I put my 1968 Buick GS400 convertible up at Hemmings.com Photos can be seen at : http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/tedb1965/album I am asking $ 42 500.00. Manheimgold.com shows 52 K for a show car and 42K for Excellent which I am comfortable calling my car. The car runs great and would be perfect for someone looking for a very solid and powerful daily driver or weekend cruiser. If you are Canadian, I have already paid the GST and brought through the strigent Quebec inspection. tedb1965@yahoo.com
My asking price is in US currency. The buy in for a 442, SS396 or a GTO in similar condition would be easily a $10 premium... Personally I would not compare the superior Buick quality to any of the other divisions at any rate. If I am able to find a buyer who is looking for a turn key summer cruiser, I will buy another another Buick ( my wife allows me one extra car at a time ). I love Buicks. From 1936 Centuries, 1955 Roadmasters to this 1968 GS400. All great cars and easy to own and operate. My car: 1968 BUICK GS400 CONVERTIBLE. SILVER MIST WITH A BLACK STRIPE ( ORIGINAL COLOR IS IVORY GOLD MIST ) NEW BLACK TOP NEW BLACK BUCKET INTERIOR. CAR HAS A 1969 STAGE 1 HOOD TO ACCOMODATE COLD AIR INTAKE. PROFESSIONAL BODY ON FRAME 2 YEAR RESTORATION. WORKING FACTORY A/C, REBUILT TH400 WITH SHIFT KIT, REBUILT AND REJETTED ORIGINAL Q-JET, 3.42 POSI, POSTON 113a CAM SET UP, DOUBLE TIMING CHAINS, NEW POSTON HEADERS, 2.5 DUAL MAGNAFLOW EXHAUST, BeCOOL ALUMINIUM RADIATOR WITH FLEX-A-LITE 295 DUAL ELECTRIC FANS, MSD6 ELECTRONIC IGNITION WITH BOOSTER AND MSD WIRES. EDELBROCK GAS SHOCKS, SPRINGS, CONTROL ARMS, TRACTION BARS, A HOTCHKIS FRONT TORSION BAR AND FRONT DISK BRAKES, CAR IS SHOD WITH NEW WHEELVINTIQUE 15X8 RALLYES AND 245/15 BFG T/A RADIALS. BUCKET-CONSOLE, HALOGEN HEADLIGHTS, FACTORY FM AM RADIO, WORKING 8 TRACK TAPE PLAYER, ALPINE 6 DISC CD CHANGER ( WORKS ON FM FREQUENCY ) HIDDEN IN THE TRUNK, GLASS REAR WINDOW, NOS FRONT AND REAR BUMPERS, REPLACED CORE SUPPORT, REPLACED 95 % OF CARS ELECTRICAL WIRING. THE ENGINE IS SET UP TO DELIVER A DYNOJET PROVEN 277.5 RWHP / 354 FT/LBS TQ @ 185F ALL DAY. THIS CARS ENGINE HAS SERIOUS FURTHER POTENTIAL BUT WAS SET UP AS A ROAD CAR FOR CRUISING ENJOYMENT AND NOT FOR DRAG RACING. SUSPENSION AND BRAKING IS SET UP TO HANDLE HIGH SPEED TWO LANE DRIVING. THIS CAR REALLY COMES INTO ITS OWN DRIVING 75 MPH TOP DOWN UP TO THE COTTAGE OR DOWN TO THE BEACH FOR HOURS AT A TIME. PHOTOS CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE 16 OF NOV 2006 CAR CRAFT . BONUS FOR CANADIAN BUYERS. THE CAR HAS BEEN IMPORTED, GST PAID, AND HAS PASSED STRINGENT PROVINCIAL INSPECTION. Tedb1965@yahoo.com
"The buy in for a 442, SS396 or a GTO in similar condition would be easily a $10 premium... Personally I would not compare the superior Buick quality to any of the other divisions at any rate." I meant USD $ 10,000.00 of course....
