The. Buick. Century. Was. A. Nice. Car. In. The. 70s. But. When. Buick. Gave. It. A. Look in. 1982 it. Was. A. Pese. Of. Junk. Frum. 1982. Tho. 1995. I think. 2001. Was. The. Last. Yr. Just. Like. Ols. Cutlets. Sera. Pontiac. 6000. My. Mom. Had a 73. Grandprix
There were very few true muscle cars still being made by 1973. The 455 SD Trans Am, 340 Plymouth Duster, and 34O Cuda were really about all there was. 15 second 1/4 miles were pretty good for 1973
FOR 1973 ( the beginning of OPEC & emission controls) THIS WAS AN EXCELLENT OUTCOME FOR TESTING...THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR THE HUGE 'LAND YACHTS' OF AMERICA.
Is it mandatory that some schmuck has to comment about "how far we've come" and how shitty these old cars do everything? Can't you just appreciate the cool old review of a cool old car? No one expects it to perform like something 40+ years newer.
This car was amazing by 1973 standards for so many reasons, but especially the acceleration numbers. The EPA was a real pain in the ass by 1973. I think Buick deserved an A+ in 1973 for making the most of what they had to work with.
It was. And while it obviously won't brake and corner like a new car, a few minor modifications to overcome all the emissions crap will really wake it up. And I'm fairly certain NOTHING you can buy today will ride like one of these.
I was thinking about the Grand Am while Bud was playing up how 'special' the Century GS was. Didn't the Grand Am come with the 455SD as an option? The Buick engine was a bit lighter but the Pontiac usually had better suspension tuning. I think that a limited slip diff and some modern performance tires would have made this much better.
@@keithstudly6071 They should have had it available, but apparantly the production supplier for the forged rods could not fill the orders, so only had the standard 400 and 455 engines available in Grand AM. Buddy of mine had a 73 with 400 - 4 speed. It was a smooth, powerful, and agile car, probably the best handling of the era for mid size cars!
@@gt-37guy6 my buddy had that same car in 1986 with a 455 and he broke that motor cold starting it at wide open throttle (yeah, it was stupid) ... spun the hell out of a bearing but the rods never broke and the SD was only good for another ten horsepower ... Super duty" just looked cool
I loved this video so much I bought the car.....no seriously, ran across a very rare 74 GS 455 last year and bought it. What a car! Mine is built up and stall converter, same white car though...not many 1974s made - the last year. So far getting 7 mpg or so....people in little hybrids just shake their heads.
@@SuperBlazer00 Yes, these were the cars I grew up with , Cutlass, Regal, Lemans, I had a 73 Cutlass Supreme that I bought in 82 for $100...It was a black 455 2 door, but had a cracked block. I put a Pontiac 350 engine in it...It had a TH400 trans with a 3.23 Posi axle. I loved the way that car drove, and the highway excelleration band was sweet. Sold it to another buddy who put a Olds 350 back in it and he drove is several more years, says it was his favorite driving car ever.
This is a bona fide supercar. 15.3 et from C&T is fast. The GT 500 Shelby Cobra was only 14.5 for C&T. I looked it up and it got the same 30mph as the '69 GTX. CnT make it hard by testing 40, 45 and 50 60 and 70 and hardly mention quarter miles. For all the haters, the '73 GM's sold like crazy it was a record setting year of over 5 million cars sold in the US iirc.
It was fast for the 70s with all the emissions regulations added to it. Most of the 60s muscle before it was considerably faster. By the mid 80s performance finally started to come around with Camaros, firebirds and mustangs getting back to mid 14 second 1/4 miles with much lighter cars and smaller cubic inch small block V8s
The Buick GS was the best looking of the four 1973 GM Colonnade performance models(GTO,Chevelle SS,Olds 442,Buick GS) Probably the most expensive of the four when new so probably the rarest of the four too. If I was buying a new car in 1973 it would be a 340/4 speed Plymouth Duster or Cuda or a 455SD/4 speed Formula Firebird. But the 73 Buick GS Stage 1 is a super cool car that you hardly ever see or hear about. Not as fast as a 70 Stage 1 Buick but pretty cool just the same
Just one more thing.. I grew up in the 60's and 70's. Heck, I got my driver's Lic in my dad's 1967 Plymouth Fury III. And "No back up camera..". There is a special place in my heart for all cars of this era. Gas was 45 cents a gallon, and front seats big enough to well..lol. This Buick in particular has more charm than some pathetic people mover SUV of today. In the parking lot, it's easy to try and open the wrong car because they "All look the same"... I could watch this all day. Gotta love that 4 bbl sucking air, and spinning the rear tires on a "4 wheel Drift" @4:55 is eye candy..🙂
Those are heavy cars, and a 15.3 quarter mile is pretty good in that rig, especially since it had a pegleg rear. You woulda thought that a Limited Slip diff woulda been standard on the GS.
great video. its good to see that there is still an interest in this fascinating era when U.S. made were the best performers and lfire breathing beautiful beasts. my true love is the mack truck and all other heavy diesel vehicles including super heavy buses both transit and cross country. I am dropping thia line to thank you for your interest and desire to preserve this most important of eras sir and to say that it is a pleasure to know that professional gentlemen such as yourself still exist. we as a nation are going thru some very tryong times in this new post 911 world and I want to thank you for showing young people that this country was great and was a leader in the automotive industry and that it is still great and will get to that point again..and very soon judging by buicks great lucerne and other products like the chevy impala cruze and volt. thank you for bringing back memories and for the smile! god bless you and your family this holiday season.
nobody knows the pleasure of the ride in such cars until he tries it. i got a 74 regal,still in manufactured excellent condition,you can see it in my video,the only thing is that i don't have the ''smog'' thing on it. i changed the spark plugs to splitfire ones, put high performance sparkplug wires, put a bigger opened airfilter put bigger exhaust with opened straight mufflers, now engine is a lot powerful and runs with ease,while keeping the car mainly at it's original specs.
While I've hated the Emission Control devices they were putting on these cars but I've always liked the style of the 1973-77 Colonnade GM cars w/1973-74 being my favorite years
Damn, what a ass-kicking boulevard cruiser. Surprisingly great performance numbers for a 1973 vehicle period. Compression ratios and cam specs had taken a serious hit by 1973 due to emission regulations. 1973 was the beginning of the dark ages.........
