Around 1989 I looked at a 1970 Buick that was advertised for sale here in Eau Claire. It was advertised as a 1970 GSX so I was pretty excited. When I got there I saw what certainly appeared to be a 70 GSX. Faded Saturn Yellow Paint. Rear Spoiler, Hood Tach, Stripes etc. . . It didn't appear to have ever been re-painted so I was pretty sure the paint was original. The engine was missing but everything else was there. Here's where it get weird. The owner said it had a 350 engine & a 4 Speed. (4 Speed hole in floor and clutch pedal all still in place) The interior was also Brown, not Black. Now I'm well aware the Interior should be Black and the Engine should have been a 455. The next thing I check is the Vin. Comes up as a Small Block GS. 43437 The weirdest part of all is the Paint Code / Yup, QQ ! So here I am looking at a GS or GSX ? Correct Paint Code, but a Small Block Car !?!?!?! The car did resurface again two years ago and was for sale at Ranneys Mobile Station here in Eau Claire. I was told the car sold to someone in Illinois. Possible Board Member ???? I would really like to hear what ever became of this car and what its true story is. Did someone back then talk a Dealership into a GSX with a 350 and a Brown Interior ? ? Or is it just a GS 350 that had stripes and spoilers ? ? What about the QQ Paint Code ? I thought that color was reserved only for the GSX ? ? The only thing I didn't (at the time) no to look for was a "SCO" on the data plate. I do remember the car having very weird sport mirrors also. Not common on the GSX's. I do remember seeing that same type of mirror on a 442 one time. By the way, the car sold for $7,800 with a different 350 and 4 - Speed re-installed. Pretty much rust free also since it had been sitting since the late 80's. The guy who owned it back when I first looked at it was a Mopar guy and didn't know much about Buicks. He honestly thought it was a real GSX though. I was the first one to point out the vin and data plate info to him. (And passed on buying it because of the small block vin) I really wish I would have photographed the vin and data plate. (and the car itself) So, any thoughts on what the story could be on this GS/GSX ?? And by chance is the owner a Board Member ?
Are you sure it wasn't a 71 or 72? Then it would all be possible..... Maybe the car was wrecked and they put 70 grille/bumpers on........ Just a thought....
It was definately a 70. I remember checking the vin plus it had a 70 Interior, 70 Bumpers, 70 Grill, 70 Hood, etc. . . . I wish I would have just bought it. Even if it does check out to be some special order deal how would you convince people you had a 1970 small block GSX with a brown interior??? (short of having documentation from GM) It may be a super rare car but without the proper documentation you may never prove its rarity.o No:
After studying this car on two seperate occasions I think it was unmolested and pretty much original. What I don't know is, did the factory add the GSX options or did the Dealer add them ? Or did the owner add them himself ? Still can't explain the QQ - Saturn Yellow Paint. That for sure was original. Bill Ranney (Owner of the Mobile Station that ended up with it) had the car apart and saw Saturn Yellow Paint in places the factory would have only sprayed. (Unless this car was on a rotisserie at one time which I highly dought) It really is a mystery. I'd love to know the true story of this GS/GSX. If it was something the factory built to satisfy a customer (we've all heard strange storys from that era) then what is a small block 1970 GSX worth ? (If documented)
It's going to be an uphill battle to prove this car. Buick's official records (called daily car reports) clearly state only 44637 cars from Flint received QQ paint.
That's pretty much why I passed on purchasing the car. The owner didn't have any documentation, didn't really know much at all about Buicks. I really wish I had pictures of the vin and data plate so you guys could see what I saw. I can't explain it which is why I posted here. I was hoping the newest owner of the car was a board member. I could probably get the owner of the Mobil Station to give me his name and possibly his phone number. I have no interest in purchasing the car now but would still like to solve the mystery! We all read that GSX's didn't come in Black also but as we all know at least one was made (1971) Point being you can't believe everything we read as far as options, color choices, etc . . . . .
