'70 Stage 1

I have thought about joining the GS Club and likely will if I end up keeping the car long term. Still trying to figure out if this is the car for me. I love the car and it is amazing but that’s the problem. I think it may be too nice. It’s a pretty significant car as well and I’m not sure I’m going to be able to be the proper steward of this vehicle. It’s honestly way out of my league, I feel like I’m dating the prom queen lol. But for now I’m proud to have it and proud to be able to share it with you all, so I’ll just let the chips fall as they will as I cannot see very far into the future at this stage of my life.

How about this? Anyone know what the “Z” is in front of the “189” trim code?



That’s one of the things I have been talking to Wayne about. Still waiting to hear what he has to say. Apparently it is not common to see anything in front of the 3-digit code. It’s clearly not an SCO car so from what I have found on my own is that it may have something to do with the custom “non-recommend” vinyl stuff.

 

Welcome! You can get a lot of vehicle info from https://www.gm.com/heritage/archive?page=ordform
and the Archivist at Collections@SloanLongway.org or (810) 237-3421.
https://sloanlongway.org/automotive-research/

 

The "Z" indicates the "non-recommended" interior color although many other cars came with it (I have one) either as a mistake (the worker forgot to take the Z out for who knows how many subsequent plates) or it's been speculated that it indicates something else unusual (my car certainly is).

Interesting that your car has a clear overflow. They generally stopped using them the 1st week in January but it's not unheard of for later cars to have earlier parts. Of course it could've been replaced along the way as well and if the car was any later I'd say for sure but 02A is certainly not out of the realm of possibility.

 

Overflow was replaced with a NOS example a few years ago. I have the original, it is in kinda rough shape but appears to be the same as the one in the car:


A good chunk of my basement storage is dedicated to all of the original parts I have:



Along with the original motor/trans/rear end:

 

Here is a few more goodies that came along with the parts:

 

I'm not sure what you were talking about? You seem like an AWESOME steward of that beautiful GS. Enjoy!

 

Thank you! I’ve been trying to wrap my brain around how I could have stumbled upon such a significant and well documented car.

I got the car 11 months ago and just now joined the forum. I spent that entire time learning about what I have so that when I joined I would be able to communicate everything I know about the car to you all. Plus speaking intelligently about a topic is important to me even if that is not the case for the other 99% of the internet lol.

 

You were fortunate to get the orig. IBM punchcard for that car. They (and the POBF) were often not put w/the correct car.

Interesting on the overflow jug. Never say never.

You certainly learned a lot in 11 mos. Nice to have the attitude you do (in general) about being informed before commenting.

The only piece of info. I think you'd really gain w/a report from Wayne is whether the car was ordered for stock, Demo, special ordered for a customer, or fleet. That said, it'd a nice addition to your documentation.

Agree that you seem to be quite the steward of that car although I know the feeling. I sold a very nice Stage 1 4-sp to someone who most likely did far better w/it than I would've.

 

I agree and so does Wayne. He has so far told me that it was not ordered as dealer stock or demo but was special ordered for someone. This winter or spring I’d like to start tracking backwards the ownership to see who is still around/alive and what info they can tell me about it. Maybe if I’m lucky I’ll be able to track down the original owner (or family) to find out how the non-recommended stuff got put on. I’m sure the dealer asked for a down payment to even try to get non-recommended stuff. I also plan to remove the passenger seat back to see if the note inside offers any clue as to how it is what it is.

In full disclosure I am missing 1 original part and it is a big one. When I was checking numbers I discovered that the carb I have is not correct. 7040240 is correct for a ‘70 GS455 but not a Stage 1. That bummed me out a little but those things happened. First time it had a drivability concern I’m sure the mechanic blamed the carb and swapped them out. Probably in the early-mid ‘80s.



On the bright side after months of searching I do have on the line a correct 7040246 with a decent date code of 0150, so if I can get my hands on it I’ll be resting easier. Just waiting on him to come up with a number.

Out of curiosity if the carb was built on 1/15 and the car on 2/17, is a 4-week turnaround too much to be considered “correct”. I would think 6 weeks would be too much and 2 weeks being almost perfect.