Thank You Donald for the nice compliment, For the right buyer, this would make a great summer machine to take to A&W old car meets, Dairy Queen, or to take easy drive from Montreal up to Mont Tremblant or Quebec City up to see the Charlevoix region ( you Americans really need to come up and visit: La Malbaie is incredible !! ) With a big block and a soft top, you really cannot go wrong. With factory Air-Conditioning, even in traffic it will keep you GM cool. If you have a friend who is looking to take his family with him, this would be safer and cheaper that a couple of well equipped Harleys and the sound is even better. The great thing about an A-Body, is that the size is just right. The Camaros always seem a bit small ( I am 6'6" )and a full sized 1960s machine is pretty big in any sort of urban traffic situation.
"Why are you asking so much for this car?" Mr.Tantes : Are you making an offer for my car ? To begin with, please consult www.nadaguide.com and then consult www.manheimgold.com. If someone is looking for a BCA show car: my machine is not the car. If someone is looking for a 11 second 1/4 miler, again not the right car. However, for about $ 5000 more either option would possible. ( In the case of the BCA option the car would then be worth $ 52,000...) But Mr Tantes, if you are looking for a 15"x8" wheels, a BeCool Racing rad to keep the machine running right, 2.5" stainless exhaust system Magnaflow mufflers, $ 6000.00 of multi coat Silver Mist Poly and clear coat, a new legendary interior, factory air, factory disk brakes, a complete gas shock/new spring, Hotchkis torsion bar system, a alpine 6 CD changer in the trunk that operates off the stock radio ( there is also the an original 8 track player ), new electric wiring, and MSD 6 system with the better ignition wires then this might be the ride for you. I had a specific vision in mind: I wanted an A body soft top Big BLOCK driver with the higher quality level. So I built it . If you are looking to spend $ 15,000 on a Buick, they are out there as well and plenty of enjoyment to be had in them as well.
I wanted to ask the same question. Very nice car and I am sure its worth every penny but 42k will surely be a new record for a 68 .:TU: I have seen another 4 speed car asking 65k ...still has it after 2 yearso No:
Gsxer, http://www.championmotorgroup.com/ is a dealership in Long Island NY. They sold a Blue 1968 Buick last year for just under $ 52,000.00. The car, like mine, was not quite stock but was "stock appearing". If you consider the cost of buying a #2 Buick, sourcing and buying the requisite parts from Year One, to Poston, to DVAP, to Legendary interiors, to Wheelsvintique, to the labor costs (even if done yourself) to throwing down ( and wetsanding ) and throwing more paint... really $ 42,500.00 is not a lot of money for a car that is Turn Key. For a car crafter, obviously the fun is in the building. I get that ( I am looking forward to building my next car too). I built this 1968, because it was a little different ( not AMC Rambler different: but good different). Funny story, my wife and I had gone out to a great restaurant during Formula ONE week in Montreal. The VALET guys had parked the GS400 right out front behind a Ferrari 430 Spider and a Mercedes SL63.... and guess who was getting all the attention ? Why ? Well in Montreal there are plenty of Mercedes SL, and the Ferrari, during Formula One week, better be an Enzo or a SuperAmerica or it is no big deal, but our Buick, in top shape with the top down...wow !!!
the market right now is hot for totally stock,original looking cars. 15 years ago,your car would have been HOT,but not now.. good luck selling the car.
Thank you Andy. For the right buyer, this is the right car at the right price. In the mean time, I get to enjoy driving it. My daily driver is a BMW 540i Speed, but I get much more enjoyment cruising in the Buick.
Geez, I just gotta hop in and say at the last BJ auctions (I know, but still..) even clones were pulling record amounts, not to mention resto mods. Honestly, my take on the current market is that it is not very well defined. Anything goes lately. Hard to find a baseline anywhere. There are arguments for both stock and modded.
