It’s no secret that I’m a big Buick fan – after all, I have one of my own. And as far as muscle goes, it’s awfully hard to beat the big block GS and GSX models in terms of raw, pavement-rippling power. The brutal GS 455 big blocks were rated at 510 pounds of torque, which is more than even the vaunted LS6 Chevelle! Then it was wrapped in gorgeous A-body sheet metal and filled with luxury items befitting a “gentleman’s hot rod.” Finally, the GSX is extremely rare – in the case of this car, it’s one of only 199 built with a 4-speed manual, one of only 99 with the non-Stage 1 engine, and one of only 187 built in Apollo White. In short, given the choice of an SS Chevelle or a GS Buick, I’m taking the GS 10 times out of 10.

This Apollo White 1970 GSX is the one to own if you’re looking for a way to enjoy all that torque. This is another one of those cars that I call “restored as needed” over its lifetime, never given a full frame-off, but instead freshened regularly to keep it in top-top condition on the road and on the show field. To me, cars like this are the best cars to own, because they’ve been lovingly maintained from day one and rarely need any significant work. They’re often highly original and drive better than many fully restored pieces because sometimes you just can’t beat the way the factory did it.

Repainted just once in the mid-80s, this car still shows and presents very well. Panel gaps are to factory standards, and you have to get pretty close to notice the age of the paint. GSX Buicks were only available in Apollo White and Saturn Yellow, with the white being my preference for this gentleman’s express. I have to believe that the bodywork was straight and clean before the repaint, because there are no signs of panel replacement anywhere, and the sheet metal is straight and wave-free, suggesting little, if any, filler was used to make it look this good. Correct satin black stripes and decals were applied, of course, and it is topped by a correct GSX wing on the deck lid. The bumpers and stainless pieces are in excellent shape with most of it being original stuff that was probably freshened at the same time the body was painted. Today, it has mellowed a bit and looks exactly right against the rest of the car with just the slightest patina. The windshield might be a newer unit, but the sides and rear glass are original. Overall, the excellent condition really does show you how much this car was cherished for its entire life.

Powering all 1970 GSX Buicks is the legendary 455 cubic inch big block. While Pontiac and Oldsmobile also had 455s, they were not related and interestingly, Buick’s monster motor weighs in at about 150 pounds less than the other GM big blocks (not that it matters with all that torque on tap). It certainly helps the Buick feel lighter on its feet than its corporate cousins. The block is a correct replacement piece that was filled with correct GSX components. Part of what made the GSX special was a hotter cam, bigger valves for better high-RPM breathing, strong valve springs, and a rejetted carburetor. The factory rated it at 360 horsepower, but if you do the math, you KNOW it has to be making more (somewhere in the neighborhood of 410-425 horsepower is a better guess).

This engine bay was recently detailed to a very high standard and shows extremely well. There’s fresh Buick Red paint on the block, correct hoses, wiring and clamps throughout, and the big air cleaner is fed fresh air from the functional hood scoops. And yes, that’s factory air in there – remember what I said about Buicks being more upscale than their Chevy and Pontiac brothers. Besides, who wouldn’t want a little luxury with their muscle? In fact, factory A/C on a big block muscle car with a 4-speed might be my favorite feature. Key it up and it settles into a strong, healthy idle that has a very distinctive Buick sound. Run it up and down through the gears and you’ll find out what a handful these cars must have been when they were new – you try hooking up 510 pounds of torque through some bias-ply tires!

Like the rest of the car, the chassis is clean and well maintained, showing excellent care over the years but not a complete restoration. Those are original floor pans under there with factory-style undercoating, correct shocks, power front disc brakes, and OEM finishes throughout. You can see that it has been driven sparingly, but the excellent maintenance is what really shines through. Yes, the exhaust is a 2.5-inch mandrel-bent system that probably unleashes a few extra horsepower and sounds killer, but we can put an authentic, original system on there if that’s what you prefer. Yes, that is the original, matching-numbers 4-speed manual transmission feeding the original rear end, which, on the GSX models, was stuffed with a limited slip differential. The wheels are so beautiful I have to believe they are reproduction units, but they are the correct Buick GS wheel sporting reproduction G60-15 Goodyear Polyglas tires.

The all-black interior was replaced sometime in the past, and looks every bit as good as the rest of the car. The seats, carpet and headliner are new, but I have to believe the door panels are original and still in excellent condition. The dash is also original, but I’m guessing the gauges have been rebuilt, since the odometer has been reset to zero. No, there’s no tach in the dash – borrowing from the Pontiac parts bin, Buick parked the tach outside on the hood where you can keep an eye on it. The original console still lives between the seats and houses the Hurst shifter for the 4-speed manual. The chrome throughout the passenger compartment is in excellent original condition, with some nice patina suggesting well-maintained originals rather than replacement pieces. Rubber floor mats with the Buick logo have been added. The trunk features its original pans (of course), a recent and correct mat, as well as what might be the original spare, showing some age. Nice!

Documentation is surprisingly complete for a Buick, since fans of these cars don’t have anything like PHS to draw from. There appear to be two original inspection sheets from when the car was being assembled, including the Body Shop Inspection report. There’s also an issue of “Musclecar Review” magazine from May of 1992 that features this GSX.

Look at the prices on big block SS Chevelles, then look at the price on this gorgeous Buick. I’m still puzzled as to why these cars aren’t the king of the muscle car hill – they’re faster than almost any other A-body, offer Buick luxury and grace, and you can’t argue with the biggest torque numbers of the era. They’re also a lot less common and harder to fake, so you don’t have to worry about clones like you do on a Chevelle. Add in a correct 4-speed manual, factory A/C, and incredible maintenance throughout its life, and this particular GSX is the one to own. Drive it, enjoy it, take it to the Buick Nationals and have a ball, that’s what this car is all about. It’s much too nice to restore, and it would be a real shame to not drive and enjoy this one. We’ve had a lot of cool Buicks in here lately, and they’ve all sold quickly. Maybe the market is finally catching on. Call now!