The Numbers Game with the (SPI) Trunk ID Label - Kirban

[TurboRegal84]

Speaking about a manila envelope, the front license plate bracket came in a manila envelope and over the years on some of the cars I have had I found it still in the envelope in the trunk. Our cars for the states that require them a front plate isn't bad, but many of the newer cars today specifically any C6 Corvette and any 04-06 GTO that you gotta put a front plate on looks terrible.

Here is a picture of the front plate and envelope for reference.

 

[t-topflyer]

An interesting twist on the same subject might be lowest number of options to result in a high sticker price. For example the car I have has just 74 codes and the sticker in 87 was $18,675. The options it does have, although few, were high dollar ones.

 

[salvageV6]

No offense to anyone in particular, but it's what these threads turn into which is why there is no good database for each year and what codes were available and what they all mean for ALL the TR's.

I wish the WE4 site still had the database and pictures.

Totally disjointed information, but hey it's the lounge.

Canadians and the '86's had more overall available codes.

Pick a year and country for starters...... :biggrin:

 

[Dennis Kirban]

kirban 2 cents worth

Keep in mind I don't know how o address questions in individual responses so I may skip around to the above comments.

First, Herb showing the original manila envelope with the unused front license plate bracket. They show up from time to time if your car has enjoyed a life in a state such as my state PA that has no stupid front license plate rule. NJ on the other hand requires front plates and is one of the 2 remaining states that don't trust the public to pump the gas themselves. Oregon I think is the other state.

The above question fewest options with highest sticker price. Great idea fo those that have the window sticker. A car such as hat would almost have to have one of the roof options T Tops or astroroof and probably the top of the line am/fm cassette eq radio. What may prove difficult is the fact buyers that would pick high dollar options would not hesitate to add the cheaper options back then.

Add the 1987 Turbo Limiteds to the mix and most of them will be high dollar examples.

Question asked what is the rarest option? Ask anyone who reads this thread and you would get a handful of different answers.

In the running would be: engine block heater and twil lite sentinel. I base this on cars I have owned. Turbo cars that went to the frigid north and engine block heaters would not be rare. Same token cars that originally went to dealers in Florida and points in the south seeing a rear defroster is quite rare.

What also is rare is seeing a 1987 Turbo-T with the wide stainless trim that normally appeared on a chrome package Turbo T Limited. Having standard chrome fixed mirrors although not an option, is rare.

Opera lites on the rear sail panels in 1987 is very very rare. This was a Limited option only. The GM words for it are " Electroluminescent Coach Lamps. Trunk ID code was C93 and the price was $102. Yes I spelled that big word correctly. I have only had 2 cars that had them. They are rarer than the cornering lamps person above mentioned.

Having the cheapest possible radio of the 5 that were available is rare. I am referring to the am radio no cassette. Yes I had one of those cars also. That was standard no charge U63 was the trunk iD code.

Quick story on that car, I took a train down to Florida to drive that car home. This was probably 10-12 years ago. Did not realize it had a am radio. It was one of the most boring trips I have taken since am radio had very little to offer.

In the Limited the C90 door courtsey and warning lites was an option. This was a small lite bar located on the bottom area of the limited door panel. Somewhat rare since every Limited did not get them. They did not lite up like later ones in GM cars do.

kirbanperformance.com

denniskirban@yahoo.com

Keep thinking, will do my best with answers from my memory



Back in the GTO days which I am very familar with, you could order a GTO in Hawaii minus a heater. Our cars all came with AC even if it went to Alaska.

 

[TexasT]

The owner above with the 1986 with tan leather seats. He really has a rare one. The seats are 45/45 with what I call the funky half style center console. Those seats would appear as an option the following year in the Turbo Limited models in either tan or grey leather. GM kind of cut corners the top surfaces were leather and the sides I believe were a matching vinyl. If you have my book Kirbans Guide to 1986 and 1987 Buick Turbo Regals

What will make your day is in my book I have the exact production count for those tan leather pillow seats in a 1986 T-Type Regal. Just 55 in tan were built. Now add 23 years later and you can see the chances of seeing many today is extremely rare.

I personally had one out of 317 cars. So you got a rare example, a very rare example. I was very fortunate back when I wrote my Guide Book that I had a deep connection in Flint that had access to a lot of records and an interest like I have for these cars. Course he and the records and most of what owners seek is long gone.

On a side note 124 grey leather pillow seats was produced that year in the 1986 T-Type Regal.

