My Classic Car- The Buick GS Stage 1

[Crazcompart]

In my area they called these "Hemi Eaters"!

[199919191991991]

i just love this car in harvest gold color........

[dicktheguncheney]

it isnt modified but he knows how to tune his car. optimized. he may have honed out the manifolds both intake and out. still they are the stock pieces. the cam is stock the tranny might have been set up a bit. may have tweaked the carb with bigger jets and all. but other than that you don't need to modifie a 455 to run 12's. this car is proof of that.

[Bag0fRats]

@dicktheguncheney Stage 1s were badass engines right off the showroom floor. Pontiac and Olds 455s (and I own a GTO) couldn't stay up with them.

[harddrivin1le]

Mid 13s in the 104 MPH range was the best a truly stock Stage 1 would run. The '70 Motor Trend test car produced the fastest of all recorded magazine time. They tested two; the automatic was faster and it yielded a best run of 13.38 @ 105.5 MPH. I read an interview with a '70 Buick engineer who stated "Actual" output (SAE Net) was roughly 350 HP (a BIG number by '70 standards). This car's engine is MODIFIED - regardless of what the owner claims. Note how Dennis Gage says "stock APPEARING."

[ericlarsen]

@harddrivin1le

The 1970 GS stage 1 was really around 450HP at the crank. We dyno'd one with over 100k miles on it and it put 343 to the wheels. So your 'actual" hp isnt very accurate. Rebuilt OEM stock with a slight cam increase it was noticeably quicker..but was never dyno'd.

[46wireboy]

@harddrivin1le Sorry, but the numbers don't add up. And the 85 year old

man running the company at the time didn't like the image so he made them

downplay everything. The "standard" 455 was rated @ 365 hp and the stage 1

was rated @ 345! The Stage 1 was cleaning the clocks of everyone boasting

425 to 450 hp. Many of them lighter cars. Back in the 80's a compilation of

4 car mags had the Stage 1 as the fastest muscle car (4 seats) of all time.

That was @ 12.8 & I think around 112

[46wireboy]

@harddrivin1le Motor magazine had an issue on the 5 best

big blocks to supe up. The usual 454, 440, 427, 455(Olds),

and 455 Stage 1. The Stage 1 came out 5th only because

there was only 1 company to buy aftermarket parts from;

making them more expensive. Otherwise it would have been

#1. Quote; it would out-rev anything but a small block

chevy with a roller cam! I had this engine in a 69' Riv and

@ 40 mph if you punched it, it would swap ends. I miss it.

[ihatebean11]

Thumbs up for seraching 50's car after playing a video game

[1hotriv]

one day I will have one ....

[NoForRice]

What a beauty .

[mrho4speed]

Thanks to Mr. Chamberlain for building such a beautiful and wickedly fast car. FYI to all Popular Mechanics featured this car in the Aug. issue in 1997. No stock stage 1 would run the 1/4 mile in 12.56 seconds at 111.78 and the owner did admit to 11 to 1 compression, electronic ignition, K&N air filter, 2 1/2 inch exhaust system and hours of port matching. While not exactly stock it does show the enormous potential of the Buick engine. Gotta love that torque and the sleeper nature of the Buick.

[ellisfreedman]

That is so fucking fast wtf

[hondahp18]

just saw this on MuscleCar...... MONSTER. 0-60 5.5 1/4 mile 13.5 @ 105  Torque 510lbs

[DONDIVA1969]

455 Buick was the most modern of the big V-8s back then and one of the most powerful when slightly modified for street. It was designed to produce maximum power at reasonable rpm levels. It delivered in spades. After a drag test of a 1970 GS Stage 1, Hot Rod Magazine editors said the Stage 1 was quicker than Street Hemi's that were tested in exactly the same trim. The Buick 455 won Car Craft Magazine's Big Block Challenge beating everything including the 454 Chevy and 440 Chrysler engines.

