Help explain 87 Turbo T to this misinformed person

[Shawn N]

Kinda wanting to know what this says about the Regal and it's options. I might have to buy it!

http://www.faxonautoliterature.com/...talog-Riviera-Grand-National-Regal-P9437.aspx

 

[HouTX87]

I just found this on autotrader. A 1987 T with y56 option but with a 5.0 v8 . Sure looks like a turbo car so I had to do a search and found this thread. Still a nice looking car. Would be an awesome deal for the asking price if it had the LC2!

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...s=0&mmt=[BUICK[][]]&listingId=358795925&Log=0

 

[Dennis Kirban]

Just caught this thread:

The WE 4's even in the promotion from Buick was advertised as being lighter thusly was quicker than the GNs. Some GNs did get aluminum supports and brake drums....not sure of the top of my head which ones but they did get them.

None of the 1987 Turbo Regals were referred to as T-Types one reason the T-Type emblem was last used on the 86 turbo Regal and the 87s got the little metal T in the block. The T-Type package came out on 5 different Buick models originally in 1983 which only adds to the confusion. Also adding to the confusion is in 198 its true the WE2 code refers to the Grand National but the WE2 code also refers to the Lesabre T-Type models that appears for the first time in 1987 available in 4 colors.....

At best it appears Buick made things very confusing even when new....now you add 25 plus years and virtually no one to call at an 800 number to verify anything and you can see how it can be confusing.

Buick also in 1987 as it has been noted built some V8 Regals with the black out package option and the suspension package to have the "look" of a Turbo-T but not the high insurance cost. They got a flat hood as being the only difference in appearance from a real Turbo powered example. They also did not get the better 8.5 rear with the 3.42 gear set.

Regardless of what 87 Turbo car you own...the WE4 does hold a special place and as such is valuable. I know having had over a dozen of them they were easy to sell.

Only real down side is the grey interiors in those cars don't survive real well if neglected and subject to sunlight.

denniskirban@yahoo.com

 

[Shawn N]

Those gray interiors will turn blue after awhile lol

 

[Undercover87T]

Window tint and a windshield shade work wonders for interior preservation. Most everything published says T-Type was dropped for 87 but WE4 was the only one labeled as Turbo-T. At least for Buick people, that nick name seamed to be addopted for other 87 TR's. Although when people see these cars the automatically call it a T-Type. To me for 87, a WE4 is a WE4, a non-GN turbo Regal is a Turbo-T/Turbo Limited, and a V8 with the T package is a Regal T.

 

[Marty Fairchild]

Ordered our "Turbo Regal" in feb '87.
Base Regal LC2 Y56 a/c pass side remote mirror.
No G-80 ( took care of that later)
Tilt/cruise bench seat column shift
Worst thing I ever heard it called was " baby GN" !

 

[notacarlo]

So after post 43.....there should be no more debate. seriously......no more.

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[we4Mateo]

...The WE 4's even in the promotion from Buick was advertised as being lighter thusly was quicker than the GNs. Some GNs did get aluminum supports and brake drums....not sure of the top of my head which ones but they did get them....

Not sure on the GN's, but not all WE4's had aluminum brake drums, only the non-posi ones from what has been gathered in another thread.

More confusion...

 

[Undercover87T]

None of the 1987 Turbo Regals were referred to as T-Types

Buick also in 1987 as it has been noted built some V8 Regals with the black out package option and the suspension package to have the "look" of a Turbo-T but not the high insurance cost. They got a flat hood as being the only difference in appearance from a real Turbo powered example. They also did not get the better 8.5 rear with the 3.42 gear set.

denniskirban@yahoo.com

So non-GN turbo Regals are Turbo-Ts? Sounds a bit open ended . More confusion.......

 

[movinfast]

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[movinfast]

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[Undercover87T]

View attachment 213155


Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app

Base Regal with turbo, 2 different production numbers listed 3,233 vs 4,268. Which is it?

 

[movinfast]

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[Heisenberg]

You can call it what ever you want but GM referred to the WE4 as the "Turbo T" and the rest as T-pkg. See bottom right corner.

What other documentation can anyone supply? Love to see some.

Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app

There's this..and this..and..the other one

 

[movinfast]

Base Regal with turbo, 2 different production numbers listed 3,233 vs 4,268. Which is it?

I'm thinking in that 4,268. 3,233 were kept basic and the remaining 1,035 the buyers added more options? That's my guess


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[Heisenberg]

Not sure on the GN's, but not all WE4's had aluminum brake drums, only the non-posi ones from what has been gathered in another thread.

More confusion...

The whole back story to the WE4s creation is confusing.
One source attributes it to GM trying to slide under CAFE rules at the time (i.e. weight); the other and more plausible is that - GM, in their usual screwed up way, limited the GNs to no more than 25% of the Regal production volume.
Hell, I mean, you have to be sure to not make enough of the cars people really want and make more of the type people hate - right?
So, the WE4 was almost another example of Buick sticking their finger in Roger Smith's eye.
Remember him in the 80's?
The guy who deserves a lot of the blame for the trail of tears that became GM.
It was like - "Well OK, we will paint the bumpers black, and tweak it just enough and merchandise it as the Non-GN GN. Take that corporate!"
Besides; following the demise of the Buick G; many of the Buick engineers were either being taken our back and summarily shot (that's called laid off), or forced to go work for the collective. i.e The Borg at GM Corp Engineering to help develop more fine examples of badge engineered shit.
W car - I'm looking at you.

For 86 & 87 LC2 powered cars, I tend to see more 86 WE2's (GNs) with the YD6 & YD7 Aluminum bumper supports than 87's
Which is weird, since they made way more in 87.

The lightweight features of the WE4 were mainly limited to a Power Driver's seat delete (some debate about whether all WE4s had no driver's power seat), The Aluminum bumper supports; The N89 Alum Vector wheels, no rear spoiler (not much weight there); and the occasional non-G80 aluminum drums version.
And they didn't have the uber heavy Grand National emblems on the fenders and truck deck lid.

Mine is below

 

[Undercover87T]

I'm thinking in that 4,268. 3,233 were kept basic and the remaining 1,035 the buyers added more options? That's my guess


Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app

Or the Limited T's were included in the 4,268 number?

 

[Heisenberg]

I think that the most obvious feature about the WE-4 are the Black bumpers. You could not get that without any other model except the GN. The AL rear drums was a some got, some didn't situation.. whatever was laying around at the time of build. When someone tells me Nice GN , i just say "thanks" . Explaining the WE4 / Turbo T name is long drawn out and they fall a sleep

Ummm..a couple of points

Did you know there were early production units of the WE4 that actually had chrome bumpers?
It was a real debate at the moment if they should tread on the GNs image

And as far as the rear alum drums - it's really a case of you got alum if you did not get G80 (Non-Posi); if you had G80 (Posi) - you got crappy steels
I've never really understood why. - From a technical reason, and I've thought about it a couple of times.
Maybe launch? I dunno.

 

[Heisenberg]

If they offered a 150hp car with a y56 and grand national it would have been long forgotten.


Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app

Oh but they did.
In 1982.....
I have one. ...errr ...2

But point well made.
No one really gives a care about the 82 Grand Nationals either.

 

[Heisenberg]

I like where it says "grand national sales volume cannot exceed 33% of regal turbo engine production, the other 66% of turbo sales must be in other regals"

FAIL!

I wonder how they explained that to the government.

The other interesting part of that sentence is "that by adding the steel wheels and "certain Grand National interior components" - it puts it into a weight class that is capacity constrained.
OK - so again with the vague reference to CAFE.
But where the hell does that leave the other 66% of Turbo Regals that rolled out with every other option known to RegalMan?
All the TR Limiteds and such
Surely, they were heavier. I'll grant you - they got the N89 wheels - which are much lighter than the N83 Chrome Steels , but still.
It doesn't make a lot of sense.
It smells more like Corporate interference and trying to skew the product mix by forcing people to buy a Puke Colored Beige Regal with a Red Vinyl top - but with a turbo charged engine.
Because remember, the turbo charged V-6 wasn't created for us freaks, but for John Q avg as an alternative to the thirsty V-8s.
So they might have been trying to force people to buy the other colors and trim packages with a...ummm.....turbo v6 engine.