....Agreed. Ted's car is very nicely done and thats the real point Get in turn the key and enjoy. no rust repair ... not parts hunting just enjoy. For someone with the $$$ resources and a liking for this car - it truely a done deal. Ted - is any/all of the original drive train still with the car ?? Much luck with the sale ....:beers2:
The goal was to keep this big block Buick, a Buick. Sure we switched the wheels to 15 x 8 and dropped in 245/60 however, the wheels are reproductions but look very much like 1968 Buick ( just BETTER )... We could have gone for the Billet Rallyes 17" or 18" and dropped in better rubber, but we really wanted to say "Stock Buick". The paint color was available on the 1968 Buick Riviera, except we used the quality paint that you would find on a Mercedes. These days I think the next one will be Tarpon Green with a saddle interior. The stripe...What can I say... I thought it was fun... The car has the original engine ( block, heads, manifold ). The car has the original Q-jet..though it has been rejetted to breathe a bit better. ( Great carb for a road car ) . The car has the original transmission. I still have the exhaust manifolds. The 3.08 10 bolt was replaced with a 3.42 12 Bolt Positraction. The entire rear end Differential, Axles, Big Drums, Hubs, were professionally rebuilt using the name brand parts. We had considered dropping in 3.73 or a 3.91... But considering the specification was for a factory air conditioned car that would be able to run 85 MPH for turnpike cruising, 3.42 seemed to be a better choice. Plus the engineers at Buick had selected a 3.42 (albeit 10 bolt) for the Stage 1 Automatics ... To run a 3.91 we would have had to spend an additional $ 2500 on a Gear Vendor overdrive unit...for highway speed useability and you guys can already see the price ceiling that we have hit. I could easily spend an additional 10 grand on this car, without taking away the Buick-ness and improving all sorts of areas of this car... Examples Performance: Heads, manifold, Alloy pistons... 3.91 with OD, Luxury: ..lose the vinyl interior and have Legendary do up a full leather interior in the pattern and color...would look and feel super..
Question: This month's Hemming Muscle has a great photo spread/article on a 1969 GS400 STAGE 2... If that car was properly documented, completed, what would place the high water mark for value at ? You are looking at a car that if well prepared could be rarer and most interesting than any COPO Chevy (at least IMHO).
Actually that is a number that is not easily determined because there is no "benchmark" to weigh it against. Also, remember basic economics 101 ... Supply / demand. While supply for that 1969 Stage_2 car may be in the single digits the demand is certainly ALOT lower than a COPO or HEMI-this / BOSS-that. I would wager a nice sum that the guys with the seriously deep pockets that collect just to have ... the ones you see on Barret Jackson ... probably never even knew a 1969 Stage_2 existed much less a 1969 Stage_1. The real question is - now that the word is out - what will it do to its value ?? I think your asking price is far from "over priced" considering the costs to get any car to the condition yours is in.
Andy, eBay would tell me nothing. I am not selling mark down goods, or monetizing good in need of immediate liquidation. The reality is, it is doubtful that most viewers of our V8 Buick forum that are car owners or that car crafters are the real target market. The goal is the business owner or professional that would like a summer ride that is a bit different, or brings him ( or her ) back to simpler times in their lives, etc etc...Compared to a new Corvette or a 911 Cabrio, our cars are quite reasonable. He will, like me bring it to a Speed Shop to have maintenance carried out, and is unlikely to do it himself. These people may be trolling our sites (as I did prior to buying a muscle car), or they might ask a friend or walk into a muscle car shop looking for a machine that fits their requirements and budget. So my goal in posting this sale at Hemmings and then letting my Buick community know about it, is that perhaps while someone is lusting after your 1970 GSX Stage 1 or 1969 Stage 2 with a 4.56 rear end, but what he really wants is a decent weekend cruiser that will be easy to run and will retain it's value, you will mention my lil ole '68.
It sounds like what you have is a very nice well maintained Buick. I say put it out there, and dont back down from your convictions. You are correct, there are people who want a turn key vehicle, and are willing to pay for that. Restorations can be a real pain in the tush as well as being very expensive, and take months to complete. Given the choice, I would rather buy a car that was restored correctly, has the back up documentation, and was maintained in a proper manner, than go thru another 6-8 months of chasing parts and dealing with mechanics and body shops. I just this week got a car back that was in restoration for the last 18 months, what a nightmare. After all of the hassles on this one, I dont even feel like driving it. Go for it and have fun. Good luck with the sale. Someone will end up with a nice car :3gears:
why don't you just park it in front a country club,and throw a for sale sign in the windshield.:grin:
