Greetings Turbo Regal Inner Circle Members - 10-19-2011
GNX RELATED MATERIAL - Part 5
This is the last part on the GNX background information. In previous issues, we have covered most of the information I have concerning the early stages of the GNX involving ASC and Buick.
PHOTO 1 - I apologize for the copy, but it was all I had in my files from when I got it years ago. This appears to lay out the plan and schedule to not only produce the prototypes, but their plans through part of 1987, and the groups involved. This is the only sheet I have in relationship to the time frame for the development of the GNX. This sheet refers to the project as a "PROPOSED 1987 SPECIAL GRAND NATIONAL." There is nothing indicated on this sheet referring to the car as a "GNX."
REPORT FROM FALL CARLISLE -
Fall Carlisle Collector Car Swap Meet & Corral was held September 29th thru October 1st, 2011. I went on that Thursday. (I took my brother who lives in nearby Lancaster). I saw proof that the collectible car market remains quite soft. The third photo highlights this point.
PHOTO 2 - This is a car you seldom see for sale today, a 1979 Buick S-Type Riviera. The note on this car said it was originally from Arizona and had no rust. The asking price was $6500. The top photo shows the front of the car. The lower photo is a close up of the very rare S Type emblem on the front fender. Although it may not be visible, the car needed all the bumper fillers!
This car was the 1979 Car of the Year from Motor Trend magazine. I looked up this model on the internet to find production numbers, and they show a total of 8,400 S Type Turbo V6 Rivieras produced that first year.
PHOTO 3 - The top photo shows a pro-engineered 1954 Studebaker coupe featuring a Lingenfelter prepped 502/694 HP engine. The lower photo shows the powerplant. The car was tubbed and featured a very high-end custom interior. This black car was laser straight. The sale price was $39,900 with the statement, "Would cost twice this to duplicate." Personally, I don't think you could even duplicate it at twice the sale price!
Another totally restored short bed 1997 GMC Sierra 1500 pick up truck that I thought was a great buy. The first sale day it had a sign that had crossed out the $8,000 asking price, and said it was looking for an offer. The note stated the owner had more than that in it, but realized in this soft economy, he would be lucky to recoup most of his investment.
PHOTO 4 - The top photo shows one of the other popular G body cars, the Monte Carlo SS. This Monte Carlo SS that was for sale only had 32,000 miles on it. The car was the right color combination, white with a burgundy interior. In the lower photo, you can see how the seller lined up all the original paperwork for the car on the dashboard. Original paperwork goes a long way when you decide to sell or buy a car that is now 25 years or older.
TV FALL SEASON -
One show that has captured my interest is called, "Person of Interest." It's on Thursday nights at 9 pm eastern time, one hour before "The Mentalist" on CBS. It has just the right amount of humor and intrigue. If you are a fan of The Mentalist, you might like this one too. One of the main characters is a cross between Cary Grant and George Clooney.
WORLD'S OLDEST CAR -
The world's oldest car sold recently for $4.6 million dollars. It was the De Dion-Bouton et Trepardoux Dos-a-Dos Steam Runabout, nicknamed "La Marquise," which was built in France in 1884. It had a top blistering speed of 38 miles per hour. It is a steam-powered car considered the oldest vehicle in the world still running. In all that time, it has only had 4 owners!
URGENT REQUESTS -
We are in dire need of stock 1986-1987 Turbo Regal turbo cores! We will allow $100 credit for any complete 1986-1987 Turbo Regal turbo core. It does not need to have the inlet bell nor the wastegate actuator.
We also need badly 1986-1987 Turbo Regal original AC Delco factory mass air flow sensors. We allow a Letter of Credit of $25 for each one. They can be missing the screens. Unit cannot be cracked or busted.
We really need both of these cores so we can continue to offer the services of having rebuilt ones for other 1986-1987 Turbo Regal owners.
If you are attending the GS Nationals in Bowling Green, Kentucky, be sure to bring them with you as we will accept them there as well.
