Explain the WE4 package to me...

[nighthawk355x]

I know they had some aluminum goodies and what-not, but were they all black? My main question is, what were the available options paint and interior wise?

 

[dwall]

NO GN badging, black/gray seats, or spoiler - interior was all gray T styling.

I know they had some aluminum goodies and what-not, but were they all black? My main question is, what were the available options paint and interior wise?

All black exterior.

Buick Turbo Regal Option Codes (Regular Production Options - RPO)

Scroll down to copy of WE4 dealer info sheet. That may help. Other options could be added - like T-tops, concert sound etc. It was a 'T' so no GN wheels either. Some people like the non-spoiler (base REgal type) trunk deck better.

Someone answer aluminum question as I don't know? Option or part of the pkg.?

 

[Fast4Ward]

you can try this too. the brochure may give some colors.
BUICKWE4.com

 

[usetaboost]

do a search, lots of info. Nothing THAT special about them

 

[49-blues]

As kirban put it -they were made to comply with federal manurfacturing weight restrictions-they were not supposed to go over a total weight restriction for the amount of cars that were manurfactured thus the light weight version Turbo T-WE-4.a lightweight GN.

 

[nighthawk355x]

Yea I saw those sites, but the color issue didn't seem to be touched, unless I missed it, which is possible.

My car's an 87 Turbo T, does that make it a WE4 automatically? Because gnttype.org has production numbers for 87 and Turbo T is listed as the WE4 option. And every time I see or hear of a WE4 it's almost ALWAYS black, and my car is not, nor ever was. My car is maroon with maroon interior. Hence my confusion.

It's somewhat unclear to me. Originally I wanted to just find out how many of my car were produced, then after seeing the Turbo T listed as WE4, it makes it seem as they ALL ARE.

 

[salvageV6]

All of them are black with full gray interior.

WE4 RPO option code is on the trunk sticker.

Yours is not a WE4 for sure due to color.

Turbo T for 1987, T type for other years.

 

[dwall]

It needs these two codes to be a WE4!



Look up the bottom color code here:

Color Chip Selection

 

[novaderrik]

As kirban put it -they were made to comply with federal manurfacturing weight restrictions-they were not supposed to go over a total weight restriction for the amount of cars that were manurfactured thus the light weight version Turbo T-WE-4.a lightweight GN.

huh? what kind of a weight restriction? this just sounds like one of those myths that became truth once it got around the interwebs.
lightweight versions of cars were made for one reason- because some people wanted lightweight versions of cars.

 

[joe_schindler]

huh? what kind of a weight restriction? this just sounds like one of those myths that became truth once it got around the interwebs.
lightweight versions of cars were made for one reason- because some people wanted lightweight versions of cars.

One reason: Gas Mileage!

 

[thadeal4real]

nice pic

doesnt need to be in that spot though my we4 is in that column but at the bottom row color code is correct

 

[dwall]

Yup, thats it.

doesnt need to be in that spot though my we4 is in that column but at the bottom row color code is correct

Codes are entered in alpha numeric list and the WE4 will fall where ever (in this array for 1987 there are 13 columns - 'why 13' maybe one of those lost secrets in the anus - oops - annals of GM history ) depending on the number and which options were chosen for any particular car.

 

[usetaboost]

This whole weight to cars built ratio thing sounds like a bunch of made up bs. If it was that way they would have to know how many cars they were going to make, break down every one with option weight, and take order forms away from the dealers. Or if ass backwards they would stop GN production all together and say "alright, we are only making we4s now and this one will have this option package, this will have ttops, this will have mouse turds, and this one will have the factory rust weight reduction option due to the fact we put concert sound in with this moonroof car

 

[turbofish38]

This whole weight to cars built ratio thing sounds like a bunch of made up bs.

Pretty much true, or what Dennis Kirban qouted. 87 was whole new ball game when compared to the 86 model year. Lots of politics being played by Buick as far as GM goes. Basically Buick didn't sell a whole lot of lighter 4 cylinder cars like Chevy did for example. So, as dumb as it sounds, they added weight to the GN to tilt the CAFE figure in their favor. In a way you are right that the numbers are BS. Buick could build all the Turbo Regals they wanted to but the non-GN models could only be 33% of total production. I've never been able to get the numbers to add up either. Now the WE4 Turbo-T was one of those gimmicks Buick came up with to sell more GNs......not Turbo Regals as one might think. Let's face it. The GN was the golden child. Any other Regal was just a sales dud. Just look at the figures. Twice as many GNs built compared to the other Turbo Regals combined. The WE4 was made a quasi GN for a reason. To sell more non GNs so Buick could sell more GNs. Confused yet?