Yeah, 1971 was the last really good year for American V8s for a long time. 1971 was the last year of decent stock cams and good compression ratios. Stock compression ratios fell off of a cliff in 1972.
@@clintonflynn815 380 lb ft Net, that would be around 450 using the older Brake HP rating - still allot of torque with low comp 455s ! Also Remember this car is heavier than the older Skylark GS cars by 300 lbs and the Gear ratio on this standard 455 model was 3.08 - more of a highway gear. Put some gears in the stock 73 and you have a much improved quarter mile.
Some of these '73 G S were equipped with the "Stage 1" 455...Buick's version of the Pontiac "Super Duty 455"; basically, a street legal race engine that was grossly under rated to keep the insurance co's from shitting bricks. It also came with a pretty purposeful handling package too boot. This must have been an extremely difficult time for all 4 of the automotive manufactures of this vintage. It's hard to imagine having the f'ing government tell you how you can build cars.
I see quite a few American car haters on here, WHY? chances are your parents or grandparents drove American cars, maybe if everyone would buy and support American manufacturing this country would be in better shape financially today, I have had several big cars and I liked them for the most part I had a 1976 Buick Century similar to the one in this video it was a good car, it rode well and was dependable I still drive a Buick today a 1995 skylark that is nearly 20 years old and still gets 30mpg
Northern Maine Productions Its because not even American Manufactures support making there products on US soil When they can save money manufacturing over seas and this was the start of the begging of the end of not only American cars but American made products The imports were eating American Goods like there cars with Emission controls low mpg not very reliable American made cars people go to Toyota or Honda for a reliable easy cheap car to fix today American made products lost its image after the 1970s.
I think its a good looking car. A friend of mine had a 1973 Buick Century with the 455. back in the early 90s and that car would beat some 5.0 Mustangs. it was a real sleeper
It would have been great to get your hands inside of that that low compression 1973 Buick smog engine 455. These engines responded so well to a mild street cam swap and a piston swap to get rid of those low compression smog pistons. These old Buicks made insane amounts of torque, too.
In high school, in the early 90s, I had a 72 Cutlass, my friend had a 72 Chevelle, another had 72 Pontiac Gran Prix (same GM body type as what would become this car) and another had a 72 Bug - just by happenstance and everyone being poor we just happened to all end up with 1972 cars. What I never got as a kid was what happened. The 72 models are great looking cars, all of them, and in 73 - it all went to hell. Except for the Bug, it never changed, apparently a curse from being Hitler's offspring.
Man oh man! I love these beasts. Nothing better than a v8 with a large hood. I had a Grande Marquis and it wasn't too fast but that v8 just makes you feel so good on highway.
no not as much although I agree cars tended to have softer suspension in general, they'd perform much better in that slalom though having independent suspension
Having independent, is not truly beneficial in a slalom as you might think! At any rate this was the 70's and that tech had not yet been perfected yet! so their was a huge grey area in regards to IRS vs live AXLE!
my friends dad back in Oct 72, bought a 73 Century Regal with the GS455 and the sport suspension. it was ordered for the Buick dealers Sales manager, but his dad bought it out from under him. It was a hot car and his Mom said it was one of the best handling cars she had ever had. Well at least till she got her STS and then CTS, she's not driving anymore, I think she is 91 now! But in about 4 years, my friend wound up with it after She finished with it, he had it quite a while!
Prior to 1972, American car makers used the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) “gross” measurement of horsepower. Gross meant the figure was taken from an engine running on a test stand, with no air cleaner assembly, accessories or exhaust system connected. By 1971, car makers began reducing compression in many engines in order to meet upcoming emissions requirements and to use unleaded fuel. General Motors and Chrysler began advertising both gross and SAE net figures in 1971, derived from an engine tested with air cleaner assembly, accessories or exhaust system connected. The net ratings, which were applied across the board for 1972, were taken from the rear wheel so even though there was a drop in HP due to lower compression in 1972, the drop was exaggerated because of the switch from gross to net HP. The actual HP drop was much less than was stated. Higher insurance premiums played a part in all this too.
sae-net is the measure of both horsepower and torque with ALL the accessories, standard full exhaust, water & oil pumps,alternator,power steering all belted carb filter installed, & measured @ FLYWHEEL. Now, GM, has a measure of sae-net CERTIFIED.
Its the best behaviour between musclecars I've seen in several Bud's series. So nice breaking, acceleratting and cornering on this antient tires. It goes like Jaguer XJS which is much modern
For a fully smog-equipped land yacht in 1973, these are very respectable numbers. Now I know which smog-era land yacht to consider buying; this one isn't half bad in acceleration
0-70mph times were very impressive for 1973 standards, it's even better than some of the lower powered muscle cars built in the high compression years.
270 Net HP!!!! Thats crazy for one of those big lazy V8's from the 70's with all the smog equipment. That kind of power wasn't seen on new cars up until about 10 years ago.
Yeah 270 net horsepower was a good number for 1973. One of the highest ratings on paper that year other than the Pontiac SD455 and the Mopar 440 I believe. I had a 73 Duster 340-4 speed and a 73 LeMans 455 4 barrel-auto. The 340 Duster was way faster though because it was much lighter. I believe the regular Pontiac 455 4 barrel was rated at 250 horses in 73 but the Buick and Olds 455 was rated at 270 horses
300 net horsepower , 1993 Corvette LT1. The same engine made 275 hp in the Firebird and Camaro due to more restrictive intake ducting and exhaust design . 260 hp in the Impala SS and Buick Roadmaster , because even though those engines carried the "LT1" designation , they had iron cylinder heads while the Corvette and Firebird featured aluminum cylinder heads . (which allowed more ignition timing since they were less prone to detonation ) I know its hard to believe , but 1993 was TWENTY-EIGHT years ago , and only twenty years after this Gran Sport was produced .
270 HP was net in '73, add about 60 to that for gross. i'd say gear ratio in that GS was 3.42 maybe a little higher, i doubt it though for a GS. they'd get better than 10 mpg if you drove them easy, average around 13 or so. it's not ugly...just different. with a few minor tweaks and maybe a stage 1 package(or not), those cars were awesome : )
@harddrivin1le that's what i was talking about,there's a lot of waste in these engines, but few tricks and you'll get a rocket. and remember some of those cars in years 1968- 1969 used to get 100m/h (160km/h) in 10 seconds or less, example: buick GSX, oldsmobile 442 HURST, chevelle 455.
