THE FIX Buick brother Tom Summers told me about a wagon 400 at Seacrest Perryopolis PA. Bought it at recycle Price and resurrected back to current form. :3gears: :blast: :blast:
My parents bought it used in 1969. After the transmission crapped out in 1981, I talked them into giving it to me. It got me through high school and across the country. Now I need to fix it up again.
I bought mine from the estate of a friend that restored it and died. He made it into a nice driver, and the only change I have made is 15 inch road wheels, and a 200-4R tranny.
Awwwww Kurt, why ya got to make me feel so bad o No: But since you brought up the Grail... here Beth :grin:
One day a guy called on a 70 Skylark I had for sale and asked if I would be interested in his 1970 Sportwagon. He and his brother went to school in California and needed a car to pull a trailer and their stuff back home when they graduated and they used the Sportwagon. I went over there to look and forgot all the objectivity and cool-headedness you are supposed to have when looking at a car and pretty much just blurted out : "I'll take it!" I of course payed full asking price. The only hang up was they had promised to sell the 3 Spoke Rallye steering wheel to a guy for his Stage 1. No problem, I brought along a steering wheel and drove it home. I have fixed it up mechanically and switched to disk brakes and power steering.(4 wheel, little manual drum brakes are SCARRRRRYYYY) and she now patiently awaits me to finish my stage 1 so she can have her turn.
I fond my 70 sportwagon purely by accident. the gentleman i bought it from sold the car new in 70 at his familys dealership. it was traded in in 1977 with 26,000 on her. it was his backup car for many years. i bought for what he paid in 77. $800.00. the car now has 56,000 on her. :Brow:
In OCT. 1987,I was looking for a 70 wagon to tow my 70 GSX . I saw a 68 sportwagon on a local used car lot, 33000 miles, 400 engine and working air. The price was $2250, but I really wanted a 70. The day before Christmas, I went back and the wagon was still there . As I walked in the door , The guy said "$1700 takes it today ". So I did and its been a family wagon, work wagon, tow car and finally, a race car (at this time,a broke race car). I hope to have it back together and running in August.
wagon I found my 71 wagon (soon to be a 70) in Spring Grove IL. It was sitting in pieces in Tom Rix's garage. I went there to buy a 70 shell to build into my new drag car and saw the wagon sitting there, just begging to be taken home with me. My better jugement took over for the time being, and I passed on it. Later while at the BPG Nats I pointed out to my wife the two very nice wagons in attendance. Her reaction was, "you mean to tell me that's how that wagon would look when it's all together?" I said "hell yea, the're sweet". Her next words were, "lets go back and get that wagon from Tom". The rest as they say, is history. Next winter I plan on putting it back together, and giving it a fresh paint job. I will be putting a 70 GS style front end on it, mainly to match the rest of my 70's. Steve
Which Wagon ?? ou: OK...Im assuming "Sporty" I found mine in Hemmings - only problem was it was 2,000 miles away. I bought it from the original owner (who was 83 years old), flew out to Denver, spent a complete day wrenching on it, Drove around the Rockies for a day and a half (I'd never been out "west") and then proceeded to drive from Denver to NY in 2.5 days. Car never even hiccupped and was ready for more when I pulled into the driveway. ....about a year later I ended up driving it as a daily driver for 9 months after my everyday car took a dump and that took its toll on the poor wagon - It did however move both me and my (then new) wife into our house. It hauled EVERYTHING.....even Took me 9 trips with it just to empty a rented 2-car garage Its NEXT on the Resto list
Bought it from John Massoud at the 2003 Buick Nats in Bowling Green. Painted it with some suspension and motor upgrades, and it has been a blast with a pretty small investment. Tony
Yes i was also curious if anyone has purchaced a sportwagon new? I rember talking to a chap whose family bought a new one, He said they owned a goat farm and they used it to haul the feed ,so it was pratcical transportation but they also loved the look of BUICK
I love the 69 Sporty's. Hey Don, how do those big 15 inch meats in back effect your speedo readout and off the line acceleration?
We didn't buy one New, but my parents did have a '69 SportWagon400 in '70.....and had it until around 73. I was 7 then and quite clearly remember riding in the back lookin UP - more so through the upper side panels than the Vista roof as my sister and I used to lie across the back on our 2.5 hr trips to our summer house. In '73 Mom got BADLY rear-ended by a truck sitting at a traffic light ....she swears that the Sporty saved her life. The wagon looked like an accordian and truely gave up its life for her. After having qquite a few '69s myself it was only natural to get a Sporty of the 68-69 years
