When I look at a classic project car, my mind immediately starts tallying the cost to get it to a point where I would be happy driving it. Luckily, this Buick Grand Sport 455 is in decent enough shape to drive while you restore it. My father and I have always been big into Buicks, so it was a real treat to see this high-powered Grand Sport in stock condition waiting for a new driver to take it to the next level. If you are ready to take on the caretaker role of this rare 1970 Buick Gran Sport 455, it is in Spokane, Washington, listed here on eBay, where bids have reached $19,000, and the auction ends in less than two days.
Like many Buicks, this 1970 Buick Gran Sport wears shades popular in the 1970s, with a gold exterior and a saddle vinyl top and interior. The Gran Sport looks presentable for a local cruise, though the paint is faded and there are spots of surface rust, particularly along the edges of the vinyl roof. But the body looks very straight and would be an excellent candidate for a new paint job. The Gran Sport also sits on a set of aftermarket wheels, but a stock 15″ set of Buick Rally wheels is fairly easy to obtain.
The Saddle interior also looks to be in good condition, though it could use some freshening up, and hopefully the new owner will find a stock Buick steering wheel to replace that aftermarket oddball piece. A photo of the VIN plate confirms this Buick is a real Gran Sport 455 (code “44637”) and that the car was assembled at the Buick plant in Framingham, Massachusetts.
Buick went all out in 1970 by replacing the 400 V8 used in their Gran Sport with a Buick 455 cu in V8. This monstrous 7.5-liter engine produced 350 hp and a whopping 510 lb-ft of torque. If that wasn’t enough for a buyer, they could choose the optional Stage 1 package, which bumped the Gran Sport’s output to 360 hp with larger cylinder heads, a more aggressive hydraulic camshaft, a re-curved distributor, and a hotter calibration of its Rochester 4bbl Quadrajet. The seller notes that the 455 V8 motor was rebuilt about 10-12 years ago and that the Gran Sport runs, drives, and stops, though it needs carburetor work, as the car has been sitting for a few years.
The Buick marketing team created the campaign slogan “Introducing automobiles to light your fire” in 1970. In an interesting what-could-have-been scenario, Buick’s advertising executives met with three members of The Doors to license their song “Come on Baby, Light My Fire” for commercials with the proposed tagline “Come on Buick, light my fire.” Jim Morrison, The Doors’ frontman and lead singer, however, didn’t agree with his bandmates and killed the deal. As this 1970 Buick GS 455 has been sitting for a few years, it will need a new owner to relight its fire – could it be one of you readers?
What a muscle car by every standard you could throw at it! Monster torque as in put you in the back of seat muscle! A great looking car to boot. Whoever gets will enjoy it! 😎 way cool