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  #1  
Old 11-15-2011, 07:54 PM
mike.horth mike.horth is offline
 
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Default How Many WE4"s are all black

I picked up a WE4 recently and know they are rare. I can not find out how many came all black and black bumpers. The sites I have been on say Buick never kept track of the number. Does any one know?
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Old 11-15-2011, 08:17 PM
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Lightbulb Re: How Many WE4"s are all black

If it is really a WE4 (check the RPO tag) it will be black and have black bumpers (plus a grey interior) by definition.

http://www.gnttype.org/numbers/rpo.html
http://www.gnttype.org/general/product.html
http://www.gnttype.org/general/product.html
http://www.gnttype.org/images/rp_we4.jpg

The short answer is "1547 of them", which is all that were made.
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Old 11-15-2011, 08:24 PM
mike.horth mike.horth is offline
 
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Default Re: How Many WE4"s are all black

Yes it is for sure a WE4, But they made different colors didnt they? Also they made black ones with crome bumpers. I am led to belive only the first few where all black. I was wondering if any numbers for how many all black are out there.
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Old 11-15-2011, 11:16 PM
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Exclamation Re: How Many WE4"s are all black

Quote:
Originally Posted by mike.horth View Post
But they made different colors didnt they?
No.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mike.horth View Post
Also they made black ones with crome bumpers. I am led to belive only the first few where all black. I was wondering if any numbers for how many all black are out there.
ALL 1547 OF THE WE4 CARS ARE ALL BLACK.

Period.

In the pre-'87 days, there were a few T-Types that were ordered as black/chrome bumper cars. Buick eventually asked the dealers to no longer order this combination, as it looked too much like a GN.

The WE4 was used to help satisfy the thirst for GNs, which was technically a separate model and they could not produce endless numbers of given CAFE regulations of the day. (Yes, they existed then. Perhaps Ken Mosher will mention how he could not order GM floor mats installed in his T-top GN because it made the car too "heavy" for the CAFE specs. Yet he could walk over the the dealer parts department and install them himself.) Plus, they had a lot of unchromed bumpers that needed a home. Thus, the WE4 war born. Black body, black bumpers, T-emblems, NO Regal emblems, grey interior.

Our RPO section shows the actual GM memo announcing its production.

Close to a GN, but not.
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Old 11-16-2011, 09:09 AM
mike.horth mike.horth is offline
 
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Default Re: How Many WE4"s are all black

Not to keep dragging this out but I am confused with the Hemmings article
"According to Dennis Kirban's book, Kirban's Guide to 1986 & 1987 Buick Turbo Regals, "They (Buick) did this so it would not be confusing having two Turbo Regals available at the same time in black." He goes on to explain, "The only difference between the new WE4 version and the black one with the WO2 exterior sport package would be the old WE4 version would have matching black bumpers. The new one would have chrome bumpers." Just how many truly black WE4s Buick made before the change is not known, but it's a good bet that not too many of these were built."
I came across a Turbo T with chrome bumpers at the Syracuse Nationals but did not get a chance to talk to the owner. I just dont know if i am missing something here.
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Old 11-16-2011, 10:19 AM
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Default Re: How Many WE4"s are all black

I agree with Keller (and we have the original brochures on the site). All the WE4s had black bumpers as part of the package as far as I've ever seen. I have NEVER seen a WE4 that didn't have the black bumpers.

There were some very early Ts and Limiteds that had chrome bumpers (a friend of mine had a Limited that was black with chrome bumpers, cornering lights, etc.). It was a very early '87.

As Scott mentioned, I couldn't order dual power seats (the order got rejected) and then I finally had to delete the floor mats on my order to get it approved in the system back in October '86 when I ordered mine. That was when you could still order stuff "ala carte" ... later build GNs (in spring/summer 1987) were pretty much built to one or two order packages.
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Old 12-28-2011, 02:22 PM
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Default Re: How Many WE4"s are all black

Obviously you guys know what you're talking about, because there exists much confusion and conflicting info. out there on the net and in publications regarding this topic. As I understand it, the WE4 was a special package referred to as the Turbo T, which included the Turbo drive train, Black paint and bumpers, aluminum rims, gray interior etc. and only 1547 were produced. But I've been told and have read that in 1987 the "T-Type" was replaced with the "Turbo T" which could be ordered in various colors and options. And that all non-GN Turbo Regals could be optioned however they were ordered or built, other than of course the Limited. So please clarify for me, when someone refers to a 1987 Turbo T, are they talking a WE4 only, or any 1987 Turbo Regal other than a GN, GNX or Limited? Thanks, Ed
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Old 01-18-2012, 02:13 PM
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Default Re: How Many WE4"s are all black

Basically, all the Regals with the "T" packages were "T"s (in 1986 it was a separate option group and only available with the turbo motor ... these cars were "T-Types").

In 1987, the "T" package was separated from the turbo motor (you could get an Olds 307 and still get the T package with it's trim, suspension, etc.).

So, therein lies a bunch of the confusion ... T-Type was separate and distinct to the turbo cars up until 1987. In 1987 you could order your Regal with or without the turbo motor, with or without the T package, etc. leading to some really unique (or depending on your point of view ... oddball!) combinations of options.

For example: The Leather equipped Limited with the Landau top and opera lights, turbo motor, etc. that Red Armstrong has (actually Jane's car). Or my buddy Chuck's base Regal with bench seat, column shift, little chrome mirrors and AM radio (with the turbo motor) which sat next to his other car (now his son's) with the "T" package, bucket seats and all the options (both gray!)

Originally the Turbo T was the way the the WE4 option package was described in the dealer literature and stuff. This sort of morphed into referring to any 87 Regal with the turbo motor because of all the confusion. As a result, there's all sorts of nomenclature running around and it's probably not technically correct.

Around here we like to refer to them generically as "Turbo Regals" or "TRs" to catch all the odd ball variants. Turbo Ts is usually something associated with the WE4s but often used to denote any TR with the T package (probably incorrectly).

Clear as mud?
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2015 BMW 328xi XDrive wagon
2012 Volkswagen Tiguan (the Tig!) Night Blue Met (sold)
2006 Trailblazer SS Red Jewel Tint 395 HP AWD (sold)
2014 Silverado LTZ Crew 4WD
2012 Honda VFR 1200F Tahitian Blue (sold)
2015 BMW S1000R Racing Red
2013 Honda CBR500R Red (wife's bike)
2014 Triumph Bonneville T100
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Last edited by kenmosher; 01-18-2012 at 02:17 PM.
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