1967 Gold Mist GS400 Project

Discussion in 'Members Rides' started by DauntlessSB92, Jul 9, 2017.

  1. DauntlessSB92

    DauntlessSB92 Addicted to Buick

    I just picked up this original paint untouched GS400 from George and I am really excited to get to work. There are a few problem areas to be addressed but I hope to go right to body work once I swap the suspension over from my 72.

    The RH core support and inner fender have some rust, the left half of the trunk needs repair/replacement and the very lower portion of the LH quarter panel needs repair. Everywhere else on this car is clean and solid. The floors are solid, rear window, trunk decklid, rh quarter, both front fenders. It is pretty impressive the car survived like this.

    The original 400 motor is unfortunately seized and will need a total rebuild. I am not sure if I want to do a mild build of the 400 or sit it on a stand and preserve it for the future as a numbers matching engine. It still has all the switch pitch linkages and the switch, I believe the quadrajet is original too. Even the spark plug wires look like they have never been changed and all the hood insulation is intact.

    All the trim is here except for the trunk and the RH rear wheel well. The interior is complete but certainly dirty. The headliner and carpet will need to be replaced, but door panels and seats may be able to be saved for driver quality.

    I have never owned a GS before and I am excited my first one is a 67. I hope to get this car into a body shop before winter. I would like to paint it gold mist again for originality sake but my wife is not a big fan of the color. Any nice gold mist cars here to change her mind?

    I appreciate any advice towards how I approach this. My goal is to make this as original as possible while improving some hidden aspects of the car. Modern style suspension, a mild 455, modern but original appearing stereo system.

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  2. DauntlessSB92

    DauntlessSB92 Addicted to Buick

    A few more pictures

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  3. hugger

    hugger Well-Known Member

    Once you tell her it will bring more $ the original color ,...she'll want it gold too, that's how mine thinks anyway ha, nice score BTW, I thought about this car a few times

    Put some Marvel mystery oil in the cylinders let it sit few days then put a breaker bar on it , you may be suprised ID get it up and going and work on it as you drive it, I myself am sick of having stuff that doesn't run ha
     
    My3Buicks likes this.
  4. DauntlessSB92

    DauntlessSB92 Addicted to Buick

    I explained that to her earlier, I think she will come around haha. Gold mist isn't my favorite color but I think it will look good with a black top. I've considered modern GM variants on the color too. Thanks, I really hope I do the car justice. I never thought I would be in a position to own a car like this at this point in my life.

    Id love to get it running and driving to help fill the gaps in before body work, but sending the borescope down in, the rust looks pretty bad in a few cylinders. Even if it does break free I worry running it will only do more damage. Its a hard decision because it is the original engine, and its also not an engine I plan on building to anything more than a stock engine with a cam change and maybe tall port 430 heads.

    Id really like to do a nice street strip 455 and leave the 400 on the back burner if I ever decide to sell the car or return it to original.

    With my 72, I never thought twice about what I did, it was already abused and it would never be worth anything. So this whole GS thing is tough haha.
     
  5. 70staged

    70staged Well-Known Member

    I would find another 400 to rebuild to put back in there. While you get the motor work done, do the trunk floor and just clean the interior and a few other spots. Enjoy it like it is when you put the other motor in.
    Me I bought a car that needed motor redone and body work, so I haven't got to enjoy it yet, so I had to go out a buy another Skylark so I could go out and enjoy and work on minor things so I could take a weekend break from body work.
     
  6. 70skylark350

    70skylark350 Jesus loves you unconditionally

    My dad has a beautiful 67 GS400 4spd, gold mist with a black vinyl top. Ill get you a picture.
     
  7. 70skylark350

    70skylark350 Jesus loves you unconditionally

    PM me your cell and I can shoot you a couple pics. having trouble uploading them here.
     
  8. DauntlessSB92

    DauntlessSB92 Addicted to Buick

    Thanks! Pm sent
     
  9. DauntlessSB92

    DauntlessSB92 Addicted to Buick

    I think if I build anything besides the original engine I have to go 455. I love going to the track and my goal would be a nice 12 second car that I can still cruise home comfortably in.

    I was hoping when I got the car, that I could get it running and driving and then do the body work later on. Whether I do it now or do it later though, I still have to do it. My 72 I have owned for 7 years saying I will do the body work and it never happened. Ill just rip the bandaid off this time haha.

    Ill pull the engine, the interior and the fuel tank to get everything out of the way for the body shop. Im going to clean and paint the frame myself, I'll lift the body with blocks, run my fuel and brake lines, get all my tubular suspension, brakes and coilovers installed from the 72 and then get it to a body shop.

    I have the rear to rebuild and an engine to rebuild which will hopefully keep me busy while the car is gone. I can also start looking for options as far as interior upholstery, bumper and trim rechrome and sourcing a few trim pieces that are a little beat up. The first half of the project I can fund with selling parts from my 72. The rest will take time.

    I thought about doing the body work myself too. Trunk pans and quarter patches are reproduced. I am worried about the rh core support and inner fender though. I feel like this isn't the car for me to practice on.
     