Interesting enough those cars still retained the regular style door panels. My guess is if I did not put that in my book or you have not seen it in print anywhere most Turbo owners would say hey why did you put those seats in your blue T-Type?

Though I didn't note the door panels, I have seen one of each(Tan and Grey) leather in the '86 T-Type. These were in the Dallas area in the late eighties. The grey was a black T-Type. He was an older gentleman who bought it new. The other was dark blue with the tan leather. It was for sale by a guy who owned an auto parts store, it was his wife's daily. It went through two more owners and is still in the south Dallas area. One of 55 is quite rare.

On a side note, I love these types of discussions. Lots of good info comes out.

 

[SS_Sean]

86 GN Astroroof....82 codes.

My label is on the right side of the trunk, and mounted sideways "Do not remove" to the top left.

The elusive hand crank, envelope, and instructions...came with my entire factory replacement astroroof assembly, which had never been installed...

 

[86 TR]

Though I didn't note the door panels, I have seen one of each(Tan and Grey) leather in the '86 T-Type. These were in the Dallas area in the late eighties. The grey was a black T-Type. He was an older gentleman who bought it new. The other was dark blue with the tan leather. It was for sale by a guy who owned an auto parts store, it was his wife's daily. It went through two more owners and is still in the south Dallas area. One of 55 is quite rare.

On a side note, I love these types of discussions. Lots of good info comes out.

Oddly enough, when I bought my car it had all of the paperwork and some receipts. The original owner was from Prosper, Texas. And was delivered in 2-20-86. I bought the car from Iowa back in 2001.

 

[scot w.]

kirban 2 cents worth

The owner above with the 1986 with tan leather seats. He really has a rare one. The seats are 45/45 with what I call the funky half style center console. Those seats would appear as an option the following year in the Turbo Limited models in either tan or grey leather. GM kind of cut corners the top surfaces were leather and the sides I believe were a matching vinyl. If you have my book Kirbans Guide to 1986 and 1987 Buick Turbo Regals

What will make your day is in my book I have the exact production count for those tan leather pillow seats in a 1986 T-Type Regal. Just 55 in tan were built. Now add 23 years later and you can see the chances of seeing many today is extremely rare.

I personally had one out of 317 cars. So you got a rare example, a very rare example. I was very fortunate back when I wrote my Guide Book that I had a deep connection in Flint that had access to a lot of records and an interest like I have for these cars. Course he and the records and most of what owners seek is long gone.

On a side note 124 grey leather pillow seats was produced that year in the 1986 T-Type Regal.

Interesting enough those cars still retained the regular style door panels. My guess is if I did not put that in my book or you have not seen it in print anywhere most Turbo owners would say hey why did you put those seats in your blue T-Type?

Here is a picture of my grey interior white T.. :biggrin:


Scot W.

 

[buizilla]

My 87 Limited Has 92 Codes...........:smile:

 

[strikeeagle]

Following are RPOs from my 87 T, which was produced in Pontiac, MI, as were all 87 TRs, and exported to Quebec, Canada.

I have bolded the RPOs I believe are associated with Canadian TRs.

