General Motors lifted its 400-cid limit on its intermediate cars in 1970. That unleashed some of the quickest automobiles ever to come out of Detroit and helped make this the pinnacle year for American muscle. At the forefront to the rush to power was Buick. Its performance offering was again based on the midsize Skylark which got fresh styling that added two inches of body length on an unchanged wheelbase for 1970. Replacing the GS 400 and its 400-cid V-8 was the GS 455 named for its new 455-cid V-8 rated at a very conservative 350 bhp and an incredible 510 lb-ft of torque (at 2800 rpm).
Standard on GS models were functional hood scoops that mated to dual air-cleaner intakes. For those wanting more power Buick offered the 455 Stage 1 performance package. Its tweaks included a hotter cam even larger valves and stronger springs plus a revised carburetor jetting. Torque was unchanged and Buick slyly put horsepower at 360 but most testers said it was closer to 400. A bargain at just $199 the Stage 1 package included a Positraction axle and performance modifications to the manual and automatic transmissions. During the model year Buick unveiled the ultimate expression of its ultimate muscle car the GSX. It added $1196 to the GS 455 and came in either Apollo White or Saturn Yellow set off by unique stripes and spoilers.
The GSX package included a hood mounted tach Hurst-shifted four-speed (or Turbo-400) Polyglass G60x15s on seven-inch-wide chrome wheels front disk brakes and heavy-duty suspension. A 13.38-second pass at 105.5 mph prompted Motor Trend to crown the GS 455 Stage 1 "the quickest American production car we had ever tested." Most other magazines posted times in the high 13s. Any way you cut it Buick had earned its place on muscle car's all-time all-star team.
Buick Muscle Cars Buick Gran Sport 1970 Gran Sport
1970 Gran Sport
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4.5 (1) |
1970 Gran Sport Specs |
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1970 Gran Sport For Sale |
1970 Gran Sport Parts |
User reviews
Average user rating from: 1 user(s)
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The Old Man’s Brand with A Little Something Extra
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Buick of all the manufactures should not be making cars like this. Buick’s are for old men and not for dare devils that like ridiculously fast cars. Not only did Buick cross the line with the Gran Sport, but the crossed the line again in the 1980’s with the Grand National. There must be a rebel or two over at the Buick Division. The Gran Sport had been around since 1965 and by 1970 it was at the top of its game. It was fast and it looked good. In fact, the 1970 Gran Sport was one of the fastest muscle cars of the entire era. It had one of the largest engines ever stuffed into an American automobile and great performance was the result. Not many were built and today they are a real rarity and very valuable. |
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