I know todays cars handle and brake much better, but im 53 and I grew up with the cars of the 60's and 70's and I miss them - I also miss the days when you didnt have to spend $35,000+ for a car with some balls. I also miss that big car ride our cars used to have. Now most cars feel like a go kart chassis and you feel every damn imperfection in the road. If I ever won the lottery id go buy old muscle cars and luxury cars and relive my youth 10X a the lowest as mileage possible - LOL
true...I own a '76 Cutlass and my kid has a '75 Regal, both coupes. When someone added those "license plate brackets" to the bumpers it really changed the way the front end looked.
Still got a special place for the colonnades I think they're awesome looking THIS IS THE CLOSEST THING WE'VE HAD TO A SUPERCAR SINCE BREATHING CLEAN AIR BECAME POPULAR LOL BUD YOU WERE THE MAN
@ColbyJMeyer I like to see you stick 6 full sized adults, 4 full suit cases, 2 golf bags, in the Pantera. Buicks were known for their fantastic ride comfort too. On the highway, they were library quiet inside and had seats that were more comfortable than most living room sofas. I'll pass on the Pantera.
man, check out the body role and sway....i know its a 4000 lb car with 70s technology, but it really makes you appreciate newer cars' better handling. gotta love those old Buicks, though.
Yes nostalgia for us all however lets be honest the cars today, although not as solid, run better in too many ways. I remember as a kid trying to breath walking down the street back when all of these beasts were the only thing on the road and you ended up feeling light headed with all the exhaust. The roads stank of pollution and rolling down your windows meant breathing in what seemed like pure exhaust. Remember those days? I don't miss them...
My pops has drove nothing but buicks since the 70s. He had a 76 landau with a 6 cylinder. In the 80s the 70s style buicks were considered ugly. We made dad drop us off a block away from the theater. Wish I had that same car now.
This was quite a sleek fastback styled car for it's time and pretty quick too, especially by 1873 standards. The GM intermediates were the betters ones and if ordered correctly could be a lot of fun
Ponchoman -New for 1873! haha....typo...yep you are right! Being a Pontiac Guy I bet a 73 Grand Am would fit that order. Great handling cars and EASY to wake up the stock engines by just finding a set of older heads! Get closer to 350 to 400 HP i these cars and you have a very special MACHINE! I have a 74 Gran Sport and she is around 420 HP (hi compression pistons, big cam / headers / intake)...it is a blast!
My brother and I was considering a 1974 GS with a 455 either the Stage 1 or not. Since we doubted it would still have the original motor in it, or in good shape. All the 74 455's had the improved oiling system and Stage 1 heads are easy to come by. We liked the 73's but wanted the 1-piece seat belt design...crazy huh? Other than that I think the cars are about the same. I heard you can run 10 to 1 comp. on these motors with the right timing curve and still use regular 10% eth. pump gas. I think with a mild port job and descent cam with all the emission stuff in place the motor would go 350 HP, 475 torque. The only down side isn't the drive trains, it's the option specific parts on the cars with little or no after market support for replacements. Plus I don't think they built many of them to begin with, still...we like them. Maybe a Century 2 door coupe with a 350 factory 2 bbl. would be the way to go, then "modify" it.
@WPGinterceptor no my friend i do mean less then 10 secnds,but i was talking about some models,for example you can see on vintage road tests here the olds 442 hurst get to 60m/h in 5.3 seconds. my own buick now gets to 62 miles in less then 6seconds although it's a 350-4 and nt a 455,but i admit i ''released'' the engine so for him to be able to ''work'' freely and easily, just with minor tricks.so those ''mills'' are able to do better.
@kffive i second your words, mine has a 350-4 with 350 trans. and gives me 20 mpg on highways. but still it costs me less than other cars because all i spend on it is 4 liters of engine oil and filter, i don't remember when i got the tuning coz it's been many years it didn't need any maintenance.
my dad brought a new 1973 Buick 4 door with a 455 from the dealer it was parked out front I understood why when he got it home the A/C broke few days later it ran hot . engine felt like you were driving with the left foot on the break .. total dog . ate water pumps and Transmissions .. needless to say after I saw how the dealer responded I never bought a Buick
I'm building a hot rod based on a 77 Buick Century Custom, with staple console shifter. It will have a Nelson Racing 509 in it and a whole bunch of other toys. I figure a 10 second or lower quarter mile. It should be fun.
Nice car, definitely one of the faster performing cars of 1973, it's a shame that the Emissions Controls had to take effect by this time period and the quality of these cars started to take a nosedive by then due to the cruddy Emissions Controls crap which hurt the performance of these cars.
as for the hot coil,in some countries it is expensive to change them as you said,so it's cheaper to do those tricks and enjoy the power increase with little cost. in fact in my buick i get to 100km in just 6seconds and the needle keeps going up very fast till 160km which is very good considering it is only 3 speeds automatic carrying its heavy weight (more than 2 tons).finally,new modern engines are powerful and economic,they are very good engines,but man we feel torque in old big blocks.
My 1st car was one of these. Little did I realize that it was involved in a flood, because it had all kinds of eletrical problems, and the vinal roof where it meets the windsheild was all rusted out, and whats weird, the vinal roof only covers half of the roof. Mine was the standard 350, 4bbl carb which ran fine. The whole car at the end was retired / scrapped in 1987.
Whatever, the 1970s is better! Some of the 1973 Buick Century line can tow 6000 pounds with 455 big block V-8 from Buick and towing package too. Our 2005 Buick Century and 2008 Buick Lacrosse can only tow a measly 1000 pounds. Same too with my 2013 Chevrolet, same old 1000 pound towing and 100 pound tongue weight. I did tow 3 U Haul Trailers from California to Washington State and it did fine, however. Towed 1 850 pound trailer and 2 990 pound trailers too. First trailer, I did drive 50 mph for first 500 miles too. When I reached Gardinerville, Nevada I sped up faster to keep up with traffic, as I already hit 500 miles of towing too. Some dude got impatient one time on US 395 approaching Nevada state line on California side and almost got into a head on collision in front of me. He wanted to go 65 mph or 70 mph and I was only doing 50 mph for break in period too. After break in, I can do whatever speed I want. I did not tow with the Buicks, but they are generally 50 mph for first 500 miles and 55 mph thereafter. New cars need to tow again, like in 1970s!
