This is true. It's a good score, but you DID see the rust on this thing correct? :laugh: It's not gonna be a quickie resto. As was mentioned before, why not GSX the Skylark and restore the Stage 1? Just curious, it's your car and yours to do with what you please. :beer
Ken, I'd only seen the car 2 times before I bought it, but never looked too closely at it, since I already have most parts to replace on it, I never even questioned the asking price. I still haven't seen under the carpets, or underneath the car/frame, at all. I haven't looked at the car since it was delivered, and garaged, November/10, until TODAY, as a bodyshop owner wanted to look at it, immediately, as he's collected Chevelle/442/GTO as long as I've collected GS's, and was excited to offer the opportunity to discuss the repairs at his local facility (which can save me labor costs, since I'll be stripping the car before it goes to his shop, and is also convenient just down the road for me to supply pars, and check on progress often).:TU: Depending on your idea of a "quickie" resto, I plan to have the car painted & driveable (not necessarily completely finished, since I'll be doing all mechanical & interior, myself) before this Fall.:Brow: He offered a frame-off restoration, including bodywork & paint, for less than $10,000, if I supply parts & materials (not an issue), as I plan to stop by the shop and see some of the show winning cars he's already done.:eek2: As you ask "Why not GSX the Skylark...", the "Skylark" is also a #s matching '70 GS455, so does it really make any difference if the GS455 or the GS Stage 1 gets "GSX'd", if they're both basically the same car, anyway? As I've explained, I've owned 14 Skylark/GS's, and most have already been "GSX's", so I just want something different than I've always seen or have been used to, and the Stage 1 is no exception, as I have no interest in keeping a car as it originally came from the factory. If I could afford the $20,000 Ironworks A-Body chassis for the Stage 1, it would already be in my garage; otherwise, I have to work with what I have, so I'm starting with getting the body/sheetmetal all in one piece, then I can finish it from there! I mostly plan to change the colors of the car, but nothing that can't be removed or returned to original condition (except the vinyl top will not be installed or replaced, while I own the car!). Brown interior will be changed to Black & White interior Brown exterior will be Pearl White GSX, with custom steel GS hood :Brow: I won't try to pass it off as an original GSX, even though it will probably fool the experts, just by looking at it, and most others won't know the difference, or care, anyway. So, to answer your question, I just plan to enjoy the car (Stage 1, 455, 350, Skylark, GS, 2 door, 4 door, Convertible, Sportwagon, or all the rest that I currently own/have owned/will own), no matter what cost, what it looks like, who likes it or who doesn't, and whether I'm out driving at car shows/drag race events (though it'll never be raced on a track), or if I'm just hanging out in the garage with my buddies, admiring the beauty of the car, after it's done. You'll like it, too, I promise. :beers2: On the outside, it will look like a factory White GSX; underneath, it will still be a #s matching Triple Brown Stage 1.:bglasses:
You want to install a Suncoupe roof on it Just kidding. I understand where your coming from. I changed my Suncoupe from White to Strato Mist blue and its 1 of 6 and probably one of 3 or 4 in existance. Its my car and I don't want to spend this much money on a car that I cant stand to look at. If I had gone with white I would have been selling it. Build it for yourself and have a car you want. The only thing I did not do that I wanted was to convert it to a 4 spd. Its got a numbers matching BB trans so I kept it in there. Enjoy folks these are just cars and this is just a hobby for most of us. I plan on having a blast watching Duane pick all the stuff my car did not come with. I have the original window sticker so he can see whats been changed. Whom ever is the next guy will probably get a quick pass over because Duane will be so tired I might have the nicest Stage 1 in concours that fails to eve get a bronze
I've had convertibles, never wanted a sunroof or T-Tops, but a Targa top would be something I've never seen on an A-body, that I might try one day, on another GS.:idea2: I just don't like the wind noise, or open air driving in a car; although I have no problem with it, while cruising down the highway all day on a 1,400cc sport motorcycle, just not in a car (not even with the windows down. I'd rather just listen to my stereo, and let everyone else listen to the loud exhaust & beautiful engine sound that I'm already familiar with, from driving Buicks for as long as I have). As far as building cars how you like, I promise not to put wheels any larger than 18" on the GS, or hydraulics to make it a lowrider (although I'm seriously considering full RideTech air suspension, after reading about Brett Voelker's '70 GSX ProTouring performance)!:TU: I'm just excited that I actually got someone who's interested enough to come and see the car, who's familiar with '70 GM A-bodies and capable of doing the kind of quality work that I expect, while still being able to keep it under a budget goal, so I can put more into the interior, drivetrain, and other body mods! I hope to have all the sheetmetal panels within the next few weeks, as I bought them from Ebay (no sales tax on internet), and can save shipping cost by having a buddy pick them up & deliver them to me, since he has to come and pick up parts that I donated to his '72 Skylark, anyway!:bglasses: This weekend, let the garage organizing begin, to prepare for Stage 1 disassembly/inspection/rebuilding...:TU:
Update: Removed the back seat, no luck finding build sheet; floors are still solid; trunk floor & lower RR 1/4 have been repaired, lower LR 1/4 is rotted; roof isn't as bad as I thought, and can be saved. Is there another place to find the build sheet, or find out how the car was ordered? As I continue disassembly, I'll keep looking...
looks like you got your work cut out for you but it should be a cool car when you get finished with it.
