2001 California Regal ?

[Buick Bruce]

I'm hoping to look at this Buick in the next day or so.

I know it's "too new" to be of much interest to most BCA members, but the first Buick I bought the year after I graduated from high school and joined the BCA was only 17 years old - a 57 Caballero wagon. Wish I still had it.

Anyway, I can't find any reference about a "California Regal". Does anyone know if this was a regional or specific dealer badging? It is an all red exterior with tan leather interior, badged on the dash as Regal LS.

 

[BUICK RACER]

Bruce, I suspect it was a California dealer thing, there's a few Buick employees lurking here that might know of the story, when you see the car see if there is a dealer label on it and contact them if still around, maybe they can help.

 

[Thriller]

We had a Regal of that era.  My understanding is that there was only the LS and GS packages from Buick, so if that is correct, a California Regal as a package would have to be a regional or dealer item.

 

[NTX5467]

Back in the earlier '70s, the Dallas "Bold Men of Olds" dealers got together and had some Cutlass coupes built for them.  A basic Cutlass "S" with the Cutlass Supreme front sheet metal rather than the normal Cutlass "S" items.  Wreaked havoc on the body shop and dealership parts guys who didn't know about that "regional special" edition Cutlass.  Nothing mentioned in the parts books, either.  I understand that some other Olds dealer groups had some of them, too?

 

As far as the "California Regal", it could well be a regional dealer group situation.  Where a "next year's color" was used along with a certain option package combination.  OR it could be a decal package that was strictly aftermarket, which dealers could get installed by a "cold call" vendor.  I know there were some "Special Edition" decals around back then, which were strictly aftermarket, which some particular dealers bought/installed to make their cars different than other dealers' cars.  These "SE" cars were usually base models.

 

Sometimes, too, the OEM would provide a "spring special" decal package sold only through the OEM sales reps.  Only around for a short period of time.  When they were gone, they were gone.  No replacement parts if the vehicle might be in an accident that damaged these things.

 

Get a picture of the Service Parts ID label, usually in the trunk area.  If it's a factory situation, as in regional dealer group deal, it could well have its own option designation.  A GM dealer can decode the VIN, too, via their parts dept electronic database.

 

There were some genuine "California GS" Skylarks from the later '60s era.  Just as the "California" Mustang cars of the '68 era.  All factory situations.

 

NTX5467

[8E45E]

It might be worth a trip to the Public Library in the region it was sold and go through the automotive sections of the local newspapers and try and locate advertising for this specially trimmed run of cars.  I've seen and heard of a few vehicles that dealers had specially trimmed over the years.

 

Craig

[Barney Eaton]

For those that don't know him....NTX5467 (Willis Bell) has worked at GM dealers around the Dallas/Ft Worth area for many years.   He is a member of the Dallas club.   With lots of insite on GM cars especially Buicks after they are delivered and in service.  

You will note he give good detailed information,   I look forward to reading his response to questions.

I post this because few BCA/Buick people know him outside of Texas.   He seems to be working all the time and has probably only attended the National meets held in Texas.

[60FlatTop]

On 12/26/2018 at 3:15 PM, Buick Bruce said:

I know it's "too new" to be of much interest to most BCA members,

 

The visual that passed through my mind made me laugh. Don't let them kid you, many of theirs were "too new" when they bought them.... and cheap, but they forgot.

 

And that is from someone who doesn't remember forgetting anything. 2001, turn of the century and prewar- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_2003–present

 

 

[Buick Bruce]

Well, looks like this will remain a mystery to me - I got a reply Thursday that the California Regal had already been sold.

But the Craigslist listing is still up, so I can at least share the pictures I saw:

https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/cto/d/san-diego-buick/6742654725.html

 

Over the years, I managed to get ahold of 67 and 69 California GS Buicks, and had a magazine ad for a Colorado GS. 

I used the 69 hood, cold air intake, steering wheel and emblems to turn our family hauler - a 68 Sportwagon - into a "California GSportwagon". Besides everyday use, it hauled our family to the 89, 91, and 93 BCA Nationals.

[NTX5467]

Looks like it was a pretty nice car!

 

Decoded the VIN at www.vindecoderz.com .  That car's been around!  Michigan to Scottsdale to Louisiana, to South Bend, to Florida (per warranty recall records).  The VIN indicates it started life as a Regal LS, which might explain the leather interior.

 

BUT . . . there's a problem.  PM coming.

 

NTX5467

Edited December 30, 2018 by NTX5467 (see edit history)

[John_S_in_Penna]

Craig's List ads don't have long lives, so I'll

copy a few pictures here for everyone's future reference.

This way, maybe more information will eventually come out:

 

[8E45E]

On ‎12‎/‎29‎/‎2018 at 8:31 AM, Buick Bruce said:

Well, looks like this will remain a mystery to me - I got a reply Thursday that the California Regal had already been sold.

But the Craigslist listing is still up, so I can at least share the pictures I saw:

https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/cto/d/san-diego-buick/6742654725.html

 

Over the years, I managed to get ahold of 67 and 69 California GS Buicks, and had a magazine ad for a Colorado GS. 

I used the 69 hood, cold air intake, steering wheel and emblems to turn our family hauler - a 68 Sportwagon - into a "California GSportwagon". Besides everyday use, it hauled our family to the 89, 91, and 93 BCA Nationals.

Like Ford's Mustang 'California Special', I believe the Skylark 'California GS' was also sold in other markets besides California through selected dealers in the US and Canada.

 

Craig

Edited December 31, 2018 by 8E45E (see edit history)