I am patient but have been looking for a solid 1967 gs400 convertible for quite some time. I'm in AZ but will travel or ship the right car. Prefer something in good to great shape. If you know anything please share, thanks for your time. Ryan 6027518971
Here's one on ebay.....................http://www.ebay.com/itm/Buick-Skyla...b5617249:g:X~0AAOSw1DtXInxS&item=131892081225
Thanks, I love the car and have been watching it for a few months but I feel like his price is just too high. What should I expect to pay for a car in that condition? I'm guessing its worth $25k or so? I found a red one that is a complete frame off restoration for $30k. I'm debating that one too but sure wish I could find something low to mid $20's...
Ryan, I am in the end stages of a full frame off restoration on my 67 GS400 convertible with a 4 speed. I know every nut and bolt on this car and have done all of the engine and mechanical work my self and worked alongside the body shop folks throughout the body restoration process. It is not a concourse perfect car but a really nice driver car that only someone that knows these cars would be able to pick apart. I chose this path because of the cost and commitment it takes to build a show quality car. Even at my level of restoration I am in this car between 35 and 40 grand. That does not include paying myself a single penny for my time. It does include a very, very friendly price at the body shop, in the neighborhood of half of actual value. I'm ok with being upside down financially, as I enjoy the work and like the problem solving associated with this effort. In hindsight, though, as far as money goes, I would be tens of thousands of dollars ahead to buck up and spend 30k on a really nice frame off restored, correct car. Why did I go through such a windy intro? To offer you the insight (for free) that I have paid thousands of dollars and thousands of hours for. I would suggest that you might reconsider your price range. Really nice 67's command top dollar because the parts to restore them correctly them are rare and expensive. A few items that come to mind are wheel arch moldings, trunk moldings, quarter panels, fan shrouds, Star Wars air cleaners, floor consoles, auto and manual, tail light housings, 4 piston brake calipers, DG coded wheels, dash assemblies, dash pads, steering wheels, etc. Then you get into the available and reproduced parts. Still expensive, but at least a simple phone call will get them to your door, not a treasure hunt. Engine parts, interior parts, wiring harnesses, exhaust systems, etc. Then the outsourced labor, machine shop, body shop, interior shop etc. If you pen to paper, (in my case checkbook),a frame off, nice, correct, verifiable 67 GS400 convertible is cheap at 30k. That is actually a bargain in the muscle car market with Mopars, Chevelles, and GTO's going for double or more than that. Also, don't let the Hagerty price guide on Buicks sway you too much. It costs just as much to restore a Buick, (perhaps even more) than it does to restore a Mopar, GTO Judge, Chevelle, etc. The difference is demand, not cost. If you are worried about investment grade purchasing, I would suggest looking at something other than a 67 Buick. There's only one 67 that I know of that's priced in silly land, the 9k mile black one. Last I saw, it was for sale somewhere between 90k and 100k. That one might be a little hard to justify... I would not have been able to make the previous statements without doing this restoration for myself first. In the end it's up to you. It's your money, and only you know what your situation really is. I would simply suggest that if you can swing for the car of your dreams, let er rip. If you spend 5k to 10k more up front and don't have to go back and fix stuff like interiors, engines and bodies later, you'll be far ahead of us schleps that think we can save a buck by doing it ourselves. Good luck with your search, please keep us posted. When you do find one, look it over really closely, Frame off doesn't necessarily mean top shelf work or correct parts. Every car you look at will have to be examined to be sure it meets your expectations. There are a bunch of folks here that would be happy to lend their expertise to you to make sure you get what you expect. Tom
Ryan, I second everything Tom wrote above. I can speak from experience as mine is currently under the body shop knife.
Ryan, just saw your post, have one for sale in Michigan, owner is no longer able to enjoy, Red, Red interior, white top, very solid rare car, auto, AC, Bucket seats, 117K miles, $25,000 OBO wife is motivated. Needs some TLC but very presentable. PM me for more info and pictures
That one was a staple at the BCA events for a lot of years. It was a nice clean solid car that could be enjoyed to the max as is. Sorry to hear that it is no longer enjoyed by owner, a great guy.
