Looking at "survivor" 71 gs 455 Convertible - questions about over spray and trunk under side....

Hello- I'm an Olds guy (sorry) with a '68 442 convert in the garage yet I was a '70 GS 455 guy about 20 years ago.
This weekend I stumbled across a really interesting '71 gs 455 convertible that has been sitting for 4 or 5 years. Its pretty clean and seems to be very original yet the owner is telling me some stories about it being original paint, 85k mile survivor. I noticed some over spray on the inner door screws and on the trunk lock mechanism (I'm pretty sure the factory wouldn't do this). Also the trunk has some odd looking square shape cut outs on the under side (passenger side). Curious to get thoughts on whether any of this points to a repaint or if it's possible all is factory original.
Car was stored in a rickety shed so there was some water intrusion (wet floors, stanky carpets) and it looks like about a thousand rats took a **** on the fender, hood and drivers quarter. If the paint was original it's destroyed now.
Starts , runs a hair rough, brakes are whacky from sitting so long yet over all it seems to be original and never wrecked. I'm going to verify the engine code and dig a little deeper to figure out what this thing is worth.
Any guidance or thoughts on my questions would be very appreciated.
Thanks,
Mike

 

And the square holes on the lid are for getting to the emblem’s fasteners.
Patrick

 

Brad is correct. Trunk latch and door latches were installed prior to paint so they are painted along with the screws/bolts that retain them. The power door locks were installed after painting so those 3 screws are unpainted as you can see. All looks legit here.

 

Gentlemen - thanks for the extremely useful guidance. Now - can you help me figure out a price ceiling for this thing?
I know pricing is tough yet I'm trying to figure out a walk away price. I'm not seeing any signs of bondo, rust or collisions - the below windshield area is clean, quarters are clean, lower front fenders look to be original and inside trunk pan is heavily stained yet I think it's ok without welding. Paint is messed up from rat terds (etched all the way to metal), interior smells really really bad and probably has mildew in all panels and cusions/carpets. It's a bench column car with the tan-ish color. I'll confirm numbers match (I suspect it is). Owner is claiming 85k miles and that may be true.
Starts and runs rough from too many years sitting, no knocks, shifts well, tracks well.
If memory serves me - the 71's are less desireable than the '70 due to engine detunes.
White color may be a turn off for some yet for me it's a perfect sleeper color.
Any thoughts or opinions would be appreciated. The slowed economy is making me pay extra attention to valuation.
Once again - thanks for the quick and very useful input on paint.
Regards,
Mike

 

Mike,

Interesting car. The guys that replied above are some of the most knowledgeable members on this board.
1971 is the hardest year to document without paperwork. Does the owner have a build sheet, POP, etc?

Confirm it’s numbers matching (TR code for a 71 GS 455) this link is specific to stage 1 cars, but a lot of helpful info in terms of where numbers are located and what to look for. http://stage1registry.com/stage1info.html

Value is tough to come up with without better pictures showing the good/bad. While 70s will always command the most value, it’s more difficult to find a numbers matching ‘71 big block car. Do you have any pics of the engine?

 

Once again - thanks for the expert advice - really appreciated.
My first reaction was that I didn't need another car yet after bribing my wife with some large home improvement projects I have a potential green light. Now I just need to figure out what price makes sense.
I'll be looking at the car again tomorrow- doing a deeper dive into the frequently rusted areas, looking under carpets, taking a much closer look. Owner doesn't seem to have any documentation.
The engine code - is it relatively simple to find on a less than perfectly clean car?
My gut (it's usually wrong) says that a non numbers matching car like this would be around $20k if it runs ok and everything is as it should be. I've seen clone 442's like this sell in the 20's with no problem.
Again - I'm wide open to input and guidance. I'm far from an expert.
Thanks

 

Our cars are very similar, besides mine not being a convertible. Mine had quarter panel rust that had been repaired (poorly). Mine also has a 12 bolt vs. the correct 10 bolt rear axle. Mine is highly optioned. (cruise,rear defrost, trunk light, a/c)1971's are a lot less desirable than a 70. I paid 6k, 10 years ago. I have been offered a little more than what I have in it. These are fairly rare cars, but I am not sure they will ever be in demand. That being said, if you like it and get a good price, I don't think you will lose money. Send more pics! That is a nice find in my opinion.

 

Just so you know, that is an original AC car with part of the box cut off.

