The thought of owning a classic car for half a century is something that most of us have never considered. The longest that I’ve owned one is a decade, and I considered that an achievement. The owner of this 1970 Buick GS 455 Convertible purchased the vehicle in 1971, and it has been his pride-and-joy ever since. It is remarkably original for its age, and it would take little work on the buyer’s behalf to lift its presentation to the next level. Bidding has been pretty healthy on this gem, and it’s a battle that you may consider joining. If so, you will find the Convertible located in Warren, New Jersey, and listed for sale here on eBay. The auction action has pushed the price to $26,100, but this is short of the reserve.
While the Burnished Saddle paint that graces this Buick’s panels is original (apart from a repaint of the driver’s door), the Cream soft-top is a recent addition in the correct color that the owner fitted. Therefore, it’s no surprise that it is in excellent condition. The paint shows its age, and there’s no doubt that the car would benefit from a cosmetic refresh. The panels have a few minor bruises, but nothing that might motivate the buyer to consider panel replacement. There is rust visible in both front fenders, and while patches could address this, I believe that the buyer will probably decide to source replacements. The rust that you can see is virtually it because the only other issue of note is some that has appeared below the battery. The floors and frame are said to be rock solid, proving the benefit of the undercoat that the owner had applied more than forty years ago. The GS features a hood with functional vents designed to feed cold air to the brute that resides under the hood. The chrome looks acceptable for a survivor-grade car, and I can’t spot any issues with the glass.
For a vehicle with more than fifty years under its belt, the Buick’s interior is in surprisingly good condition. The trim would be up to the task if the buyer wanted to continue using the car as a survivor. However, if the buyer wanted to make it pop, there are a few things that he could do to help that to happen. Spending $200 on a new carpet set would represent a sensible starting point. The upholstered surfaces generally present well, although I think that there might be some splits developing in the driver’s seat. A new set of seat covers would add a further $600 to the tally, and I’d add around $80 to replace some of the deteriorating faux-woodgrain on the dash. Beyond that, this interior needs nothing beyond some old-fashioned cleaning. Everything works as it should, including the radio and the factory air conditioning.
If you fancy your wind-in-the-hair experience to happen rapidly, this Buick can deliver on that front. The numbers-matching 455ci V8 that hides in the engine bay should be good for 350hp. Bolted to this brute is a four-speed manual transmission, while the car also features power steering. I said rapid, and this was no idle boast. If the driver pointed this Convertible at a ¼-mile, the journey would be over in 14.7 seconds. With that sort of potential, that hair had better all be yours. If you sport a wig or a rug, you’re likely to leave it somewhere behind you! This GS is in sound mechanical health. The owner has replaced the mufflers, but the rest of the exhaust is original. He has also replaced the springs, power steering pump, battery, and tires. It seems that the car is in sound mechanical health, and the buyer will receive the original Bill of Sale and Window Sticker as part of the deal.
You only need to read the text of the eBay listing to gain an insight into what this 1970 Buick GS 455 Convertible means to its owner. He states that it has been a wonderful car, which suggests that he will miss it when the buyer drives it away. I can’t imagine parting with a car after so many years, and I think that we probably all hope that its next owner continues to appreciate this remarkable survivor. It deserves nothing less.
For the love of god why were those mirrors added to fender………………
Advancing age with a neck that will not swivel as well as it did in 71. If it kept the gentleman in the driver’s seat rowing that Muncie, great.
Agreed JWK. Same reason every hot rod joker feels the need to replace the nice steering wheels on their vintage cars with chain steering wheels etc, or put Cragars on a ’63 Riviera, or put fender flares on a ’63 Corvette.
Science could probably identify this mutant hillbilly gene, but hopefully they are too busy trying to anticipate the next variant of the Covid virus.
Probably in a misguided attempt to help a “seasoned” driver see better, a throwback to the fifties. However as small/far away as they are they probably didn’t help much. I’ve noticed that a significant amount of drivers today have their mirrors adjusted so that the entire side of the car is visible in them. I keep telling people to angle them out, NO ONE is going to come out of the side of your car and hit you!
Just a hunch, but maybe he was doing some towing at some point? Maybe not the ideal rig for dragging your Airstream out to the KOA. But certainly enough torque for it!
It is unfortunate that past car owners have to be butchered on this site for the way they customized their private property for their needs or likes.
You could probably shave a few tenths off the quarter mile with modern radial tires.
Buick GS was way underrated. Very fast even with a/c. This would be quite a deal as it is unmolested.
The 4-speed alone will drive this car into the pricing stratosphere. Only 126 4-speed ‘verts were built in ’70.
I think I would rather see a thumb over the license plate than a bath towel from their morning shower.
This is a really sweet car. 👏👏
Beautiful looking car. Given its condition, I’d be willing to pay approx. the asking price.
My daughter was conceived in the front seat of a hard top model with a front bench seat, I may bid on this and give it to her. Wonder if that motor is the stage 1 version. Brings back a lot of memories.
Not a Stage 1. If it were, you could easily double the price, probably more given the 4 speed, a/c combo. Only 61 coupes like that in 70, and probably less in the convertible format.
Mine also had a different steering wheel. Not sure what the options for those were back in the day. Loved that car except when it went through a car wash. Mine would stall out as the water from intake vents would drip down on the distributor. Also, I could not drive it to save my life in snow. Even with posi in the rear end. Man I miss those days!
Ed, if you get the car & give it to your daughter, can I meet her?
Yes, but you have to meet her husband and children as well.
Lol
Mirrors on fenders were not uncommon on many British sports cars of the era, maybe the owner lived overseas at one time or though they added to his safety. Modifications were done on the cars at the time, they were just another car with very few people believing that these would be worth what they are today. Sidelights were added to pre-68 cars all the time, 3/4″ or so holes drilled in fenders for alarm switches, nothing unusual at the time at all. Beyond all that, what’s not to like, a 70 GS455 4 speed with Factory AC, gauges, AM/FM. This could be a very nice car, and yes, remove those mirrors when you repair the rusted lower fenders!
If people knew then that they were going to have to drive cars in 50 years made out of plastic with sheet metal so thin you could push an indentation into it with your finger, there would probably be more of them still in service. The electrification of cars will eventually make gassers obsolete. Especially when you consider that a Tesla Model S performance model will run a sub 9 second quarter mile against a Dodge Hellcat with over 700 horsepower.
False stereotype. I have the hardtop version of this car. There is very little plastic and there is no chance you are denting the fender with your finger. As for the Tesla comparison, cars made horses obsolete for their original purposes, but that misses the point. Horses still have a passionate following, albeit for different reasons now. As for performance, my daughter is an engineer at Tesla and finds the feel of the Stage 1 455/4 speed combination considerably more thrilling and fun than the S in Ludicrous mode. It is certainly slower, but the seat of the pants, hold on for dear life feeling, is more than enough to get the adrenaline going.
James, exactly my point. I wasn’t referring to this car, was referring to the junk they are manufacturing now that you can actually make an impression in the sheet metal with your finger!
I would be really concerned about rust hiding inside the frames. I had several GM A body convertibles back when they were 20 years old, and undercoating of these did nothing to prevent internal rust.
One scary thing I noted…no power brake booster. Hauling this thing down from speed with manual brakes and front discs (I assume) could be a hair-raising experience! Otherwise, a solid and rare beast.
One kinda scary thing I noticed from the engine bay pic…no power brake booster. Hauling this hot rod down from speed with manual brakes…and especially with front discs (I assume)…could be one hair-raising experience!
:-D