Hello, I'm New to the Site and to Skyhawks -
(Seems to be quite an Odd duck as cars go Hence my attraction)
The car is a 1987 Buick Skyhawk VIN#1G4JS21K3HK424908.
I was hoping for a little help out there decoding the VIN and determining more precisely what I have - thanks
its a 2.0 liter (non turbo) not sure 2.0 OHV or 2.0 SOHC
It has a 5 spd again not sure which one?
It has T-type badges all over it and a louvered hatch back window
Also has hide away headlights (never saw that on a skyhawk before)

Any insights are appreciated - thanks

Here's some diagrams of the engine if you want.
click

oh and try to get some pics

Cool, another T-Type, and hidden headlights! Please, post pix...

but again, why is everyone so far away...

Thanks for the Diagrams!
I pick the car up on Saturday, I'll post Pictures after that.
Does anyone have production numbers for these cars?

motorman377 does. In fact they're in a recent post, but I can't remember which one...

Info train about to arrive shortly

ReattaBob.... welcome to the Buick & Jbod fold. Here's some info for you, as best as I could with just a VIN #.

1G4JS21K3HK424908

1= US built

G= GM division

4= Buick

JS= Skyhawk Custom

2= Hatchback

1= Manual seatbelts

K= 2.0L Overhead valve engine, with fuel injection.

3= Check digit

H= 1987

K= Leeds, Mo. assembly plant

The rest of the numbers indicate position on assembly line.
Next car behind yours would end with 910.

Production: Skyhawk Customs... 19,814. Now this includes all Skyhawk
Coupes, Hatchbacks, everything.

Hatchback production: 3,757. Now this one includes all hatchbacks, not specific trim hatches.

You must remember that in 1987 that was the first full and last year for hatchback bodies.
In 1986 they only made them in the last 6 months of that year. So Buick hatch production
was only for 1 1/2 years and then they disappeared!

There is much more info at your fingertips. On the cardboard spare tire well cover, there's a sticker with a bunch of numbers. This is EVERY part & option package that was installed on your car.

PM me the list when you get the info, I have just about all of the codes and what they are.

Something to remember. In 1986 Buick used the T-Type emblems...ONLY!
In 1987 they used Sport Hatchback emblems...ONLY!

If it has T's on it, someone added them at a later date. Never was an '87 T, except the Grand Nationals.
You should also have a solid color interior, not the Black-Gray-Red interior.

Hope this helps you a bit, might be able to help you on the Reatta also.

Alan

Duhhhhhhhhh... next car would be 909

Thanks for more info .
Saturdays the big day
I'll try to provide pictures as soon as possible

Can't wait to see it...

Brought her home today - No Problem

I think this is a link to see some pictures
nullhttp://www.fquick.com/garages/Buick/Skyhawk/1987/31951/

www.fquick.com/garages/Buick/Skyhawk/1987/31951/

lucky guy there

Bob, a very nice example of that model. Looks just like my '86 turbo and '87 turbo cars.

Best of luck, any questions, just ask.

Alan

Hey Alan,

I was going to buy a new '87 turbo hatch in October '87. It was on the lot and it definately had the T type badges on it.- perhaps in '87 those badges were turbo cars only?

That car on the lot was loaded w/ all options. Red over red and had the 125 MPH speedo on it- a running change in '87.

Even afer haggling I was looking at 14 grand for the Skyhawk. They had a two tone red/silver '85 Sunbird S/E turbo hatch w/ 40K miles on the lot for 8 grand, and I bought that instead.

It was a fun time to be in your 20s and loving J bodies. For my money the rarest J I ever saw was was Firenza hatch w/ the '86 Firenza GT equipment- 2.8 V6, bigger wheels, FE3 suspension, V6 nose w/ added cool air inlets, but no GT markings- totally stealth.

John, anudder Joisey Guy. According to my records, which include showroom sales literature, GM parts manuals, body manuals, and factory photo's of both prototype and production models, the '87's never had the t-type logo's.

I have a white w/blue interior hatch and also a red on red hatch, both turbos. I also know where another hatch is, and it's promised to me buy the owner... no t badges.

Beats me, Buick only made five of them, I have 2 and have seen the third one. The other was silver, used by the mag writers for testing. Is the only one with an 85mph speedo, which the writers all ragged on. Hi-po and 85mph speedo, which the factory promptly changed. I have a copy of that article also. Another former poster had the fifth one, black, which he provided accident/carfax report on it. Was parked on side of road & hit by a drunk @3:00 am in K/City, Mo. His Mom worked at the Leeds, Mo. assembly plant where all of them were built.

Haven't seen anything with diff badges in mags/factory litereature. Only my '86 hatch has the T's on it.

Alan

Awesome Car. I have never seen the hidden lights on the hatch - Tre Cool!

So, Motorman (Alan)
Maybe this should be a new post but ...
Can I talk you into sharing some of your info? Maybe via e-mail, or copies via snail-mail. Seem there is not very much info out there on these early J-bodies. Even the buick Club doesn't have an expert listed on there web page.
Thanks
bp

John Mac, etal......... "CORRECTION"

It's been bugging me that we have several conflicting examples of the Buick builds, vs. my info.