[danp455]

my first car was the stage 1 455 in an Electra 225, and it was factory, believe it or not. i got it from the original owner, and he special ordered two 1970s, one with the stage 1. he gave both of them to my dad, and i got the stage 1. oh to be 16 again. one of the most beautiful sounds in the world. not to mention the factory power ratings were 370hp and 510flb. that car would scoot.

[Bag0fRats]

@danp455 there's an original 71 Rivera GS Stage 1 car in my area, so I don't doubt it. The Stage 1 was listed as an option on the full size cars until 1974

[harddrivin1le]

The Stage 1 was NOT "listed as an option on all full size cars until 1974. It was available only in the Skylark and Riviera GS models.

[Bag0fRats]

@harddrivin1le I saw a souce that said it was. Maybe it was inaccurate. Are you sure it was not an option on the Centurion or Wildcat ? Seems it might be there.

[mikelikeltj2]

my dream machine

[mocus1]

An awesome machine !

[jdcomix]

i love this car

[jaratt85]

unrestored but not unmolested lol

[ika6667]

What a beautiful sound!

[thatruggedrebel]

i have a 71 skylark 4 door. and it was a granfathers old car!

[midnitesquirldog]

@thatruggedrebel put a video on those 4drs in any old car is getting hard to find these days its a shame !

[thatruggedrebel]

@midnitesquirldog FINALLY someone who doesnt hate 4 drs. everyones always all 'why dont you get a 2 door" i have 5 grand to spend

[BuickHorsepower]

Thank You all for the kind words on the car as well as to interface2037 for posting the vid. That is me and my car in the video. For those wondering, I do still have the car and have no plans on selling it. I'm currently putting together a new website to showcase and broker other Classic Buicks. I'm expecting to open this site by May 15th 2010. If anyone's interested you can follow me on twitter @BuickHorsepower. I'll let everyone know when the site is live.

Thanks Again,

J.K. Chamberlain

[strittan]

I'm not a Buick fan at all (Chevy guy), but this car is awesome indeed, and fast! Keep taking care of this baby.

Greetings from Sweden

[DONDIVA1969]

At a Buick Nationals event some time ago Dennis Manner who headed the engineering team that developed this engine said the Stage 1 produced about 375 hp.

[midnitesquirldog]

the coolest thig about back then is gm ford chrysler would say the car has 375 hp but it realy had 450 hp!!! just to fool the insurance companies but they caught on so did the stupid emissions laws big drop in hp and torque in 1972 and 1973!!!

[odelgado78]

man this is so awesome just gives me goosebumps!

[songs1994]

The suspension looks like its original, which is cool the way the car moves and bounces a little, looks like its out of movie.

[rfizzel]

best muscle car ever 70 buick gs stage 1 that thing is tourqey!!!!!

[jjpeterson1]

Well GTOs are now 2nd place to these.

[Bag0fRats]

So are some 426 Hemis

[mlgardens74]

This is from 1997. Twelve years ago. Which is wierd cause it's hard to tell when you watch it. The host still looks the same.

[IMHappySoMuch]

i hope you get the new car in gods willings

[DJM442]

forget the new camaro. GM needs to let Buick bring back the GS stage 1, GSX, and Grand National GNX. you can cover the turbo V6's up to a big-block beast. while they're at it, re-instate Oldsmobile! haha but yeah, even i know there's a fat-chance of that happening!

[muscle1983]

yeah those new muscle make american cars be appreciated in the whole world again!

[3deadlegs]

sigure, no it wasn't the 350 Buick had a tiny bore of 3.80 inches vs like a Chevy at 4.00 inches.

[sigurd1979]

9.8:1 compression is pretty steep for a big block.

[3deadlegs]

No its not Super Stock Hemis and 426s ran 12.5 to 1

[sigurd1979]

Bot exactly a common engine though, and I wonder how they pulled it off... Aluminum heads? and what else?