+Bryan Tint Another thing, I did weigh the second trailer, it was 156 pound tongue weight, so the trailer could be 1500 pound loaded too. 990 pounds empty too. My 2013 Chevrolet towed it very good! It has a Cadillac 3.6L V-6 as well. My other rigs from Buick, have not towed a thing yet. Have a 2005 Buick Century with Chevrolet 3.1L V-6 and a 2008 Buick Lacrosse with Buick 3.8L V-6 as well. All are rated for 1000 pound towing and 100 pound tongue weight.
The 1975 Buick Century with Buick big block 455 V-8 can tow 6000 pounds with 500 pound tongue weight. Maximum for big cars, such as sedans, wagons, and coupes is 7000 pounds for the heaviest of full sized and mid sized cars. 1975 Buick Century with 350 small block V-8 can tow 5000 pounds with 500 pound tongue weight. The 1975 Buick Century can be upgraded to EFI, no problem. It runs on the same unleaded gas anyway. However, no updated Buick V-8s for 21st century. The Buick V-6 made it from 1962 to 2008. With EFI and advanced engineering, the Buick small block and big block V-8s will do better with basically the same catalytic converter. SUVs kind of suck anyway. However, for police rigs, only SUVs rule in towing, as Chevrolet does not allow towing with Chevrolet Impala nor Chevrolet Caprice for 2013 and 2014 or whatnot late model Chevrolet squads. Only Chevrolet Tahoe and Chevrolet Suburban can tow in squads. Civilian Chevrolet is rated for 1000 pounds. GM banned towing for Chevrolet Impala PPV and Chevrolet Caprice PPV. The civilian Chevrolet Impala can tow 1000 pounds with 100 pound tongue weight. I did tow 1500 pounds with 156 pound tongue weight. Towed like 4 different trailers from LA to Seattle. Even passed many solo cars on Lewiston Grade on US 95 with my 2013 Chevrolet. I did install cop tires and cop battery on my 2013 Chevrolet. Plus I added a cop oil filter AC Delco PF 48. Replaced that AC Delco PF 63. The battery is upgraded at AGM technology which is deep cycle/starting battery too. About 880 CCA or so. Or 885 CCA, cannot remember. It's on durable battery. Standard cop battery is just a 720 amp flooded starting battery. Mine is more heavy duty. Made for aftermarket cop use. I did upgrade my front brake pads from ceramic to semi metallic for my heavy duty use. Will upgrade the brakes further such as larger rotors later. Plus upgrade the bracket and caliper too. Will upgrade the rear brakes too. Make it totally cop brakes back there too. It's not larger, but thicker rotors in the rear. The only weak area for towing is the rear suspension, it sags a little. Car is rated for 1000 pound towing with 100 pound tongue weight. I towed about 1500 pounds with 156 pound tongue weight. Does awesome in towing! The 1971 Chevrolet can tow 7000 pounds with 500 pound tongue weight with big block 454 V-8 by Chevrolet. 6000 pounds with wagons. Sedans and coupes are 7000 pounds. The 1977 Chevrolet and 1991 Chevrolet are rated for 5000 pounds with 500 pound tongue weight. 2000 and later Chevrolet is 1000 pounds with 100 pound tongue weight too. Police Chevrolets are not allowed to tow, however. Police Dodge and Police Ford can tow 1000 pounds with 100 pound tongue weight too. Chevrolet dumps towing to Chevrolet Tahoe PPV, and Chevrolet Suburban. Plus Chevrolet Silverado 4X4. Silverado can be had with 6L or 6.2L V-8. You can install a 6.2L V-8 in a 1975 Chevrolet wagon, however. Or a 1975 Chevrolet sedan. The 1977 Chevrolet and 1991 Chevrolet can use 5.3L V-8 or so. They all run on the same unleaded gas. Same catalytic converter. Over the years, they did change the pellet catalytic converter to monolith converter, but it does the same job. Monolith is better, less drag, compared to pellet type. As for 1974 and older, should leave it stock for stock reasons at the pump! 1977 Chevrolet is powered by 350 V-8, which was a dog, but still good. The cop version is not faster, just more durable, which is better. The 1991 Chevrolet is 350 for cop use. 305 for civilian and taxi cop! 305 V-8 for wagons. I'd say 350 for sedan and 305 for wagon. 2000 Chevrolet is 3.4L V-6 for civilian and 3.8L V-6 for cop. A few civilian cars had 3.8L V-6. 3.8L V-6 is Buick. 3.4L V-6 is Chevrolet. 2006 Chevrolet was 3.5L V-6 for civilian. 3.9L V-6 for cop use. Both are Chevrolet V-6s. My model has a Cadillac V-6 which has more power at 302 horsepower and 262 pound feet of torque at 5300 RPM. 302 horsepower is at 6500 RPM or so. The 350 V-8 of 1978 made 270 pound feet of torque at 2800 RPM or 2400 RPM, but I cannot remember. They were lazy V-8s of the 1970s. Which is fine. Even that Ford 3.3L 6 cylinder made 75 horsepower with 145 pound feet of torque. Still better than our 2.6L 4 cylinder by Mitsubishi at 101 horsepower with 143 pound feet of torque. Torque is more important than horsepower, but horsepower helps torque to balance out fuel economy!
Did bully a Dodge Ram today with my 2013 Chevrolet. I used to own a Dodge Ram. It's a good truck, but I treat my 2013 Chevrolet like Dodge Ram of 1996. Same damn thing to me. We had 1975 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, 1978 Chevrolet, 1981 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, 1984 Dodge Caravan, 1991 Ford Taurus, 1996 Dodge Ram, 1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 2005 Buick Century, 2008 Buick LaCrosse, and 2013 Chevrolet. They are all big Detroit tanks, and I treat them all the same. I do bully Dodge Ram today on I-405 in Washington with my 2013 Chevrolet. So funny! He was tailgating another car, and I only wanted to let 2 cars to enter my lane, not the third one, which was that Dodge Ram that was tailgating a small car. I pushed him back! He had to back off! 1970s cars are better, at least those stupid trucks have to pay some respect! I push them back! Don't care! I live in the 1970s! All big Detroit iron is the same! Should be treated as such! Old man's Detroit iron always rule! Dodge Ram owners should know that! I don't like young man's cars, such as economy cars nor sports cars. It's always old man's cars. Many of them are used in public safety, for being big!