Most likely body tag with QQ was factory and somewhere someone in it's life changed the vin# because perhaps bought a car with no title,repoed never got papers,stolen,ect. remember early on these were just cars not collector items.
If that was the case you're saying the car would have been a real GSX since QQ Paint code was only for GSX's? Then I would wonder why it had a Brown interior. Again, the first time I saw this car was back in 1989 and it really look unmolested aside from the engine and trans missing. Also, the guy selling it was not asking for huge money so I don't in anyway think he was running a scam. Being a Mopar guy at the time he just didn't know much about Buicks and could not explain the QQ Paint Code on a small block GS. (Can't blame him for that as I was a Buick Guy and couldn't explain it!!) I remember calling Poston and Kenny Bell and asking what they thought. No good answers from them either. It was a mystery then and still is! o No: o No: o No:
My guess is someone took a small block GS350 with brown interior and added the X paint scheme,then either found a Q-Q cowl tag or had one reproduced then installed it.Same with a dash plaque. I know of one Q-Q 70 X here locally that had a Q-Q cowl tag put on and a dash plaque.Also black buckets etc.No one else knows when viewing the car,and the paint and stripes are right on too.
I'm no expert but I think QQ Saturn Yellow is 70 exclusive color. Not available in either 71 or 2, unless of course it was SCO.
Just a curiosity thing, I had a friend who had an X, it was a true barn find in South Jersey, 4 speed, stage1, Q-Q, and it had brown interior. Is it true X's only came with black interior. Harry
Car probably was stolen and camo'd to throw off the law incase the driver was stopped. The police usually don't look past the VIN unless they are suspicious, then they"acid" the frame #'s. "if only they could talk":Brow:
Yes, only black interiors for production GSX's in 1970. 1971 and 1972 were a different story but they were not available with Saturn Yellow (Q-Q). Saturn Yellow was a 1970 color only and 1970 GSX only and, if we want to get picky, Flint only.
The most logical thinking would be it was a real GSX.If paint looked factory and was aged as factory[did the stripe mis align above rear wheels as factory stripes were?] Most car people can tell if the paint is factory or not but interior change who is to know? Was dash paint factory brown? vin tag change is just a couple of pop rivits.True the QQ body tag could have been a repro but why go to the trouble if not on a GS455 vin# that would make no sense.Most likely the car was a real GSX body that was parted out,rescued from junkyard,stolen/stripped,ect. and someone came along put in some interior parts and vin tag from a 70 GS350 to get car back on the road.The full body tag info could tell the story.
Sounds like someone started some "funny stuff", then for whatever reason didn't finish the job. I ain't buying the factory built GSX, 350, with brown guts thingy. :laugh:
So no one thinks this car could have been a SCO ? ? I guess since I looked at it two different times and know the owner of the Mobil Station who had the car totally apart before selling it I believe it was unmolested (Original Paint, Original Interior and Original VIN & Data Plate) I know it goes against everything we've been taught about GSX's but this car appeared to be totally original. It wasn't butchered up, or mismatched in any way. Interior definately came brown, not switched out. (Dash was brown, steering column was brown etc....) When the owner of the Mobil Station had the car apart he was able to tell the car was definately Saturn Yellow from the factory so that makes me believe the Data Plate is at least original. Two things I definately believe are true: This Car came from the factory painted Saturn Yellow This Car came from the factory with a Brown Interior Pop riveting a small block vin on a true Q-Q GSX doesn't make much sense? We've read about GS's that were special ordered in Mopar Colors (Plum Crazy Purple) who's to say they couldn't talk a Dealership into a Small Block GSX ??? It's still a mystery to me.
The SCO QQ paint theory seems viable and makes more sense than anything mentioned so far. Some of the known SCO cars have pretty bazaar paint. Yellow would fit that profile. If you knew the build date to be the same or later period as the GSX cars and...if this car had a low body number, you might add some weight to this theory But...Yellow paint a GSX does not make.