Basically when a dealer checked off the WE4 box on the order form it created a list of fixed options...or should I say mandatory equipment. WE4 got you LC2,Y56,W02,VH6, Black paint and a gray bucket seat interior. Any option available on a W02 Regal was available on the WE4. More WE4s with either a T-top or Astroroof were made than solid roof models which ironically made them about equal in weight to your average solid roof GN. So much for the factory light weight myth.

 

[usetaboost]

unless your only option is power window and rear defrost:biggrin:

 

[joe_schindler]

This whole weight to cars built ratio thing sounds like a bunch of made up bs. If it was that way they would have to know how many cars they were going to make, break down every one with option weight, and take order forms away from the dealers. Or if ass backwards they would stop GN production all together and say "alright, we are only making we4s now and this one will have this option package, this will have ttops, this will have mouse turds, and this one will have the factory rust weight reduction option due to the fact we put concert sound in with this moonroof car

Pretty much true, or what Dennis Kirban qouted. 87 was whole new ball game when compared to the 86 model year. Lots of politics being played by Buick as far as GM goes. Basically Buick didn't sell a whole lot of lighter 4 cylinder cars like Chevy did for example. So, as dumb as it sounds, they added weight to the GN to tilt the CAFE figure in their favor. In a way you are right that the numbers are BS. Buick could build all the Turbo Regals they wanted to but the non-GN models could only be 33% of total production. I've never been able to get the numbers to add up either. Now the WE4 Turbo-T was one of those gimmicks Buick came up with to sell more GNs......not Turbo Regals as one might think. Let's face it. The GN was the golden child. Any other Regal was just a sales dud. Just look at the figures. Twice as many GNs built compared to the other Turbo Regals combined. The WE4 was made a quasi GN for a reason. To sell more non GNs so Buick could sell more GNs. Confused yet?


Basically when a dealer checked off the WE4 box on the order form it created a list of fixed options...or should I say mandatory equipment. WE4 got you LC2,Y56,W02,VH6, Black paint and a gray bucket seat interior. Any option available on a W02 Regal was available on the WE4. More WE4s with either a T-top or Astroroof were made than solid roof models which ironically made them about equal in weight to your average solid roof GN. So much for the factory light weight myth.

CAFE wasn’t based on the weight of each car; it was based on the platform (now you see why one car has multiple platforms); no myth, no BS. If you check back; GM and Buick were selling plenty of cars in 86 and 87. The two of the most popular cars at the time were the Regal and the Cutlass. I don’t know about the GN being the Golden Child; but Chevy sure didn’t like having their nose rubbed in Winston Cup.

 

[usetaboost]

This is what I don't get...if the gbody rear wheel drive platform was selling so great, why was the plug pulled? Why didn't they just redesign it and offer the na 3.8 FI v6 as the base engine across the board? Makes sense. Sorry I went there guys:redface:

 

[joe_schindler]

Nobody else got it either. Look up Roger Smith (CEO of GM) and the GM10 project. Roger couldn't figure out why GM10 didn't work. He seemed to be the only one.

 

[nighthawk355x]

Thanks everybody!! Great info here!! Set me straight!:biggrin:

 

[novaderrik]

CAFE wasn’t based on the weight of each car; it was based on the platform (now you see why one car has multiple platforms); no myth, no BS. If you check back; GM and Buick were selling plenty of cars in 86 and 87. The two of the most popular cars at the time were the Regal and the Cutlass. I don’t know about the GN being the Golden Child; but Chevy sure didn’t like having their nose rubbed in Winston Cup.

by '86, i think Buick had switched over to the LeSabre as the Winston Cup body. the Buick Regal's dominance stopped when the Fox based Thunderbirds came out in the early 80's, and later when the Monte SS and later SS Aerocoupe and Pontiac 2+2 bodies started driving circles around everyone else.
but this is all getting away from why this thread was started. Buick sold lightweight TR's because some people wanted a fast Regal and didn't want to pay for a GN- beyond the sticker price, you also have to look at how much cheaper it would have been to insure a Regal than a GN. some people just wanted them so they could sneak up on people at a stoplight and surprise them with their brand new Regal. that is something that a GN could not pull off by this time.
i also think that the reason Buick sold so many GN's in '87 was because it was the last year of that body style and the GN had built up a pretty solid reputation, and dealers ordered them up to have on the lots to get people in the doors- which is the same reason you see a new Corvette or Camaro perked out in front of Chevy dealers today, a Mustang parked in front of every Ford dealer, and a Challenger in front of every Dodge dealer.