[tmason1960]

let me tell you a story back in the day in lou. ky in a place called oakolona a 1969 buick gs 400 4spd ran the streets i mean ran the srteets with cars like keith buch 1970 ss chevlle/billt wallace 1970 olds 442 chuck davis hemi and ole tom mason was out in front we had a hell of a time then fri.nights runnig on the gene synder free that under construction that car was just fast and stock as the day it came out

[DONDIVA1969]

The vast majority of musclecar motors were basically slightly tuned luxury boat/station wagon engines. Stage 1 included. Potential was definitely there if you were willing to go into the motor but off the showroom floor 90% would be lucky to break out of the 15 second ET's.

[tmason1960]

well i,ll tell you what back in the day in lou. ky in a placed called oakolna a 1969 buick gs 400 4spd ran the streets and there where plenty of cars in the day lots of money spent on there cars but this one 1960 buick ran out right down and dirty whit the best of keith buch1970 ss chevelle/chuck davis hemi/and many others but ole tom mason was out in front that car was just fast and fun as hell only if i had it now what a ride guys what a ride

[04GT40th]

The Stage motors had better compression ratio's and a lumpier cam than your typical "luxury/stationwagon" motor. And a stock GS Stage 1 would run the 1/4 in under 13 seconds, right off the shelf. I owned a '72 Skylark with a stock '70 Stage 1 engine and it ran mid-13's all day long, and that motor had 110,000 miles on it! Don't underestimate the old iron!

[DONDIVA1969]

I'm a big Buick fan dont get me wrong. I have a 430. The advertised comp ratio of the 70 Stage 1 went from 10.0 to 10.5. The larger valves took up more room in the chamber. In the real world the compression is like 9.25 as the piston is way down in the bore. The stock Stage 1 cam is 210 degrees on the intake. Thats not a big cam and is close to what was called an RV grind back then. Nearly same as the 440 Magnum and Pontiac 455 H O. An untouched showroom stock Stage 1 would run 14.2/100mph.

[04GT40th]

I had an untouched 455 Stage 1, the factory torque Rating was 515 FT/LBS and the stock HP rating was 360 from the factory, dyno tests of stock GSX Stage1 engines routinely put the HP numbers somewhere between 415 and 425.

[04GT40th]

My GSX ran a 13.54 1/4 @ 108.64 mph in 2002 at Epping N.H. (that was a best E.T.), and I'm not the greatest driver either. That car, with a better driver than myself would easily do 12's. I have some frinds in the GS club who have consistently run in the 12's with stock GSX Stage cars, hell, some of the stock GS350's were running 13's.

[DONDIVA1969]

In the 70's Kenne-Bell specialized in Buicks. In Hot Rod Magazine they outlined a hop up procedure using a stock 1970 Stage1. The stock baseline with 11 inch slicks was 14.0 at 100. The mph shows it could do 13.40 but not with a stock converter, suspension and street tires. Car Craft tested a GSX in 1970 and ran 14.28/100.5. They got it down to 13.66/99.8 with slicks and standing on the converter. I have the articles. GSX motor was the exact same as the Stage 1 No Stage1 ever ran 12's stock.

[04GT40th]

That must've been in the non "switch-pitch" converter cars, because I hear on a regular basis that automatic Stage 1 cars can run in the 12's. Whether they are tuned or not I don't know, but I do know that they retain all their stock components. Also, my Stage 1 had marine style heads on it, don't know if that makes a difference, or if all the stage motors had them, but I do know they were offered from dealers in a drag-pack with marine heads and a stage-1 cam.

[04GT40th]

You also have to look at the tires and suspension products they had in 1970, they aren't nearly as good as what they have today. A good set of street slicks and some drag shocks will dramatically improve launch in those old cars, and that was an area of concern for the GS/Chevelle/Cutlass and GTO (and most other muscle cars). I don't know of many cars that are being raced today that use the old style tire and shock packages they used 39 years ago.

[2fit661cars]

Did you see how squirley that GS got as soon as he punched it? those stupid front wheel drive 2.2L 4-banger rice burner guys would say that the car handles like crap, but a turley good driver knows how to handle a car a knows that that's where the fun is. Who wants to go fast if the car is gonna make you feel like your standing still? it takes all of the fun and passion out of it. TFATF Tokyo Drift pisses me off. Those stupid punks don't race for the fun, they race for money and girls. pussies.

