn't strictly true will never change the fact that enthusiasts will continue to call these cars Turbo Ts - as a matter of convenience - just like Kleenex equals any facial tissue. The alternative - Regal with LC2 - just causes people's eyes to glaze over.

 

[strikeeagle]

WO2:

Bumper rub strips - F+R
Grille
Headlamp bezels - L+R
Front sidemarker lamps - L+R
Radio antenna bezel
Radio antenna - fixed mast only (power antenna is chrome)
Wiper arms - L+R
Wiper blades - L+R
Window moldings - F (4), doors (4 each), quarters (1 each), R (3)
Door lock cylinders and rings - L+R
Door handles - L+R
Door edge guards - L+R
Body side moldings - L+R (6 total)
Wheel opening moldings - LF+RF+LR+RR, including all 26 screws
Taillamp bezels - L+R
Trunk lock cylinder and ring
Trunk edge molding

All of the above are black on a WO2 car. I fudged some of the part names for better recognition and I may have neglected something, but you get the idea.

strike

 

[TexasT]

Here's the tag

Here's where I get confused. This car has the LC2 Turbo engine, VD6 & VD7 aluminum bumper brackets but is a Y56 N/A T package. Are the VD6 and VD7 brackets standard on all Turbo T's or just the WE4? This car is not a WE4. What does the WE4 offer that this car does not have? This car has the 10 spoke wheels but no N78 code. Here's a link to the car.
AutaBuy - Details for 1987 BUICK

I'm totally confused on how to differentiate a standard Turbo T and a WE4 and exactly what the WE4 added over a standard Turbo T.

The car in the link is actually the more rare Limited with the LC2(1 of 1035). Hard to tell by the photos but the trunk pic looks to be Dark Rosewood Metallic (Which is a very dark almost black in low light conditions). It also sports the WO2 which is supposedly rare for a Limited but I have never seen any substantiation of those claims. This car should have had Chrome bumpers from the factory as evidenced by the white stripe on the rubber bump strips.I see it also sports a CF5 moonroof. Nice car I wonder what it looks like in person.

 

[corsair231]

A WE4 is simply a black Regal with the WO2 Exterior Sport Package *and* black bumpers. Everything else is just bla, bla, bla. Got it?

strike

While it may be true that the moniker Turbo T (Turbo-T) applies strictly to WE4, it is a fact that it has been widely adopted by the enthusiast community as applying to any 1987 non-GN/GNX Regal with the LC2. Asserting that it isn't strictly true will never change the fact that enthusiasts will continue to call these cars Turbo Ts - as a matter of convenience - just like Kleenex equals any facial tissue. The alternative - Regal with LC2 - just causes people's eyes to glaze over.

I guess that any turbo Regal is a Turbo T to the Buick crowd just like my all black WE4 is a Grand National to the non-Buick crowd. After all a GN is just an all black Regal with a two color interior, a spoiler, and chrome wheels. :biggrin: