87 GN With Maroon Interior??

[ponyetr]

Hey all,

Got a strange little deal here. I came across an 87 GN for sale with maroon interior. Very strange, I thought they only had black/gray interior. The car does have a salvage title, as it was stolen at one time. Anybody ever seen this? The VIN checks out to be a GN, not a clone.

 

[blackmonte]

Sounds like a black T with Grand National add ons? Never seen a GN with maroon interior

 

[ponyetr]

Only thing is, it has an "x" in VIN, which signifies a GN, right? Or does it just signify the Turbo line?

 

[SIXBANGR]

easy, they stole the interior and some one put in maroon stuff. no x in my vin.1g4g1175hp

 

[rev. 3:11]

No such animal
The G/N is essentially a very exclusive color/dress package of the turbo Regal; Black lacquer; black-out trim, G/N callouts & special interior colors, all a package deal. It's what makes a G/N a G/N.
Here is a link that will help:

Turbo Regal Vehicle Identification Numbers

in a nut shell:

VINs and RPO Service Labels
Ken Mosher
Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs)
The following diagram shows the location of the VIN plate on the G Bodys. There is no way to determine if the car is truly a GN via the VIN (vs. a Turbo Regal as determined by VIN digit 8 = 7 for 1986/87 or VIN digit 8 = 9 for 1984/85 TRs). A better way is to look at the RPO sticker in the trunk as described below. This sticker should have a matching VIN with the VIN plate.

General VIN decoding for 1987 Buicks
Example: 1G4GJ117XHP400001 for a 1987 Grand National:

1 = Manufacturing Country (USA)
G = Manufacturer (GM)
4 = Division (1=Chevy, 2=Pontiac, 3=Oldsmobile, 4=Buick, 5=GMC, 6=Cadillac)
G = Series (G body)
J = Sales/Option level (Regal ... K was supposed to be GN, but wasn't used)
1 = Body Code (2 Door Coupe)
1 = Restraint System (manual belts)
7 = Engine Code (LC2 3.8L SFI Turbo)
X - Check Digit
H = Model year (H = 1987)
P = Plant Code (Pontiac Michigan)
400001 = Serial number

Thanks to: Ken Mosher & GN T-Type.org

D

 

[ponyetr]

I would've said the owner installed the maroon interior as a theft deterrent, but it was in fact stolen...kinda like installing an 8 track player as an anti theft device. Anyways, what does the actual "check digit" represent, and is there a way to make sure this is a GN, or a T with badges like said earlier?

 

[pacecarta]

gn was an option
seats could have been lost when stolen or just replaced but as said only the black/grey cloth was available for the GN

vin will not tell you if its a gn or a t
for 86+87 the 8th digit of vin should be 7 for lc2 turbo engine , no 7 its not a turbo car

to prove GN you have to look at the option sticker in the trunk , the sticker should match the vin # to the dash ..if they dont then dont bother looking at the codes as either the trunk was changed or the vin was swapped , not uncommon for the trunk to be from another vehicle especially under your circumstances

if vins match then look for the code WE2 ,thats for the GN option , no code not a GN
there should have also been a build sheet in the door (broadcast sheet ) that will also show the code but that may have gone missing too

theres a cowl tag on driverside at base of windshield that has paint and trim codes , paint should be code 19U if is not 19u it never could have been a gn

theres also a service ($$) that can provide all the options based on the vin # which would help to verify what the car is , (or rather what the vin is to)

 

[TurboDave]

I would've said the owner installed the maroon interior as a theft deterrent, but it was in fact stolen...kinda like installing an 8 track player as an anti theft device. Anyways, what does the actual "check digit" represent, and is there a way to make sure this is a GN, or a T with badges like said earlier?

There is no way to tell what it is by the VIN code. You need to look for the SPID label inside the trunk lid. Look for code WE2.

If it was stolen, and now has a maroon interior then assuming it's real GN, It probably had its interior stripped during the theft. Recovered and a different interior installed.

OR, It's a black T (not a GN) and still has its original maroon interior.

 

[ponyetr]

Ok, cool, I'll look for the WE2 code...thanks everybody!

 

[ponyetr]

Actually, one last question. Say this turns out to be a GN, how do I know what to offer the guy, since it's a salvage? NADA doesn't have a salvage option that I saw, and KBB goes back to 1990 only.

 

[turboclam]

I use to appraise cars and I can tell you that generally it's half of rough book for a salvage title history. It's just a general figure. For a classic car it may be a lttle more. Let's say that a car in the same general shape and miles is worth $7500, then the salvage car would be worth roughly $4500. The car will always be branded with salvage or rebuilt history. It may vary from state to state. It just totally affects resale value. Look at the car as being a (parts car) to give you a general idea. If it has a stage II motor then it's worth a little more. If it has a FAST system? You get the idea. Post some pics if you can.

 

[1quick6]

One thing to think about also is that since it will always be branded as salvage, you have to decide if it is a keeper. If you decide to resell it, it will turn off a ton of potential buyers once you disclose that it is rebuilt. It might end up being something that sticks with you whether you want it to or not.

 

[turbofish38]

theres a cowl tag on driverside at base of windshield that has paint and trim codes , paint should be code 19U if is not 19u it never could have been a gn

19U is for black paint. Could be a WE4 or Black Turbo Regal. The code you need to look for is the interior code 82C which is the only true GN only code. If it doesn't have that code than it was never a 85-87 GN. Just a black turbo'd Regal. (Assuming the rest of the VIN checks out.)

 

[Bruce Urie]

Turbofish is right...and you can find the 82C on the build sheet that's located, usually, behind the driver's side door panel, (door pad broadcast sheet) and the other one (Cushion room broadcast sheet) usually behind the rear upper seat pad. These are the only two places I could find this number on my '87 GN. You've got to remove the driver's door panel and the rear upper seat portion to get these sheets. Sometimes you can see them from inside the trunk. It depends.

Bruce '87 Grand National

 

[BILL HAINES]

prev theft.

hey all,

got a strange little deal here. I came across an 87 gn for sale with maroon interior. Very strange, i thought they only had black/gray interior. The car does have a salvage title, as it was stolen at one time. Anybody ever seen this? The vin checks out to be a gn, not a clone.

this car is an actual gn,someone insalled an olds cutlass interior,also tailights are 81-82, and are not correct for the 1987..i looked at this veh,too many unanswered questions...

 

[ponyetr]

I think I might steer clear of this puppy....