Dan, I am not a professional body man but I have done more than my fair share of cars, not just buicks. There is not a lot of adjustment that can be done when the gap has over 3/16 variance between the top and bottom and will get worse when you raise the back of the door. If you move the door back to close the gap at the top it will be hitting at the bottom. I dont think you can jockey the door enough to correct the variance in the gap and have the rocker gap look correct. The fix I posted is much better that cutting the quarter back off and trying for a different outcome. Not all Sheetmetal stampings were correct just as the fender problems there were mistakes made. Yes it should have been done correctly the first time. Anyway I guess me agree to disagree. Nelson
That's very interesting. Can you estimate how many hours per side it is to make the repair? Im thinking this car could be repainted and fixed fairly reasonably if the 1/4s can stay on. Maybe about 15k at the body shop?
X2, but I distinctly recall selling a set to Glenn Dempsey in Atlanta at the 1994 BCA event knowing NOS 1970-1972 quarters were dried up at warehouses and dealerships. There were still radiator supports and 70 GS grilles available IIRC.
Update. Received a call from seller asking if I still wanted the car at my original offer price which was “Substantially lower” then his asking price. Needless to say I said yes. Did the 400 mile journey back to gods country and picked it up Sunday. Car came with the original title, purchase invoice, build sheet, protecto plate stamp, loan Papers, and pretty much every receipt he ever spent on car. Did a deeper dive looking for block numbers and come to find I could make out 3 of the 6 vin numbers and it’s the original engine too. Pretty happy about that. Now the fun starts.
Nice score. I say sort it out and drive it (maybe blacken the underhood area first). You paid what you wanted for a really rare and desirable car, what more could a person want? Well done.
I say just paint the wheel wells leave the rest alone maybe the booster Congratulations on the score My pops gsx car we did is a custom kind of what ya got going on in the engine compartment. I say be different. Have fun with your new purchase
The guy (I think it's the same car) told the whole story on FB a few years back. If my memory was as good as it used to be... I disabled my account last year or I'd try to find it. I do remember he said today the car wouldn't have been junked. There were several stories others told as well IIRC of ones that were totalled. I know of two others plus I saw the one in the junkyard in VA back in the day but last I read it was being saved.
Probably the biggest difference is that I take my time & have tremendous patience for & like doing the the sheetmetal and could never make money doing this for others. I would never weld a quarter on or weld the wheelhouse in until I knew the doors fit. Ditto on the front end. I'm sure a "professional" is a lot better at it than me and I'm sure if I did do it for living I'd get faster, but... Many a times I've walked out of the shop at night not knowing how I was going to get this or that to align or how to make a piece only to come back in the next night and tweak on it some more after thinking about it. Ditto on the front end sheetmetal which is why I like the NOS fenders. I'd probably get frustrated using original fenders and wind up cutting them apart too. I've also seen where the body shell was put together crappily at Fisher which adds to the fun. The next two I have to do will see some serious surgery - More than I've ever done but none of it scares me any more (Duane told me I was crazy). It's just taking your time & lots of screws, clamps, & patience.
Congratulations! Shows you just never know. Everyone around tried to buy my old GSX from the guy (orig. owner). I guess I knocked on his door on the right day. Maybe I missed it & you mentioned in the op that had Stage 1 valves, but is it an original Stage 1 car? Amazing that you could still make out any of the numbers.
Not an original stage car. Sr code. He told me his original intent was to make it into a stage II. The receipt he gave me for then engine work showed he paid a little over $5k for the build. Here’s a picture of the heads.
Congrats Fred. I wouldn't worry about it being perfect just get out and have some fun with it. If they are overly nice no one really drives them much. Very cool GSX