Labonte Edition???????

[willsdsm]

ok there is a guy selling a 1987 Grand nat "Labonte Edition" locally and I have no Idea what the "Labonte Edition" is anyone ever heard of it?

[UNGN]

A Buick dealer in North Carolina Sponsored Bobby Labonte in the Busch series back in 1987. Any labonte edition car would have likely come from there.

[SGRIM]

WHen I bought my 1st GN in 1992 it had those same Bobby Labonte edition stickers on it. I am from NC and the car came from Greensboro NC. They were clear stickers with white writing. I figured same thing just some crap from a dealer. I used to have pictures from before paint job but lost. I thought mine was the only one. But this is true.

[TURBOKID]

Watch out on that car I have worked on it before it has a bad title and is not in all that good of shape

[GENE ROSS]

Here's the story-it is from my website before I sold my BLSS GNX:

My Investment


First, let me say that I’m selling “My Investment” to buy a car to drive. The reason I call this “My Investment” is because back in 1997, I acquired some cash and contemplated how to best invest it. I didn’t want to put it in stocks because of the uncertainty of the stock market and the expense of having to subscribe to The Wall Street Journal to check on the stocks. I felt investing in an automobile would be a good way to spend money and still enjoy it by showing it at car shows. I also felt the better the car was preserved, the better my return would be.



I’ve owned GNX #523 for seven years and have done with it all I set out to do. I am the third owner and it didn’t sit still for the first six years that I had it. The prior owners (whom I know personally) let it sit in their garages. I showed it regularly for the first 3½ years until I got disgusted with local judging.

The next 2½ years I was more discreet about the shows I entered. At the first local show I entered, I came away with a 2nd place trophy because the chassis wasn’t detailed. Frustrated, I went home and set out for that NOT to happen again. I jacked the car in the air two feet and laid on my back for over a month detailing it. I display the car on 6” blocks (under the tires) and with 6 mirrors underneath it, so the car is now DETAILED TO THE MAX. YOU WILL NOT FIND A NICER ONE ANYWHERE--I GUARANTEE IT! I’ve shown the car as much as possible and with great results. At the GSCA (Grand Sport Club of America) Nationals in 1999, I received a perfect score (400/400). In April of 2001 at the Charlotte Auto Fair, I was the Best Buick present and received a letter and award from H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler, Track President. At the Buick/Olds/Pontiac Nationals in September 2001, I was awarded Best GNX, Best Buick, and Best of Show! The car has won many multi-award shows, two and three awards per show. It was pictured on the front cover of the GSCA magazine in the March/April 2001 issue, as well as featuring an article about it.



This car is nothing short of museum quality. Naturally, the interior still smells new. I have everything that first came with the car except the jacket (GNX), which has never been seen by any owner. All the paperwork is in a GNX notebook. It still has R-12 in the air conditioner and works perfectly. The oil and filter have been changed twice. I’ve also flushed the cooling system and installed 5-year (Red) GM antifreeze. I put highest octane (93) gas in the tank because it stays volatile longer. I even had the recall done on the brake system. The car stays in my garage in a controlled atmosphere with a cover on it.





Bobby Labonte Signature Series (1 of 1)
We all know that Bobby Labonte was the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion. Back in 1986, Bobby Labonte began running the late model stock class. His sponsor was Scott Garten Buick dealership in High Point, NC. In 1987 Bobby Labonte won the points championship at Caraway Speedway. In commemoration of that feat, Scott Garten Buick created the Bobby Labonte Signature Series (B.L.S.S.) which consisted of only three stickers per car. Only eleven car received this option. All of the 1987 Grand Nationals that came through Scott Garten Buick, after Bobby won the championship, received it. That consisted of 10 Grand Nationals and this GNX, making it ONE OF ONE! Of course, anyone can say this, so I went to Bobby Labonte in May of 1998 at the Martinsville, Virginia speedway and asked him what he knew of this. He verified all of the facts and autographed the car’s dashboard. Obviously, the signature wasn’t part of the option with the stickers. Mr. Garten passed away in 2000 (I think) and the dealership changed hands to Van York Buick.