AR9 SEAT, FRT BKT, EUROPEAN STYLE, PASS & DRIVER RECL
A01 WINDOW TINTED, ALL SHADED, W/S
A31 WINDOW, POWER OPERATED, SIDE
BS1 INSULATION, ACOUSTICAL PKG
B94 ORNAMENTATION, EXTR EMBLEM, BODY, VAR 1
CD4 WIPER SYSTEM, WINDSHIELD, PULSE
C49 DEFOGGER, RR WINDOW, ELECTRIC
C60 HVAC SYSTEM, AIR CONDITIONER FRT MAN CONTROLS
D35 MIRROR O/S, LH REM CONT, RH DIRECT CONT, COLOR
D55 CONSOLE, FRT COMPT, FLOOR
D7I GEAR, SPEEDOMETER DRIVEN; #25524925
E5Z ADAPTOR SPEEDO. DELETE
FE3 SUSPENSION SYSTEM, SPORT
FFL FLINT, MICHIGAN, BODY PLANT 1 (BOC)
GMD GMAD PLANTS (PLANT CODE)
GU6 AXLE REAR, 3.42 RATIO
G80 AXLE POSITRACTION, LIMITED SLIP
G87 RING GEAR, 8.50 INCH
J41 BRAKE SYSTEM, PWR, FRT DISC, RR DRUM, CAST IRON
J50 BRAKE SYSTEM, POWER
K05 HEATER ENG, BLOCK
K09 GENERATOR, 120 AMP
LC2 ENGINE, 3.8L V6 TURBO
MW9 TRANSMISSION, 4-SPD AUTO (THM200-4R)
MX0 MERCHANDISED TRANS, AUTO PROVISIONS, O/D
NA5 EMISSION SYSTEM, FEDERAL, TIER 0
NP5 STEERING WHEEL, LEATHER WRAPPED
NQ5 CAP, STEERING WHEEL HORN (DELUXE) (USED WITH T-TYPE WE-2)
N33 STEERING COLUMN, TILT TYPE
N89 WHEEL, TURBO (ALUMINUM)
PON PONTIAC
QYH STEEL-BELTED, RADIAL-PLY, WHITE LETTER TIRES (P215/65R15)
TT5 HEADLAMPS, HALOGEN, 2
T47 COMMERCIAL BODY, PROVISIONS, UNION CITY BODY
T63 ALARM, HEADLAMPS ON WARNING SYSTEM
UA1 BATTERY, HIGH CAPACITY, WET
UQ1 RADIO PROVISIONS, FOR STEREO
UW4 SPEAKER SYSTEM, 6, DUAL FRT DASH MTD, F/D, DUAL
UX1 RADIO, AM STEREO & FM STEREO, SEEK/SCAN, AUTO REV
U12 SPEEDOMETER, DUAL SCALE WITH KILO ODOMETER
U23 CLUSTER, INST, TRIP ODOM
U73 ANTENNA, FIXED, RADIO
VD6 BUMPER PROVISIONS, FRT, ALUMINUM
VD7 BUMPER PROVISIONS, RR, ALUMINUM
VK3 LICENSE PLATE, FRT MOUNTING PKG
V73 VEHICLE STATEMENT USA/CANADA
V97 VEHICLE PREPARATION, EXPORT
YT9 SPECIFIED, DIVISION INSTALLED (FISHER)
Y56 MERCHANDISED PKG, GRAN TOURING
Z31 IDENTIFICATION PRICE SHEET ADVANCE
Z49 EXPORT, CANADIAN MODIF MANDATORY BASE EQUIPMENT
11Q MOLDING COLOR, WHITE
11U EXTERIOR COLOR, PRIMARY WHITE
27B TRIM COMBINATION, CLOTH, DARK BLUE
27I INTERIOR TRIM, DARK BLUE
279 SEAT BELT COLOR, DARK BLUE
6YX SPRING, LH FRONT
7YW SPRING, RH FRONT
8PZ SPRING, LH REAR
9PZ SPRING, RH REAR

 

[Nick McCardle]

I believe I counted 74 on mine. I can't seem to read them all as the label is extremely light...possibly looks as if a previous owner carried something in the trunk that rubbed part of it or maybe just light printing? I can't seem to get a decent pic of it at all...I'll try again tomorrow with maybe a better camera or better lighting.


My previous T had a lot of options, it's a shame it had so many miles...I would've kept it most likely. I did find some neat documentation from it though, looks to be some sort of dealer paperwork....except, it wasn't an astro-roof? Who knows?

 

[turbofish38]

Mr Fisher, get off your high horse. You are not the only guy in the know in the Turbo Community.

I don't know how many times I see you get so pissy when somebody posts something they happen to know about these cars.

It is almost like you take a personal agenda to prove people wrong or make anybody and everybody look inferior to Mr Eric Fisher

Never said I knew every F'n! thing about these cars like some peeps posting this thread!

Oh I get it. It's okay for some people to post just pure BS about our cars with no accountabilty while those who hold themselves at a higher level of accountabilty get nailed to a cross for pointing the finger. So tell me. What have you done to uphold the value of our cars, to make this site and others a bastion of accurate knowledge? To add credabilty to them as well?
You know Ty, we, both of us I mean just happened to have had the opportunity to have grown up in the Midwest where these values actually mean something. As Clint Eastwood said in a movie once "we certainly ate some of the same dirt, didn't we". I respect your opinion, as well as others so I'll try to tone down this pissing match a bit. :frown:

Here's a good example of what I'm talking about.

What will make your day is in my book I have the exact production count for those tan leather pillow seats in a 1986 T-Type Regal. Just 55 in tan were built. Now add 23 years later and you can see the chances of seeing many today is extremely rare.

