1971 Buick GSX

I’m sure it’s already been discussed here, but this car was owned by Johnny Gribble near Chicago. He pulled into a car cruise that I attended with this X that was put on by the Chicagoland GS chapter back in the early 90s. It was a 455 car back then. Sounded rowdy, and it was the first time I’d heard a BBB with MT headers. It was the first time I’d seen a GSX in person, and the reason I wanted to own one, preferably in white.

 

There was a long theead about it earlier this year/late last year when the car was sold to tue current owner.

 

Yup, I remember the thread.

This car was a lot of “firsts” for me, and had I not bought mine, I would have definitely perused this one.

 

There are many guess's but no one has stated if it is a documented, real GSX......Or is it highly possible? Just possible? Somewhat possible, probable? Maybe? or could be?

 

Without actual documentation it’ll always just be a could be. Which for me, I couldn’t spend a ton of money on a resto for a maybe.

 

Highly possible based on the low body # & that it was built same week as Zach's - I'd assume they wanted to group what few GSX's there were together @ the assembly plant for striping purposes & would've coordinated this w/Fisher Body.

 

If a tree falls in the forest,......can't prove it isn't just as much as you can't it is,....people said it was a small block from wjat i understand,..nothing proves it was,..actually indicators are there it was and always has been a BB,....If it's been wearing stripes and GM rear spoiler since the 80s,..which appears to be the case,....I would proceed with confidence myself,....it's priced as if it is an X imo,....so part of you must be confident in that ,....

If anyone says "it's not a real X" tell them to prove to isnt,....they will mumble as they walk away

 

Frame part # would (did/does) prove it's a BB. I thought it wound up being #'s matching engine or trans too but not sure. Definitely something SCO about it that's Fisher Body related.

 

Low body number
tag doesn't state SCO, I thought it always did?
Hood tach factory grommet and pigtail-
would be more rare of a regular GS if it had THAT......
I'd say it's real.....

 

To me personally the tach harness tells the story

 

My 71 GSX also does not have a hood tach. It has an in dash tach….and the other 71 GSX I had did not have a hood tach either.

I don’t think either of my 71 GSX’s have “SCO” on the I’d plate, and both have low body numbers.
Duane

 

I understand that,...I know the 71s didn't "have" to have a tach or the front spoiler BUT,...given the car in question it's relevant and offers another solid bit of evidence,..that was my point

 

OE rear spoiler i assume
Tach harness
OE dash plaque
More evidence to support than deny

 

Or the other scenario

Factory BB white GS
With the ultra rare optional hood tach
Gets a rear spoiler (or maybe even another option or day two add on) and dash plaque and grill emblem from a wrecked 71 or better yet 72 X ,..or a trip to the Buick dealer for the new parts,..it gets painted like an X back in the 80s? Late 70s? ,...OR it's an original X that just doesn't have the few papers it would take to validate it,..which seems more plausible

 

Something made the car an “SCO” car, otherwise it would not have a low body number.
Duane

 

Duane, as a side note- does that interior look like a 71 to you? Me thinks it's 72.....

 

You’re right, that interior is from a ‘72.

 

No,
The interior has the wood grain on the door panels and they are from a 72 Coupe with the deluxe interior.

Personally I would be more worried about not having a floor, although if you stripped out the interior and welded a roll cage into the shell before you pulled it off the frame, you could fix the bottom of the structure and weld the upper body into a 1-piece dynacorn floor pan.

That would make the shell structure, structurally strong again, and then you could fix the sheet metal.

Not an easy undertaking but it could be done and another car would be saved.

I basically did this same thing to 2 of my cars, a 70 442 convert and a 70 Chevelle convert.

I used mostly original pieces and did it in sections, but the result would be the same.

Once finished you could not even tell I did anything.
Duane

PS,
There is a certain 70-72 2-door post model shell (on the board for sale right now) that would be a perfect floor pan donor if it was a 71-72 shell.

Ah, the days of welding, when everyone left me alone and I got some big things done. Of course I only caught myself on fire a few times.

 

Seems some/most/all of the rear spoiler only cars came w/the GSX dash emblem. Been discussed on here & several documented examples.