The 1970 Buick GS Stage 1 has an interesting tale to tell on its way to becoming the 4th fastest muscle car produced in 1970.
The muscle car era peaked in 1970 and was the pinnacle year for big block power plants from General Motors when it came to horsepower, torque, and compression ratios.
Up until 1970, GM had mandated a maximum of a 400 cubic-inch displacement engine on all intermediate models except the Corvette.
Once that cubic inch ban was lifted, all motors divisions under GM offered high displacement options well above 400 cubic inches.
For 1970, Chevrolet offered a 454 while Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and Buick all offered a 455 cubic inch displacement engine in select intermediate models.
In each case, there was either a standard version or a high-performance version to choose from.
Available with two types of transmission options, a buyer could choose a 3-speed Turbo Hydramatic TH400 automatic transmission or a 4-speed Muncie manual transmission.
The biggest surprise from General Motors was the performance offered by Buick—which had no racing heritage to speak of at the time.
During the muscle car era, Buick was mostly known for producing “Gentlemen’s Muscle Cars” that were more luxurious than performance.
However, that all changed in 1970.
Table of Contents
Introducing the 1970 Buick GS Stage 1
In 1970, Buick offered three engine options on the GS including a 350/315-hp, 455/350-hp, and the infamous Stage 1 455 wildly underrated at 360-hp.
The 1970 Buick GS Stage 1 came out swinging by earning the fourth fastest ET in 1970 with its 13.38-second pass as recorded by Motor Trend magazine in its January 1970 issue.
With 510 lb-ft of torque, this subdued muscle car could outrun virtually anything it came across off the showroom floor in 1970 except a Hemi Cuda, Hemi Road Runner, or an LS6 Chevelle.
Buick also introduced the GSX model as a mid-year option that included vibrant paint, racing stripes, and spoilers—with optional hood tach—to help attract younger buyers.
The Stage 1 equipped Buick GSX came in eighth place, turning a 13.66 second quarter mile time as documented by Car Craft Magazine in its July 1970 issue.
The GSX version was only available as a hardtop with the standard 455/350-hp or Stage 1 455/360-hp engines. Available only in either Saturn Yellow or Apollo White.
The Stage 1 engine was the perfect blend of high-performance heads, cam, distributor, large valves, and a Rochester Quadrajet carburetor.
In total, there were 2,465 hardtops, 232 convertible, and 400 GSX units produced with the powerful 455 Stage 1 engine.
Of the hardtop 70 Buick GS’s produced, 16 were equipped with a floor-shifted 3-speed manual, 664 with a 4-speed manual, and 1,785 with a 3-speed automatic.
1970 Buick GS 455 Stage 1 Overview
| Engine | 455 |
| Horsepower | 360 |
| Torque | 510-lb.ft. |
| ET | 13.38 |
| MPH | 105.5 |
| Source | MT, 1/70 |
The 1970 Buick GS Stage 1 featured is 1 of 664 equipped with a 4-speed manual transmission.
It has just 53,000 original miles and is referred to as “Lord Vader” by its current owner because of its black exterior and black interior color scheme.
All 1970 Buick GS vehicles with the Stage 1 option were produced at the Flint, Michigan assembly plant. It is 1 of 160 with this color scheme produced in Flint and is a stunning example of what 1970 muscle cars were all about.
The car miraculously survived nine previous owners before Brett Slater acquired it in 2017. He is the current caretaker of the 1970 Buick GS Stage 1 featured here.
Slater is a self-proclaimed “Buick Man,” having owned nearly a dozen Buick GS’s over a 30-year period.
It all started when he was brought home from the hospital in a 1970 Buick Riviera which his mother quickly traded in for a 1971 Buick GS 350 4-speed.
A true Buick Man, indeed.
Slater saw the black Stage 1 in a Facebook group he joined in 2016 and quickly became virtual friends with the owner while he admired it from afar.
While the car wasn’t advertised for sale, a chance conversation with a mutual friend helped Slater eventually buy it behind the scenes.
He had sent a message to a mutual online friend on V8Buick.com who told him that right after purchasing the black Stage 1, the current owner found another GS that he wanted even more.
Slater said while he wasn’t in the market, “a lightbulb went off, and email was sent to the owner of the black Stage 1” to see if he would be willing to sell it.
Graciously, a very detailed description and several photos were sent back to him. After a few exchanges, he arranged a trip to Maryland to inspect the vehicle.
Upon closer inspection, the vehicle was in surprisingly better shape than he had expected, and it became clear what had to happen next.
Not wanting to pass up a chance to own a piece of Buick history, he made a purchase on the vehicle and became the tenth owner. He had it shipped to his hometown in Taunton, Massachusetts and the rest, they say, is history.
Slater learned that the ninth owner had recently purchased it off the eighth owner, who only put 8,000 miles on the odometer in the 35 years that he had owned it—the longest period of ownership of any of the owners to date.
He also learned that the eighth owner purchased it from a guy who was a high school friend who had blown up the engine within two weeks of owning the car.
He recently rebuilt the engine back to factory specs and detailed the engine compartment using OEM pieces to return the original showroom look, complete with factory firewall markings.
While it is powered by a non-original motor, it still retains the original M21 Muncie transmission and 3.64 geared “ON” code 10 bolt post rear end.
It was garage kept its whole life and is completely rust-free. He’s had offers to but it at car shows and cruises, but respectfully declines them all.
Slater considers his 1970 Buick GS Stage 1 to be the “Holy Grail” of Buick Muscle Cars and puts about 1,000 miles a year driving it to car shows and cruises.
He is a member of the Buick GS Club of America and is very active on V8Buick.com. He’s attended over 100 events and has earned a few trophies and ribbons along the way.
Since purchasing the car, he’s been able to make contact with some of the earlier owners, who were kind enough to send him copies of photos from the first decade of its existence.
He has no plans of selling and fears becoming the guy that remarks, “I wish I never sold that car.” Something tells me he doesn’t have to worry about becoming that guy anytime soon.
At a Glance
- 1970 Buick GS
- High performance 455 cu. in. Stage 1
- 360-hp / 500 lb-ft Torque
- 4-speed transmission
- Consolette
- Positraction
- Regal Black exterior
- Black vinyl bucket interior
- Power steering
- Sonomatic Radio
- Rear speaker
- Wide-oval white billboard lettered tires G70-14
- Rally ride control package
- Soft-ray tinted windshield
- Door guards
- Carpet savers
- Trunk light
- Mirror map light
- Instrument gauges with tach
- Rallye steering wheel
- Steel wheels with dog dish hub caps
- Invoice Amount $3,510.63
- Flint, Michigan Assembly Plant
Well, there you have it on the mighty 1970 Buick GS Stage 1. Be sure to subscribe if you enjoyed this article!
Ryan Wheaton
Ryan has owned muscle cars since 1986 and currently owns a 1972 Dodge Charger Rallye. He combines passion and experience to create engaging content for fellow muscle car enthusiasts. In 2018, he founded Muscle Cars Illustrated, authoring hundreds of articles on tips, history, and trends in the muscle car industry. He attends national car shows, auctions, and museums to stay current with the latest developments in the muscle car industry.
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