When you buy the new heater core you should buy the "AC" version. This will be correct for your car and will allow you to install a new AC box on the firewall later without replacing the heater core again.
Duane

 

Depending on rust and your plans, I think somewhere between 17-22K would give you a safe buy. The car looks decent in that picture. Nice options too- A/C, Power windows and locks, etc. I believe disc brakes were standard on 71 big block cars, but could be wrong.

the two stamp code is located between cylinders 5 and 7 near the dip stick. Might want to bring brake clean, a rag, and potentially sand paper. If the block was ever decked, it would remove the code. http://www.buickperformanceclub.com/455Blocknmbrs.htm

 

Looks like this GS would be a great addition to your collection. Here's a few pictures where you can find the engine code TR on the deck of the block above the last two spark plugs on the driver side and where you should find the Vin number stamped on the block next to the power steering bracketpower on the block. The transmission should have a 71 for year and the BS on the transmission tag on the passenger side of the transmission The Vin number should be stamped on the driver side right past the linkage above the transmission pan. There also should be a 71 stamped on the number one exhaust port on the cylinder head just behind the power steering pump I posted a picture just for reference where to look . These pictures are from a numbers matching 71 GS 455 convertible.

 

I agree on the $20k if matching #'s & if rust free. I'd probably offer considerably less to start knowing by the time you fix everything you'll be upside down but if you like the car and it all checks out... Good luck!

 

I agree with Dano on the offer. You could be upside down in no time depending on how far you want to take the car and how much you can do yourself.

I'd guess $30-35K is top money on a super clean example. This one's gonna need quite a bit to make it to that category.

 

While you are under the hood looking for the engine stampings, also check to see if it has the steering shaft with the rag joint bolted on (big block only).

You have to determine what your plans are for the car because it would be easy to spend $20k more on it if you do new paint, a new top, rechrome the bumpers, and an engine/transmission rebuilt.

On the plus side, it's a pretty rare car. There were only 902 GS convertibles built in 1971 when you combine all three available engines. If you can confirm it's an original 455 car, it can be broken down farther:
81 GS Stage 1
165 GS455
655 GS350

Of the 165 GS455 convertibles built in 1971, there were 96 built with the TH400 transmission and A/C.

Assuming the car is still configured as it was originally:
Of the 902 total GS convertibles in 1971 (this is for all 3 engines):

• 282 had power windows
• 81 had power locks
• 76 had both power locks and power windows together
• 43 were Artic White
• 24 were Artic White with body side moldings
• 20 were Artic White with D35 sport mirrors

How many of the cars in the totals above were big blocks in not known at this time.

All of the production figures above come from the 1968-1972 Buick Production Totals Quick Reference Guide which was put together by Mike Trom using the original Daily Car Reports from Buick.

Keep us posted.

 

Wow- thanks again for the quick responses and depth of information - will help me make a solid decision.
I've fallen in love with and over paid for a few cars in my time - trying to keep a cool head and keep the emotions out.
My plans for the car (if it all works out) - stabilize the surface rust areas on fender/hood/quarter and give it a quick tune, fluid change and brake service. If there's a way to remove the stink from the interior and retain the original carpet and seats that's what I'll do . My preference is a bucket / console car yet a bench isn't all bad.
I really would like to blend in new paint and retain as much of the original paint as possible - luckily white might be easier to blend and match.
I love original cars - if possible I try to retain as much patina as possible. A perfectly restored car has it's place yet I have young kids so a car with warts and freckles is the only way to fly.
I'll keep you all updated - expect to see something on Saturday or Sunday.
Unfortunately my wife may make me clear out the '68 442 Convertible that's sitting in pieces in my garage - hopefully I can negotiate a long term storage deal.
Once again - thanks for all of the information - I'll do my best to put this deal together.

Mike

 

You saved me at least an hour of searching/swearing - pictures are fantastic. Question - I may be blind yet I'm not seeing the 71 on the exhaust port....more thank likely user error on my side. There's a service station a few blocks away - owner is a muscle car guy who is happy to put it on the lift for 20 minutes to see if we can find tranny numbers, rear end and any frame/floor issues. Hard to find nice people like that.

 

Could I ask for some guidance on identifying the rear end - mostly trying to make sure it's correct and if possible numbers matching. Thanks

 

That picture posted was a reference where to look there would be 71 in big numbers you won't be able to miss them. The picture I posted is of my 70 stage one which Buick did not cast numbers into the cylinder head in 1970.

 

To identify the rear end code the code will be stamped facing down to the ground on the driver side axle tube near the pumpkin. Here's the actual code for non-posi and Posi rear codes

 

Looking forward to seeing how this works out for you!