01-18-2012 Inner Circle

Greetings Turbo Regal Inner Circle Members - 01-18-2012

M & M CONTEST RESULTS -

The winner almost nailed the exact count, which was 1007.

Winning first place with the guess of 1006 is David Daly out of Kentucky.

Second closest guess was 995 that winner was Victor Marzabel. Coming in third with a 973 guess was Dennis Zach.

Congratulations to all 3 winners and thanks to all those that participated.

Prizes will be sent this week to the winners! We had a good response of entries. We also greatly appreciate all the nice compliments we received as well.



INFORMATION ON OWNER'S MANUALS -

Back during the production of the 1984-1987 Turbo Regals, as well as most other American cars during that time period, the Owner's Manual and related booklets would be put in an envelope-style folder in the glove box. This envelope would usually be printed in two colors and featured the dealer's name and related service department information. Today, most come in a standard vinyl cover or a zippered pouch.

PHOTO 1 - The top photo shows 2 different Owner's Manual folders that I have in my collection. It's interesting to note, 1 was a Buick-Opel dealership and the other was a Buick-Pontiac dealership. At the very least, both of these have lost half of their identity since those 1980s, since Opel and Pontiac are not part of the GM family any more. In the lower left photo we show the Buick-Pontiac folder inside flap. Attached to the one side is a business card probably of the Buick dealership salesman when they bought the car. Although hardly visible, taped to the left of the business card is a pair of the actual key blanks. In the lower right photo we also show the inside flap of the Buick-Opel dealership folder.


SAD NEWS -

Over the years, we have not only covered aspects of the Turbo Regals, but also things of interest and things related to my personal life in our Inner Circle and newsletters. Many of you have been getting our newsletters for many years and know our family quite well.

Unfortunately, last Tuesday my Mother passed away in a nearby nursing home. We knew her time on earth was coming to an end. Eileen and I had just visited her about a week prior. She would have been 86 years old this coming March.

The death of a parent is something that most of us have faced, or will face at some point in our lives. When it happens, a flood of past memories will come to mind, sometime wishing you had done some things better or different.

My parents met shortly after my Dad graduated from Girard College in Philadelphia and just prior to his entering the Navy midway through World War II.

PHOTO 2 - The top left photo shows my Dad in his Navy uniform with my Mom. The top right photos show just a sampling of the hundreds of letters they wrote each other and saved over their lifetime. Throughout her life my Mom had excellent penmanship. I have several hundred letters written by both my Mom and Dad to each other during the war years, neatly nestled in their original envelopes. The lower photo shows a drawing I found in one of the letters. My Mom did the drawing my Dad and her at a table and wrote the poem dated May 10th, 1945. The poem reads, "Here we sit darling, you and I, At a table just built for two, Eating crackers and drinking milk, And thinking of each other so true."

When my father passed away almost 2 years ago we went through a huge accumulation of papers and photographs. I remember when I was younger that my mother had told me when she was first married she sold a part for the fuel system. She would go to repair shops in around their north Philadelphia neighborhood. This would have been around 1950-1953. I spent my first 7 years growing up in North Philadelphia on Ninth Street, which was across from Hunting Park in Philadelphia. That neighborhood has changed a lot since the early 1950s!

She could never remember the name of the product, only that it supposedly increased performance and fuel mileage. In the many boxes of stuff we got from my parents' storage building I actually found information on that product.

PHOTO 3 - Shows the actual letter my Dad typed up and used to advertise the product to garages. On the far left hand corner of the page it lists some of the current companies that were buying the product. At a quick glance, I think at the most maybe 1 or 2 of these companies are still in business today, 60-plus years later! The photos on the right show the front and back of 2 promotional postcards the companies would send out.


On the post card it says, "As advertised in the Saturday Evening POST." If you are my age, you will remember the Saturday Evening Post. It was a very popular magazine at the time, but along with many others, is no longer published.

I am not exactly sure how this little air-flow needle worked, but claims of obtaining 1 to 4 more miles per gallon and faster pick up were 2 of the key improvements. I am not sure what a gallon of gas cost back in the early 1950s, but it couldn't have been more than 22 to 25 cents per gallon!

(We just Googled it and it said, "The average price for a gallon of gas in 1950 was 18 cents with the price at the end of the decade being 25 cents.")

So, gimmicks to save fuel and increase power are nothing new. My Mom was selling this product in the early 1950s! Next week we will show you another automotive product my Mom used to sell.

