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No Mice or Stink! 1972 Buick GS 455 Barn Find

This Buick may not look like much if the Dodge Charger Daytona (big wing, funny nose, and “look at me” stripes) is your idea of the quintessential muscle car, but Buick preferred to walk softly and carry a big stick, the latter being this car’s 455 cid V8. Thanks to Andre who spotted this brown bruiser in the Markham / York region of Ontario with a listing here on Toronto kijiji. While any rust-belt car could have a disappointing story to tell underneath, this one is said to have all its GS 455-specific parts, and a host of new parts has it running “excellent,” all of which takes some of the question marks out of your “all in” budget.

For posers whose modifications ended with fuzzy dice and $20 glass packs, spotting this badge triggered an economical decision;  save your gas, because you don’t stand a chance of smoking the subdued brown Buick. Before the change from gross to net horsepower ratings, the 1970 Buick GS 455 delivered 350 HP and a world-leading 510 lb-ft of buttery, tire-shredding torque. Though the numbers had slipped some by ’72, some of the loss was only on paper, and the legitimate losses could be easily undone with an application of cash.

While some GS 455s came with bench seats and some were exercised only when pulling a travel trailer, this one sports the nifty bucket seats and console shifter. Usually you see the black interior in a brown GS, so this lighter brown offers something different — a nice contrast, eh?

Functional ram-air with handy screens keep the big V8 from inhaling song birds when you stomp on the Go Pedal. Power brakes and air conditioning keep you comfortable between close encounters with lesser vehicles. Net horsepower came in at 250, with 360 lb-ft of torque (thanks to musclecarclub.com for some details). My Aunt had a ’71 coupe, red with a black vinyl top and interior, and the 350 cid V8. She loved that car, and it was the coolest car anyone in my family owned in those days. It might have been my first car –and it would have been a good one– but things didn’t play out that way. Still, these 455-equipped ’70 to ’72 Skylarks are high on my list, and a real GS would be an awesome find. What do you think of the $10,000 asking price for this one-of-7723 muscle-Buick?

Comments

  1. Avatar Luke Fitzgerald

    Looks like a buy if you’re a Buick nut – haven’t seen a cheaper looking steering wheel since viewing a same year dodge – hopefully there’s steel under the carpet

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    • Avatar Dale

      There is on my 1970 GS 455 and the front inner fender wells are steel unlike its Chevelle GM A-body cousin.

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  2. Avatar elrod

    Gone already. Those 455s ARE fast!!

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    • Avatar Joe Cook

      They didn’t beat my 1972 442. They wouldn’t even let me into U S 131 Drag way. Yes i have a couple ticket going 136 MPH and 148 MPH Yup on radar The Sheriff said what did you stop for. I missed my turn! What do you have under the hood? You was a mile away from me be for i got to woolhams. i would of never caught you if you would of keep going. I was the only one out here for miles.Now the Cass Sheriff took (impounded) Stealing my car when it was parked and no one in it. Yes they came to the hunting fir the driver, so my brother went out. i gave the rookie my stuff so he could write me a ticket, i was standing by the old sheriff when my brother said take the ticket, Hell no i have to be in the car to take it. Then the tow truck pulled up. I said to the little jerk you can’t take my car! I went to the old sheriff and said do you know hes stealing my car? Yup! Your not going to stop him? Nope. Why? The little argent ass hole is going to learn the hard way. Called the next day and they didn’t like what my lawyer said, went and picked up my car. What a life when you know the law.

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      • Avatar SID MILES

        I have alot of stage 1 matching no. Parts for these cars. Several sets of heads ram grilles, used headers, lights valve train parts new still in oem packaging and several Performance cams and lifters crower,poston and ta performance set ups molley push rods. 1970 heads have 1pc mallary big valves and dual springs low mileage and one set stock never cut wil sell any cleaning out my shop I’ve gone to all aluminum on my gs also.have a nogular crank rods and oem pistons.

        Like 1
  3. Avatar Rustytech Member

    Add has been removed. I drove one of these, a 1970 as a 17 year old. I almost killed myself. One good mash of the gas pedal and I was sideways. What an adrenaline rush! It was jade green with white buckets, and an automatic. That was my first experience with a tire scorcher. Next time I was ready. I’d love to have one today, kinda like this brown on brown too. I think if it were a 70 it would be well worth the $10k if it’s solid underneath. I would expect something less for a 72, but obviously someone thought it was worth it.

    Like 0
  4. Avatar Troy S

    I hope certain people don’t start bashing horsepower figures again like the other day with that 5.0 mustang. Great muscle car here and most people had little interest in buying cars like that Dodge Daytona.

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  5. Avatar 68 custom

    interesting combo of options with A/C, PB, PS, GS-455 options plus bucket seat/console with floor shift. then they cheaped out on the plain-jane special steering wheel, it looks out of place but I like it. not so wild about the brown/brown paint scheme but it is already gone so I can afford to be picky!

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    • Avatar Rodent

      No A/C on this one. That corroded aluminum thing is an air injection pump.

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    • Avatar Dallas

      Agreed that the lack of a sport steering wheel distracts from the interior. This was the base steering wheel offered on the Special series and guessing now on the GS as well. Don’t know if anyone noticed that the interior door panelshave a large swath of vinyl wood grain as a major contrast to the base steering wheel.

      Like 0
  6. Avatar RoKo

    It’s Toronto, not Toronta.

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    • Avatar glen

      And the a is no where near the o on the keyboard, because I looked!

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  7. Avatar Rock On Member

    Hey I was born and raised in Toronto, I’ve heard it pronounced worse!!!