INTERESTING GM PRICE STRUCTURE ON HOOD SHOCKS -
In the GM parts book, hood shocks are called "Rod, Hood Open Asst. Gas," and they fit all 1982-1987 G body cars. The 2011 current list price from GM is $70.12 EACH.
I even had my buddy recheck the GM part #1259327 to verify the price!
That means your cost for a pair of gas hood shocks would be just over $140.
In doing some other research, the gas hood shock for the 2010 and up Camaro, which is approximately 29 inches long is only $29.59. The Camaro only requires one of these gas hood shocks.
The Buick gas hood shock is ONLY approximately 15 inches long. The ends of the Buick shocks where they mount are a flat steel tab with a hole for a bolt. The Camaro has a socket at each end, which you would think would cost more to make.
I checked at the local Auto Zone store and the price for a pair of the Buick hood gas shocks is around $36.50 for a pair, which makes our price structure for our plain shocks right in line with the market.
Our plain shocks, Part #6700, 1982-1987 Turbo Regal - STOCK STEEL Hood GAS SHOCKS (2), and the price is $36.95 for a pair. Even at a few dollars more for the carbon fiber look, they are quite reasonable when compared to GM.
In looking in my 1987 Buick parts book, the 1982-1987 Buick G body gas hood shocks listed for $14.05 each.
BLACK CARBON FIBER HOOD SHOCKS -
We will have sets available at the GS Nationals in Bowling Green, Kentucky this week.
Here is a link to these Black Carbon Fiber wrapped stock shocks on our website.
http://www.kirbanperformance.com/product/43886/STOCK+STEEL+HOOD+BLACK+CARBON+FIBER+GAS+SHOCKS+%282%29+%237343.html
1982-1987 BUICK REGAL (All Models)
STOCK STEEL HOOD "BLACK CARBON FIBER" GAS SHOCKS (2)
We now carry unique black carbon fiber vinyl wrapped STOCK gas hood shocks to replace the weakened shocks, which may not hold the steel hood properly. These are a direct replacement at a very reasonable price, sold as pair.
Using a unique process, the outer shell of each new shock is vinyl wrapped using 3M™ Scotchprint® Wrap Film Series 1080 Black Carbon Fiber. It covers the unsightly wording that is printed on each shock. The material is durable and not affected by heat.
The final result is a gorgeous carbon fiber look to enhance the engine compartment.
On our website, the first photo shows a pair of these shocks with a piece of the black carbon fiber wrap. The second photo shows the stock shocks at the top (notice the wording) and the black carbon fiber wrapped shocks at the bottom. Unfortunately, shocks are hard to photograph, but these really look great, especially in the sunlight.
NOTE - These are for the STOCK steel hood. They can NOT be used for a fiberglass hood!
NOTE - We also offer the plain 1982-1987 Buick Regal stock steel hood gas shocks (2), Part #6700.
Another nice under-the-hood dress-up item!
7343 - 1982-1987 Buick Regal (All Models) -
Stock Steel Hood "BLACK CARBON FIBER" Gas Shocks (2) - regular price - $46.95* / pair
*SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY PRICE - $39.95 until 4 pm Friday, October 28, 2011
We will have these available this week at the GS Nationals! Be sure to come by and check them out.
BREAKING NEWS GS NATIONALS -
Besides the new carbon fiber hood shocks, we will have another unique new item available. We recently been licensed by James Ibusuki, who did the artwork rendition of the GNX. Be sure to check out this unique item at the GS Nationals. A limited number of this collectible item will be available.
IMPORTANT - SPECIAL REQUEST -
We did receive a color copy of a 1985 Turbo Regal window sticker, thanks to Brad Fairhurst.
We STILL need to borrow an original or get a good color photocopy of the 1984 Turbo Regal window sticker. This will enable us to get a copy properly made for other Buick owners. Triple A Enterprises has the ability to match the font style GM used, so quality of the reproduction window stickers is very good.
GRAY PALLEX SEAT MATERIAL UPDATE -
Currently we have less than half of our roll left, as several customers have bought 2 and 3 sections of it to do several cars. So, if you have a 1985-1987 Grand National, you may want to get a sample of this material to see if it's something you want to have tucked away. Most of the pallex material you find today from companies sells for over $75 to $95 a yard.
We do NOT have the black pallex material. In many cases, the original black material should be good enough to simply re-use and install the new gray pallex material. The black is a lot easier to match whereas the gray is something that can vary. Keep in mind, before we sell you any material, please email me your name and address so I can send you a sample. That way, you know the exact shade of gray material you would receive - [email protected]
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].
2011 CALENDAR OF EVENTS -
31st ANNUAL GS NATIONALS - BOWLING GREEN, KENTUCKY
OCTOBER 19-22, 2011 - Beech Bend Raceway, Bowling Green, KY
The 31st Annual GS Nationals will be held October 19-22 in Bowling Green, KY. Last year the weather was just perfect with autumn colors greeting us on the beautiful drive there. The GS Nationals is by far the largest and longest running Buick musclecar event in the world. There will be many race classes, the usual big Friday Car Show, swap meet, Vendor's Row and even tech seminars.
For the turbo V-6 guys, John Gallina and crew will return once again with Kenny Duttweiler for even deeper blasts into the 6's, eclipsing last year's 6.85/204 mph pass! Hope to see all you hard-core Buick fans there to share the fun! No pre-registration is necessary.
We will be in attendance as a vendor. This event replaces the one that used to be held in May each year.
For more information, check out their website - http://www.gsnationals.com
PONTIAC FALL NATS 2011 SHOW & GO -
Saturday, NOVEMBER 5, 2011 - Gates open at 9 am. Show registration until 12 noon. Day of the event rain information, call 856-768-2167. Open to all Pontiacs. Location is Atco Raceway, Jackson Road, Atco, NJ. Website - www.atcoraceway.com. For show info, call Tom at 856-524-2588 or email - [email protected].
This is probably the last race/show event in our immediate area before winter sets in.
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 to see many of you this week at the GS Nationals in Bowling Green, Kentucky. We will have our usual vendor spots. Richard Clark, Pete Hoffman and I look forward to seeing you there. Have a safe trip!
GNX RELATED MATERIAL - Part 5
This is the last part on the GNX background information. In previous issues, we have covered most of the information I have concerning the early stages of the GNX involving ASC and Buick.
PHOTO 1 - I apologize for the copy, but it was all I had in my files from when I got it years ago. This appears to lay out the plan and schedule to not only produce the prototypes, but their plans through part of 1987, and the groups involved. This is the only sheet I have in relationship to the time frame for the development of the GNX. This sheet refers to the project as a "PROPOSED 1987 SPECIAL GRAND NATIONAL." There is nothing indicated on this sheet referring to the car as a "GNX."
REPORT FROM FALL CARLISLE -
Fall Carlisle Collector Car Swap Meet & Corral was held September 29th thru October 1st, 2011. I went on that Thursday. (I took my brother who lives in nearby Lancaster). I saw proof that the collectible car market remains quite soft. The third photo highlights this point.
PHOTO 2 - This is a car you seldom see for sale today, a 1979 Buick S-Type Riviera. The note on this car said it was originally from Arizona and had no rust. The asking price was $6500. The top photo shows the front of the car. The lower photo is a close up of the very rare S Type emblem on the front fender. Although it may not be visible, the car needed all the bumper fillers!
This car was the 1979 Car of the Year from Motor Trend magazine. I looked up this model on the internet to find production numbers, and they show a total of 8,400 S Type Turbo V6 Rivieras produced that first year.
PHOTO 3 - The top photo shows a pro-engineered 1954 Studebaker coupe featuring a Lingenfelter prepped 502/694 HP engine. The lower photo shows the powerplant. The car was tubbed and featured a very high-end custom interior. This black car was laser straight. The sale price was $39,900 with the statement, "Would cost twice this to duplicate." Personally, I don't think you could even duplicate it at twice the sale price!
Another totally restored short bed 1997 GMC Sierra 1500 pick up truck that I thought was a great buy. The first sale day it had a sign that had crossed out the $8,000 asking price, and said it was looking for an offer. The note stated the owner had more than that in it, but realized in this soft economy, he would be lucky to recoup most of his investment.
