72 GS Stage 1 Convertible
Overview:
Yep, the real deal. One of 81 Built. Unfortunately, the numbers matching engine is long gone, so even though this is a super rare piece, one can question the viability of doing a correct concourse restoration to this vehicle. Any way you slice it, that is the most expensive process you can do to a GS. It's really too bad, because this is a very complete car, with numbers matching trans and rear end, in that was in really good shape when we started on it. Now, a lot of folks would have just done some minor work to it, and enjoyed it. It's engine was a little tired, but it still drove well, although it was not quite up to the "GS performance standard" that we all have come to appreciate.
But the particular owner of this vehicle decided that it would make a good candidate to build the car he has been wanting for a long time. Flame orange is not his color of preference, so it will be changed to Diplomat Blue. Complete interior redo, along with a new white top, and a frame on "restification" of the various firewall and frame components.
So, if you have a 72 STG ragtop.. what's the next best thing to do with it, after the concourse resto is out of the picture?
Why... Put a Stg 1 aluminum headed motor in it! ... and... upgrade the brakes and suspension to make this car not only accelerate with any new performance car, but handle and brake with them too!
While we are making several upgrades to the driveline, brakes, and suspension, we will be working hard to maintain a very "stock" look to the average enthusiast.
It will wear original Buick Red paint on the entire motor, cast iron exhaust manifolds, a red painted performer intake with the names removed, the original air cleaner, and all other engine compartment details will be factory correct.
Here is the car, after the front clip was removed, as it sits in the shop, awaiting the body phase of this project. The engine is complete, waiting for installation.
Here is a quick overview of the driveline/suspension upgrades this car will recieve:
- The prototype Level 1AM motor we built earler this year, and here are it's specs, and performance.
- A Gear Vendor Overdrive behind the rebuilt TH 400, with our 2500 stall fixed pitch converter.
- Baer 4 wheel disc brakes, with the B body spindle upgrade.
- 3.73 gears in the original 8.5 10 bolt housing.
- Complete new exhaust system, with "X" crossover pipe, long case mufflers, mandrel bent tailpipes and new stainless tips for the N-25 bumper exhaust.
When it came to us, it had already been treated to:
- Global West Upper front control arms
- Global West Upper and lower rear control arms
- Global West Fast ratio Steering box, and poly sway bar links and mounts
The other details:
- Complete show quality color change Base/Clear Paint, Buick code 26 (Diplomat Blue)
- Dash metal and plastic chrome restoration
- Complete interior fabric restoration/colorization back to it's original white, maintaining the front notchback bench, and column shift.
- New White top.
- Complete trunk restoration
- Firewall forward frame rail resto (the rest of the frame is in good shape, with only light scale, and it has been repainted.
- Complete firewall detailing, including all the AC components, brake master cylinder/booster, new wiring harnesses.
Update: 9-22-04
This Project is on the home stretch now. Since we last visited it on the site here, we disassembled the entire car, replaced the quarter panels, painted it, and began re-assembly. Scheduled completion date for this project is Mid-October '04.
A few pics along the way
Was hit in all the wrong places, had some rust, and way to much filler in it.. time for some Tabco replacement skins.
Very Typical rust in these cars. Both inner wheel wells required patches, but luckily, were salvageable. Convertible inner wheel wells are non-existent in the parts yards, or the aftermarket.
This is why the quarters were cut off. It's the only way to get to these area's to do a long lasting repair. We have all seen those 3 year old paint jobs with "bubbles" around the wheel well. Not fixing this now is the reason.
Inner wheel wells on both sides had patches fabricated, and the new quarters were hung. The use of 3M panel adhesive to attach the bottoms of the new quarters, along with weld-thru and etching primers insure the best corrosion protection that can be achieved.
The complete inner panel then had all the corrosion removed, and was prepped with etching primer.
Because the replacement panel does not have the tight corners and bends at the edges that the OE panel did, we maintain all the factory edges. The inner panel and wheel well is now complete on this side, with final outer skin trimming and fitting left to do.
The new panel is actually slid under the old one, right at the front edge, to preserve the "crisp" door opening bends. Here, the clamps around the bottom of the panel indicate the bottoms were being "glued" on with 3M panel adhesive.
Top, front and rear of the panel is the welded to the OE panel. Along the top, the panel is flanged so the new panel sits at the correct height.
The panel is seamed, welded, and ground flat, just ahead of the quarter extension mounting area.
The only exception made to the "cut those soft corners off" rule, is the very trailing edge, below the quarter extension area. This was never a hard bend in the OE panel, so it can be maintained in the replacement, but we keep the factory area behind the bumper, and this picture illustrates why. The excess of the new panel is cut off, to maintain that factory edge, even behind the bumper.
After All fitting, welding and grinding is complete, the panels are sprayed with a very light coat of epoxy primer, which seals all the welds, and preps it for leveling with a thin coat of lightweight filler.