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  8. Avatar GXP

    Nobody wanted a Buick muscle car back then and nobody wants them today.
    Pontiac lives on!

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    • Avatar Walter Laskoski

      Not those Plastic Indians.

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    • Avatar Tommy D

      You are sadly mistaken. I own Pontiac and Buick muscle and they are both highly desirable.

      Like 0
  9. Avatar jlbucky

    How many models are in the 2018 Pontiac line up?

    Like 0
    • Avatar T Mel

      Lucky for Buick that Chinese buyers saved ’em from Federal Bankruptcy Court. Too bad for us the Chinese don’t care about Buick muscle car history or any modern muscle since if it doesn’t sell in China, Buick can’t afford to produce it.

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      • Avatar Paul

        Yeah, unfortunately their a shell of their former selves, in name only, sad and pathetic they are!

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    • Avatar Steve R

      Those three cars in the picture above are a good example of why the brand died.

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      • Avatar Rush Meade

        Agreed

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      • Avatar Riccardo Scavo

        Styled by a high octane spliff induced stylist I’m sure. They couldn’t get uglier. Except for the red one the grill slung so low n tucked underneath the engine bay you couldn’t see how ugly it is

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      • Avatar CaCarDude

        Those 3 are actually a good example of the Jelly Bean car factory…

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    • Avatar JaxPontiacs

      The Trans Am

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  10. Avatar Paul

    GS Baby Go fast with class and don’t forget about the posi rear! Pontiac please, the only things that could touch a gs were vettes and cobras weighing much less, look it up !

    Like 0
  11. Avatar Michael M.

    Hey , Rock On: If you were born and lived here,You would have called the city, like a native and would have said, its Torawnaa not any o ther way! Ask any old timer, I am still a young guy(89years) Ha HaHa! Big Mike!!

    Like 0
  12. Avatar "Bullet"

    The song says it all.
    455 Rocket.
    Just as Olds had it’s W-30.
    Of course, now I have told my age, some what.
    Oh, but never forget that the lil bow-tie, 67 as Nova was put on Earth to rule the roads. And it did. The lil Chevy was lean and it’s 327, 4speed, and 4.11 rear was the package that sent all the big boys home . As back then they all had the same narrow bias ply tires that the bigger cars with bigger horses, just smoked as the lil sis, flew

    Like 0
  13. Avatar Andy

    Nice

    Like 0
  14. Avatar Justin

    Pontiac lives on? So says the guy that owns two of the most recalled cars ever in their lineup.

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  15. Avatar Joe

    As the jingle used to go back in the day “wouldn’t you really rather have a Buick”

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  16. Avatar 86 Vette Convertible

    They had some juice behind them. I seem to remember reading a story where there was a GS that could take down Hemi’s on a regular basis being the faster at the drag strip.

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    • Avatar Paul

      That drag strip story is true and it’s factory stock cars doing it, because Buick underrated the horsepower and torque to make sure the turbohydromatic transmission would still be warranted!

      Like 0
    • Avatar John Taggart Member

      GSCA regularly runs articles on the Hemi’s getting their asses kicked and there is plenty of documentation in the old muscle car magazines. try googling GS 455 / Hemi drag races it may come up DeAllisandro Brothers Buick restorers and drag racers out of Canada were constantly running against the Hemi’s GS Motto Go Fast With Class and the 70 GSX was a monster!

      Like 0
    • Avatar z28th1s

      The original GS Stage 1 vs. Hemi was in Muscle Car Review in the 1980’s. Richard Lasseter’s Stage 1 put it on Roy Badie’s Hemi!

      I had a ’70 GS 455 at the time. The motor had a Crane cam a reworked 800 CFM Q-jet and Hooker long tubes. The only race I lost in it was to a guy with a ’68 Camaro that had a 396 big block and nitrous. That was the first I had ever heard of nitrous.

      Like 0
  17. Avatar Mattyou63

    Was never really big on Buick But I take that car in a heart beat Cause I’m driving a 1990 suburban lol

    Like 0
  18. Avatar KEN TILLY Member

    Is there a problem with the site today? I am trying to leave a comment but after 2 attempts, no luck.

    Like 0
  19. Avatar Poncho pusher

    Heres a better represintation of the pontiac brand

    Like 0
  20. Avatar Marauder

    First car I ever drove was… yep, a 1972 Buick 455 GS. A friend stole it from his mother and we were doing burnouts on the streets at 14 years old.

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    • Avatar Paul

      Marauder, Great story taking his moms gs out for a joyride, have one of my own, took my cousins 73 baby blue Ford mach 1 mustang with a 351 Cleveland when I was 15, a damn kick ass car, rolled it out of the driveway in neutral late one night so no one would hear tore it up for a few hours and brought it back got a good run shut it off about 3 houses away and rolled back in the driveway with nobody the wiser! Great memory that never got out! Lmfao

      Like 0
  21. Avatar Rdkdave

    My 70 455 gsx consistently beat hemi’s and the 442, trans am, camaro, etc. The only car it ever lost to was the Corvette. And only the big block vettes.
    Wish I still had that car. But young kids didn’t know any better, and usually sold their muscle cars when they started having families.

    Like 0
  22. Avatar gary englert

    need more pictures of this buick

    Like 0
  23. Avatar Alexander Member

    Already sold. But I’d much rather have this car than that pansy-assed Sun Coupe from last week. Like the saddle interior, ditch the wheelcovers and add proper Buick rally wheels and off to the races! The exterior color reminds me of mom’s 72 Monte Carlo. You could drive through a lot of puddles and it would never show dirt. (Her words)

    Like 0

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