Here’s the final car from Ben’s collection and it’s my personal favorite. What do you guys think – which of these big convertibles do you want?
From Ben B – This GS 400 is silver blue with a matching interior. The original white top has a glass rear window and is still serviceable – only the beading has cracks. Car was stored about 36 years in a three sided carport I had built in my backyard in Oakland, California. I hung a heavy duty canvas curtain across the front, but the sun soon rotted that and I didn’t find the energy to do it again.
Car is equipped with auto, console shift, p/s, am radio, and floor mats match the paint, but are not original. Interior is in great condition with only a 1 ” split in the driver side bottom back of seat. Glass is perfect, rubber around windows good, no cracks in dash, and it has only just under 73,000 miles. Second owner since 1969 or 1970 if memory serves me right.
New or rebuilt: radiator, red line tires (which were originally optional), replaced chrome sport wheels that were optional (saved the wheel covers), complete brake job, gas tank dropped and cleaned, gas sensor replaced, rebuilt carburetor, water pump, hoses, full tune up, new dual pipes and mufflers, battery, headlights and wipers. Runs very nice, power top, motor not working. Needs paint and chrome redone due to sea air.
Total production # of 2,454 and only 2 years of this body style. Many of these cars were done with black interior and top, but I believe this to be more desirable combination. Old Cars price guide show a #3 condition worth $20,250. Asking best offer over $12,500.
Along with the Cougars, this Buick is located in Vista, California and you can contact Ben via email here if interested. Thanks for listing these with us Ben! If any of you have a few classics that you would like to sell, please consider listing them here on Barn Finds!
Nice car, Ben! Good performance and great ride. Best of luck in selling.
the cougars are nice but the GS would be my choice, love the 68-69 body style the best. My friend had a 69 GS stage one back in the day, man was it cool!
Thank you. Although the 70 to 72 had a bigger engine and therefore more of muscle car – I didn’t care for the squared off appearance. After I got out of the Navy in 68, my brother gave me a 60 Studebaker till I had time get my convertible. I brought a 62 Rambler American convt., with blue top and interior,/white body but when I saw the 68 GS advertised – I just had to have it. Then when the white Cougar was advertised, I went to see it and couldn’t believe how elegant it looked and was hooked. However, I didn’t want to part with the Buick, so had the carport built in my backyard. A few years later, I saw a blue Cougar convt. and decided to store the white one. I drove it for a number of years till I saw the red one for sale and since I always wanted a red convt, I sold the blue one and got the red one. I’m not sure after that the order of the convt.’s I bought, but I was out of room to store any more. My house sat on a narrow lot (35 feet wide, but 165 feet deep), so I couldn’t get a cement truck to the back and figured the dirt floor wouldn’t be that bad. However, when we did have rain – it got a bit muddy and before I new it, I wasn’t getting back there to move and start the cars and then replace dead batteries.
I want it, I just cannot afford it. I also love this body style. I used to own a 68 Cutlass convertable way back in the day but I lived in the city and I had to sell it because I just started to rebuilt it and then my dad wanted to park in the garage and you cannot rebuild a car 8n the driveway in the city. So I had to sell it.
My father was a Buick & Pontiac guy. He always said “these were running mothers.”
I’ve always liked these swooping sided Buicks. In retrospect they were an omen though, as they were one of the first to have a very problematic rear bumper, precluding the fragile, cheap plastic ones today. A bump in the rear would entail an awful lot of work. That Achilles heel probably contributes to the rarity of these Buicks.
Being from the “frozen northeast” it’s always interesting to see how clean things look under the hood. without the heater and plumbing.
Still I’d love it.
The Cougars of this vintage I never had a problem with and feel they have been largely under appreciated. The 68-69 Buick Skylark has largely the same problem if not more. Given the choice between having the two Cougars or this one GS Cali? The Buick wins hands down.
“Warning my usual long response that somehow relates to the featured ride above”
I had a paper route as a kid. Our local paper was printed three times a week. When I started I had 60 subscribers meaning I was paid a flat weekly rate to deliver them. Around $10.50 a week in cash in a little yellow envelope. The real bonus was you could take all the extras you wanted for free. They were 10 cents. When I started I was 10 years old. The office guy in charge Keith was reluctant to hire me because I was so little. I hung out until he did.
I learned more about life lessons at this time then any other. It has had been the most influential job I have ever had. First thing to go is being shy and quiet. I developed a personality as well as responsibility much needed. The older folks looked forward to 4:30 as it was their only link to what was going on. The poorer people were the best tippers. Several would run out of change by the end of the month. I would give them one anyway. The people who had it never tipped. I would hit the bars before starting and thats where the money was! When the price jumped to 15 cents. Things really started moving. I built up my route to hustling 250 papers and my subscribers went to less then 30 mostly because they worked evenings and I never saw them. I was making over $95 a week selling free papers. The small stores and markets would let me put a jar on the counter with a stack of papers.