PHOTO 4 - The top photo shows one of the other popular G body cars, the Monte Carlo SS. This Monte Carlo SS that was for sale only had 32,000 miles on it. The car was the right color combination, white with a burgundy interior. In the lower photo, you can see how the seller lined up all the original paperwork for the car on the dashboard. Original paperwork goes a long way when you decide to sell or buy a car that is now 25 years or older.
TV FALL SEASON -
One show that has captured my interest is called, "Person of Interest." It's on Thursday nights at 9 pm eastern time, one hour before "The Mentalist" on CBS. It has just the right amount of humor and intrigue. If you are a fan of The Mentalist, you might like this one too. One of the main characters is a cross between Cary Grant and George Clooney.
WORLD'S OLDEST CAR -
The world's oldest car sold recently for $4.6 million dollars. It was the De Dion-Bouton et Trepardoux Dos-a-Dos Steam Runabout, nicknamed "La Marquise," which was built in France in 1884. It had a top blistering speed of 38 miles per hour. It is a steam-powered car considered the oldest vehicle in the world still running. In all that time, it has only had 4 owners!
URGENT REQUESTS -
We are in dire need of stock 1986-1987 Turbo Regal turbo cores! We will allow $100 credit for any complete 1986-1987 Turbo Regal turbo core. It does not need to have the inlet bell nor the wastegate actuator.
We also need badly 1986-1987 Turbo Regal original AC Delco factory mass air flow sensors. We allow a Letter of Credit of $25 for each one. They can be missing the screens. Unit cannot be cracked or busted.
We really need both of these cores so we can continue to offer the services of having rebuilt ones for other 1986-1987 Turbo Regal owners.
If you are attending the GS Nationals in Bowling Green, Kentucky, be sure to bring them with you as we will accept them there as well.
INTERESTING GM PRICE STRUCTURE ON HOOD SHOCKS -
In the GM parts book, hood shocks are called "Rod, Hood Open Asst. Gas," and they fit all 1982-1987 G body cars. The 2011 current list price from GM is $70.12 EACH.
I even had my buddy recheck the GM part #1259327 to verify the price!
That means your cost for a pair of gas hood shocks would be just over $140.
In doing some other research, the gas hood shock for the 2010 and up Camaro, which is approximately 29 inches long is only $29.59. The Camaro only requires one of these gas hood shocks.
The Buick gas hood shock is ONLY approximately 15 inches long. The ends of the Buick shocks where they mount are a flat steel tab with a hole for a bolt. The Camaro has a socket at each end, which you would think would cost more to make.
I checked at the local Auto Zone store and the price for a pair of the Buick hood gas shocks is around $36.50 for a pair, which makes our price structure for our plain shocks right in line with the market.
Our plain shocks, Part #6700, 1982-1987 Turbo Regal - STOCK STEEL Hood GAS SHOCKS (2), and the price is $36.95 for a pair. Even at a few dollars more for the carbon fiber look, they are quite reasonable when compared to GM.
In looking in my 1987 Buick parts book, the 1982-1987 Buick G body gas hood shocks listed for $14.05 each.
BLACK CARBON FIBER HOOD SHOCKS -
We will have sets available at the GS Nationals in Bowling Green, Kentucky this week.
Here is a link to these Black Carbon Fiber wrapped stock shocks on our website.
http://www.kirbanperformance.com/product/43886/STOCK+STEEL+HOOD+BLACK+CARBON+FIBER+GAS+SHOCKS+%282%29+%237343.html
1982-1987 BUICK REGAL (All Models)
STOCK STEEL HOOD "BLACK CARBON FIBER" GAS SHOCKS (2)
We now carry unique black carbon fiber vinyl wrapped STOCK gas hood shocks to replace the weakened shocks, which may not hold the steel hood properly. These are a direct replacement at a very reasonable price, sold as pair.