My Mom took me to drive when I was just 13. She used to take me to a nearby cemetery. I think her thinking was, "You can't kill anyone since everyone around is already below the ground!"

Mom always liked Cadillacs, partly because they were big and heavy. Her thinking was, "If you were in an accident, you had a good chance of surviving in something big." This was before seat belts, car seats, etc., became standard equipment. Mom first had a 1954 Caddy coupe and I learned to drive in her 1956 Caddy coupe.

I remember one day in 1964, my mother (without my Dad knowing) went to the nearby Ford agency and bought a new 1964 Ford Fairlane on her own. After that, she had a 1968 or 1969 Chevy Impala.

When I went off to Vietnam in 1966, Mom wrote me frequently. She would always say some day she would like to have a Cadillac convertible. In the early 1980s, when we were operating our parts business and towing business, I found a red 1967 Cadillac convertible.

PHOTO 4 - The top photos show Mom and the red Cadillac convertible with a red interior. My Mom was thrilled with the car. To her it was like getting a million bucks. It didn't matter that it wasn't perfect or a show car. She kept that car many years and I think it was the last car that she drove before she gave up driving. I remember I sold it for her in the late 1990s, since they were going to be moving out of the area.

The lower photo shows my Mom and Dad and our family at their 50th Wedding Anniversary celebration in 1996. They had a long life together, over 63 years. As some of you may know, I am the oldest of 5 children. Although it's comforting to know she is in a better place, I can’t help wishing she was still with us.



INTERESTING NEWS - GRAND NATIONAL ON ANIMATED SHOW -

A new TV show tomorrow night - Thursday the 19th 10:30 pm eastern time on FX channel titled "Unsupervised." According to Rick Mukalian, it is an animated show similar to Family Guy and shows someone driving what appears to be a Grand National. Might be worth checking it out!



IMPORTANT NEWS - GS NATIONALS IN BOWLING GREEN, KENTUCKY HAVE BEEN RESCHEDULED - OCTOBER 17th-20th

Due to a scheduling conflict between the NHRA & Beech Bend Raceway, the 2012 Nationals dates had to be slightly changed.

The new dates are Oct. 17-20, 2012. Because of the reschedule, they have negotiated FREE racing on Wednesday, October 17th. This includes "everyone" who comes thru the gate and pays the usual nominal entrance fee. There is NO usual additional charge to race your Buick powered cars on Wednesday.

Ron J.
GS Nats. PR Director

For up-to-date information, here is a link to the GS Nationals Forum:
http://buickgsclubofamerica.yuku.com/forums/1/GS-Nationals#.Txb3ka79UyA



1991 CORVETTE - FOR SALE -

As far as I know, at this point the local dealer still has this original 3,400-mile bright red Corvette convertible for sale. It can be bought for just under $16,000. Car is absolutely brand new in every respect. This was shown in last week's Inner Circle (01-11-2012.)

For more info email me personally - [email protected]

I can supply you with the phone number and person that can tell you more about the car and get you the special price.



SLP FIREBIRD FORMULA - FOR SALE -

This car is still available at $20,900. This is for the 400-mile red 2002 SLP Formula Firebird we pictured in the 11-16-2011 Inner Circle. This car will be finding a new home at some point.



MECUM AUCTION - KISSIMMEE FLORIDA - January 24-29, 2012

The dates for the Mecum Auction are January 24th through the 29th 2012, held in the Oseosola Heritage Park in Kissimmee. They expect 2,000 cars to be auctioned. If you go, be sure to check out my good friend Greg Glenn, as he will be there selling his fully-restored 1970 Buick GS Stage One 4-speed. This low-optioned car is white with a black interior. January seems to be the big month for many of the National Classic Car Auction houses. It will be interesting to see if the market stays soft or if certain cars will set new records.



COMING SOON -

We will soon be offering a high-quality reproduction of original state inspection stickers that would have been on your car back in 1986 and 1987 for various states that have state inspections. We will be carrying the inspection stickers for Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania for sure. Our source will also be able to supply stickers from other states, and ones that are dated earlier than 1987.



URGENT REQUESTS FOR CORES -

We need stock original 1986-1987 AC Delco mass air flow sensors. They are worth a $25 Letter of Credit.

We do not pay cash. You must pay the shipping to us and pack the item well. Using the postal system is probably the cheapest method to ship.

