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share thisQ: Greg, I'm hoping to buy a 1970 Buick GS 455 coupe in fair to average shape for $7,900. Is this a good deal? It is a turbo 3-speed automatic with a 455 inch V8 engine. Mike, e-mail from North Carolina.
A: Mike, if it's a numbers matching car, it sounds like a very good deal. An average shape GS455 is listed at $9,500 in Hagerty's "Cars That Matter" price guide, so take a close look at this car and be prepared to buy if it's the real deal.
Also, I may have touched on my love of Buicks before, but for the record, my grandfather had a black 1948 Buick four-door straight-eight with a manual on the column. As a youngster, I utilized his Buick as a playroom for many years as I used to sneak into his garage and sit in that car for hours on end, dreaming of the day I would become a driver.
Along the way, I've owned a 1951 red and white Buick Special two-door Dynaflow, which I bought in 1969 for only $300, and a bright white 1983 Buick Park Avenue, which served my family well for well over 100,000 miles.
On the racetracks and boulevards in the sixties and early seventies, Buick made some strong impressions. Many a Cobra Jet Mustang, Chevelle SS396, Roadrunner or Tri-Power GTO were surprised by the strength and winning ability of the '67 to '71 Buick Skylark GS, which stands for Gran Sport. These cars, especially the Buick Stage I and GSX models, not only looked good, they ran ultra quick quarter miles.
A friend of mine had one in 1969, a 400-inch Stage I model, and we had that car running in the 12-second range in the quarter mile with just some add on equipment like headers, big Holley carb, aluminum intake, 4.33 gears and slicks.
As for current Hagerty's pricing, a show quality, fully restored 1970 Buick GSX will run more than $125,000, while a Stage I version will fetch some $56,000. If you buy the GS455 you are looking at and restore it, look at about a $42,000 in finished value.
Remember, these are approximate prices at best, and could escalate or decline depending on the buyer and state of the economy. But, your $7,900 GS455 is a great deal, so don't hesitate.
Good luck Mike, and if you buy that GS455, send us a photo.
(Greg Zyla is a syndicated auto columnist who welcomes reader inquiries at extramile_2000@yahoo.com or at 116 Main St., Towanda, PA 18848).
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