Using a unique process, the outer shell of each new shock is vinyl wrapped using 3M™ Scotchprint® Wrap Film Series 1080 Black Carbon Fiber. It covers the unsightly wording that is printed on each shock. The material is durable and not affected by heat.
The final result is a gorgeous carbon fiber look to enhance the engine compartment.
On our website, the first photo shows a pair of these shocks with a piece of the black carbon fiber wrap. The second photo shows the stock shocks at the top (notice the wording) and the black carbon fiber wrapped shocks at the bottom. Unfortunately, shocks are hard to photograph, but these really look great, especially in the sunlight.
NOTE - These are for the STOCK steel hood. They can NOT be used for a fiberglass hood!
NOTE - We also offer the plain 1982-1987 Buick Regal stock steel hood gas shocks (2), Part #6700.
Another nice under-the-hood dress-up item!
7343 - 1982-1987 Buick Regal (All Models) -
Stock Steel Hood "BLACK CARBON FIBER" Gas Shocks (2) - regular price - $46.95* / pair
*SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY PRICE - $39.95 until 4 pm Friday, October 28, 2011
We will have these available this week at the GS Nationals! Be sure to come by and check them out.
BREAKING NEWS GS NATIONALS -
Besides the new carbon fiber hood shocks, we will have another unique new item available. We recently been licensed by James Ibusuki, who did the artwork rendition of the GNX. Be sure to check out this unique item at the GS Nationals. A limited number of this collectible item will be available.
IMPORTANT - SPECIAL REQUEST -
We did receive a color copy of a 1985 Turbo Regal window sticker, thanks to Brad Fairhurst.
We STILL need to borrow an original or get a good color photocopy of the 1984 Turbo Regal window sticker. This will enable us to get a copy properly made for other Buick owners. Triple A Enterprises has the ability to match the font style GM used, so quality of the reproduction window stickers is very good.
GRAY PALLEX SEAT MATERIAL UPDATE -
Currently we have less than half of our roll left, as several customers have bought 2 and 3 sections of it to do several cars. So, if you have a 1985-1987 Grand National, you may want to get a sample of this material to see if it's something you want to have tucked away. Most of the pallex material you find today from companies sells for over $75 to $95 a yard.
We do NOT have the black pallex material. In many cases, the original black material should be good enough to simply re-use and install the new gray pallex material. The black is a lot easier to match whereas the gray is something that can vary. Keep in mind, before we sell you any material, please email me your name and address so I can send you a sample. That way, you know the exact shade of gray material you would receive - [email protected]
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].
2011 CALENDAR OF EVENTS -
31st ANNUAL GS NATIONALS - BOWLING GREEN, KENTUCKY
OCTOBER 19-22, 2011 - Beech Bend Raceway, Bowling Green, KY
The 31st Annual GS Nationals will be held October 19-22 in Bowling Green, KY. Last year the weather was just perfect with autumn colors greeting us on the beautiful drive there. The GS Nationals is by far the largest and longest running Buick musclecar event in the world. There will be many race classes, the usual big Friday Car Show, swap meet, Vendor's Row and even tech seminars.
For the turbo V-6 guys, John Gallina and crew will return once again with Kenny Duttweiler for even deeper blasts into the 6's, eclipsing last year's 6.85/204 mph pass! Hope to see all you hard-core Buick fans there to share the fun! No pre-registration is necessary.
We will be in attendance as a vendor. This event replaces the one that used to be held in May each year.
For more information, check out their website - http://www.gsnationals.com
PONTIAC FALL NATS 2011 SHOW & GO -
Saturday, NOVEMBER 5, 2011 - Gates open at 9 am. Show registration until 12 noon. Day of the event rain information, call 856-768-2167. Open to all Pontiacs. Location is Atco Raceway, Jackson Road, Atco, NJ. Website - www.atcoraceway.com. For show info, call Tom at 856-524-2588 or email - [email protected].
This is probably the last race/show event in our immediate area before winter sets in.
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 to see many of you this week at the GS Nationals in Bowling Green, Kentucky. We will have our usual vendor spots. Richard Clark, Pete Hoffman and I look forward to seeing you there. Have a safe trip!