Torque; the ability to do useful work. If converting rubber into smoke seems useful, the 1970 Buick GS 455 should catch your attention with its 510 lb-ft of velvety tire-torturing torque. Originally developed to move Buick’s larger vehicles with quiet authority, the 455 came to rest in the Skylark after General Motors removed its 400 cid limit on mid-sized cars for model year 1970. While this claimed factory GS 455 now packs a 1972 455 engine, the original four-speed manual transmission makes it one of 510 made that year, according to the seller. Check out more details and pictures here on eBay, where the Sanford, Maine project has at least 14 bidders drooling and bidding over $7300.
Reading the tea leaves of the single-paragraph description, it sounds like this Buick may have been parked in one place or another since 1983. The ’72 455 cid (7.5L) V8 is stuck, and the seller reports two of the eight cylinders refuse to pass oil, though patience sometimes triumphs after repeatedly soaking the cylinders and gently bumping the crank with a hand wrench.
Screaming Yellow was not in Buick’s color palette for 1970. I’ll take my GS 455 in Diplomat Blue with Sandalwood upholstery. Thanks to lov2xlr8 for some details. Only a copious application of black duct tape prevents rusty springs from corkscrewing into your derrière.
A menancing rake, Cragar S/S wheels, and oversized tailpipe extensions combine perfectly with the Safety Yellow paint to capture points in the ’80s High School Parking Lot competition, though the lack of fuzzy dice collects some demerits. The rear bumper appears to have suffered trauma that left more than a mark.
The solid-looking floor holds promise. Build sheets document options including air conditioning, power front disc brakes, and a trailer hitch! Pulling a trailer with today’s performance cars seems odd, but folks ended up with the performance models in the ’60s and ’70s after saying “I need to pull a travel trailer so give me the big engine.” “Well the GS 455 has the most power and heavy-duty everything. Do you want that?” Well, I guess that sounds like the way to go!” What would you haul with this 455-powered Buick GS?
It apparently didn’t meet a reserve? Price shows 1970.00 and says ENDED
“This listing was ended by the seller because the item is no longer available.”
The seller cancelled all the bids and sold it off eBay. This happens a lot.
Just gotta love those A Body chassi Skylarks.. I’ve restored and have been driving a 65 Buick special 2 door post coop now for 20 years.. I love it its been very dependable and most people these days mistake it for a chevelle but that’s OK.. It’s simplicity at its best..
Definitely not a gs. Look at the steering wheel, definitely skylark.bench seat. Four speed, no coñsole?
You would be 100%, definitely wrong. That is the standard steering wheel for a GS. Just because every restored GS has a Sport Wheel, in reality, about a 1/4 of them (or less) actually came that way from the factory. And a bench seat four-speed? They made thousands of them. That was standard for a 4-speed GS, buckets and console were options. Do your research, professor, lol.
Robert, this was most definitely a GS. Easily identified by the VIN. As Michael said the set up in this car was common for the time. Not all muscle cars had buckets, console and sport steering wheel contrary to popular belief.
A lot can happen in 53 years ; someone at one time could have put a Pontiac steering wheel on it, but that doesn’t make it a LeMans
My 70 GS 455 had a bench seat.
The local DMV operator in my podunk towns daughter was gifted a new Saturn Yellow GSX when she graduated. She blew it up twice and banged it up several times. She sold it and it disappeared. I remember it was scary fast according to her boyfriend.
I had a blue 1970 Skylark 2-dr. bench seat, 350 automatic trans, Blue on Blue. My father gave it to me, he kept that car pristine. I put a mild cam in it, dual exhaust G/70 tires all around. I left the factory hubcaps on it ( full hubcaps with the Buick emblem in the center with spinners ! Never saw hubcaps like them on any other Buick ) so real sleeper ! That car was fast !!! Sure miss that car !
The trailer hitch might not have been there for any actual towing activities. If you wanted a stiffer axle ratio than 3.64, a 3.91 was available but only as part of the trailer towing option. I ordered a 1970 GS Stage 1 and pondered over the 3.91 axle but after considering how much it might limit top end given the engine’s 5,000 RPM redline, I went with the standard 3.64. You also lost the sport suspension’s rear anti-sway bar with the towing package – no one could ever tell me why but it’s a fact.
I had a 70 GS 455, 5spd, Green, sold it in 2014, wish I had kept it now.
In the 80s I had a 71 GS, but had a 68 Buick 400 in it, but was still pretty Bad @ss. Buicks had plenty of torque
The only car my Hillbilly momma would own! When i was in high school, my mom was known as the ‘little ol lady from Pasadena! She had a 68 grandsport cali, special. She would never smoke the tires to heat them up. The guys would get about 2.5 lengths on her thinking they had her, but after she rowed into 2nd gear it was all over for em. She always shut em down. Even at 81 years old my wife and i have fond memories of me and my mom running side by side at 115mph goin out Hwy 2 outta spokane…..rest in peace Mom.