Buick’s entry into the personal luxury market was its Riviera, but as the segment grew, the division needed a lower-priced offering. Enter the Century Regal. Based on the GM A-body platform, the Regal presented the buyer with copious woodgrain trim and luxury upholstery. The two-door coupe with a Colonnade roof framing a rectangular opera window was distinguishable from the ordinary Century by its grille and lenses. But both cars shared that swoopy fender line from the headlight to the rear of the door. Here on craigslist is a big block version of the 1973 Buick Century Regal coupe, located in Johnson, Arkansas. The seller is asking $7999. Rocco B found this classic Buick for us – thanks Rocco!
Buick was polishing its performance credentials even as emissions and CAFE regulations advanced, offering a 455 CID V8 as an upgrade over the standard 350. Making about 225 hp and paired with the Turbo-Hydramatic 400 automatic, this big block was one of the last of its kind for many years. Of course, if buyers wanted to step up, the Gran Sport Stage 1 would trounce this car every which way to Sunday. This listing doesn’t include an engine photo, but the seller indicates that the motor was “repaired” about a thousand miles ago by the previous owner. It runs and drives well.
The interior has seen better days, with the front seat upholstery in tatters. The split bench seat and center armrest were a hallmark of the Regal trim level. The dash has at least one crack, but there’s better news in the rear, where the upholstery is mostly intact. Options such as power seats and door locks were available in the Regal; no word from the seller regarding how this car is kitted out.
The paint probably won’t come back with polishing, and someone has stripped off the vinyl roof material. The seller mentions he loves this car and is only selling it to start a business – all well and good, but his price will likely need a discount to clear this car from his driveway. Here is a very nice small block that sold a few years ago at Mecum for $12,100; opting for a top-of-the-line Gran Sport will cost you twice as much, but you’ll have a stomping performer that’s near perfect. I know which I would pick among these three; what do you think?
The last great big block has to be worth the ask since it only weighed 100 lbs more than a small block & just a camshaft, headers & carb away from making legendary amounts of horsepower even against today’s blown & turbo mouse motors !
Probably need to get heads from a presmog 455 or after market if they are anything like the Olds 455 heads from ’73 and later to make it a good performance motor.
I love old big blocks as much as anyone, but this comment is absurdly unrealistic. A ‘73 smogged out 455 is a LOT more than that away from competing with what modern V8s are making today. The Buick 455 was the weakest of the trio of GM 455s, with less potential and less aftermarket support, and for good reason. They excelled at low RPM torque sufficient to move some big cars, but never rapidly, and the same effort put into one of them yields you less than the same effort put into a Pontiac or Olds. The same effort put into an LS or Coyote yields you even more, with far less displacement and far more refinement. So come on, you gotta be realistic about what these old motors are and what they’re capable of.
Having said all that.. I’d leave this one 100% stock and just enjoy it for the comfortable, quiet, classy cruiser that it is. There’s nothing made today that offers a driving experience that is even remotely comparable. The feel, the character, the soul is all gone.
The easy way isn’t always the right way for some old school types. There is a great sense of satisfaction from wringing more power from your vehicles original engine. Not usually the cheapest way to more horsepower. Personally I like big naturally aspirated torque. Stuffing 500 cubic inch Cadillac engines into smaller cars usually satisfies it!
Seriously? Because the Buick 455 made more torque and as much, if not more, horsepower than any GM engine ever mass-produced as of 1970. You really should do your research before spouting such ridiculousness.
Yes Michael, LOW RPM, LOW speed torque. That is not “legendary amounts of horsepower”. Take Buick’s most potent 455 and put it in the exact same cars vs. ones with Olds and Pontiac 455s and it will be slower every time. Less top end from the factory and less top end potential. Torque doesn’t move cars quickly when you have no top end to go along with it.
