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

I have rare ones? Here's a few current ones...

86 GN -Pwr wdw, locks, antenna, seat, trunk release, cruise, csII, astroroof with tool, rear defrost, factory security and twilight sentinel.

86 GN- Pwr wdw, locks, antenna, seat,cruise, T-Tops and digital dash -85 rpo codes

86 T- Pwr antenna, manual everything else, ASC Sunroof, rear defrost. 70 rpo codes

Do I win a prize?:biggrin:


Since we're talking numbers... I know this has been mentioned before so bear with me. Many of us, myself included, have wondered how many of these cars are still left out there. It's hard to compile an acurate count- I think GN registry had been working on that. I am wondering if we could compile a count of cars that are 1.) still around- (salvage title's ok) (based on board member ownership) - 2.) And then work backwards and count all the cars that are "confirmed" gone (ie: parted, crushed, whatever.) Maybe it would help us get to something closer rather than the standard "I have no idea". Might be easier on GNX, WE4, and Limiteds, 1982 production models... Just an idea.

I see lots of these cars getting parted regularly. Since we have a fairly limited production run, unlike classic muscle like the 60's Camaro's and Mustangs, I can't imagine that there can be that many of these cars left. I recall that there was a junk yard in AZ that specialized in Buicks (not sure if turbo only) but that might be a good place to start...

Any suggestions or comments? (Be nice) :)
 
kirban 2 cents worth

Appreciate the tip on how to click on quote button to answer directly. Will try that next go around. My ten year old grand daughter knows far more about working a computer than I do. Not that there is probably much difference but my wife and I use Mac equipment.

On the above question about a radio block off plate. The small little issue is it involves reproducing the word Buick. That would require GM license which means more costs for basically a part that would not be a major seller. If the word Buick was not used you would be ok. However, a small vendor that would market it on the side, may be able to avoid the problems with that simply by not catching their attention. One reason we had to stop selling all those neat T shirts we made way back when. Course today, GM needs funds more than ever.

I plan to start another thread in the this category taking a look at exterior color combos with different interiors and what I have found over the years. Be interesting to see what members have.

Now that so much has appeared in this section its too bad none of us had all this info back when we could have ordered up a very unique car.

Here is a little tidbit the Lear Seiglar seats at least the ones I have seen have an ashtray mounted on the back of each of the front bucket seats. The Limiteds (pillow style seats) also have ash tray mounted on the back of both front 45/45 seats. The regular pallex style bucket seats at least the 1986-1987 models only have ash tray mounted on the back of one of the seats. It may not appear to be much of a savings, but it is for GM when you would times that by the number produced.

I had a friend that was pretty high up at the Corvette plant and he said little things like that are always considered in production. You can see how costs are cut simply look at the standard analog dash it was used in the Riviera as well.

Enjoy the day

kirbanperformance.com

denniskirban@yahoo.com
 
When I get back in town I will post up my sticker. Few things I remember.
Manual seats, locks and windows, CCII, cassette no eq radio, Tilt, trunk kit, posi, trunk release, think I may have the tint windshield.
 
kirban 2 cents worth

Going to bunch answers together from some of the above questions. Seems to work easier for me that way.

On the 1987 leather count. No I do not know plus what screws that count up is for 1987 you had Turbo Limiteds and regular Limiteds. Again GM or more precise Buick didn't keep break downs seperate since the Regal was a Regal. basically our cars the engine was an option on a Regal in simple terms. That is that LC2 code you see on your trunk ID label.

On number of cars left. Insurance companies usually have some rule of thumb based on what production figures were made originally less number of years. However, not sure if they add this factor or not but our group of cars suffered some pretty high theft rates when they were new or nearly new cars.

At the GSCA National meet you can see how the numbers among those that care and participate have dwindled. Obviousily any 1984-1985 and even 1986 is not going to be a crowded gathering of those cars.

If all the different state registrations were meshed as one and vins run with the engine code pulled then you would have a good idea. Interesting enough original sales of the Turbo Regals was connected to Regal sales and the northeast area (my area) saw heavy sales. I have bought 10 cars over the last few months to take apart mostly in my area.