[jmanj39]

My first car was a 70 GS. It had a four speed standard with a Hurst shifter. I was sixteen I thought I was speed racer. It looked so sad after I smashed it into that wall. Oh well.

[Kevinesque]

And that was only a stock GS....

[Carl6231]

One of the best running and quickest of all the musclecars bar none!!! Anyone who has never ridden in one of these beasts will quickly find out they are extremely quick cars. The amount of torque these 455's produce is staggering. Truly a very impressive running car.

Wouldn't you really rather have a Buick? I would!!!!!

[2fit661cars]

Honestly, I would take the GNX first then the GSX, but yes, I would rather have a Buick.

[puncht37]

Not even a stock LS6 was that fast.

[2connection1]

all the overinflated egos of the guys who are Pussies with their Hemis would RUN AND HIDE for cover when a bad ass stock GS STAGE 1 455 went out Hunting for Mopar junk !

The 70' Stage 1 was without a doubt the most underated Muscle car ever built BAR NONE, this car was and is a true Legend .

all you Pussies with your vaunted Hemis hide your faces, we know you're out there

[tadeh3]

hell ya lol

[2connection1]

HEMI = OVERrATED !

[emlie01]

I'm a Mopar guy, but I take my hat off to the Buick GS....a true muscle car of the classic era!

[AGHHF]

im 12 and i have a buick that im fixing up. they're beautifull cars. Love 'em

[Charger3091]

Simply put, I LOVE THIS CAR.

[impalacc]

torque monster! best muscle car

[tadeh3]

could beat a hemi

[lakenormanspeed]

love that big buick torque!

[practical85]

too bad buick makes nothing but shit today.

[shaikhdishgan1]

too bad that i have to agree with you GM scraped buik.{they make chines cars under this name and amplam}.sorey for my spiling.

[2connection1]

This car was Avail for around 10,000 bucks back in the late 80s and 90s, Now they are up around 40 or 50 thousand dollars !

Amazing

[disturbedrocks1996]

problay more than that now, probaly close to 80k now

[thespeez]

GM by the 1970s began to show its 'true colors', and some would argue that the seeds had been sown much earlier. The more I look at the non-Chevy GMs the more I'm convinced that there was more innovation in those other divisions and that because Chevy was GM's bread-and-butter division and that the fat-cats decided to worry more about the bottom line, alot of innovative ideas were scrapped. BTW what is 'amplam'?

[MommyBird10]

@practical85 UH, WHAT ABOUT THE BUICK ULTRA??? BUILT WITH ONE OF THE GREATEST MOTORS TO DATE?....AND HAVE YOU SEEN THE BUICK LUCERNE?

[Bag0fRats]

@MommyBird10 I've seen them; typical Government Motors junk.

And now the CEO wants to bump gas up another $1/per gallon to push small car sales.

Phuck GM we're tired of bailing their sorry asses out !

[Seattlecarnut]

@practical85 I so agree. Not only are they shit, but they're ugly as shit.

[malevolenceXXXensues]

@practical85 atleast they tried in the mid 2000's when they put the northstar v8 in their newest sedan

[howyouluvthat]

A showroom stock Hemi would have its hands full with a likewise 1970 Stage 1. A stock 4 speed Hemi was chassis dyno'd recently by Mopar Muscle magazine and they got 315hp at the wheels. That's very close to what the Buick got at the wheels. With 17% driveline loss typical for a manual transmission car that's like 380 at the flywheel installed in the car. In the 60's engines were dyno'd out of the car with no accessories and a optimum exhaust system. Check out the article, numbers don't lie.

[dragracer455]

I LOVE BUICKS always somthin special about all cars they made and the 455 stage 1 is just a monster my dad has a 73 ill be postin vids this summer but watch when the driver dumps it the first time look at all the spin

[DJM442]

i searched for your article even though you linked it and still did not find it!

