Newbie - Potential new 67 Buick Gran Sport owner.

Hello all. Been into classic cars for awhile, but recently got serious about owning one. My hold up has always been that I'm clueless when it comes to cars (fixing) but have wanted to learn and embrace it as my hobby. My father in law however is very knowledgable, has rebuilt mustangs, has a garage with a lift and all the fun stuff. He has agreed to help me, teach me, etc. as long as I buy a car that is driveable (probably so I do not have to leave it at his place ). I've been looking for quite a bit, and recently ran across a 67' Buick Gran Sport for sale (one of they cars on my wish list), at one of the big swap meets in town. I got to look at it but didnt get to see under the hood, hear it run, etc.. I wanted to post a picture of the car, what he is asking for it, the description he has listed, and get your thoughts on if it's a resonable deal, and more importantly what I should look for if I go look at it. Any and all responses are much appreciated! Here is his description. Thanks up front for the education!

67 Buick Gran (he actually wrote it as Grand, which may say something) Sport
400 CU Big Block
400 Turbo Automatic
New Front Suspension
New Shocks, Air Shocks, Tires and Rims
Tubular Upper Control Arms
Front Disc Brake Conversion Kit
New Bumpers and Interior
Electronic ignition and much more
100,250 miles
$11,500 OBO.

 

Welcome! That's a nice looking car you found, good luck.

Mike

 

Welcome, I like it too, 67s are my favorite year.
If the drive train is is as good as the exterior looks,
the price seems good too. Where are you located?
What does your father in law think of it?

 

Robbin' da' craddle!! (Re: Potential new 67 Buick Gran Sport owner.)

Welcome Kev0477!!

Well, you want to run around with those youngsters go ahead . . . but a 67!! That's almost robbin' the craddle!! :laugh:

Since I prefer more "mature cars" . . . . :Brow:, I can't help you too much with your potential 67, but the photo does look nice. My only instinct is that he is asking a fair amount of money for the car. A two door hardtop in condition level 3 is worth about $9000 according to the 2011 collector car price guide. The same car in condition level 2 would be worth $14,000. It doesn't sound like it is up to level-2 collector car status. So the fellow seems a little high to my very amateurish assessment.

Of course you could ask the experts on "What's my car worth?" but the car will probably be sold before they get back to you. :Brow:

Perhaps some other 67 experts will have other opinions!!

Again, welcome to V-8 Buick!!

Cheers, Edouard :beer

 

Welcome Kev! AWESOME looking '67 GS!! Love the color!!

 

Thanks for the replies so far and the book valuations. I was thinking if I can get it for 9k to 10k I'd be happy. I'm located in Wisconsin. My father in law walked by it quick at a show but didn't know i was interested at the time, so didn't take a close look. He went back with his car club buddies right at the end of the show to look after I told him I was interested, but the owner had left for the day. I would definitely have him with when I go look at it...

 

Thats a nice looking car. I would say you could get it for $10,500. Good luck.

 

Welcome from MN

 

Welcome! Car show prices are a lot diferent than in person....in front of the wife.....cash in hand:Brow:
Still,not bad price.Me being cheap,i'd hit him with $8K......:TU:

 

I would HIGHLY reccommend you put a post up in The Bench asking for "help looking at a car in ____" and fill in where the car is located.

You definately want an educated set of eyes going over any old car you buy and having someone who knows them well is not only a protection of your investment but also can save you from major heartache later down the road. These cars are 40+ years old and believe me - ALOT can be hidden under a fresh coat of paint and a pretty engine bay.

... plus you'll get to meet a new Buick friend who prolly knows more Buick friends etc.

:TU: Good Luck with your quest and welcome to V8Buick !

 

I agree with Alan, get someone who knows Buicks to look at it. You want to make sure it's a real GS400 and not a clone. A clone may be worth less. The black hood scoops would make me suspicious, because they were never painted black except on a black car. At least that's my understanding. You need to check the VIN, or body tag, that will tell you if it's a real GS. If it's missing the "Star Wars" air cleaner, that's a big buck piece. There are many GS specific pieces, like the radiator, the cross braces in front of the radiator, the strap that holds up the hood insulation, door interior emblems should say GS400, etc. These are all hard parts to come by. But if you are just looking for a performance car, it might be ok.