It was not uncommon to see Grand Nationals almost daily in my area as of 6-7 years ago. Florida being so hot original GN sales was not that strong as black cars are not very desirable in a hot climate.

kirbanperformance.com

denniskirban@yahoo.com

Owned a few, keep the ides coming
 
Well I'm out of here as I have nothing good to contribute to this thread and I appear to have crossed the line as far as some unwritten code of etiquette for posting on this board goes. I guess my question about accuracy was to complex to answer so I'll just leave it at that.:frown: It's just that it would be nice to have for future reference is all.:(


Seems to me we could learn from some other groups of fanatics out there. While we may not have the resources of say the Corvette,Shelby and Hemi guys as far as production numbers go, we could at least use what we do have to uphold what accurate information is here.

Stay Boosted My Friends.:)
 
kirbans 2 cents worth

The hunt continues. Actually 88 codes is pretty strong numbers as you look over earlier amounts. No one yet has hit less than mine (52) or hit the 100 mark. I appreciate all the responses shows some great interest.

kirbanperformance.com

denniskirban@yahoo.com

Owned quite a few over the years, no two ever a like.
 
kirban 2 cents worth

Wow someone tied me at the low end of the scale at 52 codes...send me a private email with your address will send you a gift. Someone has to be able to have a lower number codes than 52. If you do be sure to show a photo.

One thought, some of these cars noteably Turbo-T were used in various police departments I know I had a few that were used in the New England area. As a rule they were not well optioned vehicles.

Still looking

kirbanperformance.com

denniskirban@yahoo.com
 
98 Codes here!

Hi Dennis & fellow Buick Turbo Regal Enthusiasts:

Dennis knows my car well and has seen it on several different occasions including most recently in September 2007 at Dennis' 60th Birthday Celebration and Buick Turbo Regal Gathering at the Warrington Country Club. Dennis also did a brief write up on my car in his edition of the March 2000 issue of Grand News during his trip to Florida where he viewed my car for sale at a Car Museum in Daytona Beach Florida.

My car has 98 codes on the SPID trunk label and is a 1987 Buick Regal Turbo Limited in Dark Metallic Blue color code #31 with a Tan Leather/Doeskin interior and was once part of the Reggie Jackson car collection and also has some super rare options like Twilight Sentinel, Astroroof WITH the 6 way power seat (which was a unusual combo do to limited height clearences especially if the driver was tall), digital dash, black out package, concert sound and even factory block heater (the cord has never been unwound)! Oddly enough the car does not have the factory security system but almost every option imaginable! Car still has the original window sticker never removed on the passenger side window and has been signed by both Molly and Reggie Jackson HOF/44.

I have spoken to Mr. Jackson on several different occasions and he remembers my car well and said it always stood out among the Turbo Buicks that he has owned because of the color (which looks magical in the right sunlight). He has owned over 6 Buick Grand Nationals and two GNX's on different occasions over the past twenty years and said he loved these cars from the moment he saw them at the Chicago auto show.

Thanks for the great posts Dennis! :biggrin: Keep them comming!

Jason/Reggie44

P.S. Anyone wondering what 44 is, was his number when he played with the New York Yankees and was given the title Mr. October for hitting three home runs in the 1977 World Series in October at Yankee Stadium! :D
 
Do I win a gift to??

Do I win a gift too for having the highest amount of SPID codes so far at 98?? ;) HAHAHA Just kidding.

:D
 
kirban 2 cents worth

You actually bought that car from a person in New England correct? I bought his GN and his very rare white T before that. The white T went to Hawaii. Talk about a transport charge...cost as much to ship from California to Hawaii as it did from PA to California.

Listen at 98 codes, what is the car missing? Does it have the engine block heater? I may be wrong but I think they had an option on the passenger leather seat to recline it or make it power? I assume it has the lites in the bottom of the door panels.

I ask these questions because we can determine if 100 numbers or higher is even feasible on a US production car. Since you reside in Canada are you near where the new Camaros are starting to roll out?

kirbanperformance.com


denniskirban@yahoo.com

Your car is the same color as my 3rd test car was....

see ya at our Open House in a few weeks...
 
Hey Dennis, see if you can figure this one out. I came across a digital dash at a swap meet many years ago, that was marked "police G". Here is an image of what I found:

http://www.installationinstructions.com/FYI/digitaldash-police.pdf

The chip was modified, I believe from the factory, with a special program that removes the flashing 85 in the display. The hand written tag shown is the same label stock as the broadcast code tag, so it had to have been done at the factory.

