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Hard to believe that this car is almost 30 years old. The car was rescued from the crusher back in the early 90's when a junk yard worker called my friend to inform him that a very clean theft recovery Buick had just arrived in the yard. My buddy struck a deal with the junk yard owner and work began on turning the car into what would become the fastest street car in our local area. With nobody able to beat him and nobody wanting to race him anymore my friend decided it was time to clean the Buick up. So after almost a years worth of body work and paint the car came out so nice that my friend decided it would be best to just store the car. With what he paid for the paint job he just couldn't bare to see anything happen to it. That was back in 1996, the last time the car was tagged and inspected for street use. And as things often go, life got in the way. A new business, a new baby, illness in the family and the Buick was forgotten. So for 17 years the car sat under a car cover in a block and sheet metal building. For years after, this car was the topic of discussion at the local cruise in spots. Everyone knew where the car was but everyone also knew the car was just not for sale.
Well, yesterday was my lucky day because my buddy called me and told me he was ready to let the car go. He was very, very attached to the car and chose me as the person to take over. Said he just couldn't bare to see it just sitting there. So in a split minute I was at his house with a wad of cash in my pocket. It was less than what he wanted but more than I could afford. If you can understand that. So after about two hours of reminiscing and back & forth we finally yanked the proverbial band aid. I made my offer and he took it. Before he could change his mind my Son and I started moving engine stands out of the way, boxes, ramps and anything else that would keep us from pulling the car out of the garage. After about an hour of work, a floor jack was slid under the car, the jack stands were removed from under the car and tires touched the ground for the first time in almost two decades.
First time in the Sun in 17 years....
We don't live very far apart so we just pulled the car home. That's my buddy pulling his old Buick to my house. My youngest boy is behind the wheel. I'm following behind with the flashers on.
The Buick safely at home and in desperate need of a bath.
Back when I first moved to South Texas, with my parents, over 27 years ago, I was heavy into (sigh) street racing and moving into a small town from Houston, Texas, I wanted to know who was the fastest guy in town. So after asking around I heard stories about some old Buick that was killing everything in town. This car was unbeatable. It was taking out big tire trailer cars on the street left and right. Word is the guy would show up to the local street strip, without even getting out of the car he would lay the smack down on anything and everything that was unloaded off a trailer. The guy just took care of business and left without saying a word. I thought to myself, I have to meet this guy. I mean, my goal then was to not only befriend this guy but one day hopefully learn enough from him to beat him. So I went looking for this guy and I found him working at our local Super Shops. We really hit it off and well, we have been friends for over 20 years.
But, back to the car. After washing the car two times and to be honest, I think we are probably going to have to wash it at least two more times, my boy and I decided to see if the engine would fire up. So after a fresh 850 carb from my shelf, some fresh fuel in the stock tank and a fully charged Optima battery my son hit the ignition and after two or three turns the engine came back to life......WOW! Check out the video...
In all these years my friend never really told me what was under the hood. So yesterday I found out it was just your basic 468 big block Chevy stuffed with full forged internals, Bill Staley ported and polished heads, an undisclosed solid roller cam and a Chuck Newton prepped 850 CFM Holley and Hooker headers running thru 3" Flowmaster Top 10 mufflers. All of that pushing thru a 3500 stalled TH350 and 4.10 gears in the stock 8.5 GN / T-Type differential. All that was sneezed on by an old school Top Gun Hitman Nitrous system set at 150hp. My buddy said he never needed more than that to take out the other local street racers. Did I ever beat him? Well, yes and no. He and I raced each other over the years but never against the Buick. We built several cars together and didn't really pay attention to what others were doing. All this time, working in his garage, the Buick was just there, sitting under the covers. We were not even allowed to look at it. And if you asked too many questions, the shop doors were closed, lights turned off and it was time to call it a night.
I apoligize for the winded story but I am just so stoked that the Fastest street car in our area from way back when is now sitting in my garage. How fast is it? We don't know, the car was never timed. But a lot of the parts in it are very old school so I am sure it's actually slow by today's standards. I have a Malibu station wagon with a 408 cube small block that sounds a lot healthier than the big block in the Buick. But who knows, we might have to take the wagon and the Buick to that old race spot and find out and find out just how fast the Buick is.
Well, yesterday was my lucky day because my buddy called me and told me he was ready to let the car go. He was very, very attached to the car and chose me as the person to take over. Said he just couldn't bare to see it just sitting there. So in a split minute I was at his house with a wad of cash in my pocket. It was less than what he wanted but more than I could afford. If you can understand that. So after about two hours of reminiscing and back & forth we finally yanked the proverbial band aid. I made my offer and he took it. Before he could change his mind my Son and I started moving engine stands out of the way, boxes, ramps and anything else that would keep us from pulling the car out of the garage. After about an hour of work, a floor jack was slid under the car, the jack stands were removed from under the car and tires touched the ground for the first time in almost two decades.
First time in the Sun in 17 years....
We don't live very far apart so we just pulled the car home. That's my buddy pulling his old Buick to my house. My youngest boy is behind the wheel. I'm following behind with the flashers on.
The Buick safely at home and in desperate need of a bath.
Back when I first moved to South Texas, with my parents, over 27 years ago, I was heavy into (sigh) street racing and moving into a small town from Houston, Texas, I wanted to know who was the fastest guy in town. So after asking around I heard stories about some old Buick that was killing everything in town. This car was unbeatable. It was taking out big tire trailer cars on the street left and right. Word is the guy would show up to the local street strip, without even getting out of the car he would lay the smack down on anything and everything that was unloaded off a trailer. The guy just took care of business and left without saying a word. I thought to myself, I have to meet this guy. I mean, my goal then was to not only befriend this guy but one day hopefully learn enough from him to beat him. So I went looking for this guy and I found him working at our local Super Shops. We really hit it off and well, we have been friends for over 20 years.
But, back to the car. After washing the car two times and to be honest, I think we are probably going to have to wash it at least two more times, my boy and I decided to see if the engine would fire up. So after a fresh 850 carb from my shelf, some fresh fuel in the stock tank and a fully charged Optima battery my son hit the ignition and after two or three turns the engine came back to life......WOW! Check out the video...
In all these years my friend never really told me what was under the hood. So yesterday I found out it was just your basic 468 big block Chevy stuffed with full forged internals, Bill Staley ported and polished heads, an undisclosed solid roller cam and a Chuck Newton prepped 850 CFM Holley and Hooker headers running thru 3" Flowmaster Top 10 mufflers. All of that pushing thru a 3500 stalled TH350 and 4.10 gears in the stock 8.5 GN / T-Type differential. All that was sneezed on by an old school Top Gun Hitman Nitrous system set at 150hp. My buddy said he never needed more than that to take out the other local street racers. Did I ever beat him? Well, yes and no. He and I raced each other over the years but never against the Buick. We built several cars together and didn't really pay attention to what others were doing. All this time, working in his garage, the Buick was just there, sitting under the covers. We were not even allowed to look at it. And if you asked too many questions, the shop doors were closed, lights turned off and it was time to call it a night.
I apoligize for the winded story but I am just so stoked that the Fastest street car in our area from way back when is now sitting in my garage. How fast is it? We don't know, the car was never timed. But a lot of the parts in it are very old school so I am sure it's actually slow by today's standards. I have a Malibu station wagon with a 408 cube small block that sounds a lot healthier than the big block in the Buick. But who knows, we might have to take the wagon and the Buick to that old race spot and find out and find out just how fast the Buick is.
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