I personally had one out of 317 cars. So you got a rare example, a very rare example. I was very fortunate back when I wrote my Guide Book that I had a deep connection in Flint that had access to a lot of records and an interest like I have for these cars. Course he and the records and most of what owners seek is long gone.

On a side note 124 grey leather pillow seats was produced that year in the 1986 T-Type Regal.

Okay Dennis. What's your source for those numbers or did you pull those numbers out of thin air? We all know Buick didn't compile those numbers just for you. If so than you fail to mention that those numbers include all models of Regals and not just the Turbo'd ones. How's about how many 86 GNs recieved the C68 climate control? If you have seat production figures for T-Types than you most certainly have the numbers for any other codes on the SPID label. You see it's easy for me to pick apart what ever you post because I've been in this game(G-Bodies anyway) since 1978 and you hold no credibilty, other than you wrote a couple of books that IMO hold nothing more than one mans opinion of these cars.

Dennis, to post a quote just like I did click on the QUOTE box at the bottom of the post in the thread.

 

[JOHNDEEREGN]

Never said I knew every F'n! thing about these cars like some peeps posting this thread!

Oh I get it. It's okay for some people to post just pure BS about our cars with no accountabilty while those who hold themselves at a higher level of accountabilty get nailed to a cross for pointing the finger. So tell me. What have you done to uphold the value of our cars, to make this site and others a bastion of accurate knowledge? To add credabilty to them as well?
You know Ty, we, both of us I mean just happened to have had the opportunity to have grown up in the Midwest where these values actually mean something. As Clint Eastwood said in a movie once "we certainly ate some of the same dirt, didn't we". I respect your opinion, as well as others so I'll try to tone down this pissing match a bit. :frown:

Here's a good example of what I'm talking about.

Okay Dennis. What's your source for those numbers or did you pull those numbers out of thin air? We all know Buick didn't compile those numbers just for you. If so than you fail to mention that those numbers include all models of Regals and not just the Turbo'd ones. How's about how many 86 GNs recieved the C68 climate control? If you have seat production figures for T-Types than you most certainly have the numbers for any other codes on the SPID label. You see it's easy for me to pick apart what ever you post because I've been in this game(G-Bodies anyway) since 1978 and you hold no credibilty, other than you wrote a couple of books that IMO hold nothing more than one mans opinion of these cars.

Dennis, to post a quote just like I did click on the QUOTE box at the bottom of the post in the thread.

Eric- What you know or dont know about these cars isn't my issue. What I know or don't know about these cars isn't the issue.

My contribution to this Buick Community is my passion to love and cherish these cars....

I don't claim to be a know it all....

IN MY OPINION,,, which probably doesn't mean anything to anybody other than me... is just that you seem to take a personal vendetta against anybody that tries to post anything at all they know, or think they know about these cars.

Maybe the time in Florida took out the good old Midwest value's who knows lol...


Anyway, I hope someday to meet face to face, have a beer and realize I was totally wrong on my beliefs..... I will crawl back under my rock.

Maybe see ya in BG with Shane and Crew!?

 

[1 RARE T]

My Canadian '87 Limited has cornering lamps,opera lights,twilight sentinal and door panel courtesy lights along with many others.

Have'nt counted the codes yet.

Dennis, the door panel lights do light up. Red and white both when you open the door.

Holy crap, I just taught Dennis Kirban something about T/R's.

 

[INEEDAGN]

It does have tinted windshield and license plate bracket.

Tinted windshield ONLY? RPO AO2? Last time this was brought up it seemed this was a very, very, rare option.

Also discussed was the possibility that all radio delete cars had a power antenna, so that they didn't have a useless mast sticking in the air. Probably didn't have a plug for the fender. You should sell your very rare never used power antenna, LOL.

81 RPOs here in case anyone cares. I'd post a pic but frankly the way this site works on my home computer i'll be lucky to get this post through without a server error. Twilight sentinel on a mid option car is the closest thing I have to oddball.

Eric may have come off a little rude (internet does not convey any tone of voice) but he does bring up a valid point: If GM never kept seperate records for turbo cars then how can Kirban (or anyone) throw out specific production numbers for a given option on a turbo buick?

 

[Dennis Kirban]

kirban 2 cents worth

Clearing up some myths. First, its good to see such a wide variety among members of the forum and the cars they have.

As to my figures for the 1986 T-Types with leather. They are correct. My Guide book was first published in 1997. It represents over two years worth of work to do it. Roughly 400 pages. Its one thing to post comments on a forum such as this which is fun for me, is quite another to write a book and get the facts right.

