We started in the mail-order business in the late 1970s,
by first
making parts beginning with what would later be known as the "Premier
Muscle Car," the Pontiac GTO. We still make parts for this car along
with many of the other performance cars from the sixties. It was from
this beginning we eventually branched out into other GM models and
other car lines. We published a monthly GTO newsletter for 20 years,
and never missed an issue.
Fresh out of Vietnam in 1968, I bought my first GTO, a 1964 post
coupe, and it wasn't long after I was off and running with a love
affair that has become our family business. Fortunately, my wife
actually worked for Hurst Performance (the manufacturer of the famous
Hurst shifters) in 1969. That started my interest in the history of
Hurst-Campbell Inc. and collecting related memorabilia.
From these early days, we used our knowledge to build our business
on something we enjoyed... high-performance cars.
Pontiac Motor Division has several of our parts on their restored
1964 GTO and we’ve supplied parts for the 1965 GTO found in the Henry
Ford Museum. We were also fortunate to have worked on projects with
the Franklin Mint and the Danbury Mint.
It didn't take long before our company was expanding into other
markets. By the time the 1987 Buick Grand National rolled off the
assembly line, I had purchased the classic as a 40th birthday gift to
myself. Like the GTO, we soon developed a business centered around
this car.
This car was a milestone for Buick and that year it was the fastest
U.S. production car. From its beginning, the car has garnered a loyal
following. It’s come full cycle... from a hot new street or race car,
to a desirable used car, and now to a highly collectible car.
The first picture shows me with my current test car, an original
white 1987 Buick Turbo-T.
Our love affair for this car has extended into writing four very
informative books and many related articles on these cars. We have
also sold over 300 of the 1986-1987 Buick Turbo Regals, including 8
GNXs over the years. Some of the top notch 1986-1987 Turbo Regals at
the national level have once passed through our hands. Photo 2 shows
just a few of these cars on our driveway.
We also published GRAND NEWS, a monthly newsletter keeping the Turbo
Buick informed with news and products from 1988 through June 2004. In
June 2004, GRAND NEWS was replaced by a FREE on-line “KIRBAN INNER
CIRCLE” weekly newsletter. To join, see the Kirban Inner Circle
section on the homepage. We also offer various other “INNER CIRCLE”
articles, which include information of interest to other car line
enthusiasts.
In the early 1990s, because we had access to a variety of
manufacturers, we expanded our product line and started making parts
for the various Mustangs, then Corvettes (mostly for the C4 models,
then the C5 and C6.) We also make parts for other car lines, such as
the Mini Cooper, PT Cruiser, BMW and Porsche. For many years our
Mustang and Corvette products have been available from most of the
major mail-order companies. We now offer our products directly to the
consumer.
Today the vast majority of our parts business centers around the
Mustang, Corvette and Turbo Buick car parts; original, aftermarket
and reproduction.
Over the years we have owned many cars. Each vehicle has served as a
test car as we developed ideas for new products. By actually owning
these test cars, it’s made it easier to focus on making parts that
fit properly and look good at the same time. We currently have
several Turbo Regals, a 2006 Mustang GT and a 2000 Corvette hardtop.
We are always researching the next project. Let us know if there is a
part you or your company would like to have made. We have access to a
high-quality metal spinner, fiberglass and machined parts.
In 2008 we introduced ZDDPlus™, an oil additive necessary to restore
ZDDP (zinc dialkyldithiophosphates) in modern oils, which every
classic car requires. If your engine was designed prior to the 1990s,
the non-roller lifters require ZDDP in the motor oil to avoid
premature deterioration. This important product has expanded our
product line to encompass all the older cars and trucks. Be sure to
check out complete information and related Tech Briefs on the
ZDDPlus™ section of our web site.
Since the late 1980s, we’ve had over 10 “Reunion” car show events.
For the Turbo Buick enthusiast, Molly has appeared at several events.
Molly designed the original Grand National for Buick and also
designed the logo and emblems for the car. He also designed the Turbo
V6 logo and many special edition Buick products.
We’ve also had Davy Jones of the Monkees (since the Monkeemobile was
based on a GTO) and John Buck Wilkins of the group “Ronny and the
Daytonas” (writer and singer of the popular “GTO” song) appear at our
Reunion events.
Over the years, we’ve attended many car shows for a wide variety of
cars from Studebakers, the GS Buick Nationals, to the modern Mustangs
and Corvettes. I’ve also given numerous lectures and seminars on
various products, ZDDPlus™, as well as Hurst-Campbell memorabilia and
history. If you are in the northeast area and your car club is
interested in having me speak at one of your meetings or events, just
give us a call.
Our main photo above shows me with my current test car, a 1987 Turbo-T.
The next photo shows just some of the cars at our 2007 Reunion event.
The last photo shows some of the Buick Turbo Regals we have had for
sale.
Our family business strives to be a reputable source for quality
products at reasonable prices, along with dependability and convenience.
So, whatever your tastes, we hope we can provide you with parts for
your pride and joy.
Buckle yourself in, control the power and enjoy the ride.
Dennis Kirban
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