Brett Slater's (BrettS872) 1970 Buick GS 455 Stage 1
 

Hey Bruce,

Ok, so....the car a GS Historical Society documented Regal Black 1970 Buick GS 455 Stage 1 with a NOM '70 455. It still retains its born with M21 and 3.64 posi and the interior is original as well.

This particular color combo - double black - is considerably rare. I've researched for a good year and a half and surmised that the production of this color combo, combined with the Stage 1 option, is probably somewhere in the low double digits.

It spent its whole life in Lebanon, PA - changing owners 6 times before I bought it in early 2017. I'm actually in regular contact with 2 of the former owners, which is definitely cool and it saw a fair amount of street racing in Lebanon, as well as some time at the tracks local to that region.

The odometer just passed 52K over the summer and it's still amazingly tight for an almost 50 year old car.

As far as I'm concerned, a double black '70 Stage 1 4-speed car with low options is the "Holy Grail" of Buick muscle. I mean, don't get me wrong - the GSX's bring the money but any car guy worth his salt would definitely take a black big block 4-speed car over the flashy, typically high optioned X. Then again, I may be a little biased.



Thanks, Brett

Pics from the 80's and 90's! And some day two pics!!

Sweet! I love it.

'

L:drool:VE it too, awesome car!
:beers:
~ Pete

.

Thanks, gentleman!

Incidentally, while waiting for this thread to be created, the 3rd owner sent me some more pictures from the mid 70's.

That there.....is my all time Favorite Muscle Car!
LOVE IT!
Enjoy her.....with all your passion.....I certainly would.
I have have restored many GS Buicks......Great Cars!

An Early Built Buick :)

Congrats!

Dan

Brett-Send me those and I will edit them in... :beers:

Thanks Dan!

I'm very lucky.

Will do!

Pretty tough to argue with that one. These cars are monsters to say the least and a car to be reckoned with and I AM biased. ;) Great looking car Brett and thanks for sharing the story and pictures.

Is it an M20 or M21?

Sexy ride, buckets 4 speed, no console!!!

Ryan W31

Correction Ryan.....It does have what Buick refers to the "Shorty" Console.

RPO - D57 Consolette. Super cool option.....Buicks Rock!

Dan

Like the red convert Stage 1 4 Speed Mike G drove me around Barrington Hills in?

Ryan W31

Correct, one of 67 made :)

Dan

Thanks Rick!

I still have a few clamps and hoses to add that'll bring the engine compartment back as close to original as I can but it's been a blast owning, driving and sharing. Especially after it's essentially been hidden away for such a long time.

Thanks!

Original M21.

Hello Buick Brother ! Nice ride..

Lots of torque, 3.64’s, and 2.20 first must break the tires free at will.

Ryan W31

Love the early pics....Day2 indeed.

Even the rear the little chrome mud flaps :)

Dan

The gentleman who ended up owning it the longest took those and the ladder bars off when he bought it, which means they were installed for at least 3 owners.

Oddly, the car never left Lebanon but got passed around like a cheap hooker. It's amazing it still retains most of its originality.

Yep, she had 3 smart owners....that all knew what they had. Now it`s your turn Brett :)

Is the current passengers side mirror a Tri Shield Buick mirror.....1970 only, Super Rare!

I wonder if the Day2 Door Mirror holes are under the original mirrors? Or by chance they somehow used the very same mirror bracket?

Dan

I had to fork over a kidney for that passenger side tri shield mirror! And from what I've seen, I did well in terms of price.

The old holes are under that gasket. I used the factory template to drill the correct ones.

That was fun.:eek2:

I am glad you were able to find the correct passenger mirror. It’s just one more very cool item that makes the 1970 Buick GS just that much more unique and special.

Dan

Wow! That's a scarce car.

70 Buick GS...
 

Classic look of a factory muscle car...always been on my list of favorites.

**my grandfather was a Buick guy [after he was Chrysler guy]...he had Rivieras, Wildcats, Electra 225's, etc...

They all had the speedo minder option...I wonder why :naughty:

Good luck with your car...it is a beauty.

-wilma

Further conversation with (who I thought was) the 3rd owner revealed the car had actually changed hands NINE times in 11 years, all the while remaining in Lebanon, PA.

I constructed a timeline of the car's history:

December/1969 – Regal Black GS 455 w/”Stage 1” option is built the last week of 1969. The “Transition car” (plastic radiator cover, clear overflow but flat gauge lenses) is assembled at the Flint plant and delivered to Fritchey & Waddell Buick in Woodward, NJ in January of 1970.

February/1970 - The GS ends up in Lebanon, PA and also ends up repossessed – with very low miles. The former Gingrich Motor Sales – of Lebanon - purchases the car at auction, adding to it a Buick 8-track player and also swapping out the original 14” wheels (that are listed in the GS Historic Society documents) for the “flashier” chrome factory rally wheels. This is most likely in an effort to sweeten the pot on the used car lot – a practice that is still very common today.

Still within this time frame, the car is next purchased by Robert Demler Sr. and would be owned by him and his sons Robert Jr. and Gary until early in 1975. Robert Jr. subsequently removes the factory chrome wheels (which he's still in possession of today) and replaces them with aluminum slots. Also added are air shocks, rear brake drums painted red and the period correct raised white letter tires of the era, to complete the “Day 2” trim look. Also, the car is subsequently clear coated by Gary because he wanted it to be “nice and shiny”. That clear coat still remains today.

Early 1975 – The car is purchased by Jack Yeagley, who turned out to be the cousin of the next owner's future wife. Jack owns it for a short time and then trades it in at Goodman Dodge (also of Lebanon and now named Ladd-Hanford Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep) for a new Dodge Ramcharger.

Spring/1976 – Keith Peiffer – now the 6th owner of the car in 6 years – purchases the car from Goodman Dodge for $3500. He owns the car for 2 years and then trades it in to Ed Miller's Auto Sales, also of Lebanon, toward a 72 Chevrolet Impala with a 400 CI small block engine and a host of other options.

Spring/1978 – Ed Miller's nephew Joe (future owner of Joe Miller's Paving) buys the car from his uncle's lot and owns it for a couple years. During this time, he replaces the clutch and subsequently sells it to another native of Lebanon, a high school kid named Micah Miller.

1979 – Micah Miller (no relation to previous owner Joe) owns the car for a short period of time before managing to blow the original “SS” Stage 1 block. Amazingly enough, the born with Muncie M21 and 10 bolt 3.64 rear are still with the car today. Micah also sideswipes a stop sign, resulting in the driver's side quarter being replaced with an NOS one. This is the only area of the car that doesn't have the small bubbling/spiderwebbing from the excessive clear coat applied a few years earlier by Gary Demler. As an aside, (years later) a subsequent owner would actually track down and contact the shop owner who replaced the blown Stage 1 motor in an effort to retrieve the car's born with block. The shop owner recalls the car and also recalls the motor was too far gone to repair. It is unknown if the Stage 1 heads made the swap.

1981 – By the very early 80's and at the behest of his father, Micah took possession of a first generation Mustang and some cash in return for the Gran Sport. Dave Donmoyer would own the car the longest – from 1981 until October of 2016 – an only amass roughly 8,000 miles during that time. Some of these miles were done a quarter mile at a time at race tracks local to that region. As the years go on, he drives the car less and less. In the fall of 2016, Donmoyer decided it was time to find another home for the oft passed around rare piece of Buick history and he posts an ad on Craigslist.

October/2016 – Having been out of the car game for a while and recently scouring Craigslist, Dan R. happened upon Donmoyer's ad and contacts him right away. This was done in an effort to both send a deposit and then get the ad taken down as quickly as possible, so there would be no other potential suitors. A couple weeks later, Dan goes to Lebanon (with trailer in tow) and purchases the car, subsequently posting a picture of it on a Buick Facebook page. This writer sees the picture and inquires with the WA resident who finds cars for people all over the country. (more so the reason Dan hurriedly sent the deposit to Lebanon, PA)

February/2017 – After much dialogue that began between the December holidays of 2016, I flew down to suburban Baltimore (with my longtime mechanic/close friend) to get a better look and drive the car. The car far exceeded my expectations and the exchange was made. 7 weeks later, the car arrived in Southeastern, MA – changing hands for the 10th and final time.

Here are some more vintage pics from Brett!

Great history, stories and pics, thanks!

Thanks!!

It's been a fun couple years.

Sharp, sinister looking car. Love it. Great detective work. Love the story and a 4 speed Buick for crying out loud!!!!

The automotive archeology is half the fun!

I have one of the very early owners digging around for more old pictures and any documentation he might have held on to.

I'd make a run at the wheels he still has but in our last conversation earlier this week, he confirmed that the owner of the dealership (and close friend) remembers mine and another green car coming into the dealer - and mine having dog dishes before being swapped out for Buick chrome wheels.

So, I'm good.

Way back in High School (1978) a fellow student had a pristine dark green black vinyl top GS455 Stage 1. Rumor was it was never beaten in a street race.