PROGRESS being made. Thanks to Skip and Ron's Resto Shop guys for their perseverence. Body is off!! Latest updates on George's Buickperformance.com site: http://www.buickperformance.com/grn4spdconv.htm We still need a green sport steering wheel in case anybody has one for sale.
WOW! Quite the project, Mike! Looks like good progress being made.....thanks for keeping us updated. It's always very cool to see progress pictures!:TU:
China Mike and Skip You both have your hands full on that one. Nice of you to bring it back from the dead and decomposed.
Boy, I thought MY car was rough! Those pictures bring back memories ... some not so good. You're definitely doing it right, though. Here's a question though. I'm not really up on all the restoration details of these cars. I noticed in the pics that this car had the extra braces connecting the upper and lower contraol arms, but it didn't have boxed lower control arms or a rear sway bar. Is that correct for that car, or was it changed somewhere along the line? I would have thought a big-block car would have had the rear sway bar. Thanks. have fun.
These parts and the frame just came back from the powder coaters. Keep checking buickperformance for more pictures. This car did not come with a rear sway bar which is part of the package that gets you the boxed arms.
Very nice Skip and Mike. Where did the car most of its like to get that much rust? Perhaps up north with the winter salt?
Jim, the car spent it's working life in the S Side of Chicago near the Indiana border. Lots of salt on the roads over there. Then for some reason the owner threw a tarp on it that wasn't waterproof and stored it outside for years. The greenhouse effect accelerated the rusting process.
Mike - I too have a '71 Buick GS 455 (auto) Convertible in Lime Mist Green, but with a white top, pearl white interior, and black carpet (great combo, I think). Right now, I have a stock matching #'s car/engine combo, and I'm thinking about possibly a rebuild on the motor to get some extra hp. My car is certainly a solid 3, but on a good day, 2.5. For those of us thinking (okay dreaming) about a complete resto, do you care to share your investment dollars? Thanks, Erik '71 Buick GS 455 Convertible
WOW!!! Let's see, I have three boys that will be going to college over the next 10 - 12 years, @ 40k a boy + 1 complete resto, I'll need 160k. Or, 3 boys and the local community college + 1 complete resto, I'll need $100k. Priorities, priorities, hmm, have 3 boys complete school and get a great job and pay dad back by having his car completely resto...Priceless...:> Looks like the car will stay between a 2.5 and 3 for quite some time... Erik '71 Buick GS 455 Convertible
Those numbers are in the right ball park. It probably wouldn't be worth it except that it's the only 71 GS455 or Stage1 Convert 4spd that I've heard of with confirmed matching numbers... carb, engine, tranny, etc. Maybe there are a few more around somewhere but there were only 27 made in the first place. 18 GS455s and 9 Stage1s. To think I originally bought it as a parts car for the drive train... Frankly I didn't believe the seller saying it was all original especially looking at how he'd taken care of it and the condition it was in. An internet purchase sight unseen except pictures. Skip is a superhero Buick guy taking on this formidable project, and I can't praise his shop enough for the work they'be done for me in the past. If you're going to do something like this find a guy you can trust who's done it before. Skip and Jim both have.