Remember, cores help us help others keep their Turbo Regals on the road using factory parts. Without cores, a valuable portion of what customers need get discontinued.



ALWAYS IN A BUYING POSITION WORKS -

Got any turbo parts you are not using? Why not cash them in for parts you need with a Letter of Credit. Simply email me a list - [email protected].

Also, we are still buying dead or partially dead 1984-1987 Turbo Regals under $4,000 that are within 250 to 350 miles of our location.



NOTE ABOUT PHOTOS ON THE WEBSITE - We have heard from a couple people that have viewed the photos on the website. Because these have to be low-resolution photos to work on the Inner Circle segments on the website, any photos of text don't appear clear when enlarged. This is a problem when you are trying to see numbers, such as those on the VIN labels or pages from Options booklet. Also, because of photo reproduction and computer screen variations, the colors may not be true to the actual product or photo.

If you would like to have us email you any photo at the higher resolution for viewing, just email us and we will email them to you. Be sure to be specific on which pictures you want to see - Reference Inner Circle date and photo number 1, 2, 3 or 4 - [email protected].



2012 CALENDAR OF EVENTS -

OLD TOWN TURBO BUICK SHOW - SUNDAY, February 12th, 2012 - 10 am - 4 pm
Old Town in Kissimmee, Florida
This is the largest gathering of Turbo Buicks in Florida and is open to any Turbo Buick powered vehicles, V8s and 1989 Turbo Trans Ams.
Casual show, no judging, no awards, just drive in and hang out and share your stories.
There is a charity raffle to benefit "New Hope for Kids."
For more info - email [email protected]



TURBOBUICK.COM NATIONALS 2012 - MAY 2 - MAY 5, 2012 - Burlington, NC

For the latest information, go to - www.turbobuick.com/forums or - [email protected]
Event will feature free food, dyno, tech sessions, drag racing, and Auto-X. This is one of the first Turbo Buick events for the year 2012.



31st ANNUAL PEACH BLOSSOM B.O.P.C. - MAY 4th and 5th, 2012 - Car Show & Swap Meet
Marriott Atlanta Northeast, 200 Interstate North Parkway, Atlanta, GA

Open to all Buicks, Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs and Cadillacs. Hosted by the Southeastern GTO Association. Reception Friday night and Car Show on Saturday. For more info, contact Ed Bellair at 770-428-4934 or email - [email protected]



22ND ANNUAL BUICK RACEDAY
JUNE 15th, 16th and 17th, 2012 - Summit Motorsports Park, Norwalk, Ohio.

Hotels - Best Western Norwalk 419-663-3501 or All American Inn Norwalk 419-663-1922.
For more info, contact Roberta Vasilow 810-655-8277 email - [email protected] or Bill Wills 330-747-1029 email [email protected]



2012 BUICK PERFORMANCE GROUP "CLASS OF 1987" and "BIG BOAT BASH"
AUGUST 3rd and 4th, 2012 - National Trail Raceway, Hebron, Ohio
The theme this year is the "Class of 1987." Open to all Buick models built in 1987.



2012 GS NATIONALS - OCTOBER 17-20, 2012 (NEW DATES) - Beach Bend Raceway, Bowling Green, Kentucky

Racing is FREE on Wednesday, October 17th. The new dates are Oct. 17-20, 2012. Because of the reschedule, they have negotiated FREE racing on Wednesday, October 17th. This includes "everyone" who comes thru the gate and pays the usual nominal entrance fee. There is NO usual additional charge to race your Buick powered cars on Wednesday.

The Gallina/Duttweiler 6-second 200 mph doorslammer is already confirmed for this event.



EBAY LISTINGS -

If you would like to see any of the Kirban Performance Products items listed on eBay, here is a link to our store and auctions - http://stores.ebay.com/Kirban-Performance-Products-Inc_W0QQssPageNameZl2QQtZ%20km



ABOUT OUR EMAILS -

Any inquiries concerning used parts, you must email me direct - [email protected] - I will answer you. However, if I fail to answer you within 24 hours, please email us again. Since expanding into used parts, I get a lot of emails and sometimes I may forget your request or may not remember who requested the item.


IN CLOSING -

Hope you all enjoyed the M & M contest.

There could be some good match ups next weekend. I like the match up between the Forty Niners and New York Giants. It's been awhile since the Forty Niners have been this good.

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