I know years ago, one of your reunions, there was a county-mountie who had his "police" GN displayed, and he had a digital dash in it. You probably remember his name and his car. I talked him into letting me take the cluster out of his car to inspect it, and sure enough, I found the hand printed label on the cluster. His car did not flash at 85 MPH, so it had the 199MPH program in it - from the factory. That's the only other one I've ever seen.

Soooo, see if you can find THAT option on the list.
 
kirban 2 cents worth

Backtracking to above. On the state trooper cars I had years ago besides the obviousily cut and taped headlite wires, and a few holes on the dash and in the trunk. Printed on the trunk ID label was some reference to the speedometer. The car had an analog dash. Unfortunately I don't have a photo of it nor remember exactly what it said.

My guess is cars like this were modified after the fact, meaning after it left Pontiac. Having been to several big Mustang events I know the old 5.0 notchbacks that the state police used in some of the southern states are very popular ones to restore and quite valuable.

I imagine more info exists for those Mustang police cars than we can ever hope to find out about our cars. Other problem is, whatever did exist has long been auctioned off by now.

kirbanperformance.com

denniskirban@yahoo.com

Great info in this thread keep it coming.....
 
This car sold on ebay a few months back. 15 (yes just 15) original mile GN with basically no options. Someone on here owns it but can't remember who. No pics of the RPO, but I would say that if anything has the chance of having < 52 codes it's this one or another one locally I know of similarly equipped. From memory I know the car had posi but I believe it was a late build so that was standard. If you look at the window sticker everything listed says "No Charge" Either way it's interesting.

TodaysAuto.net
 
kirban 2 cents worth

You might be right. With 15 actual miles assuming perhaps the oil has never been changed any guess as to what color the original oil filter is?

One option that 99% of the cars seem to have is A02 the soft-ray tinted windshield. I oly had one looked kind of weird seeing a clear windshield plus today if it is ever replaced I would think most replacements would have the tint area across the top. It was a $105 option. I think every Florida car would have that option for sure!

So far no one has shown me less than 52 codes....I know its possible based on my car having 52. If I did not have tilt, cruise, delay wipers, tinted windshield, that would drop at least 3 codes off the trunk ID label just thinking out loud.

kirbanperformance.com

denniskirban@yahoo.com

Seems to be an interesting topic.....
 
GNVenom said:
Hey Dennis, see if you can figure this one out. I came across a digital dash at a swap meet many years ago, that was marked "police G". Here is an image of what I found:

http://www.installationinstructions.com/FYI/digitaldash-police.pdf

The chip was modified, I believe from the factory, with a special program that removes the flashing 85 in the display. The hand written tag shown is the same label stock as the broadcast code tag, so it had to have been done at the factory.

I know years ago, one of your reunions, there was a county-mountie who had his "police" GN displayed, and he had a digital dash in it. You probably remember his name and his car. I talked him into letting me take the cluster out of his car to inspect it, and sure enough, I found the hand printed label on the cluster. His car did not flash at 85 MPH, so it had the 199MPH program in it - from the factory. That's the only other one I've ever seen.

Soooo, see if you can find THAT option on the list.
Click to expand...


John, my 87 Turbo T is an ex Connecticut state police 'chase' car. It has the same hand printed label as yours behind my digital dash. This car has very few options and no power anything. Unfortunatly it does NOT have the spid label in the trunk as it was replaced years ago(looks like the State Police had an accident with it) so I guess i'll never know. I bought it from the second owner who bought it at a State of Connecticut used vehicle auction and he didn't replace the trunk so I know they did. This car didn't even have a posi rear and no tilt steering. The one kinda hard to find option(for a low optioned car anyways) mine has is the optional passenger side remote mirror. I'm sure this car has less then 52 options, but that doesn't matter now without the spid label......:( Oh, and you can count me in as my 87 GN has the radio delete option and a power ant. Also has twilite sentenal!!

Ken
 
Dennis Kirban said:
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.
Click to expand...

Scott Simpson ordered a 1987 GN new with radio delete and power antenna.
 
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