Trash day at the curb was cool and would have my bike and paper bag loaded down. A guy hauled out an old pinball machine once. A guy a few doos down hauled it home for me.
When I was tenth grade and turned 16 they gave me a truck and keys to the post office. I was authorized to pull in front of the stores like I owned the place. Young girls at the checkouts took notice.
It was this time between my bike route and truck an old lady I had been delivering to parked her 1968 Skylark 2dr ht. She asked if I knew if anyone wanted it? $150. she said. I said. I do! I have $35.00 now and I’ll pay the rest on Friday. Agreed. When I dropped off the paper on Friday she refused the balance and handed me the keys and title. She had a new battery installed for me. Sadly she must have known what was coming. Shortly after she was put in a rest home. I had an office girl hook me up and seen that she had her paper mailed to her.
The Buick was Gold and had 17,000 original miles. 400/4 V8 and Turbo trans. That was one of the most powerful cars I had. Once the carbon was blown out as well as the muffler. The car was a torque monster. It was a sleeper. You could be be rolling at 25 and floor it and the one bias ply rear wheel would turn to smoke. By the time I was a senior in high school I had more cars in the drive then my old man. Got them on my own. Big Buick’s have my respect. If I wasn’t going through an import faze right now I might be making contact. Very nice presentation and fair price.
Great story AMCFan and mirrors my paper route days as a kid in Pittsburgh in 72/73. Bought a 68 GTO for $400 all from hustling newspapers!
wow a 5 yr old GTO for 400 bucks you stole it way back then
Great story AMCFAN. I was a paperboy in Santa Cruz, Ca. and always loved the tips I would receive at Christmas time. It’s funny how you get to know all the older customers on your route after awhile. I averaged around $25 dollars a month and after quite a few years I managed to buy a 1966 Buick LeSabre 400 for $350, the car came with a 340 cu.in. and turbo 400 transmission. Unfortunately it wasn’t as fast as your Skylark
Any other way to reach Ben about the cars?
Is there an alternate way to reach Ben and discuss the cars?
Great story amc fan! Thanks for sharing it.
my email address is benjbennett13@yahoo.com
again good pricing on the GS400….
I have a 69 GS 400 bench seat 4 speed rag top supposedly one of 21 made like that signal red black vinyl ribbed interior (front one replaced back perfect) white top owned as second owner since July of 1971 restored 1987 just over 75000 original miles that will soon get new paint and go for sale or will sell before paint done. Anyone interested I can send pictures e mail me
My aunt had one, she gave it to my cousin and he totalled it out. Wish I could afford one of these.
John, this is not the outlet to sell your own vehicle. This opportunity could go on the Buick club message board or your local Craigslist. We’re trying to sell Ben’s cars here.
I do believe that there is a cost associated with have bf post your own car also.
sorry did not know you could not advise vehicle for sale
When the time to sell comes, just let BF guys handle the listing for you. We (the readers) aren’t the richest crew, minus a couple of guys, but there are a lot of guys that talk, a lot!! I’d bet between BF listing it and the readers passing along the info, you’d probably come out a happy guy.
Just my 1/2¢ worth!!!!!
thanks will do did not realize what I had done with conversation and posting was a no no am a newbie here
Iv wanted 1 of these cars since I was sixteen.Looked for years up in Canada to find one which there was a 69 buick gs 350 convertible a mile up the road that sold for 350 dollars when I was sixteen..when I turned 50 I was on the look out again to find one which took 2 years ..I come across 1 which was a 69 buick gs 400 convertible that was totally stripped to bare bones but all the parts were put in garbage bags tagged and the other parts were stuffed in the back of a old van .the car sat at the top of the hill which was gravel and around the hill was about 85 muscle cars.It took a few weeks to convince the owner to sell it which I paid 4000 dollars for the car which I towed back to the shop and got really busy every night and every weekend for 10 months..My biggest job was hunting parts in the usa ..The 400 engine was toast which it spun a bearing and got really lucky find a 69 buick 430 engine that ended up having stage one heads on it.and 52000 original miles.The project is next to being done and in all hopes to be driving the car this year..It turned out when I went to insure it the car was a real stage one car .54000 dollars later with no regrets ..But I will make one comment to the person that is interested in this 68 convertible .It is a very good price .All in tack original 400 engine car.I would of saved myself about 25000 to find a car in this condition.One good thing about building your own dream car is you no what u have when its all said and done.
Hello, I own a 1968 Skylark 4 door. Looking for used parts, please email if you have any leads. Thanking you for your time, happy riding.
All i have are from 69