Howdy Folks,
New to the forum. I've always wanted a '70 Buick GSX since I was a kid. Once I became aware of what an original GSX goes for, I had to recalibrate expectations. Ideally the next candidate is a GS, but those too are far out of my reach, so I began the pursuit of purchasing a Skylark. After 23yrs of saving and searching, I bought my first Buick A body, a 71 Skylark Custom.
It was originally a 350 automatic AC car, but had several owners each with a different vision of what it could be. By the time I purchased it, it has a 455 and a 4spd muncie (my ideal dream powertrain) and a ford 9" rear. One of the previous owners swapped in the 455 and 9" with intentions of drag racing it, and started gutting the car. The guy i bought it from wanted a driver, so be put interior back in and swapped the automatic for the muncie. He wasn't a buick enthusiast, so he put a mixture of aftermarket and chevelle interior parts in the car.
Since I've acquired it, I've been attempting to get the interior back to "mostly stock" interior, with intent on creating a GSX clone. I want this car to be a fun driver, I have no intentions of a full restoration due to cost and the fact I'd be afraid to drive it if it was pristine. Most of the parts I've installed are either from a junkyard or a good friend of mine who's been incredibly generous, giving me many parts and charging very little for the parts I've purchased from him. I wouldn't be able to make this dream come true, especially at the pace I've been moving, if it wasn't for him.
I've been fortunate to meet several buick folks in my area who've been tremendous help, both technical support as well has helping me source parts. I've even had the pleasure of meeting Dennis Mannor after I discovered I live only a few miles away from him.
Some of the harder to find/expensive interior parts I've made myself, attempting to keep as much of the OEM design in mind. I'll share some pictures later of where the car is today and how it was when I purchased it. Needless to say I'm incredibly blessed to have finally purchased my dream car and be able to meet so many incredible buick enthusiasts in my area.
New to the forum. I've always wanted a '70 Buick GSX since I was a kid. Once I became aware of what an original GSX goes for, I had to recalibrate expectations. Ideally the next candidate is a GS, but those too are far out of my reach, so I began the pursuit of purchasing a Skylark. After 23yrs of saving and searching, I bought my first Buick A body, a 71 Skylark Custom.
It was originally a 350 automatic AC car, but had several owners each with a different vision of what it could be. By the time I purchased it, it has a 455 and a 4spd muncie (my ideal dream powertrain) and a ford 9" rear. One of the previous owners swapped in the 455 and 9" with intentions of drag racing it, and started gutting the car. The guy i bought it from wanted a driver, so be put interior back in and swapped the automatic for the muncie. He wasn't a buick enthusiast, so he put a mixture of aftermarket and chevelle interior parts in the car.
Since I've acquired it, I've been attempting to get the interior back to "mostly stock" interior, with intent on creating a GSX clone. I want this car to be a fun driver, I have no intentions of a full restoration due to cost and the fact I'd be afraid to drive it if it was pristine. Most of the parts I've installed are either from a junkyard or a good friend of mine who's been incredibly generous, giving me many parts and charging very little for the parts I've purchased from him. I wouldn't be able to make this dream come true, especially at the pace I've been moving, if it wasn't for him.
I've been fortunate to meet several buick folks in my area who've been tremendous help, both technical support as well has helping me source parts. I've even had the pleasure of meeting Dennis Mannor after I discovered I live only a few miles away from him.
Some of the harder to find/expensive interior parts I've made myself, attempting to keep as much of the OEM design in mind. I'll share some pictures later of where the car is today and how it was when I purchased it. Needless to say I'm incredibly blessed to have finally purchased my dream car and be able to meet so many incredible buick enthusiasts in my area.
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