Your First time ..

.. no, not that - First time feeling the ungodly torque of a Buick Big Block - when was it, what was it in, and what was it like ?

For me, it was in the early 80's .. I was in college in Buffalo NY and driving my first '69 - a Skylark with the L6 Chevy motor. I lived across the street and became friendly with a line mechanic for Lender's Bagel factory and he drove a clam shell Estate Wagon with a mildly worked 455. It got up and Went !! He helped me learn how to keep my Sky in driving shape and talked about this guy he knew ...

.. Then one day he comes over and introduced me to his friend who had a BoatTail Riv with a serious 455 in it. They took me for a ride and I think I soiled my undies AND laughed myself hysterically drunk from the Buick Torque. That thing flat out hauled (Boat) Tail right up and past 100mph - I'd never felt myself pinned in the seat like that before and I WANTED TO GET ME SOME !! We cruised for a couple hours and burned a tank of gas just blasting off and having fun. I was HOOKED !!

 

My first 68 Riv that had a transplanted 455. Even stock that car would haul ass. After I rebuilt it and added some more ponys I thought it was the fastest car on the street. Then I met up with a Grand Nat at a stop light and he busted my bubble.:laugh:

 

Father's original 1970 Buck Stage 1, Diplomat Blue. He still has the car. He would drive down the neighborhood WOT, then drive in reverse all the way back.

Second, unforgetable was the 1969 GS400 he restored (the first time). Still has this car as well.

Third, My Riv when I completed the 455 engine rebuild in 1999 (all stock except TA stg 1 cam) and installed the 3.42 Posi rear.

The craziest car I've rode in is the one I can drive, my 1987 GN, bought in 2009, reassembled engine (after the Riv rebuild in early 2000's) in 2012. The GN was set up for the strip (larger turbo, Alky etc etc) and will not let you forget it. I only drive it on the street. Car feels from a driver's perspective like my Dad's Stage 1, but nastier in power/torque.

 

My dad's 61 Electra with the Wildcat 445! Just 16 and it sure was quicker than my mom's 283 Chevy. It was faster than any of my friends cars for a while, anyway. Beautiful car, wish I could have it again.
Lou

 

Haven't had it yet, but working hard to get there.

 

My 57 Chevy that I put a 401 in with a switch pitch converter. It would haul butt and was hell on the street even though it had a serious traction problem.

Bob H.

 

I'm still a virgin.

 

Glad it wasn't about "that". Would have been a boring story from me. I was alone.

First Buick was my Dad's '54 Super 2dr. hdtp. Green I/O with white top. First one I drove was a '61 Electra 4dr. hdtp. Light yellow I/O. Friend, Karen, had me chauffeur her around when I had my permit. We had a lot of fun.

 

Not Buick but it was 455.

Neighbor had a 70 442 W30 4 spd. He gave me a ride. He had it in 2nd at about 30 and nailed it going down a hill that went back up. A the bottom he snagged 3rd and blasted up the hill. It was like a roller coasted ride.

That was it....5 yrs later I had a 67 Riv GS, then 3 yrs later a Stage 1 X.....and the rest is history.....

 

My first 68 Buick GS 400 Convert (below), I bought it when I was 17 and when I stomped on it during the test drive and is started going sideways I was hooked:laugh:.

 

For me it was with my older brother. The old man had a 76 225 with a 455. At this point I now know the 76 was pretty lame, but I couldn't get over the 455. My old man gave the car to my brother. Naturally, like any highschool kid my brother beat the hell out of it. We had a blast putting it to the test. Occasionally we would find ourselves in the old mans replacement ride- 83 delta 88 with a 307. We also beat the hell out of that. Of course the
buick would walk all over the olds. I remember being very disappointed in the olds. Hell it wouldn't even power brake. It could barely spin the tires on wet grass going up hill. At that point I guess I was hooked. Shortly there after is when my brother got the 68, which was too rotted to drive legally. However we took it up and down the road and we were amazed how fast it was compared to the 76. We decided right then and there that 430 was going in a smaller car. We pulled it and payed 20 bucks to have the car hauled away. My brother left for college and I spent my sophomore year of highschool rebuilding the 430. It was as stock as could be, very mild cam and a .030 overbore. I reunited it back to the TH400, and dropped the whole thing in an 84 trans am. The trans am was actually a clone too. Anyway, the 430 broke just about everything there was to break in that car. What a blast to drive. Wheel spin was easy, at almost any speed. I guess I was hooked.

I think the thing that really did it for me was the sound of the Q-jet at WOT with an open element filter..

 

1986, the primered car I just bought for 450.00 and at 25% interest on the bank loan got towed to my (parents) place. Buddy and I discovered the timing was at -20 degrees, points were screwed. We got it running, fixed an oil leak, took it out to the back alley up the street they had just paved the week before, backed it up and pinned it...the thing still had the narrower tires with big knobs on them and holy crap that car left two big black marks 100+ feet long tires howling the whole time until I let off, we just about crapped ourselves!!!Remember, we were 17 or so at the time... That experience stuck. That car is my Stage 1 and its still in the garage

 

If nailheads count, in 1955 dad let me drive the new 55 Century, and it was whole lot faster than the 54 Ford station wagon it replaced.

First 455 I drove was in 1972, and it was in an Electra that wasn't exactly geared for performance!

 

My first Buick is where I found this site:TU: It was a 77 regal and there are pics on here somewhere but all I can find is a utube vid:Brow: This is a 1971 350 I got from Buickjunkie:TU:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_DX9N0nons

 

Summer of 1969.
Running around in a 68 396/375 Chevelle SS, with M-22 4spd & 4.10s. Sitting @ the Union 76, Corner of Burlington & Belmont Ave. in Youngstown Ohio, when Steve Whitacker pulled it with his 2x Black Stage1 4spd.
We went for a Ride, and Steve had installed a Mini-8 Tape player in the Dash pad where the Center A/C vent would have been (Non A/C car).
We Pulled out of the station, and he rolled into it, to the stop sign, just a few feet from the exit of the station. He Rolled off the Stop Sign, Jumped on it Hard, and Pulled 2nd. Being I was in the rear seat watching the Tach & Speedo, (& Not knowing that the Tape player was Not Anchored), I caught it Just before it hit me in the face, so it got cushioned by my hand & still bloodied my lip.:af:
1st Stage1 I ever saw or was in.
My Friend, who owned the Chevelle, asked if I thought the Chevelle could take the Buick. I know I couldn't get the Chevelle to Hook, on the Firestones, & with the 4.10s, I sure couldn't go on a Roll,
so I told Bob, not to try.
There was a Board Member, "430 in a Nova" That has since past away. Steve was His Dad. He thought I was kidding, when I told him the Story, until he talked to his Dad about it.
JR

 

First Buick v8 experience was my tree-fiddy skylark. Shortly after came a buddy's mom's grand national (boy was that an education). Experienced many other big blocks (mostly Chevy's and mopars) but believe it or not, my first Buick big block was when Ken Lisk took me and taulb for a ride in Yard mans riv at BPG. I'll never forget it!!

 

Thanks Larry:TU: This really makes Me want to build a new shop and stop making beds and cooking burgers and unleash a new beast on the streets

 

It was in my dad's triple black 1964 Buick electra convertible with a dual quad 425. He had it a year before I came along. Now it is in my garage getting a frame off rest
I think because I had always been in the car from birth that it didn't seem out of the ordinary to me. I did figure out thought that there weren't a lot of times my dad let us see someone else's tail lights ;-)