cool car with great documentation. Notice that it was built 12D (4th week of Dec '69) so it was one of the last cars to get the plastic radiator top plate but it had the large (long) tune-up decal on it which didn't fit properly because the large decal was made to fit the 2nd design (metal) radiator top plate. If we restored a car like this and didn't have this photo many would say that Buick never did this but this car is very near the cut-over date so I think it might be original.
Wow.. Looks to be unmolested too, maybe a repaint at some point. Is that a custom bench seat with no center leaner?
*edited for correction* The GS455 convertibles in 1970 did not get the center arm rest with a black or sandlawood bench seat interior. A hardtop obviously did get the center arm rest when it had the deluxe interior regarless of color.
*edited to make correction* The GS convertibles in 1970 did not get the center arm rest if the interior color is black or sandalwood, even though it's a deluxe interior. Strange but true. If you see a '70 GS convertible with a black (or sandalwood) bench seat with a fold-down center armrest, someone has installed a seat from a hardtop. If the GS convertible has a pearl white or burnished saddle bench seat interior it will have a fold-down armrest but those two interiors were an extra cost according to the order form.
I'm dubious about the originality of the window sticker. The last 6 numbers of the VIN at the top should be in large, thick print and not the same font as the first 7 digits.
LOL! The second one from Jim Cooke Buick is from the '70 GS455 convertible I owned from 1986 thru 1991. Small world. I'm also questioning the first one as the font for the VIN digits is different than I've seen in the past, unless Framingham plant used a different printer.
I included the window sticker for your former GS455 convertible to see if you were paying attention. I wasn't able to slip one by you. The Framingham window sticker is an original document for a Skylark with special order paint color that was for sale a few years ago. Apparently, Framingham wasn't always using the same print font as Flint.
Gary, thanks for the explanation on the bench seat without the arm rest. I've seen benches like that in 4 speed cards with standard interiors.
The 3-speed is listed in the section about the standard equipment included with the GS 455 convertible but the first line shows the optional Th400 automatic transmission. But as Ray noticed, it has a high potential of being a reproduction window sticker.
And, talk about unusual window stickers, take a look at the entire sticker on my convertible. It had the factory trailer towing option, A/C, Heavy Duty cooling, and lots of other options but manual drum brakes. It was fun to stop from 105 MPH.
The '70 GS Convertible base (no cost) interior was a no armrest bench seat in the deluxe (i.e. waffle) pattern w/corresponding deluxe interior panels. Notice that's the only place the "5" appears in the middle position, indicating it's a unique interior. The fold-down armrest was still optional, but that would be the only difference in the deluxe interior & was only available in a convertible in Pearl White or Burnished Saddle (seems strange not in black). What would be incorrect would be to see a no-armrest bench seat w/the deluxe pattern in a hardtop. I'd seen these no armrest deluxe pattern seats and wondered where they came from until looking closer at the order form. IIRC, the 1st digit is the body style, 2nd is the interior style, & 3rd is the color.
You are correct and I was wrong, a fold-down armrest was indeed available, at an extra cost, for two interior colors - Pearl White and Burnished Saddle. I'll go back and correct my previous post to state: All '70 GS convertibles had a deluxe interior but the use of the fold-down armrest was color dependent. No fold-down armrest for '70 GS convertibles if the bench seat interior is sandalwood or black (this will be a deluxe pattern interior at no extra cost and is not the standard interior pattern used in the hardtop). A fold-down armrest is included if the '70 GS convertible is ordered with the extra-cost Pearl White or Burnished Saddle vinyl notchback seat (also a deluxe pattern interior). A really unique interior would the '70 GS convertible with a Sandalwood bench seat. As you pointed out it would be a deluxe pattern wheras the hardtops with the Sandalwood bench are the standard (non-waffle) pattern. I'm curious to look up how many '70 Convertibles were made with the code 154 interior. I think a black '70 GS convertible with the Sandalwood deluxe bench interior would look really nice.