In 1996 and 1997 I sold a total of 50 of the 1986-1987 Turbo Regals. That does not include the many many others I must have looked at and did not buy.
When I was doing the book I would call up my friend who worked in the PR department in Flint and had access to records. I had been doing this for sometime. It took many calls to get any results because Buick records were not kept to the point of breaking stats down. Plus it is confusing with the various models and what they were called. He also told me one 1986 T-Type Regal was built with Lear Seiglar seats.

Keep in mind you could have had some very high up Buick Executives have something special built specifically for them. Who knows?

Lets face it Buick did not make it easy. Our cars were run with regular V6 and V8 Regals. The leather seats in 1986 was not hard to figure out because it was so rare.

I would not publish the figure if it was not correct. Take the T-Top option for example. Many owners with that feature would love to know exact production numbers. I couldn't find that out. However, its a very safe bet what ever the actual total was on a Regal for any year most of them would be on a Turbo Regal as I doubt Grand Ma was ordering them for her regular V6 or Regular V8 Regal.

The Corvette, the 04-06 GTO, Syclone and a few others have it made as they have certain vin numbers to work between that refer strictly to their car/truck. From those figures they can reach pretty good percentage numbers on what they have versus total production for nay given year.

Buick gave us T-Types, Turbo-Ts, V8s in 1987 wih the T suspension package, T-Tops. They were consistent at one thing all the 1986-1987 models were made in Flint and final assembly was done in Pontiac, Michigan. That consistency helps explain why most have the same poor quality black paint jobs. That explains the P in your VIN number. Unlike the days of the original GTOs that were made in about a dozen locations around the country.

The person with the possible Canadian car see if you have a real Canadian car check your speedo the large numbers would read in kilometers. They also had in French a decal by the gas fill up relating to I think using premium fuel. I have a few over the years so again I am going by memory.

As far as some sort of reference for all the possible codes that is hard to do. For a number of years GM would publish a GM Productions Option booklet and it would cover all the years up to the date of each booklet. From this you could figure out many of your codes but not all of them would match up to the definition associated with your year Turbo Regal.

All the option codes show up in the salesman size Price directory complete with the actual suggested price of the option.

The codes at least some of them appear in the 44W book also called Parts and Illustration Catalog. I don't know of any individual outside of my self that has sold more of these cars in the last dozen years than I have handled. Nobody has to agree with what I think is rare. With such a wide array of options available you can see how certain combinations would end up being rare or unusual.

Especially true for any owner of a 1986 T-Type or a 1987 Turbo-T. I don't mean to intentionally overlook the 1984-1985s but my knowledge of them is very limited. So far no one has even thought about the unusual color combos with interiors.

kirbanperformance.com

denniskirban@yahoo.com

Agreement is not required, however look at the high number of responses this topic has produced.

 

[Dennis Kirban]

kirban 2 cents

On the Limited door panel lite option you are correct. I was going by memory. The real neat feature with those Limiteds is the way the dash trim edging and words lite up at nite. Been neat had they done that with the Grand National. I think Ford now offers on the Mustang the word Mustang lites up or glows on the door sills. I think this is Ford Racing accessory new this year.

I was thinking of the LeSabre Grand National I had. That had a red lense that did not lite up. I have no problem admitting when I am wrong.

I could have said I did that on purpose to see if anyone was paying attention?

kirbanperformance.com

denniskirban@yahoo.com

Own a white Turbo-T original paint hard to see the orange peel.

 

[t-topflyer]

kirban 2 cents worth

On a side note 124 grey leather pillow seats was produced that year in the 1986 T-Type Regal.

Any #s breakdown/info available on the same option for 1987?

 

[usetaboost]

Was the inside door panel light an option? I don't remember this on my 87 limited (non-turbo)

 

[usetaboost]

Tinted windshield ONLY? RPO AO2? Last time this was brought up it seemed this was a very, very, rare option.

Also discussed was the possibility that all radio delete cars had a power antenna, so that they didn't have a useless mast sticking in the air. Probably didn't have a plug for the fender. You should sell your very rare never used power antenna, LOL.

No, all my glass is tinted And yes it does seem the radio deleteoption was accompanied with the power antenna. And I can't say mine wasn't used. My delete plate was long gone so it has been used.

Hey Kirban, I have a question for you and the rest of our vendors.
Why hasn't anyone produced a "look-a-like" radio delete plate? I know there are a few different styles, but I would think if the 87 style was made it would sell fairly well.