Way back in 1983 or so, we got an education on true performance, the hard way. To set the stage, let me begin by saying that both my first cousin and I were swimming in the glory of having each purchased new 82 Z28s only a few months earlier. I had the std 305 4speed man, 4bbl motor, and he had the more powerful Cross Fire 305 linked to the mandatory THM 200c. These cars were truly spectacular for their time, even though they were lacking in horsepower. We usually cruised in his, with me being the co-pilot. As you might expect from two young bucks in "hot" cars, we raced anything that moved. We won some and lost some, beating everthing from pick ups to worn out original muscle cars. One of our best friends had an older brother who just happened to own a 70 Stage 1. The car sat around rusting in front of his parents' home usually. We never really believed our friend when he said the old Buick was fast, as we had pretty much mopped the floor with others like him. In high school, everyone has an older brother with a fast car, so we had no reason to believe this was anything different. One cold winter day, we were cruising south of town, looking for trouble, in cuz's black and gold Z, when we happened upon the Stage 1 on the roadside. We stopped. We being my cousin, myself, the younger brother of the Stage 1 owner, and one other partner in crime. The Buick wasn't broken, the owner was rolling one of those left handed cigarettes and had pulled over just to make sure he got it right! We pulled out with the Buick in the lead. He got on it for an instant and we were amazed that this thing rolled out a smoking 1-2 shift from the THM 400. He let off, and we passed him, t-tops off and all four of us aboard. Then things got crazy. We approached a long, high bridge tied into a broad left handed sweeping turn. We were dying to let loose, but couldn't because of the usual old man in the light blue 81 Impala holding us up. We crossed the bridge, Impala, Z, and Stage 1 nose to tail at 35 mph. Suddenly, we could see that nothing was coming towards us. My cousin nailed it, the air induction flaps popped open, we swerved into the left lane and started passing the Impala. It was then that I realized to my horror, that the Impala pilot was my father's first cousin! I ducked down below door level as we passed the Chevy, and popped my head up just as we got past the nose of the blue Impala. I then observed the Stage in the door mirror. He punched it out, charged up on us like we were broken, and slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting us in the butt. At that nanosecond, I knew we were done. As soon as the GS cleared the Impala, it jumped up and swerved over to the right lane. I will never forget the Stage 1 charging around us on the right side before we could even pull over to the correct lane. The GS howled by, Q-jet moaning and 455 screaming for all it was worth. There we were, foot to the floor, racing nobody, driving in the left lane, and the GS was 6-8 cars out in a split second. The old car was gold with saddle top, saddle interior, and I still see the left front suspension at full lift, flying by, my head hanging out of the open window about 4 feet away! The Camaros are long gone, the GS is now a rusty old race car, and I am surprised we all lived through the Regan years. I have wanted a GS ever since. When I look at or work on my 87 GN, I sometimes think back and smile at the educational experience we received that day. Sorry about the length, but I wanted to tell it the way it happened. Thanks, Rudy E
Hi Rudy,I see you now own a GN so I guess sometimes a spanking does teach one something :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
very cool. I remember lusting after those z28s (and the later monte carlo SSs) when I was still riding da bus. In fact one of my buddys still owns the 82 z28 he bought as soon as he could get the money (black and silver). They were slow but cool cars.
Sorry about the length, but I wanted to tell it the way it happened. Thanks, Rudy E dude, don't apologize. that was a great story! and 'gettin killed by a buick' is a nice change from pace from all the 'buick kills brand x' stories we see in here all the time. :bglasses: :TU:
ya those z's were pretty slow, my friend had one...we raced one night on the way to another pub...I was in my 69 old gs400 with headers/edel intake/crane cam and my peg leg 2.93s...he had me for about 10 feet when he let out the clutch but after that I flew past ..I thought there was something wrong with his car!!!
That is a great story,Rudy. What you witnessed with the power of that Stage 1,is what thousands of unsuspecting motorists saw and fell victim to these cars.People that don't know these cars quickly realize how quick they are after getting a serious whipping.
This was our only encounter with a Stage 1, ever, as they were always scarce around here. It is ironic that the only other GS 455 that I knew of lived only about 1/4 mile from my friend. This other GS455 was also a 70, but was navy blue with a black vinyl top and interior. This one has fallen on hard times, and its rusted out carcass resides in a field across town. The owner stripped it and was going to restore it "someday". It is so horribly rusted that you can almost see through it lengthwise. I cannot even imagine it ever being saved. Mildew and rust appear to be the only things holding it together.
Any good story requires detail and suspense. I enjoyed it. My high school race story(Not a kill because I lost) involved me in a 70 cutlass w/350 versus an ugly lemans w/350. He won because his rear end gearing was different and he pulled away in a slow pathetic way. It was like watching a ship launch into the ocean.
The good ole days. I loved it! I remember an 86' T Regal doing a similar thing to my Toyota Supra back then. He then pulled over at a station and laughed at me. It didn't bother me much since I always loved Buicks. Now as for those Z28's. I loved them. I think of the beige and gold 83' one that a girl in my school got when it was almost new. Those beautiful curves! The beauty of the top open! Those tight shiny shorts! That long hair blowing...... Ok, the car was nice for its day, but she was much nicer. She probably weighs more than the Z now!!! :laugh:
this one envoles a cop well dont get bored when i tell yah this one.ill start out by telling yah i had a 1974 buick century 455 342 gears,my buddy had a 1982 buick regal with 350 olds motor,and my brother had a 1976 trans am with 455, 4 speed. we were working at my father inlaws about 7 miles out of town. when we were done working on our cars we left to come to town. stop sign on edge of town by some factories. we all stop and bull**** with each other then we all start out burning our tires and going nuts me first then my buddy then my brother kinda in a line like that takeing up 2 lanes.we get about 300 yds and i look to my left in the parking lot of one of the factories and theres a cop with his lights off and his dome light on.man was there the noise from us.next i just took off zig zagged threw town and came around to the back of my house. now mind you i dont know what happened to my buddy or my brother.well 10 minutes later my buddy shows up,and he turned quick in to a parking lot after he turned the corner and he shut his lights off and the cop passed him . well next was my brother who thought he would be mister kool guy and just drive normal. cop caught up to him pulled him over and asked him who the other 2 guys were and he said he didnt know. cop said i know you guys were all racing my brother said i wasnt doing anything, yah rite,cop gave him a ticket for speeding because cop clocked someone going 20 over.was probably me. about 20 minutes later my brother shows up at my house and tells us what happened and me and my buddy laughed are ass off.well thats my story. just to let yah know my brother could never beat me with his trans am.got beat by a 1974 buick century. see yah Ray ________ Jailbroken
Thows were the days Yep I remember the dayz when the 82's came out and everyone thought they were a terror! And truley they were for the early 80's where we had been starved for almost a decade with dog cars to choose from. After this the 350 Iroc came out, following that we had a great gift from buick, THE GRANDNATIONAL, YEAH BABY! THATS WHAT IM TALKING BOUT!
82 Camaro Toss that junk smog 305 and toss in a healthy 455 and then drive an '82. I promise you'll enjoy it. :TU: :3gears:
