I just can't take the parts off. Now what?

Well, I am having a moral dilemma. I purchased a 72 GS 350 with a cracked block for a parts car. I was going to take the hood, front disk brakes, buckets, center console, steering column and rear end and put them on my Convertible to make a clone. I was going to put my Skylark parts back on the GS, put in a nice running 430, paint it and sell it as a driver. Now I just can't bring myself to strip the GS.

What to do? In the end I was going to sell both cars and buy a numbers matching GS350 or a 65 Riv anyway.

Should I feel guilty stripping the GS?
Would I be better off selling a new painted Custom Conv and a GS with a BBB or a driver coupe and a Clone Convertible? Swap?

Any advice and thoughts would be helpful.

 

I would buy the GS pieces you need from others since some poor car(s) has already been stripped.

Sell the GS you have whole assuming it is economically feasible for someone to bring it back as a driver.

They aren't making anymore.

 

By the time you spend $500 for a hood, $275 for the front disk brakes, $275 for the center console, $500 for a pair of bucket seats I would have $1500 in parts plus all of the shipping.

I am pretty sure I could sell the GS turned Skylark for $2000 with the BBB in it and painted.

 

Put the 430 into the true GS and sell it with the cracked numbers engine for 6,000:laugh: ...Dan

 

Matt
Save the GS
Do not part it out

 

I think I have come to the conclusion that is what is going to happen. I am going to paint the GS, put new seat covers in, trunk pan and the 430. Sell it and than sell the 71 Custom. Use the money from both sales to buy a real GS350 with a four speed.

Is there someone with a GS350 4 speed that wants to do a 2 for 1 swap? That way I only have to do the work to one car.

 

Looked at a 70gs 350 4spd in NYC in May07. Car wasn't that bad but guy thought he had a hemi cuda. Price was way to high. Let me know if you want me to try and dig up his #. It wasn't a vert.

 

70lark350,

thanks for the offer, but I would either need to find someone that has about $12,000 worth of vehicle to trade with me now or I am going to do the paint on both cars and the interior of the GS. Try and get $18 - $20 between both. I would hope a nice 71 Vert with new paint and nice interior would bring $11ish and a '72 GS with new paint, interior and BBB would bring $6-$8.

I might be way off though.

 

What he said....it's not like they are going to ever make these cars again.

 

I won't strip it but I need to do the math before I get in to deep. I bought the 430/TH400 for $600 and the GS air cleaner for $200. To make this car a driver I will need to put new seat covers on(Buckets $294, Rear $168, $200 for bucket seat foam). New carpet for $110 from Stock Interiors. About $75 in a headliner. $600 in new exhuast. $1000 in paint and supplies. Trunk pan from Goodmark for $269.95. Rims and Tires $900.
Misc for $500.

Now I have added $5000 and a LOT of labor to a car that I was going to strip and when I am done I won't even have the car I wanted.

I think it would be easier to strip and scrap it than do all of that and get the $7500 that I would need out of it.

 

having a gs myself i say dont strip it before i considered buying a jinked 66gs to clone my special but after ownng one myself i can see why people cringe over hearing about a car being parted for a clone.... uhg.... i recently had a horrifying incident. i was driving through the country about 10 miles from home and saw a 1970 gs350 sitting in tatters by the side of the road. i mean it wasnt in any condition to ever be brought back the roof was caved in and the whole shabang but after lots and lots of research to find the owner of the lot whose daughters boyfriend owned the car i get ahold of him to see if i could take it off his hand and he said it was going to be on its way to the crusher but he would ask his daughters boyfriend if he wanted it hauled off no work envolved. a few weeks later still no answer cars gone along with its salvagable posi rear, engine, trans and countless other parts. i just cant believe some people.... but i'll step off my soap box and say do what you wish but remember as berigan said its not like they'll ever make these cars again.

 

Math often doesn't work on Buicks.o No:

 

Hey there, what lies under that 71? Verts are pretty nice to keep if not all rotted out. My bet is, in the lng run, your 71 vert will stay in pace value wise as a GS 350 car, but always be more fun and interseting, 4 speed to boot. My .02 cents

 

When i bought the 71 Vert all I was looking for was an inexpensive car to take the kids for rides in the summer. I like many of you fell in love with the Buicks and than found other cars I would rather have. I would guess my dream ride would be a 70-72 GS vert with a 4spd. The engine choice is not that important. Second would be a 65 Riv. 3rd would be a numbers matching GS coupe with a 4 spd any year.

As you can see I don't own any of the cars on that list. I was going to settle for a Vert Clone, but now am having a hard time with the striping of the GS to make it.

So I can either fix up the clone and paint the vert and sell them both or find someone that wants them and buy one of the cars that I really want. I will loose money either way. I will just get to spend more time with my family by fixing up only one car.

 

Is that vert solid?

 

Yes, I had the body off when they put the one piece floor pan it. They cleaned and painted the frame. There was a small spot on each side behind the front wheels about the size of a dime that the shop cleaned and repaired.

 

Tough decisions here. What are the numbers you are kicking around? How much would you really have to soak into that GS 350 car to really turn a worthwhile profit?

 

I would be at about $7,500 with the purchase of the car. Not bad for a real GS with a BBB. If it was to be my personal car, I would most likely spend about $9,000 fixing it up. I would still do the sanding and priming, but would have a local guy spray the color.

Like normal though you need to add about $2,000 to cover all of the little stuff you don't think about or stuff you would like to make look better.

In the end you should get the money out of it, but you would loose a summers worth of labor. Thats ok if you are going to keep the car, but not if you want to sell it.

 

Hmm...Do you already have the nice running 430 and parts to swap SBB to BBB? I wonder why you would take the time and money to freshen up a GS 350 car with the intent of selling it and trying turn a buck, yet swap out the engine especialy not a 455 which has a touch more genre correctness? Nonetheless, IMHO, it is not worth the time and money to fuss with that GS 350 car unless you weant to keep it authentic and hold onto it. There is likley a person that would rather have it as a real GS 350 car? whereas you could spend some of that on the vert and clone it out?

I tend to agree with the previous post about not messing with that GS 350 car. If you want that GS look on the vert (clone) you can easily spend that same money you were going to risk on the GS 350 car and have almost exactly what you want. After you drop a 455 in it, another $3-$5,000 and you can convert to a 4 or 5 speed and one day, have it all!

I love my tribute vert! http://www.v8buick.com/vbgarage.php?do=view&id=10653.

 

Have you considered getting the GS in driver condition and selling it. Then take that cash and buy a 4 speed (or 5 speed) set up for your 'vert. I think a 4 speed swap on '70-72 cars is pretty easy, looking at some posts on the subject. Keep the bench seat with the 4 speed.

Buy a glass GS hood and grill if you really want a clone, but leave the GS alone.

You are better off buying a new disc brake kit, rather than swap used stuff on. Most likely needs new bearings, rotors, calipers, etc anyways.

Just another option.

Brian