I have been contacted by Ashley Garten & confirmed her fathers death & the fondness everyone had for the Labonte brothers at the dealership.
I have seen one of the GN's & it did not have the trunk sticker,dash VIN or the VIN on the drivers door. It did however have a "reVIN" in the drivers door frame(chissis side). I checked the numbers with carfax & found out it was stolen twice. I work with the brother of the owner & he brought it to work,as I was interested in it. He wanted too much(my opinion) so I passed. It would not be as collectable as I wanted but seem to run good. Cosmetically,it needed alot of work but was a solid NC car.

[SGRIM]

So what are you saying. Did they put extra options. Is my GN rarer than a normal GN. Like I said I have one of these Labonte edition cars. THe stickers are gone but they were there when I bought the car. I have onwed the car for 13yrs. Bottom line is there really anything SPECIAL about on of these cars. Where is the one for sale that is being referred too. It does seem a tad more powerful than my other stock TR's but is has alot less milage and has been BABIED its whole life. I talked with the original owners and know how they took care of the car.

[SGRIM]

I read your post a little more thourghly and wont to make clear that my car is not the one for sale. Anyway what I trying to find out and have been for 13yrs is the exact deal with these cars. From your post it looks like just stickers added and that it. Is that correct?? I really would appreciate any help you can get on this. Last post I said what are you saying? Sorry, after reading again I understand what you were saying about the one for sale. Just trying to find more info on mine. Sorry

[Michael McCoy]

There's a guy in V.A. with an '84 that's a "Labonte" car. He bought it from the original owner, rolled it a few times on the way home, & it's still wrecked from what I recall. I doubt anything special is on it or done to it, but he thinks it's made of gold because it's a "Labonte" edition.

[GENE ROSS]

Michael-Do you know the location of the 84 GN "Labonte Edition" in Va? To my understanding-only 87 (10-GN's & 1 GNX) had it.

sgrim-I guess the only value of the cars(BLSS)is if the original paperwork from Scott Garden accompanied the car. Even though the only difference was THREE stickers per car,you would have to have proof it came from the dealer that installed the "option". There was nothing else included with the 3 sticker option. I guess with Bobby Labonte becoming a Nascar champion,that added value to the car. If he had not accomplished that,probably no more value would be considered-just as if your or my name was on the the stickers. But with only 11 cars having this feature installed and Bobby's accomplishments, I considered them to be a little more valuable.

[GENE ROSS]

sgrim-Here is my old website with a pic of the sticker that was on the passengers fender-go to the "details" for a close up:

http://www.angelfire.com/mech/gnx/

Actually,it was silver not white letters.

[SGRIM]

Do you still have this car?????
I still did not see the sticker unless its that big pic with the blue background. Mine did not look like that. It could have been silver, I removed mine in late 1993 when I had the car repainted, like I said ealier I thought it was just crap. Buick actually payed for a new paint job, all but the clear coat anyway. I am still a little foggy in the fact of was the stickers the only additional mod. Are the cars really worth more than others, I do not think so, even though I would LOVE them to be. Thanks for you help.

[GENE ROSS]

I had the car for 7 years before I sold it last year. It is in Iowa. The color looks blue but is black. Value-that's a personal thing. With documentation of originality(Scott Garten Buick) and condition of car,it couldn't hurt value.

[SGRIM]

Can you give me a number or something to call. I would like to trace this down. My car is PERFECT expect the bumper fillers are starting to crack must replace, going fiberglass this time so no more problems. It is bone stock untouced other than a replaced coil pack. 47k, sig says 48 but it was 3 years since I sat in the car, is in climate controlled storage, till last month. T-Tops ALL options that I know where available. NOT that I have ANY intentions of selling just would like to know value.

[GENE ROSS]

I assume you are asking for a number to the dealership. They are no help. Been there-done that. It's all a blur to the ones that are still there(only 3) when Bobby was sponsored by them. This is the message I recieved from Scott Garden's daughter:

To whom may may concern,

I was doing a bit of research on the internet regarding my father and ran across the old sponsorship of Bobby LaBonte. I just wanted to make a quick clarification if I may. First, my father passed away in August of 1999. The dealership was first sold to Michael Giacomo, who in turn sold it just 10 minutes later to Van York. We had absolutely NO intention to EVER and I mean EVER sell the dealership to Mr. York.

You have done quite a bit of extensive research on Bobby LaBonte and thought you might want to have all the facts.

Any further assistance,let me know.