[harddrivin1le]

Then you're an idiot.

Others have found it and sent feedback to me.

1) Go to the POPULAR MECHANICS website (Google Popular Mechanics)

2) Type the following into the site's search window:

musclecars duke

The entire article will appear. Click the number "4" and you will see that very same Buick, with the owner admitting to (some of) the modifications.

In addition to the mods he admits to, his car also runs a TA performance "Hemi Killer" cam and a fully blueprinted and over-bored engine.

[DJM442]

well i am waiting for that "supposed article" b/c my dad has a subscription to Popular Mechanics for the last 20 years or so. and why in the hell did you send me an unsolicitied message about the superiority of your Acura to an Olds or a Buick in the first place? LOSER!

[harddrivin1le]

I can't post links here.

I have sent you the article on multiple occasions.

Go to the Popular Mechanics Website.

In the search window type: "musclecars duke"

You will then see the link for the article. It features several "musclecars," including the MODIFIED Stage 1 featured in this post.

[DJM442]

but it isn't THIS CAR get that through your head man!!!!!!

[harddrivin1le]

Anyone who doubts my claim can do to Popular Mechanics website type "musclecars duke" in the search window.

The article will come up.

[harddrivin1le]

Obviously I met to say "port matched the heads" (with the intake and exhaust).

His engine is making about 80 HP more than it made when it was brand new - thanks to cylinder head work, an aftermarket cam, a true 11:1 CR, a modern exhuast system, various carb. and ignition tweaks, a full, NHRA style blueprinting job and heaven only knows what else.

It isn't stock and suggesting otherwise is flat out dishonest.

[DJM442]

if anyone gets a message from this asshole "harddrivin1le" saying his "brand new Acura V6" can stomp a GS Stage 1 he is FULL OF SHIT! he subscribed to interface2037 who put this great vid up, but has no friends, no vids of his own and no favorites. so he is a faceless ghost that talks shit. he tried to prove his point by linking me to a pop. mech. article that didn't even exist! what a goddamn liar!

[harddrivin1le]

I never stated that a brand new V6 Acura could "stomp a GS Stage 1."

I said the Acura is a little faster than a '70 Olds W30 (in production line, bone stock form). I also proved than the "stock" Stage 1 in this link is actually modified.

[harddrivin1le]

Also, POPULAR MECHANICS featured this very same "stock" Stage 1 back in 1997. They called the owner on his claim of it being stock. He admitted that he milled the heads, decked and port matched the block and installed a modern exhaust system, etc.

What he didn't admit to was that his engine was fully blueprinted, over=bored and fitted with a TA Performance "HEMI KILLER" cam, along with various other internal tweaks.

[DJM442]

since i'm only a "youngin" and i never grew up with these cars, was the Stage 1 equivalent to either a normal 455c.i. 442, or the W-30 442? either way if you want to get there fast, doing it in class, only an Olds or Buick can scratch that itch!

[leatherneck448]

amen to that dude. To answer your ?? in 70 and 71 a standard 442 is to GS 455 as a W-30 is to a Stage 1. Pretty sure olds started baggin standard 442's with 350's in 72. Then, it's the "equivalent" of a GS 350.

[DJM442]

did i hear that right??? the featured car ran mid-12's with 2 people in the car and it was driven to the venue?!?!?!?!? jesus, i know many import guys, that on boost they'd love to run that kind of 1/4 time!

[peter355camaro]

that's very true what they sad in the video! it's a very underrated car and surprisngly it's one of the fastest muscle cars ever!! THE BUICK GS STAGE 1. man that's the perfect car to race those imports/ricers!! they think it's just the grand pa's buick...lol 510ft-lbs at 2800 that's pure buick torque!!!

[DJM442]

don't forget about the Oldsmobile "W" machines! just like the Buicks, Oldsmbiles are VERY underrated and incredibly fast, just like its' Buick GS Stage 1 / GS-X cousin.

[Duckyistrippin]

im a "ricer" but i used to own one of these when i was a kid. nothing else even compares, id love to find another one.