Well I stand corrected! After burning the midnight oil last evening I found the answer.

In 1987 Buick offered 3 levels of body builds.

The Custom : Coupe S27 Sedan S69

The Limited: Coupe T27 Sedan T69

The Sport: Hatchback S77

This info was deeply burried within the Buick specs & build pages. After all who would want this in/on a Buick???

The Custom was base model, Limited was the intermediate and Sport the top line model.

Sport was available in hatch or coupe and DIDN'T have T-type emblems. They had SPORT/HATCH emblems.
It could be purchased with or without the turbo engine.

The Limited could be optioned out with any of the Sports equipment, pick what you want kinda and HAD T-type emblems! But only if you orderd the T trim pkg.

The Custom followed suit with the Limited as far as being optioned out and HAD the T-type emblems!

So the Sport had all of the bells & whistles, the other two could be optioned out the same, but were cheaper models.

Just goes to show ya, when it comes to cars something new always pops up.


Alan

Bob, I belonged to the BCCA for awhile. I've been a show judge in regional events and had been approached by several folks to do exactly what you see as the void in their info areas. Back then I had 1 turbo hatch, my '69 Skylark and a 27 Buick sedan that I did a ground up resto on. Add to that my sale of old superstock Buick 455 engine parts to my friend and hauling/helping him out running car at all events & Bowling Green several years, that's the Buick Nationals.

Doing all of this as an individual w/o help is hard, to put in mildly. In addition to this I run (track & street) a S/Pro 9.05 second Nova, am restoring a '27 T fuel altered roadster to run this coming season (7.50's). I also like bikes, and have an ex LSR holder with 9 records to my credit and 3rd. in the points championship, out of about 175 bikes. I'm also building another bike for LSR and am in the process of building a BMW to attempt to set a FIA record at Bonneville maybe in 2011. Add to this being single & doing all the b/s that entails, helping my Buddy with his Vintage LSR & bellytank lakester... i'm a busy guy, for my age (68) .

Sharing info isn't a problem. It doesn't do anyone any good to have me die & the info is lost. What you suggested I understood partly, but you must understand this: i'm a 68 y/old knuckle dragging neanderthal computor operator ! I can tune a MoTeC or Haltec stand alone system, burn chips, but this intelligent piece of plastic sheet in front of me HATES me. Must be a female, I guess.......... go figure :>(

I have more parts/info for these things than anyone should even dream of. Ask Wayne. Hell I even bought a mans total ex-SCCA parts hoard, as he used to run Poncho's in SCCA. I have a cousin in Germany that helps me with old R&D on these engines and has "loaned" me about 10 different camshaft grinds. See these are Opel engines originally, and i've converted one of my Buicks to DOHC setup with individual throttle bodies.

Like I offered to most, just ask, if I have the info i'll share, plain and simple.

Sometimes I err, like the timing belt interferance fit thread. I had just come off of the BMW sites, have a strange head on my one J...... both of these engines are interferance fit. I looked at the thread, but didn't read it... brain was in gear for diff engines, so I goofed up bigtime. Sorry if I caused any grief with you fellas, but WTH I can claim old age/ senior moment... you youngsters can't ! LMAO I just found out about my error yesterday, as someone nicely emailed me & told me about the thread.

Take care, good to see some Buicks finally. Show these "other" folks what real J-bods are all about :>


Alan

Hi Again Alan,

Sport was available in hatch or coupe and DIDN'T have T-type emblems. They had SPORT/HATCH emblems.
It could be purchased with or without the turbo engine.

The Limited could be optioned out with any of the Sports equipment, pick what you want kinda and HAD T-type emblems! But only if you orderd the T trim pkg.

Thanks for digging into the deeper recesses of the vault for that one! This all flowes w/ my memory off the T emblems being available as a trim package, regardless if you go a Turbo or not. I recall thinking that it was kind of not cool-false advertising in a way.

Reatta Bob- congrats on your find- it looks great! While all 1st gen J cars are a rare breed now, the Skyhawks, like Firenza, are rarer still. As cool as a turbo was, I am glad you got the OHV IL4- the Brazilian OHCammer w/ a Turbo just was not a long lived unit.

Keep an eye out for rust along the insides of the door bottom near the drain holes, esp the driver side. Good luck!

John Mac.... shame on you ! Rust on a 1st. gen... never :>O ! Check under the rear lip-inside edge of hatch itself. That's not a 1 pc. stamping, it's several pieces put together & they do leak water between the panels. Bottoms of doors happen to co-inside with how the car was parked on the street. All streets have a crown to them, to drain into gutters. Gutter side doors fill up with water & rust thru. Easy way to tell is look at streaks in/on paint, that shows direction water rolled/ran off of car, always towards gutters.

Brazilian OHC engines are still being used today. Check Isuzu and Mitsubishi, they are now about 2.4-2.6L. Even Mazda Miatas used a form of this engine. All have very nice DOHC 16V heads by the way, and they bolt right on. Oh my, what he just said!

Alan

Cool car, there is a good chance my grandpa built that car, he worked at the plant they were made.