Remember kids, torque is only a measure of how much work you can do, but horsepower is a measure of how quickly you can do that work. That’s why monstrously torquey diesels can move massive loads, but can’t do it quickly. How wide your horsepower and torque curves are also plays a huge role in how fast the car actually is. Buick V8s have the least top-end potential out of all of GM’s big blocks, and in smog form especially they are absolutely finished making usable power by 4,500rpm. They also have the weakest oiling system of all of them, and even with upgrades they do not have the durability and ability to handle serious horsepower or RPM compared to the other GM offerings. There is a reason why you find big block Chevys and Olds motors in boats, BBCs in drag cars, and very rarely Buicks. The abundant aftermarkets flourished for Chevy, Olds and Pontiac because they respond well to building. Buicks just don’t.
In a ‘70 Electra with a high compression 455, you have a fine cruiser. Enough torque to move the beast, just enough horsepower to not be painfully slow, but neither legendary nor impressive. But no matter what, you’re not building a 455 Buick that will compete with anything modern without spending a LOT more and having a much more rambunctious and less reliable engine all around.
They’re adequate engines when left alone in stock form. They are NOT legendary power producers.
Maybe Michael B. regularly drives the autobahn and requires high horsepower big block engines to keep up. In my Province the police will impound your car if you are caught doing 25 mph over the limit or 100 mph. I’m okay with lots of torque like Jack M., I don’t need to shift at 6,500 rpm on the street to have fun.
Nice one Michelle, and thanks Rocco! One of the best looking Collonades for sure, and the 455 is what makes this one interesting. Looks like power windows and locks and I think I see AC ducts in the cheesy cell phone pictures. Some web searching shows 979 GS 455 cars. Only 99 non-GS 455 Century / Regals emerged in ’73. It may be worth the asking price. I honestly don’t know. I’d consider myself a buyer in the $3500 range, to build a ripping stock-appearing sleeper with a warmed up 1970 spec rebuild. I’ve drive a few Buick 455s from 73 to 76 and you can definitely fry the tires with that torque as-is. We’d love to hear from the buyer on this one.
Imagine a stick shift optioned one Fitch 🙌🏁
Hi Stan – that (73-76 non-GS 455 4-speed) might get you into Hemmings Muscle. I didn’t see a breakdown by transmission type but count me in on that. Owning a 454+ cid four-speed is on my bucket list, though usually I picture it as a 70-72 GS in some muted color combo like brown with a black top. A non-GS might be more rare and definitely more interesting. Thanks for your comment!
I bought a ‘73 Century, same exterior color but burdundy ‘burn your legs’ vinyl seats. It was a gorgeous car. No BB, just a standard fare V8. Later that year the ‘73 oil embargo hit hard.
I had a ’73 metallic green/gold 4-dr Century with a 350 2bbl. If it was brown, it would look like Kojak’s car. It wasn’t fast, but it was heavy and the suspension was solid a a rock. You could change lanes on the highway going 110 like you were doing 70. Even with highway gears, it would probably only go 115.
Maroon paint with a blue interior? That’s a combination I’ve never seen nor heard of. I’m willing to bet that one or the other has had a color change.
Real Enthusiast, torque is what moves you quickly. Horsepower is just a made up calculation of torque and RPMs. Sure, with no top end rons the HP number will be low, so top speed is effected. But acceleration will not. And this is from a retired auto instructor, not just a claimed enthusiast
Launched my step mom’s volvo off a cliff coming home from school. The next morning Dad handed me keys to one of these, something about getting back on the horse.
It matched cars like the Monte Carlo for comfort.
This could be a great “drive and improve” project. The 455 adds value. These early Collonades were nice looking and performing cars.
I’d do a repaint, and fix the upholstery, leaving everything stock.
I bought a ’73 from a junk yard in RI with a 455 in it that ran strong for $400- back around 1996. It would melt the tires all day long. Later I pulled the engine and transmission and slipped it in a ’68 California GS Skylark. Direct fit. Fun days!