[DJM442]

man let the rest of your "ricer" buddies know just how badass these cars truly are! nothin beats a big block 455 with 500+ ft/lbs of tourque!

[Duckyistrippin]

yeah i show everyone the pictures of this car, even people that knew me in highschool find me on myspace and ask about the beast i used to drive. hondas are fun and all, but no one gives a shit. its all about the big block baby :) oh yeah, id cut off my left nut to have another one of these. so fast, so smooth. tires go so quickly.... lol

[DJM442]

i'd sell my soul to satan for a GS-X and a W-30 442

[howyouluvthat]

Big torque makes for good ET for a given MPH even in a car that's not quite set up for max 1/4 mile performance. Horsepower makes for good MPH. That's why the Stage 1 stomps on everything else out of the box.

[sturmluger]

its not completely stock, the engine has had head work and etc.....

[1967PmdGto]

The ultimate "ricer" nightmare, LOL. I know ricers don't even deserve to be compared in this class, but they think they do, so they deserve the embarrassment (hopefully to the most severe degree, in front of their girlfriend, etc). There's not enough of those punks being "called out" as frauds (you know, they have boost gages but no turbo, or a 200mph spoiler on a POS that won't go over 100), so I love to see great cars like this still running around and in great condition!

[bigdon2241]

those 455 stage 1 was a hemi nightmare or anything else

[DMainge739]

The 455 Stage 1 was one of the most badass engines ever built. It had 510 ft. lb. of torque and 360 horsepower.

[homeskillet1962]

360 was the factory rating. My stock rebuilt Stage 1 with headers is over 400 h.p.

[DJM442]

i think stock from the factory on leaded gas it was more than that to the pavement. i'd venture a guess of over 400hp out ofthe box.

[peter355camaro]

that buick it's stock. 455 original engine (just a simple tuning ) and runs mid 12's!! yeah oldsmobiles are pretty much the same thing: very very nice,powerful cars. but they not as underrated as the buicks (pricey)! anyways a like that bucik a litle better because the body style and that engine:)! that car is one of the fastest muscle cars ever! IF NOT THE FASTEST...

[peter355camaro]

im a chevy fan my self but i have to admit: those stage 1 buicks are faster than most chevy's! exept the ZL1 camaro and the LS6 chevelle! that car could easely run against a hemi charger or challenger...im sure the buick will eat it for launch!

[leatherneck448]

Its all torque man. In my opinion the factory rating of 360/510 was accurate.

[DJM442]

yeah no joke both the Olds 455 and the Buick 455 were at 505-510 ft/lbs FUCKING JESUS!!!!! got any houses you need moved or stumps taken out on your acreage?? i love these cars.

[racingisfun]

freaking beast of a car

[88cutty]

i met john a few times, he sold my dad some parts for our 70 stage 1. you haven't live till u've gone "FAST WITH CLASS"

[mercoid]

Fuckin A!

[70stagetwo]

As a friend of John Chamberlain, I saw this car way back in 1988; this is a beautiful, original car....the video does not do it justice. Love the bench seat...typical Buick...luxury, options, and quality as well as performance. I have a Stage 1 that I have converted to Stage 2 specs.

[creamofcardstv]

great video clip and I've rated it as five star. Please check out my clips on vintage motor car trading cards, 1920s-1950s.

[FlyBoy7X7]

the only thing wrong with this car is the bench seat and granny shifter... :-( sigh...

[oldsmobileboy]

yea it is the baddest muscle car ever built besides a stage 2

but thier was more options for a stage 1 gs

[radiator22]

that is one hell of a powerful car with its 455 ci big block

[pescadoygamba]

here i was thinking he was going to say get your hands of the paintwork.

[liltalon]

This video is from "my classic car"

[hamace]

Love the car i still remember My 3 Buicks, 2 skylarks, and 1 GS with a 455 & m22 rockcruser. Greatest car ive ever driven, and ive driven almost everything. Good luck & more vids please!

[azoltan]

Rockcruser? I believe you sir are reading.