Nah, I only bought the Ram Air cleaner, but the guy insisted that I had to take the whole car and the 2 455's with it, since it was taking up garage space from his Pro Street '69 Camaro. I didn't want to hurt his feelings by refusing the Stage 1, so I just HAD to take it home...:laugh: If he decides not to restore his numbers matching '70 442, I may end up with that for less than $1,000, too (I have 7 Buick 455's just waiting to be put in something, and since I don't have any Olds parts laying around anywhere...)!:TU: He just sold the '70 Chevelle SS (no engine/trans/or interior, just the way I like 'em), just a few hours before I bought the GS, or I'd have taken that, too!
Still too cold to get outside to cut the junk trunk floor out (replaced by previous owner, not very well, I might add), otherwise I'd hope it may still be somewhere attached to the car, in a place that no one else has looked yet, until I can be the lucky one to find it, first. Maybe it will be warmed up by this weekend, to get the surgical tools (die grinder, air hammer, cutting torch...) to see what other hidden surprises I may find.
Gutted the dashboard, no luck finding buildsheets there; last hope is on the gas tank, but not confident, since trunk floor has already been replaced by previous owner, that could have found them and lost them, already... Otherwise, as Princess Leia's holographic message said "Help me, Marco Wan Conigliari, you're my only hope...", to discover the secret plans for building this most devastating Weapon of Mass Production & POWER, the GS Stage 1 (even Darth Vader can recognize a more powerful FORCE than his own!).:bglasses:
Mine was folded up and stuffed up in there, it had been painted black and was difficult to see. The dash and windshield were both out of the car and it was quite sometime before I even noticed it there. Bert
:beer Making progress; it may be Spring, but still feels like Winter, so I've only been out in the garage 2 or 3 times to work on the car & try to organize floor space to get around it (how else can you stack 7 455's & 14 transmissions neatly, among other hoods/fenders/intakes/exhaust manifolds & systems/etc., in only a 2 car garage?!). I removed all the boxes of extra parts from the trunk, and sorted through everything, to find many good useable duplicates, besides what was already on the car (8 Stage 1 fender emblems, 16 Rally wheel center caps, 3 extra complete instrument bezels/gauges, front & side marker lights, 3 heater delete covers, NOS blower moter & 3 extras, and lots of other Buick parts I haven't identified yet.)! Interior is gutted, front fenders/core support/bumper is now removed, getting down to bare body shell & frame to begin bodywork (mediablasting frame & replacing 1/4 panels & trunk floor is the extent of major repair, before prep/paint, so I expect to keep the car somewhere between $10,000 & $20,000 for a full frame off restoration, with all parts & resources I already have available to me, as I will do as much work on it as I can, myself, even as I teach myself how to weld & paint, with confidence that I can do as nice a job as any of the local bodyshops that have given me estimates to charge me as much as $55,000 for labor, as I am still expected to pay for & supply (GS/Buick) parts that they don't know where to get, otherwise!:bglasses: Next thing to come out is the '76 455 engine (already planning to rebuild & install in one of my other GS's, just for a throw-together street cruiser) & original TH400 (for inspection to rebuild/improve for dependability, while it's out of the car). '70 Stage 1 455 is already on stand, ready for teardown & inspection for "spun bearing" damage, as told by previous owner, to prep for rebuild and improvement (adding B4B intake, TA Performance Headers, mild cam upgrade, among a few other appearance & performance goodies for under the hood). So, things are looking good, so far, and as weather warms up, I can spend more time in the garage, and keep you posted, with more pics as I get them!:beer
UPDATE: Gave away the '76 455, got estimates within my "expected" budget plan, very excited with progress, on schedule! Local bodyshop estimates this morning, includes: - Removing body from frame, to put on rotisserie - Mediablasting frame & body - Welding in frame reinforcement tubes/custom transmission crossmember/custom driveshaft loop & exhaust crossmember (HPI frame kit for '70 A-bodies) - POR15 frame & body - Replace both 1/4 panels, trunk floor, rear deck filler - Prep & paint body (Pearl White/Black GSX stripes) - Upgrade suspension & brake system (Pro Touring style/2" drop spindles; tubular control arms; front & rear anti-sway bars; reinforced rear end/Wilwood 4 wheel discs/etc.) All I have to do is build the engine, transmission, and redo the interior! LESS than I expected, so staying within plan, so far, for cost & time to get it back on the street, in just a few months!:beers2:
