1970 Stage 1 Frame-Off Restoration Project - "Kokomo"

Discussion in 'Members Rides' started by BUQUICK, Jan 11, 2011.

  1. dl7265

    dl7265 No car then Mopar

    federal safety certification sticker. Or more commonly referred to as Nadar sticker. Yes ralph Nadar.


    DL
     
  2. DeanTX

    DeanTX Silver Level contributor

    On total man hours, my guess is going to be a bit lower than most. 880 hours. The reason why is that he has experience and knows what to do and how to do it. In my amateur case it would be the 2,000 or so to do the same work (but with lesser results). Are we supposed to guess dollars? I would say it would run about $20,000 for parts, not including the engine/transmission. So maybe $28-$30,000 range.
     
  3. TomGS72

    TomGS72 Silver Level contributor

    WOW....killer work!
     
  4. Brian Albrecht

    Brian Albrecht Classic Reflections

    If you're going low, just do like on the Price Is Right thing and say 1 hour. :grin: I'm feeling confident on my number-the attention to detail on the decal should help my "high" number.
     
  5. TTNC

    TTNC Well-Known Member

    This car came out awesome. :bglasses:

    Maybe I missed it in the thread somewhere but is your dad leaving off the trim at the back of the decklid and quarter extensions?
     
  6. jay bird

    jay bird Well-Known Member

    Very nice.Kind of sad to see it done.Always looked foward to seeing updated photos.Now that its almost done there will be no more photos.But im happy for your dad.Now he can enjoy it.
     
  7. BUQUICK

    BUQUICK I'm your huckleberry.

    Thanks. Be sure to post some photos of '66 project as it progesses. The Buick world definitey needs some more nice '66s!

    Nadar? Why am I not surprised.

    Thanks.

    Yep, he doesn't like the rear trim that is standard on a big block '70 GS, so he deleted it. You might be the first person to ever mention it. He also deleted it on a certain red '70 Stage 1 that he restored for somone else and the car was entered in the Concours class at the GS Nats and the judges didn't even notice that it was gone so there was no deduction.

    Thanks. Restoring rough cars is something he really enjoys so this car was really fun for him, despite the hard work and expense, but I think he will also enjoy having it finished.
     
  8. Rusty Davenport

    Rusty Davenport Silver Level contributor

    I figured the trunk trim would have been a option.I have seen alot of GS cars without it,but they may have been 350 cars as I never knew about it being standard on 455 cars.
     
  9. dl7265

    dl7265 No car then Mopar

    Does the closest guess win a free certificate for a GS restoration ? :laugh:

    DL
     
  10. jay bird

    jay bird Well-Known Member

    I brought a few cars that should have been junked back to life .But know where near the level that your dad does.Me and my dad are productoin body and paint guys.My dad is 72 and still paints at a small shop every day.I work at a larger shop and i work on old cars in my spare time.About time i get the body and paint done my patients are shot.Your dad did a truly amazing job.Im getting ready to tackel another project soon,But it's going to be more of a strip car so i won't have worry about all the fine details.
     
  11. DeanTX

    DeanTX Silver Level contributor

    The car came with trunk trim, but he likes the looks better without it. He also left off the trim along the top of the door sills.

    I talked to Mr. Steele at the Nashville Goodguys.
     
  12. Rich Johns

    Rich Johns Platinum Level Contributor

    Rusty
    In 1970 The trunk trim which extended to rear quarter extensions were standard on a 1970 Skylark Custom and 1970 GS 455/Stage 1 car.
    Regular 1970 Skylark's and GS 350's did not have trim.
     
  13. zephren

    zephren machinist

    Wow great job on the restoration I have a 70 gs 350 factory aquamist with a crap maaco black skim coat over it. Hope my restoration comes out half as good as yours. Will the car be at a show close to Oklahoma.
     
  14. DeanTX

    DeanTX Silver Level contributor

    My 1970 GS 350 has the trunk trim, but when I get it painted I am going to leave it off.
     
  15. 70gs2nv

    70gs2nv Rick Pirch

    Any pictures from car shows or cruise nights, from this summer? Thanks, Rick
     
  16. cjp69

    cjp69 Gold Level Contributor

    Gary,

    Did you ever post this info? I think I missed it? I have a project I may be considering and this info would be very helpful!

    Thanks, Chris
     
  17. staged70

    staged70 RIP

    I had a chance to se this car close up. The workmanship is nothing short of amazing. The conversation about the shroud was eye opening. His repo shroud needed to be reworked. I wont repeat what I was told as to the hours spent on that but I will guess 1400 hours on the resto.
     
  18. gs66

    gs66 Silver Level contributor

    Great looking car. Did you get it out to the strip?
     
  19. BUQUICK

    BUQUICK I'm your huckleberry.

    The car was only taken out to only two events in 2013. I drove it to the Good Guys show (because my dad was driving the '69 Chevelle to that show) where it was in the Mighty Muscle class and my dad took it to the GS Nats in October where it got a 2nd place in its class. We planned to take it to a bunch of events in 2013 but we were thrown a curveball and the car ended up staying in the garage from May - October. At the end of 2013 it only had about 150 miles on it :(


    Good Guys show in Nashville, TN May 18th, 2013. I'll give my dad the "father of the year" award, he asked me to please drive it to this show and just treat it as if it were mine. He didn't have to ask twice! That's me enjoying the barrowed car.
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    GS Nationals October 2013:
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    The first car event in our area is this Saturday (a cruise-in) and my dad is going to drive it out there. The car will gets lots of miles this year unless we get hit by another curveball! Stuff happens. He's been driving it around over the last few months to go run errands (he's retired so he doesn't drive as much these days) and I think it has about 550 miles right now.
     
  20. BUQUICK

    BUQUICK I'm your huckleberry.

    Thanks. No the car only got out of the garage a couple of times in 2013. We hope 2014 will be a different story.

    My dad got 2 more 15x7 steel wheels and installed a set of P255 M/T drag radials about 3 weeks ago, so the car is finally ready for the track. Not sure when we will take it but we plan to beat on it at the track this year at some point. I've driven it a few times and it runs good, didn't feel as strong as I had hoped but that might have been due to the car having regular tires on it at the time. I have not driven it with the drag radials yet but it should feel different with better traction.
     

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