Hi, I`ve just talked to the folks here at the motor vehicle departement which controls every street driven car in this country. Since laws are strict, the only modifications allowed are the ones that can be traced back to the time the car was new. I`d like to know if headers were an 71`GS option (they were on the Stage II package, weren`t they?), or if you guys have a copy of brochures (e.g. aftermarket suppliers) from this time that states that it`s ok and legal to put them on. Anything could help. Jens
The one of a kind (maybe there were two...?) Baldwin-Motion GS had headers from the dealer. Maybe that will help? http://www.americanstreetmachines.c...d/0,40/1970-Buick-GSX-Motion-Performance.html - Bill
Ok, so they never came bolted to the engine from the factory....BUT they where advertised by offical Buick dealers? And even modified there maybe? Is there any proof like an ad that say "Come to Westside Buick and get your Stage II while you still can" or something like this? Or a catalog from that period that points out 455 headers for a Buick GS, a review from Car Craft or PHR or something else that involves a 71`GS and some headers in one picture/article? Jens
"Ok, so they never came bolted to the engine from the factory....BUT they where advertised by offical Buick dealers? And even modified there maybe?" No 1971 GS was ever offered with headers from the factory. The 1970 Motion GSX was re-done when new at Motion Performance, which was a speed shop and would not qualify as a dealership. Plus it was attached to a Chevy dealership and not a Buick dealership. The Stage 2 heads were not available for sale to the public until sometime during the 72 model year so you could not have purchased any Stage 2 headers until then. The only guys that had Stage 2 headers before that were a few racers that Buick Engineering gave parts to. The only Factory car I believe had Stage 2 headers was a White 70 GSX the factory converted. I believe it had an article written up by some journalists, and later the Stage 2 parts ended up in the Jones/Benesic (spelling) car, which was also a 70 model. Duane
Ok, so what about Hedman, Black Jack, Edelbrock, MT, did they offer headers around 1971, and did they advertise them, e.g. in brochures? Jens
I am sure all the header manufactures offered some type of header in 1971 for Buick's as the basic car was the same as 1970. I am also positive there were advertisements for those headers in magazines and brochures printed by the various manufactures of the headers, but the ads/brochures probably were not Buick specific and rather generic to sell to the broadest audience. Finding anything Buick specific would be very difficult if not impossible...a needle in a hay stack so to speak. The only thing I can think you could do is to find a manufactures catalog from that era showing they made headers for a 1971 model year GS. I know they did, you know they did, but proving it will be difficult if not impossible. Oh, to answer your original question: Headers installed at the factory were never an option available from Buick on any model year GS.
I also believe the companies that offered headers listed them as for "Off Road use only". The Corvette guys run into the same problems with their sidepipes. Only certain years could have come with them even though they will fit on a ton of different year cars. Duane
Jenns: Let me offer another explanation in order to try to clarify a point regarding how the word "factory" is used in multiple ways in terms of parts and options on old muscle cars like our GS's. I see this term "factory" used two different ways. First, to some people, this term means that the equipment was actually installed at the factory, as in "factory stock", meaning that the factory personnel placed (as in "did place" or "could have placed") the particular equipment on the car as it was produced or before it left the assembly plant for distribution to Dealerships (for sale to the public). Second, this term "factory" is used by others in discussing parts to mean that the respective Manufacturer actually has a part number assigned to that part (or assembly of multiple parts), which in turn, can be (or, could have been back in the day) purchased through the Parts distribution system of the Dealership and/or Manufacturer. But, these parts, mostly high-performance parts (often listed as "Off-road Use Only", i.e., racing), were usually not (as far as Buick was concerned) offered for sale as a Regular Production Option (RPO) to be placed on a car when it was built at the assembly plant. These parts had to be purchased (and installed) separately. But, the second point above is very important to sanctioning bodies for racing qualification and they usually are just concerned with whether there is a "factory part number" for a specific part in order to determine which class a vehicle is to be placed in (i.e., compete in). For example, Buick did not actually make the Stage 2 headers for the famous Stage 2 heads back in circa 1972, but they did contract with a header manufacturing company to make them for Buick and did assign these headers a "factory" part number which was only available through the Parts distribution network (Dealerships) and they were never offered as a "factory" option installed at the assembly plant ... as the Dealership or Owner installed these parts after purchase. So, 'yes', technically Buick did offer headers in its "factory" parts books, but, 'no', these headers were never available to be purchased and installed through the "factory" when the car was originally built. Also, as far as judging cars at car shows, the term "factory" generally follows the second example above (but not always) as determining what parts are considered "correct" or allowable for any given year. There is a very technical interpretation of "factory" which needs a little more specific explanation according to your original question versus how you may be trying to use this information as intended by another person or organization. So, you could not order a complete GS Stage 2 in the Buick Dealership's show room which was to be built and then delivered to you, but you could order a Stage 1 from the Salesman and then walk back the the Parts Department of the same Buick Dealership back then and order all the "factory" parts to build your own Stage 2 .... ditto with a Chevelle SS 454 LS-7 ... you had to buy the SS LS-6 car and then go back to the Dealership's Parts Department to order all the extra LS-7 parts. In this explanation, a good rule of thumb is the parts which were labeled "Race Only" were deemed to be too wild for street use and were not waranted at the same level as the RPO parts and options.
Wow, thanks, Ken, that`s a really good explanation on the subject. To all the others, thanks a lot for your help and knowledge, I`m getting the feeling that I should focus more on optimizing the factory options (including the exhaust manifolds) than going with the aftermarket stuff which will get me into trouble sooner or later over here. As I have posted in my other thread, I`m interested in building a low 13/high 12 sec car, and with the TH2004R from CK that I have, 3.73 posi, modern tires and a few other tweaks some people feel I should get there without too much fuzz. So thanks again to all of you for your help Jens
Jens, you could always check with Greg Gessler about porting out your stock exhaust manifolds, next best thing to headers.
I`m really considering this, have to talk to him. If I can afford it, also maybe intake and heads, but that`s a long shot moneywise. I`ll check it out. Thanks to you all, good to know you`re around! Jens
To save some money see if you can buy a set of manifolds from a board member and have them shipped to Gessler directly. Then when he's done he can ship them to you. That'll save on the international shipping and provide you with a set of "stockers" to keep as backups incase something should crack later.
Pretty good idea, that`ll save some money for sure. Transatlantic and back makes them pretty expensive. Thanks!
