Very interesting...Just yesterday I was reading the September Hemmings Muscle Machines and on the auction results page saw a 1968 Buick GS California 350 with 8,000 original miles sell for $18,000. Today the same Buick pops up on ebay with an asking price of $26,900. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Buic...55aQQitemZ220821468506QQptZUSQ5fCarsQ5fTrucks
Stood underneath and sprayed everything they could see black, including the exhaust pipe...and only the underside of the differential. Nice lookin' ride, though.
I bet the seller doesnt even know they featured it in the mag. Talk about a hard sell though. The Californias are the worst to sell. They have Special VIN's. Everyone thinks that they're fakes. 18k is about 8-10k over priced for that car. 26k is an absolute joke. I hope he likes it. He's married to that one. Trying to explain that its a real GS to someone that has only superficial knowledge of Buicks is akin to trying to explain to out of stater's that NY doesnt issue titles for the old car your selling them. They only have trasferrable registrations. Everyone thinks your trying to pull a fast one.
Really? I've had a fair amount of Buick "experts" tell me my California GS isn't a "real" GS. Now I'm confused. Not trying to poke at you, but it's been a whole lot of "no it ain't", in my experience. Doesn't bother, me really. I like it anyway.
As far as Im concerned, its a real GS. Buick put the emblems and called it a GS didnt they? You have to take into consideration that there are some people on this board that think a GS-350 isnt a muscle car.
I have seen this car for sale for the last 4-5 years, the first seller did all the spray paint work underneath, trying to make it look better. He just messed it up.
That's "Twilight Blue",nice color:bglasses: Here comes the argument about "real GS" IMHO.Ive owned 1 Special & 1 Cali GS,no boxed frame is my killer of a GS or not.No cali ever was a GS,it had emblems & louvers,thats it.No F41,no BB.......just me but thats a nice $8K car.......no more:bglasses: Heck,my plans for the Special i have now would confuse anyone,430 marker lights?
Well, they did get rid if the boxed frame in the hardtops in 68 so that cant be a qualifier. I do agree with you though Jamie that its a nice 8k car :laugh:
That's a nice old car, but not a musclecar in my opinion. Two speed transmission and single exhaust just don't equal "muscle car" to me. It's got emblems and louvers and that's about it. Lot's of late 1970's GM cars had emblems and louvers and they're hardly considered muscle cars. Just my opinion. Jim
A Cali GS has a 350-4V engine, A GS350 has a 350-4V engine, A Skylark could be ordered with a 350-4V engine. Is the Skylark considered a Muscle Car? If not, why? In 1967 you could order a "GS" trim package on a Buick Special, does that make it a muscle car even if it had a 340-2V engine? I really don't know if the Cali GS is a "muscle car".. but I like them:TU: Very nice Cali GS, too bad on the spray bomb black on the bottom side ou:
Fair enough. People can keep their opinions, as far as I'm concerned. Looks like there's already plenty of diversity here, already. I'd think that the factory putting on the label ought to qualify it, but I'm not going to argue it any further.
Buick used the SPECIAL 2 door post body tub, so it isn't a "hardtop", it's a (post) coupe. Interior is a Buick Special interior, bench seat, wide rear bench, no arm rests in back. Trim is GS specific, with some additional badging to designate the GS California (chrome trim on side windows, California badging, extra GS emblem on the C pillar). Used the GS specific hood/grille & rear deck treatment. Drivetrain - 350 4bbl GS motor (340 in '67), single exhaust (unless dual was special ordered) TH350 trans in '69, SP300 (?) two speed in '67 &'68. A/C was optional, as was PS & PB (although most seem to have it). Most of the Cali's I've seen are optioned with Vinyl top, 2.73 open, SBB, Auto trans, 14" road wheels (build sheet spec'd F78/14 WW on mine) PS, PB. I've owned my '69 GS California since May 1982, and was my first car. Yeah they don't sell well for the reasons outlined previously. But they do show up in the sales broughsure as a GS (budget minded buyers). Was told that many were turned into racecars due to the additional pillars in the body, or used for towing (280 HP). Jim 1969 GS California Formerly 455 Stage 1, M20 & 3.31 12 bolt posi new driveline: LS1, 4L60E & 3.31 12 bolt posi - under construction GN Clone 455 Stage 1, TH400 & 3.73's This one really doesn't pass a gas station! 1964 Nova 400 - BBC 1976 Vega - tube chassis project - going for MPG & MPH!
I bought my '68 California GS with the ST300, which puked oil like a sick sailor on shore leave. It had a 400 trans from a big Buick in the trunk, which I installed with a shortened driveshaft. The California GS package included a vinyl top. I have that in a brochure, somewhere. I missed this in the first comment- he even painted the transmission oil pan? Noob!
