1974 Buick Apollo GSX Stage 2 Race Car

This is one of the quickest and fastest stock suspension 9" tire naturally aspirated Buick powered cars in the country. I purchased the car from Marvin Marksberry in December 2004 and transformed the car to race IHRA Top Stock. It has consistently qualified in the top 3 cars in Stock Eliminator over the past 4 years.

It won Best Appearing Sportsman Car (out of over 700 cars) at its debut at the IHRA World Nationals at Norwalk in 2005.

Car was featured in the Spring 2006 Muscle Car Review.

Engine Fresh 462 Stage 2 SE engine built by AMP. Shortblock is IHRA/NHRA Stock Eliminator Specs with CP pistons, TA Sportsman rods, TA block girdle, SRE custom oil pan. Custom solid cam with .530 net lift. TA roller rockers and SRE custom valve covers. Trick ring package. Heads were ported by Wink. TA SPX intake ported by Wilson Manifolds and QF 850 carburetor. Trick custom merge collectors. Motor makes over 650 HP on a warm Summer day.

Transmission Coan light weight Turbo 400 w/deep billet pan (less than 125#) 2.75 low gear set and all the trick parts. Just freshened. CSR carbon fiber trans shield.
ATI custom 8" convertor.
Turbo Action Cheetah Shifter. Available ACD Air Shifter, can shift each gear at different RPM's.

Driveshaft Custom Dynotech Metal Matrix, lighter and stronger than aluminum.

Fuel System Triangle custom 5 gallon aluminum fuel cell with Magna Fuel 300 pump, filter and regulator. Earl's lightweight 10AN black fuel line. Pumps 1 gallon of fuel in 12 seconds.

Rear Moser custom 12 bolt housing with lightened spool and axles. 4.10 Richmond Pro Gear, lightened and micro polished. TA Billet rear cover.

Suspension Wilwood front and rear race disc brakes and aluminum master cylinder.
Double Adjustable front QA1 Coilover front shocks. Global West bushings. Flaming River aluminum steering box. Baer bump steer kit.
Double Adjustable rear Alston Varishocks.
Calvert monoleaf rear springs and traction bars. Alston wheelie bars.

Weld Alumastar front 15x4 and rear 15x9 wheels. 28" tall Hoosier front tires with 2 sets of rear rims/slicks. 1 set-9x30 Hoosier Radial Drag slicks & 1 set- 10.5x30 Hoosier Radial Drag slicks.

Interior
Custom black bucket seat interior. RCI Platinum Seat belt.
Covan dash with Autometer playbach tach and recordable water temp, oil temp, oil pressure and trans temp gauges.
Computech dual EGT monitors.
MSD Programable Digital 7 Ignition with downloading Data Acquisition.
10 Point roll bar.

Fiberglass lift off hood with Stage 2 hood scoop and custom air pan. Custom fiberglass lower front spoiler. Stock hood and hardware is included.

Car consistently runs 1.25-1.28 on the 9" tires in 60' and can be set up to leave on the bumper or about 6 inches off the ground. Car consistently runs 9.50's at over 138 mph. Without the decals it looks like a 12 second car.

Best is;
1.251 60'
5.974 @ 113.09 in the 1/8 mile
9.482 @ 139.42 in the 1/4 mile

I will help with the setup and tune up. Car could easily be converted to run a drag radial class and with Programable Ignition would still hook in a car wash! Or it is legal to run in IHRA Super Stock or Stock Eliminator in 2010.

$29,500 or best offer.

Thanks,
Tom 815-675-3188 nights and weekends

 

bump for a first class ride, and a first class person. Goodluck with the sale Tom. :TU:

 

Any chance it could be bought less engine and trans? I have an 800 HP set up I need something to set it in

 

If that seems like an option, I might be interested in the engine and trans.

 

I'm adding some pictures of the car. At this time I have no engine pictures in the car because the motor is being freshened at AMP. Should be on the dyno in the next week or so.

Car weighs 3225 without driver.

When I got the car we repainted, sanded and buffed the car. All exterior trim was polished or replaced with NOS parts. New core support. All bumper brackets, front inner fenders, core support etc were powder coated semi gloss black. Front and rear bumpers were rechromed.

All new weatherstripping and window felts. New carpet and front door panels. Front buckets and rear seat were freshly recovered when I bought the car.

At this time my preference is to sell the car complete but would be open to offers on the rolling chassis and motor separately. This combination is sorted out very well. How many 3400# + Buicks are there that run 9.40-50's with a .530 lift solid cam and a 850 Holley that is still externally 100% stock with choke plate still in it. It's all in the combination and acceleration rate of the car.

Price is less than 40% of what it cost to build. Trans and motor will be 100% fresh.

Thanks,
Tom 815-675-3188

 

Pictures added.

 

Sweet looking ride Tom! love the look of that car....

 

Good luck with the sale Tom.........
That car has definitely set the bar high.

 

This is the one car I'm truly in love with. It's exactly the way I would've built it if I had all the resources to do so. All I need to do is win the lotteryray:

 

Bump

 

I have seen this car in person it is absolutely STUNNING! :eek2:

 

I enjoy watching this car run. The car so effortlessly lifts and flies down the track. Who ever winds up with this car will be getting a top notch car and have nothing to worry about with this sale. Tom is the most detail oriented and honest person I have ever met. Good luck with the sale and hope to see you at the next race.:TU:

 

Tom,
When you get the car back together, why not haul it down to the GS Nationals at BG? Maybe even run it?

 

How's the sale going, Tom? Haven't seen much about this great looking car.

 

Tom is one of the BEST car guys in the hobby! This car is truly stunning.

Best of luck with the sale.

Dan

 

Car is still available!

Motor is back from AMP with a little more HP!
Transmission is back from Coan, 100% fresh!

Due to bad back they are not in car yet but will be soon.

Price reduced to $28,000 without Air Shifter and spare parts.

For a video of the car at Great Lakes Dragway, go to YouTube and type in "Tom Rix".

Thanks,
Tom

 

What a gift I hope all is well Tom. Chris
Here is the link to youtube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqsulIP13Dc

 

Tom,
Have you sold that great looking race car yet?

 

Car is together and ready for sale. I am finishing my Super Stock car and will be concentrating on that going forward.

For the next 4 weeks (through September 19) the price on the car will be $25,000 less the air shifter, EGT recorder, O2 sensor and all spare parts. After that it will go back under the cover in the corner of the garage. Cost to duplicate the complete motor, trans, convertor and ignition is over $22,000 alone.

Due to business comittments I did not make it to the Midwest Challenge nor can I make it to the rescheduled GSCA Nats in Bowling Green.

However I do plan on being at the BOP races at Byron Dragway on September 11-12.

Call 815-675-3188 with any questions.

Thanks,
Tom