  10. NZ GS 400

    NZ GS 400 Gold Level Contributor

    Nice car! I am going to be watching your thread. I did the same thing you are contemplating. My matching numbers 400 is on a stand and I built a Stage 1 455 to run in my 67. I think the gold mist looks great with a black top. I for one really like the look of vinyl tops on 67 A-bodies. Mine GS is going to be green mist with a black vinyl top.
     
  11. BUQUICK

    BUQUICK I'm your huckleberry.

    That appears to be a great project car. Good luck and keep us posted with information and pictures. Nice to see a '67 being saved.
     
  12. DauntlessSB92

    DauntlessSB92 Addicted to Buick

    I took a long break from the car. My new job and the situation with my 2014 Buick Regal helped rob me of some motivation.

    I decided I want to try and get this car running and driving as is before the body work. I would rather go through the mechanicals while the car is still wearing its original paint versus attempting it after the body shop. I think it will certainly draw some attention as is sits.

    I took the original 400 and sp400 out a few months ago. It was quite a struggle to get all the pistons out but the block definitely looks usable. I was toying with the idea of rebuilding it but I may just set it aside for now as I just don't have the budget to rebuild the engine as well as fix everything else the car needs to drive safely.

    I am hopefully going to pick up a cheap 455 this weekend. It supposedly is in running condition and has a 72 casting number, so not ideal but not terrible either. I am torn between just putting new gaskets on, inspecting the pan and doing a compression check or if I should also rebuild the heads and swap the cam for a TA212 or similar.

    I was able to score a used M&H dash harness with fuse block off Ebay. The current fuse block is much too corroded and when I hooked a battery up I could only get certain things to work. It seems all the power windows work which is a big plus. With the new harness I hope to sort out any other outstanding electrical issues. I will probably replace the engine harness as well to be safe.

    In preparation for the new dash harness I have started gutting the interior and found a few interesting things left over from the 70s and 80s. Unfortunately no build sheet, but I still have yet to remove the rear seat back rest so I am holding out hope. I hear the buildsheets are hard to come across for Fremont cars though.

    I am going to head over to the shop now to attempt to pull the rear seat back (couldn't get it to budge yesterday) and start taking the dash apart.

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  13. DauntlessSB92

    DauntlessSB92 Addicted to Buick

    The floors are a little rusty, but no holes and they can support my weight. So to hold me over till restoration I will rust convert, prime and paint them for now.

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  14. hugger

    hugger Well-Known Member

    Very solid foundation, congratulations, I've always wanted a clean 67
     
    DauntlessSB92 likes this.
  15. StagedCat

    StagedCat Platinum Level Contributor

    Love the gold mist, some fresh paint and it will look awesome.......
     
    DauntlessSB92 likes this.
  16. My3Buicks

    My3Buicks Buick Guru

    Looks like a great project. What color was the top originally?
     
  17. pbr400

    pbr400 68GS400

    Clean up the original valve covers and save the stickers; repros don’t have the texture of originals. Mask them and paint them, put them and the Star Wars air cleaner on a pump gas friendly 455, and drive and enjoy it!
    Patrick
     
  18. DauntlessSB92

    DauntlessSB92 Addicted to Buick

    Going by the cowl tag it appears it was a black top car. I can't wait to be at a point to install one.
     
  19. DauntlessSB92

    DauntlessSB92 Addicted to Buick


    I'll have to find a star wars aircleaner but I will definitely try to preserve the factory valve cover decals. They aren't that great to begin with, but since I want to leave things unrestored for this year it will fit nicely with the rest of the car.

    I just grabbed a $400 72 455 over the weekend. Leakdown tests were promising and this coming weekend I hope to take a look at the bearings. If they check out I am just going to replace some gaskets, rebuild the oil pump and throw it in the car.

    I want to be driving this car soon so the less I mess with the quicker that can happen. I can do something different powerplant wise next winter. I still have the original 400 torn down and I'll have to decide if I want to do a stock/mild build with that block or use the 72 455 block.
     
  20. DauntlessSB92

    DauntlessSB92 Addicted to Buick

    A year later I haven't got a ton done but the car is on the road and driving as of today.

    Maybe I'll come back to this later with a more detailed update but to sum it up, all the electrical issues have been sorted out with a new dash and engine harness.

    I disassembled and lubed the power windows and found a broken delphi connector in the process that was causing those issues. I was really close to replacing the driver window harness but got lucky it was a $0.50 pin instead.

    I still have to assemble the interior; door panels, carpet, headliner, package tray, dashpad and seatbelts. I have to decide whether to straighten a warped grill I have or repair a cracked one. I am also waiting on a rebuilt 7027146 qjet from Mark at Quadrajet Power, a stage 1 fuel pump and a set of whitewall tires.

    The trans and switch pitch seem okay but after sitting so many years I can tell there are some sticky valves in the valvebody. It takes some time to go into gear when cold. I also have to get used to how the switch pitch works. I think a second filter and fluid change will help. As I drove it the shifting improved.

    My goal is to have all the bugs sorted for Memorial day weekend so I can make a few passes for Buick day and Musclepalooza at Lebanon Valley. 14.99 or bust!

    The 72 455 I have installed seems like a strong runner. It sounds great with the Gardner performance exhaust I installed. 2.5" front pipes, turbo mufflers to 2.25" tailpipes. Looks factory but sounds perfect. Not too loud but plenty of rumble.







     
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