I know the brown and it is sharp. There is nothing wrong with "street rodding" a musclecar. I personally love the day 2 stuff. But, when someone who is known for their stock restorations comes on here and asks about doing it to one of just 232, you're inevitably going to see some condemnation.
Less buyers equals a lower price, advise them that a color change may be of a higher resale value over a gsx paint scheme. As stated, it is the customers car, I respect that they want what they want. You are really just covering your butt here. Somebody may be all jazzed to purchase a fabbed up gsx convertible when it comes time to sell. You really never know.
Lower price &/or much longer time on the market waiting for that right person (or a change in market conditions). Buicks can be a tough enough sale as it is.
At one time, I had all the correct parts to switch from a bench seat to bucket seats and factory console on the floor. I just couldn’t pull the trigger because I would’ve had to weld in new seat brackets in the floor a considering the car is numbers, matching, and in great shape as is. The only two things I changed were removing the deluxe steering wheel and replace it with the correct 16 inch rally wheel and converted to power disc brakes, both easily reversed . Do you think the seat swap would’ve hurt the value?
Much less so than a swap to aftermarket seats would. It also depends on if that option is a sought-after option in a car. Many people would agree that buckets/console cars sell better than bench cars. I think what I am seeing here is that modifications are not condemning to the market price if they stay within the parameters of the model year (options and authenticity). But if you deviate from that, the value decreases significantly more. Given that Buick never made a GSX convertible, this would be somewhat along the deviation that will hurt the value significantly. I'm not saying that there isn't someone out there that will pay market price for an unauthentic paint scheme, but you'll be waiting a much longer time to find that person. And possibly never finding them. My client is reading this thread and is taking all of the responses into consideration. We have a little time to think about it.
That's a tough one. I much prefer buckets/console in an automatic (bench/4-sp is a different story) but only if it came that way orig. Many (most?) ppl wouldn't care. My '71 GS Convertible, not being a SCO, of course was only available as a bench & so I'm ok w/that. I could easily convert it to buckets/console or even a bench (or buckets) & 4-sp. Either would probably increase the value, esp. being it's a 350 car, but I just can't do it.
This car was painted this way 40+ years ago and still looks great. It's an original Stage 1 car that the owner didn't care or think about hurting it's value. He just made the car the way he wanted it and has been enjoying it ever since. It's a sharp looking car!
I’ll let the new owner do whatever he wants to the car when I sell the car. My job is to be the caretaker of the car the way it left the factory. I have to commend the original owner Who Ordered the car with the stage 1 option automatic, U5 gauge package, power steering, Deluxe, interior, bench seat, tinted glass, remote, drivers mirror, AM radio 15 x 7 poly glass tires. His intentions were to race it a lot, which he did, and bench set car is lighter than a bucket, seat car. Added the deluxe interior for Armato going fast with class.
I agree with those above that say your better off getting a Skylark 'vert and making that into a fake GSX. A GS Stage car is rare and even without it's original drivetrain, it's value is significantly better if it's kept original looking... Maybe he can just buy the car Nick posted above? LOL.
Leave as is and have him find a Lark convertible. But in the end it's the owners car to do what they want. My Stage 1 hardtop is basically the same color combo minus the top as mine as no vinyl top Rear spoiler might take a few to get correct
With these cars, we have two camps: the "purists" and the "it's your car, do whatever you like." I have a pretty good example: lifelong friend of the family - who my parents met when (I was a toddler) he was a mechanic at a long defunct, local Buick dealer. He took delivery of his low option (originally) Sherwood Green Stage 1 automatic in early December of 1969, upon returning from Vietnam after a year on an aircraft carrier. It wasn't long before he was terrorizing people on the street and a warranty block was on the way within the year, for obvious reasons. Like everyone else back then, it was a daily driver - although he tells me only for a couple New England winters. By the mid 70's, he'd grafted in a sunroof from a Cadillac Eldorado. You can see where this is going. In the early 90's, he embarked on a frame-off that commenced in his driveway. I legit remember the body hanging from a huge tree branch with a few chains. During this frame off is when "it's your car, do whatever you like" comes into play. My father and I used to see him at local junkyards pre-restoration, scrounging for parts. As it turns out, once complete, the car was now loaded with options. Like, all of them. Power everything. He even added A/C and most recently - after a fresh repaint - cruise control and rear defrost. He also went as far as retrofitting a 6-way power seat in both front buckets. Funny thing is, they actually work and are a cool addition. It's safe to say he's in camp 2. As far as selling a one owner Stage 1 car for what would be perceived as market price, he'd likely be disappointed. However, he also says if he did it over how he'd originally bought it, he wouldn't like it. Cook makes a valid point.
Adam, one needs respect the very rare 1970 GS Stage 1 convertible. Altering it in any way from it's original as built configuration, will always devalue the car. Build a GSX clone out of a Skylark convertible not a GS Stage 1 convertible.
Altering a 70 STAGE 1 Convertible in this manner would be the same as deciding to paint an original 70 GSX Fire Red or any other color. Years ago the previous owner of Ken Montour's code 26 Stratomist Blue 70 wanted us to paint the car BLACK. We advised that Stratomist Blue on the "70" GS was a Riviera ONLY color. And special order on a GS in 70. And that this was a unique and special feature of the car. It was decided to keep the color "original". So it stayed Stratomist Blue. Ken bought the car and the seller went on to by a 70 Skylark and painted it Black and made a GS replica. Everyone agrees. Changing the Stratomist blue to Black. Would have ruined the car's uniqueness and it's value.
Russ brings up a good idea.... How about this for a compromise? Paint the car in a factory color and use a vinyl stripe on the car? When you paint it, paint two deck lids. One with a wing and one without. That way down the road you can peel the stripes off, swap lids and undo it all in an afternoon if the owner needs to sell it.
I'm in the first camp. Don't do it to such a rare car. They will be spending a large amount of money on a color change/options that weren't even available on a convertible, and that will subsequently ruin the value and future interested buyers.