@@bryantint1339 you are incorrect , sir . The civilian version of the 1977 Impala 350 used the LM1 350 , rated at 170 horsepower . The LM1 had 8.2:1 compression , a mild cam , and 1.94" intake valves and 1.50" exhaust valves . POLICE versions of the Impala , option code 9C1 , used the 205 horsepower L82 350 , borrowed from the Corvette . The L82 had 8.5:1 compression , a "performance" camshaft (nudge nudge , wink wink , stifled giggle !) as well as 2.02" intake valves and 1.60" exhaust valves .
I think it is hilarious how this, at the time, was "excellent" performance. Of course, the '73 Century Luxus (just a little Buick 350 and column shifted automatic) in my driveway rides so smooth. I don't think a modern Lincoln could beat how smooth it is. And somehow, the power steering is so smooth, it's as good as a Honda's. It's insane.
i'm sorry but the 73 grand prix i had would of out done this car hands down but then again the lady that originally owned it special ordered it and it was a beast.
Nice car, but, NO STAGE 1. Just a run of the mill 455. My dad had a brand new Riviera GS, & IT had the 455 STAGE 1. Even then it was able to smoke the rear tires in Stereo. @ 1st he didn't like the idea of a hole in the roof, but, he got used to it. Afterwards, every 2/3 years it was ASTROROOF. Only problem was in winter some times it wouldn't open. Only when Dad didn't garage it. Only complain every time, was how the 455 lost power. He had Rivieras new since mid '60s. So, he knew. When better cars are built, Buick built them.
0-70 in under 11 seconds for a car that heavy was pretty damn impressive. Despite the claims of good handling, that car wallowed around like the boat it was but for the time, it was good. My friend had a ‘74 Grand Prix with the same 455 4 barrel and it was a beast.
That was a great 0-70 time in 1973. Even with that lower axle ratio, I'm pretty sure this car would have pulled the whole 0-70 run in 1st and 2nd gear with the throttle detent all the way pegged in the automatic trans. 70 isn't even top end in 2nd gear on these cars.
@@scdevon Thats about right, my slightly lighter 72 Cutlass with a low compression 350 would shift to 3rd at 82 MPH, with a highway gear of 2.73. The car in this video has the big Turbo 400 trans, and actually doesn't use a kick down cable. It uses only a vacuum controlled module only...The smaller Turbo 350 did have the cable and vacuum module.
"Since breathing clean air, became popular"!.........Awesome
thought you didn't like buick
Right 😂🤣😭
1973 made that popular. Today that's not even possible.
The. Buick. Century. Was. A. Nice. Car. In. The. 70s. But. When. Buick. Gave. It. A. Look in. 1982 it. Was. A. Pese. Of. Junk. Frum. 1982. Tho. 1995. I think. 2001. Was. The. Last. Yr. Just. Like. Ols. Cutlets. Sera. Pontiac. 6000. My. Mom. Had a 73. Grandprix
Bud supported clean air - you knew he was cool.
I love that Bud's reviews often include the reverse spin, or the "Rockford" maneuver.
I think this was pre rockford....
It was called a "bootlegger" turn back then , and this road test was before the Rockford Files existed !
best part of a very good video IMO - that reverse spin was well executed
Love it...takes curves like a hippo on wet clay, but likely performed a lot better than other intermediates of the day.
Like when the shit hits the fan. Google when a hippo takes a dump.
C'mon,vintage car haters,this was 42 years ago!This was pretty good for 1973.
Yes and not really the 1971 model handled better then 1973 but it handled well for being equipped with the new smog emission controls.
There were very few true muscle cars still being made by 1973. The 455 SD Trans Am, 340 Plymouth Duster, and 34O Cuda were really about all there was. 15 second 1/4 miles were pretty good for 1973
FOR 1973 ( the beginning of OPEC & emission controls) THIS WAS AN EXCELLENT OUTCOME FOR TESTING...THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR THE HUGE 'LAND YACHTS' OF AMERICA.
Sonny Haskins The 70s was the last decade with all the giant Yachts to come out of Detroit.
It really was!
Is it mandatory that some schmuck has to comment about "how far we've come" and how shitty these old cars do everything? Can't you just appreciate the cool old review of a cool old car? No one expects it to perform like something 40+ years newer.
And I think there was more change and improvement in the 43 years ending in 1973 than the following 43 years
This car was amazing by 1973 standards for so many reasons, but especially the acceleration numbers. The EPA was a real pain in the ass by 1973.
I think Buick deserved an A+ in 1973 for making the most of what they had to work with.
It was. And while it obviously won't brake and corner like a new car, a few minor modifications to overcome all the emissions crap will really wake it up. And I'm fairly certain NOTHING you can buy today will ride like one of these.
I had one as a teenager and it was AMAZING! It would snap your head back harder than any engine today. And nothing sounds like a big block revving up.
That's what I'm sayin. And it still performed pretty good for being a 73 that was choked out by smog equipment
This was still a great era for American cars. Nothing beats a longitudinal v/8 RWD automobiles!
Amen to that
Man I’ve always loved this generation of the GM intermediates - the Buicks being my favorites.
Love my 73 Pontiac Grand Am A Body with the 400 dual exhaust and 4 barrel
THE Grand Am was the best looking and best performing A body .
I was thinking about the Grand Am while Bud was playing up how 'special' the Century GS was. Didn't the Grand Am come with the 455SD as an option?
The Buick engine was a bit lighter but the Pontiac usually had better suspension tuning. I think that a limited slip diff and some modern performance tires would have made this much better.
@@keithstudly6071 They should have had it available, but apparantly the production supplier for the forged rods could not fill the orders, so only had the standard 400 and 455 engines available in Grand AM. Buddy of mine had a 73 with 400 - 4 speed. It was a smooth, powerful, and agile car, probably the best handling of the era for mid size cars!
@@gt-37guy6 my buddy had that same car in 1986 with a 455 and he broke that motor cold starting it at wide open throttle (yeah, it was stupid) ... spun the hell out of a bearing but the rods never broke and the SD was only good for another ten horsepower ... Super duty" just looked cool
@@peterhogan9537 I agree
Sporty version of Kojak car. Still neater than anything today. Lol
"body lean was very slight" It's amazing how far chassis dynamics have come since then.
I loved this video so much I bought the car.....no seriously, ran across a very rare 74 GS 455 last year and bought it. What a car! Mine is built up and stall converter, same white car though...not many 1974s made - the last year. So far getting 7 mpg or so....people in little hybrids just shake their heads.
I had a white 74 Regal Limited 350 4bbl. dual exhaust and 3.23 rear end. I loved it. It was quick... Go fast with class.
If you ever come across a broken down prius, you can put their car in the trunk and make some cash.
@@SuperBlazer00 Yes, these were the cars I grew up with , Cutlass, Regal, Lemans, I had a 73 Cutlass Supreme that I bought in 82 for $100...It was a black 455 2 door, but had a cracked block. I put a Pontiac 350 engine in it...It had a TH400 trans with a 3.23 Posi axle. I loved the way that car drove, and the highway excelleration band was sweet. Sold it to another buddy who put a Olds 350 back in it and he drove is several more years, says it was his favorite driving car ever.
Lindeman drinks a couple of shots of Jack Daniels at breakfast, and smokes Lucky Strikes for desert..
My kinda guy👍
Then he watches episodes of Colt Luger
He also goes to Mass on Sunday
Clearly, Bud Lindemann is "the original" most interesting man in the world.
He’s the man men used to be.
This is a bona fide supercar. 15.3 et from C&T is fast. The GT 500 Shelby Cobra was only 14.5 for C&T. I looked it up and it got the same 30mph as the '69 GTX. CnT make it hard by testing 40, 45 and 50 60 and 70 and hardly mention quarter miles. For all the haters, the '73 GM's sold like crazy it was a record setting year of over 5 million cars sold in the US iirc.
15.3 is a fast car it’s a boat too!
It was fast for the 70s with all the emissions regulations added to it. Most of the 60s muscle before it was considerably faster. By the mid 80s performance finally started to come around with Camaros, firebirds and mustangs getting back to mid 14 second 1/4 miles with much lighter cars and smaller cubic inch small block V8s
That's because most of the 1973s were sold in the fall/winter of 1972 , BEFORE the OPEC oil embargo of 1973 !
"The pylon course gave us no trouble", then murders a pylon. Ha.
The Buick GS was the best looking of the four 1973 GM Colonnade performance models(GTO,Chevelle SS,Olds 442,Buick GS) Probably the most expensive of the four when new so probably the rarest of the four too. If I was buying a new car in 1973 it would be a 340/4 speed Plymouth Duster or Cuda or a 455SD/4 speed Formula Firebird. But the 73 Buick GS Stage 1 is a super cool car that you hardly ever see or hear about. Not as fast as a 70 Stage 1 Buick but pretty cool just the same
I would love to see a Hellcat sent back in time for Bud to review. I can only imagine his adjectives and superlatives!
Or a 2018 SRT Demon
Jeremy Thompson and a red eye
LOL
"Faaaarrrk!!!"
Just one more thing.. I grew up in the 60's and 70's. Heck, I got my driver's Lic in my dad's 1967 Plymouth Fury III. And "No back up camera..". There is a special place in my heart for all cars of this era. Gas was 45 cents a gallon, and front seats big enough to well..lol. This Buick in particular has more charm than some pathetic people mover SUV of today. In the parking lot, it's easy to try and open the wrong car because they "All look the same"... I could watch this all day. Gotta love that 4 bbl sucking air, and spinning the rear tires on a "4 wheel Drift" @4:55 is eye candy..🙂
I liked the line "best engine since breathing clean air became popular".
Gotta love the gratuitous Rockford at the start.
long before "James Rockford" aired
Those are heavy cars, and a 15.3 quarter mile is pretty good in that rig, especially since it had a pegleg rear. You woulda thought that a Limited Slip diff woulda been standard on the GS.
In those days, they still had the limited slip Eaton units listed as an option, for about $70.
great video. its good to see that there is still an interest in this fascinating era when U.S. made were the best performers and lfire breathing beautiful beasts. my true love is the mack truck and all other heavy diesel vehicles including super heavy buses both transit and cross country. I am dropping thia line to thank you for your interest and desire to preserve this most important of eras sir and to say that it is a pleasure to know that professional gentlemen such as yourself still exist. we as a nation are going thru some very tryong times in this new post 911 world and I want to thank you for showing young people that this country was great and was a leader in the automotive industry and that it is still great and will get to that point again..and very soon judging by buicks great lucerne and other products like the chevy impala cruze and volt. thank you for bringing back memories and for the smile! god bless you and your family this holiday season.
EVERY automotive review should begin with a J turn!
Level Three
I agree plus like the profile picture 🤪
Since it’s from the 70s, I’d say that’s a Rockford
@@michaelconverse5127
Someone needs to go back to then, and tell Bud those are called rockfords, get it right.
It's anyone's turn today.
I will follow your lead.
Right about this time Leado.
Ahem.... it’s called a Rockford :)
nobody knows the pleasure of the ride in such cars until he tries it. i got a 74 regal,still in manufactured excellent condition,you can see it in my video,the only thing is that i don't have the ''smog'' thing on it. i changed the spark plugs to splitfire ones, put high performance sparkplug wires, put a bigger opened airfilter put bigger exhaust with opened straight mufflers, now engine is a lot powerful and runs with ease,while keeping the car mainly at it's original specs.
While I've hated the Emission Control devices they were putting on these cars but I've always liked the style of the 1973-77 Colonnade GM cars w/1973-74 being my favorite years
This was my first car, but mine had the Stage 1 mill.
Damn, what a ass-kicking boulevard cruiser. Surprisingly great performance numbers for a 1973 vehicle period. Compression ratios and cam specs had taken a serious hit by 1973 due to emission regulations.
1973 was the beginning of the dark ages.........
1972 was the beginning when, that's when they switched to NET HP rating to get us used to what was coming...
scdevon -Yeah, the beginning of the end ....right thru to the mid 90's.....
Yeah, 1971 was the last really good year for American V8s for a long time. 1971 was the last year of decent stock cams and good compression ratios. Stock compression ratios fell off of a cliff in 1972.
He didn't mention the torque output... possibly the more important spec here.
@@clintonflynn815 380 lb ft Net, that would be around 450 using the older Brake HP rating - still allot of torque with low comp 455s ! Also Remember this car is heavier than the older Skylark GS cars by 300 lbs and the Gear ratio on this standard 455 model was 3.08 - more of a highway gear. Put some gears in the stock 73 and you have a much improved quarter mile.
Some of these '73 G S were equipped with the "Stage 1" 455...Buick's version of the Pontiac "Super Duty 455"; basically, a street legal race engine that was grossly under rated to keep the insurance co's from shitting bricks. It also came with a pretty purposeful handling package too boot. This must have been an extremely difficult time for all 4 of the automotive manufactures of this vintage. It's hard to imagine having the f'ing government tell you how you can build cars.
I see quite a few American car haters on here, WHY? chances are your parents or grandparents drove American cars, maybe if everyone would buy and support American manufacturing this country would be in better shape financially today, I have had several big cars and I liked them for the most part I had a 1976 Buick Century similar to the one in this video it was a good car, it rode well and was dependable I still drive a Buick today a 1995 skylark that is nearly 20 years old and still gets 30mpg
Northern Maine Productions Its because not even American Manufactures support making there products on US soil When they can save money manufacturing over seas and this was the start of the begging of the end of not only American cars but American made products The imports were eating American Goods like there cars with Emission controls low mpg not very reliable American made cars people go to Toyota or Honda for a reliable easy cheap car to fix today American made products lost its image after the 1970s.
Torque baby, torque!
Yes, earth moving Buick torque.power break burnouts till your hearts content, or until the tires exploded.
I think its a good looking car. A friend of mine had a 1973 Buick Century with the 455. back in the early 90s and that car would beat some 5.0 Mustangs. it was a real sleeper
It would have been great to get your hands inside of that that low compression 1973 Buick smog engine 455.
These engines responded so well to a mild street cam swap and a piston swap to get rid of those low compression smog pistons. These old Buicks made insane amounts of torque, too.
Buick engines were very light for their displacement. The 455 Buick V8 was significantly lighter than any of the GM big blocks.
In high school, in the early 90s, I had a 72 Cutlass, my friend had a 72 Chevelle, another had 72 Pontiac Gran Prix (same GM body type as what would become this car) and another had a 72 Bug - just by happenstance and everyone being poor we just happened to all end up with 1972 cars. What I never got as a kid was what happened. The 72 models are great looking cars, all of them, and in 73 - it all went to hell. Except for the Bug, it never changed, apparently a curse from being Hitler's offspring.
I prefer the '74 Grand Am of all the GM fastback intermediates, but to each and their own
@Rod Munch I actually Prefer the 73-74 line up and some 75's. I love the lines on them.
slight roll, minimal dive, accudrive, lol insane. I was scared for that dude just watching, waiting 4 him to roll it. Well done buddy.
@1967 Chevelle LSx - I was going to say...Hell I drive mine like that almost ever weekend! Hahaha!!
Man oh man! I love these beasts. Nothing better than a v8 with a large hood. I had a Grande Marquis and it wasn't too fast but that v8 just makes you feel so good on highway.
I luuuv this car
3:37 WOW that's satisfying!
Land yacht lover ! 👋👍👏
And with one hand on the A pillar!
Gotta love em!
hey need to bring back the reverse 180 to today's new car testing. Then maybe the driving on 2 wheel testing. The finally jump a house test. LOL
boteenracing There's something about these road test that are more fun then todays.
Joie Chitwood, that you?
Jim Rockford would be proud.But it always looked better in those Firebirds
If that's slight body roll I don't want to see big one lol
Actually that level of body control in 73 impressed me!
compared to what speedboats? lol look at 73 mercedes or bmw..
those cars cars leaned into the turns as much as this did and they where smaller and lighter
no not as much although I agree cars tended to have softer suspension in general, they'd perform much better in that slalom though having independent suspension
Having independent, is not truly beneficial in a slalom as you might think! At any rate this was the 70's and that tech had not yet been perfected yet! so their was a huge grey area in regards to IRS vs live AXLE!
my friends dad back in Oct 72, bought a 73 Century Regal with the GS455 and the sport suspension. it was ordered for the Buick dealers Sales manager, but his dad bought it out from under him. It was a hot car and his Mom said it was one of the best handling cars she had ever had. Well at least till she got her STS and then CTS, she's not driving anymore, I think she is 91 now! But in about 4 years, my friend wound up with it after She finished with it, he had it quite a while!
Prior to 1972, American car makers used the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) “gross” measurement of horsepower. Gross meant the figure was taken from an engine running on a test stand, with no air cleaner assembly, accessories or exhaust system connected.
By 1971, car makers began reducing compression in many engines in order to meet upcoming emissions requirements and to use unleaded fuel. General Motors and Chrysler began advertising both gross and SAE net figures in 1971, derived from an engine tested with air cleaner assembly, accessories or exhaust system connected.
The net ratings, which were applied across the board for 1972, were taken from the rear wheel so even though there was a drop in HP due to lower compression in 1972, the drop was exaggerated because of the switch from gross to net HP. The actual HP drop was much less than was stated. Higher insurance premiums played a part in all this too.
+Lancelot Link "... in one ear and out the other" with kids/tools these days.
Net rating was from the flywheel with all accessories attached and not from the rear wheels.
Jeffrey Cruz you the man! Tell it like it is $
Lancelot Link And today when people usually think of Monster hp from the factory they bring up the SRT Hellcat.
sae-net is the measure of both horsepower and torque with ALL the accessories, standard full exhaust, water & oil pumps,alternator,power steering all belted carb filter installed, & measured @ FLYWHEEL. Now, GM, has a measure of sae-net CERTIFIED.
I love it!
It's a damn shame that so few manual models were made.
You have to admit, this car is quite the torque-monster !
Its the best behaviour between musclecars I've seen in several Bud's series. So nice breaking, acceleratting and cornering on this antient tires.
It goes like Jaguer XJS which is much modern
It's a beautiful car and decent runner for the year
For a fully smog-equipped land yacht in 1973, these are very respectable numbers. Now I know which smog-era land yacht to consider buying; this one isn't half bad in acceleration
0-70mph times were very impressive for 1973 standards, it's even better than some of the lower powered muscle cars built in the high compression years.