 

From what I have read the distributor is correct. That is huge…

 

The Stage 1 carbs (& distributors) were built in batches and not too often (known date codes are posted on here) & they didn't always seem to follow the car's production dates (i.e. a car built after a certain part batch date could still get a part from an earlier batch). You're fine w/that carb. Good luck getting it.

 

Yup. That's the one. You were fortunate there. Getting very hard to come by as that batch covered all cars through almost the very end of the model year (0F23 was the next run).

 

Yes. And I was fortunate to get both punch cards. One designed to go into the glove box. And then the other... which is a completely different punch card designed to stay in the dealer stock folder. Among everything else left in the folder including the "pink" slip tittle signed by Lennie Kennedy, and much much more interesting papers. Was lucky enough for the Reynolds to give me the whole folder.

 

Just an unsolicited opinion..

If your intent here is to enhance the resale value of the vehicle, then have at it. You will need the correct carb..

But if your interesting in driving it, and having fun.. don't touch it.

JW

 

I'd like to hear more of the story on how you found and purchased this beautiful GS!?

 

To the op; When I took pics of most everything in my dealer packet including the two punch cards. A few people here recommended that I should delete the pics of the cards. Because it shows the key codes, so just deleted the pics.
Don't really know or not if we have to be that anal, just a fair warning to you.
Love the car!

 

I will elaborate a little more about the ownership history (what I do know at this point) and how I came to own the car.

Sold on 2/27/70 to a lady (yes a lady!) named Maxine S. of Kalamazoo Michigan
- length of ownership unknown

Then sold to a gentleman by the last name of Misner
- date purchased and length of ownership unknown
- notes that I have state he was an employee of Weber Motor Sales (originating dealer), only had it for 1 1/2 years, and never registered it

Then sold to a gentleman by the name of Jeff S. of Plainwell Michigan
- date purchased and length of ownership unknown

Then purchased by a fella named Tom C. of Battle Creek Michigan
- purchased 8/25/89
- sold 10/23/21

Bought by Vic B. of Battle Creek Michigan.
- owned for only 3 months and never actually drove the car

In October of 2021 I was taking a friend of mine for a ride in my ‘63 Bel Air and turned around at the bottom of someone’s driveway. The home owner was in his driveway watching me turn around and I thought nothing of it. I turned around and hauled ass down the road to take my buddy back to his house and unbeknownst to me the guy who watched me turn around in his driveway was actually playing hell trying to keep up with me as he followed us back to my buddies house. When we get to his house this guy pulls in right behind us and my friend says “dude you must have pissed off one of my neighbors” lol. I said “relax, he probably had one of these cars when he was a kid or something”. Well wouldn’t you know I was right, the first thing this guy says was “I had one of these back when I was in school”. So after a good laugh and an “I told ya so” I get to taking with this guy and he is enamored by my Bel Air and keeps telling me that if I ever decide to sell it that he’ll give me his info and to contact him because he’ll buy it. At first I’m like “yeah right, whatever pops!” but then he starts showing me photos on his phone of his cars and the dude is not messing around. 2- ‘57 Chevys, 2- first gen Camaros (‘67 & ‘68), ‘69 Corvette 435hp 427, ‘55 Chevy 3100 and I’m like whoa, this guy’s my freaking hero!

So we talk for a while, I get his number, and he gets in his car and goes on his way. Fast forward a few weeks and I call him up to see if he wants to get together as I definitely want to check out all of his cars. He says yeah come on over so I do. This is 10/24/21 and when I get there he says “hey, check out this Buick I just got yesterday. I don’t even know what I’m going to do with it but my friends just told me I should buy it so I did”. Then he elbows me and says “we should work out a trade for your ‘63”. At first I wasn’t interested as my Bel Air was super clean and a real nice freshly-restored example so I was happy with it. But as the months went by I grew attracted to the idea of having an A body so I decided to reach out to him to talk cheddar. We hashed out a deal for my ‘63 plus a little cash for the GS and all the extras on 1/16/22.

The fella from Battle Creek who owned it for over 30 years is the one who did all of the work on the car and his failing health forced the sale of what I am assuming was like his child. Sad for sure but I never met that guy.

So technically I am the 6th owner. But owner #2 never registered the car and the guy I got it from (owner #5) never even drove the car so in all actuality I am kinda like the 4th owner. I think that sounds cooler…

 

That is good advice, thank you. Not an issue though as I always leave the keys in it!