This car was sold new in Fort Wayne, IN. It started life with a 340-4V and Switch Pitch ST300 automatic. In time, the engine must have failed, so a Buick 350 from a 1969 GS was installed. As the years went on, it remained in storage until a man from Central Ohio discovered the car. His long career as a Parts Man kept him interested in Classic Muscle. It was he who resurrected this car.
It had only been driven about 93,750 miles. It needed to have the fuel system, braking system and cooling system refurbished. The transmission was rebuilt and the linkage to operate the Switch Pitch was sourced, attached and adjusted. He bypassed the heater core due to a slight leak. The fuel pump and battery were replaced. He installed new tires on 1970 vintage Buick Road Wheels (Magnum 500s). The car has dual exhaust. After these tasks were completed, he began to drive it and enjoy it. He put on just over 3000 miles.
The body is still in good condition. It was repainted to the original Seafoam Green many years ago. You will see a small rusty area at the leading edge of the driver’s door. The drains must have been plugged. There is another small area of corrosion at the lower left corner of the trunk lid. Other than that, the body is solid and shows no sign of repair or filler. The trunk floor has two patches. The floors and frame are solid.
The Fawn interior was redone years ago. The upholstery, carpet and headliner were replaced. I believe the door panels are original. The original keys still work the ignition and locks.
The windows are factory tinted, there is Courtesy lighting and a Sonomatic pushbutton AM radio. It needs speakers. There are factory Fisher seat belts and a set of Buick Tri-shield floor mats. This car came with power steering and manual drum brakes. The rear end has a 2.78 open differential and the tires are now 215/70/14 radials.
Now the car runs and drives great. The carburetor may be a bit small for the engine, as it will back-fire when under hard acceleration. But under normal to aggressive driving, it is great. The Switch Pitch works perfectly. This is truly a fun car to drive. You can tell it has the GS engine and both hear and feel the cam working.
The interior is in great condition. I would call it perfect for a daily driver or local show car. The body and paint is also in great driver condition. Not show worthy, but certainly something that will be appreciated. And you aren’t going to stress out about getting caught in the rain (but the rear window does leak) or having bugs splattered against the front of the car and on the windshield.
Our inspection showed that the radio should play with a set of speakers, the heater is by-passed and the parking brake is frozen from lack of use. Otherwise, all lights, gauges and features are working properly. You should feel comfortable driving this car. Just keep gas in the tank and watch the gauge. We do know that the dip stick is showing low by one quart when the oil is actually at the proper level. Just keep that in mind.
I was attracted to this car due to the originality, the fact that it is a two door post coupe and the fact that it has always had plenty of horsepower. It strikes me as a great entry level to the hobby and a wonderful summer driver.