DITTO on what Tom wrote. Well said! It echos my thoughts and experience. If I wasn't such a lousy typist I would have written a very similar response.:gp:
This forum is incredible! Thanks Tom for such a thorough comment. Nick, thanks for commenting as well. I am turning 40 this year and have owned two collector cars in the past, a 1964.5 mustang convertible 289 (investment grade) and 68 convertible Cadillac deville. Sold them mainly because I got married and had kids! I wholeheartedly agree that repairs can quickly diminsh a "value buy" vehicle. You offer some good insight and a reminder that a few bucks more now may lead to big savings later. I will have to take a second look at the frame off I was eyeballing. Although its kind of tough to evaluate a car that is nearly 2,000 miles away and then of course I have to factor in tax (its from a dealer) and shipping. On a side note, I chose the '67 GS400 as I have a wife and 3 kids and will need something we can all ride in. I want a convertible that is fairly discrete in terms of its "muscle" but something reliable and attainable in my price range. I feel like the '67 GS checks all those boxes and I love the car but would possibly be open to another suggestion if you had something else in mind? Thanks again for your time. Ryan
I think the 67 GS400 is an understated muscle car and is far enough off the beaten path to be unique but not so far that admirers won't appreciate it. It is up scale compared to the other makes and offered lots of extra options when new. I am surely biased, but I think you've made a great choice of cars to pursue. Your investment is now in your family and I bet anything they will love cruising around in the new toy now, and will cherish the childhood memories decades from now. My advise is get after this now. Each day you have your children is spent and not replaceable no matter what the experts say. One way to begin vetting a potential choice is to post all the available information on the car you are looking at, with as many detailed pictures as you can get your hands on. (If it makes you more comfortable, feel free to delete the exact contact information in order to retain you position at the front of the line.) There are experts here that will be happy to review and comment, but be warned, the feelings filter may or may not be working when some comments are posted. I prefer brutal truth over sugar coated baloney any time. 2000 miles might not be a big deal, it depends where the car is, but I would bet that there is someone who is willing to look at the potential purchase for little to no expense. The reward lies in the satisfaction of helping out a Buick brother. I am in SE PA and would be more than willing to look over a car for you or anyone, even if it's several hours travel.
Thanks Tom. Getting close on that resto for $30k. I'm fairly new here so where do you suggest I post regarding someone in the Chicago area who could go take a look? Ryan
I've never added up the receipts (it would be difficult to do anything other than an estimate a total because some parts were laying around and some came from a parts car) but the 35-40k parts and labor and lots of my time also hits my 1969 GS400 convertible to a "T". Well spoken Tom.
At the newl Barrett Jackson auction in CT last month there was a 67 GS red on red auto/air convertible with 53K miles on it and it sold for $32K before the premiums. I just bought a 67 GS 4 speed convertible that is not in as good a shape as I thought it was but that is my fault for not going to the east cost to look at so I am spending money to make it a really nice drier an close to a 400 point car. You will spend $35 - 40K for a really nice convertible if you are lucky and don't go overboard. My $0.02
I would suggest with 117K miles the car will need $10K in spending especially if you rebuild the engine and transmission plus suspension, brakes etc. Looks like a great car to start with.
I'm not as knowledgeable as most of the guys on this forum, but I just purchased a 67 GS400 in April. 4-speed convertible with original trans and original posi rear but a '68 400 motor with the Star Wars cleaner. It had undergone a frame-off restoration and the exterior is pretty much mint. Interior is mostly original but in fine shape. Has the short console with the tach. Power steering but no other options, really. Odometer was rolled over about 1,500 miles. The seller told me he bought it in 2005 for $13,000 and it took 5 years and $26,000 to finish the body, put on a new top, etc. He then spent an additional $5,000 on tuning up the motor and getting the car ready for driving. Took the tach console out of his father's 67 black widow that was converted to a 5 speed. All in, he had anywhere from $45,000-$50,000 in it and wisely stated, "Don't ever restore a car. You'll never get your money back. Lesson learned." I looked for quite a while and like you mention, it's near impossible to find something within driving distance that you can put your own eyes on. I saw it on ebay and a buy-it-now of $37,900. The bid went up to $30,100 and it closed without meeting reserve. I called him up and went there to look at it. Offered him $30,000 cash and was told nope, not going below $32,000. We settled in the middle. I'm really happy with it. The seller said that Buick guys are a good bunch that are helpful and have a mutual respect for one another for having something a little different. I've only been to a couple cruise nights but so far, the words ring true.
Great insight and a beautiful car. Love the 4 speed, those are especially hard to find. Have fun with it and hopefully I can join the club soon!
I totally agree on buying one that is a older restoration or in really good shape already. Its so easy to drop 40k on a car before you know it. I found out first hand. Convertibles hold their value pretty well as I'm always looking for a 67 or 70 in my price range that is lower than the market. ray:
