http://www.streetsideclassics.com/showcar.php/cha/1409/1970-Buick-Gran-Sport-GS-455-Stage-1 not mine....
All expense spared restoration. Too bad they didnt do a little more research on correct left side fender wells and radiators
Discs became mandatory in 71. The 70 Stage 1 4 speed I have has drums. Who ever ordered it didnt care about stopping after he won the race.
I am not sure if they bought this car or if its on consignment, but my guess is it is on consignment. If anyone is seriously interested in the car, I can put you in touch with the actual owner, as I was considering buying it a month or so ago.
Not available, one of the previous owners decided to add them when they repainted the car. The car is a factory silver mist car.
Ok, thats what I thought but they were stressing the originality factor so hard and I was thinking that was a glaring add on. But Im not freakishly knowledgable with available factory option combos. Definitely a pretty sharp GS though. Thanks for the clarification Chris!!
I have met the owner, when he was here for a Buick event. At the time he had a beautiful 70 QQ GSX. Super guy, no doubt. I also saw this car at BPG, as it was parked next to mine. I never asked any questions as to it's originality. I find the ad made up by the consignment house puzzling. It states that it can't confirm if it is one of the original 55 (wrong) Stage 1 four speed cars. While stating later in the same paragraph that the car comes with extensive documentation. I could overlook the radiator and other small items, easily made right, if it is a documented, 4 speed, original matching number Stage 1.
It just irritates me that these consignment houses make such broad statements about the cars they're selling. "The best of the best", "extensive painstaking restoration", "completely original" as examples. Meanwhile there are items just staring you in the face. It does look like a nice car though with some easily correctable items. If the price is right, most would be able to overlook the inconsistencies. I understand they cant be experts about every single car and that they're trying to promote the car they're selling, but I think most of these places need to choose their words a bit more carefully and do a little homework.
Unfortunately, most of them use this rhetoric to entice the uninformed masses. Once you drink the koolaid and buy into the stories, it seems plausible to the average buyer to give tons of cash away for something that just looks shiny and new over a true correct restoration (it's new, it must be correct crowd). How many guys have you run into at car shows/cruise nights that believe they have bought a true nut and bolt correct restoration only to see something with faults but aesthetically pretty. These buyers are probably not the same guys you will find at a concourse judged show... it's all about beating your neighbor for the Sunday afternoon car show trophy anymore.
Sometimes a sign that the car might have been in a front end incident. It didn't take much to tweak these old cars. I swear you can bend the bumper with your hands. If these cars were bumped back in the day, they never went to the old parts bin. If a 72 part fit and was readily available, it was used. It wouldn't have taken a large incident to have to replace the core support, fenders, inner and outer, radiator, you get the idea. some of parts mentioned are replaced without tremendous expense. Back in the early days of restorations people would replace fenders, and core supports, rather than repairing them. Duane Heckman when he owned my four speed car did this. Yes Mr. Buick. Why? I imagine it was much cheaper to replace than repair. This was back before the $1000.00 fenders and $600.00 core supports. I have to agree with Jason when the consignment house writes up the ad as the car is a total NOS restoration, when they know it is not. They are trying to appeal to the masses. One must do his or hers due diligence with any old car purchase.
There was no such thing as repair kits! I had an account with a Buick dealer so core supports were 115.00 brand new for me when I restored the 71. They were readily available till the late 80's. They were so cheap, I bought an extra one. Fenders were 160 bucks each. It was cheaper to just throw away the rotted stuff. Why bother?
I did talk with the owner today, and he is a straight up guy and respected member of the Buick community, and he was disgusted with the ad the consignment lot wrote, and has called them to get it changed. Who knows if they will or not.
They are confused for sure! The buildsheet has been decoded and it IS a factory stage 1 4 speed car.....
A documented matching numbers 4 speed Stage 1. I wish I had the room and the money for this one. You could drive and enjoy it, and restore it later. I have seen people go crazy over cars on this board that had collision damage, rust issues, non original powertrains. Those cars with all they work and money need to bring them to this condition, would far exceed the cost of this car. And this one is a documented, numbers matching 1970 Stage 1 four speed. Some thing the others will never be.
How do you know its numbers matching Jim? Because the dealer says it is? The also think it is 1 of 55. :bla: :beer