 

Some good advice here. The asking price is usually never the selling price so don't be afraid to talk the guy down. If you could get some pics of the engine bay, interior and underneath I'd bet the guys on here could give some more advice. On the surface, based on the picture you provided, it looks like a nice car. Of course, pictures can lie and I'm not sure about those wheels but the price is still probably close to being right if it runs and has a 400 in it and not a Chebby.

If your father in-law knows cars, you should definitely take him with you when and if you check it out again.

 

More great info. I got the vin chart from this site so I plan to call and see if he can let me know otherwise I'll definitely look when I see it. I can also ask about the air cleaner. I'm not 100% hung up on having a true GS vs. a clone since this will be my first go around, but that said, I don't want to pay a higher amount for a car that someone is representing as a GS when it's not. I'm definitely glad I found this site, registered, and posted!

 

Sounds like a deal! Where in WI are you?

 

Im in the Milwaukee area

 

Just an update... talked to the owner again and got the VIN. It is in fact a 67' GS 400, 2 door hard top coupe, assembled out of Flint, MI. so all that is good. It does not have the original air cleaner, and I'm not sure about some of the other parts mentioned by a previous poster. Someone mentioned concern about the scoops not matching the paint color but given that the car is that dark purple color, it was repainted at some point and maybe was originally black. The owner said there is no rust of course. Hopefully I will be checking it out soon and will take a close look and get a look under the hood and underneath. I really appreciate all of the info you've all given me. I've got a great idea of what to look for and even some ammo to use in the negotiation (air cleaner). If there are any other parts or spots on the car I should pay special attention to (typical trouble spots) feel free to share. Thanks again all!

 

You need to look at that car on a lift...very closely. Don't get me wrong, it looks like an amazing car, but it could be a polished turd. You need to look carefully at body mounts, frame, inside the rear quarters and wheelhouses for signs of fudge. The phrase "no rust" means different things to different people. I knew a guy that spent 17k on a 67 mustang to find out the only thing saveable was the outer body panels . Same color as your '67, too. That car looked beautiful, ran and drove good ,but underneath was a patchwork of riveted aluminum patches and roofing tar.

Good luck with the buy.

 

I'm real close to Milwaukee, let me know if you want me to look at it with you, I know all the problem areas.

 

Check out the filler deck between the rear window and the front of the trunk, that is a aria that has a bad habit of rusting out. Just tap on it to see if it sounds like metal or a dull thud of body filler or better yet use a magnet if there's filler it will not stick. You really have to look for rust on these cars as that was a problem. That said your intended car looks nice if the mechanicals are good and the interior looks as good as the out side thats not a bad price, of corse you have to try to talk him down that just part of the fun. Good luck it looks like a nice car, I hope mine looks that good some day.

 

Well I took a look at it today. The engine compartment looks okay. Not the original air cleaner and most likely some other parts, but it started and sounded just fine. The paint job was done poorly though (and very purple), and there were some little cracks and scratches in the grill and other areas. There was rust in areas such as one spot in the trunk, some in the back roof of the trunk, some inside along the base of the back window. Nothing that was horrible but enough for a little concern. The cheap paint job makes you wonder if that was done cheaply what else was. Underneath looked good but it was sprayed so its hard to tell whats under it just like the paint. My father in law and I both agree it's not an 11,500 car. Probably not even an 8,000 car. Right now I'm thinking about if I even want to make an offer of around $6500 or just want to pass. The guy just bought another project and his wife will only let him have one, so I'm guessing he is trying to get out from under this one to start funding the other. Just thought I'd offer an update for anyone interested or had taken the time to lend advice. Here are a few pics of the engine. Thanks again everyone for the knowledge and advice.