Not a stage 1, it's a standard 455 with a GS handling package.
270 Net HP!!!! Thats crazy for one of those big lazy V8's from the 70's with all the smog equipment. That kind of power wasn't seen on new cars up until about 10 years ago.
Yeah 270 net horsepower was a good number for 1973. One of the highest ratings on paper that year other than the Pontiac SD455 and the Mopar 440 I believe. I had a 73 Duster 340-4 speed and a 73 LeMans 455 4 barrel-auto. The 340 Duster was way faster though because it was much lighter. I believe the regular Pontiac 455 4 barrel was rated at 250 horses in 73 but the Buick and Olds 455 was rated at 270 horses
300 net horsepower , 1993 Corvette LT1.
The same engine made 275 hp in the Firebird and Camaro due to more restrictive intake ducting and exhaust design .
260 hp in the Impala SS and Buick Roadmaster , because even though those engines carried the "LT1" designation , they had iron cylinder heads while the Corvette and Firebird featured aluminum cylinder heads . (which allowed more ignition timing since they were less prone to detonation )
I know its hard to believe , but 1993 was TWENTY-EIGHT years ago , and only twenty years after this Gran Sport was produced .
It even passed the "Rockford" test!
270 HP was net in '73, add about 60 to that for gross. i'd say gear ratio in that GS was 3.42 maybe a little higher, i doubt it though for a GS. they'd get better than 10 mpg if you drove them easy, average around 13 or so. it's not ugly...just different. with a few minor tweaks and maybe a stage 1 package(or not), those cars were awesome : )
@harddrivin1le that's what i was talking about,there's a lot of waste in these engines, but few tricks and you'll get a rocket. and remember some of those cars in years 1968- 1969 used to get 100m/h (160km/h) in 10 seconds or less, example: buick GSX, oldsmobile 442 HURST, chevelle 455.
I know todays cars handle and brake much better, but im 53 and I grew up with the cars of the 60's and 70's and I miss them - I also miss the days when you didnt have to spend $35,000+ for a car with some balls. I also miss that big car ride our cars used to have. Now most cars feel like a go kart chassis and you feel every damn imperfection in the road. If I ever won the lottery id go buy old muscle cars and luxury cars and relive my youth 10X a the lowest as mileage possible - LOL
These are so funny 😆
Especially with the commentary‼️
true...I own a '76 Cutlass and my kid has a '75 Regal, both coupes. When someone added those "license plate brackets" to the bumpers it really changed the way the front end looked.
Loved the rubbber burning torque👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Still got a special place for the colonnades I think they're awesome looking
THIS IS THE CLOSEST THING WE'VE HAD TO A SUPERCAR SINCE BREATHING CLEAN AIR BECAME POPULAR LOL
BUD YOU WERE THE MAN
@ColbyJMeyer I like to see you stick 6 full sized adults, 4 full suit cases, 2 golf bags, in the Pantera.
Buicks were known for their fantastic ride comfort too. On the highway, they were library quiet inside and had seats that were more comfortable than most living room sofas.
I'll pass on the Pantera.
This car is phenomenal... Great driver, good announcer...
man, check out the body role and sway....i know its a 4000 lb car with 70s technology, but it really makes you appreciate newer cars' better handling. gotta love those old Buicks, though.
My neighbor had a 73 Regal with the 455 4bbl. The thing was a monster.
tire boiling 455 with a open rear? total shame.
the 1973-1977 Buick Century was assembled in
Flint, Michigan, United States
Framingham, Massachusetts, United States
"as close to a supercar as anything we've had since breathing clean air became popular"
Looks like a fun car to drive
Yes nostalgia for us all however lets be honest the cars today, although not as solid, run better in too many ways. I remember as a kid trying to breath walking down the street back when all of these beasts were the only thing on the road and you ended up feeling light headed with all the exhaust. The roads stank of pollution and rolling down your windows meant breathing in what seemed like pure exhaust. Remember those days? I don't miss them...
@ekw A hot coil and ignition will give you a good boost for little money. It will also get a little better mileage.
That handling though!
like a river boat.
My pops has drove nothing but buicks since the 70s. He had a 76 landau with a 6 cylinder. In the 80s the 70s style buicks were considered ugly. We made dad drop us off a block away from the theater. Wish I had that same car now.
This was quite a sleek fastback styled car for it's time and pretty quick too, especially by 1873 standards. The GM intermediates were the betters ones and if ordered correctly could be a lot of fun
Ponchoman -New for 1873! haha....typo...yep you are right! Being a Pontiac Guy I bet a 73 Grand Am would fit that order. Great handling cars and EASY to wake up the stock engines by just finding a set of older heads! Get closer to 350 to 400 HP i these cars and you have a very special MACHINE! I have a 74 Gran Sport and she is around 420 HP (hi compression pistons, big cam / headers / intake)...it is a blast!
My brother and I was considering a 1974 GS with a 455 either the Stage 1 or not. Since we doubted it would still have the original motor in it, or in good shape. All the 74 455's had the improved oiling system and Stage 1 heads are easy to come by. We liked the 73's but wanted the 1-piece seat belt design...crazy huh? Other than that I think the cars are about the same. I heard you can run 10 to 1 comp. on these motors with the right timing curve and still use regular 10% eth. pump gas. I think with a mild port job and descent cam with all the emission stuff in place the motor would go 350 HP, 475 torque. The only down side isn't the drive trains, it's the option specific parts on the cars with little or no after market support for replacements. Plus I don't think they built many of them to begin with, still...we like them. Maybe a Century 2 door coupe with a 350 factory 2 bbl. would be the way to go, then "modify" it.
The fact that they used the term "super car" to describe THIS car surprises me.
love it!
Dream car!
OMG I haven't seen the 180 reversal test in years :)
I loved this body style when I had my '75 Century "Special". It was swoopy and curvy and rusted like anything, but she was a looker for sure.
I'll take this over anything we drive today.
man i want a buick century gs455 and drive it like the guy on the video
@cobraopts7 your right that is a beast a real monster
@WPGinterceptor no my friend i do mean less then 10 secnds,but i was talking about some models,for example you can see on vintage road tests here the olds 442 hurst get to 60m/h in 5.3 seconds. my own buick now gets to 62 miles in less then 6seconds although it's a 350-4 and nt a 455,but i admit i ''released'' the engine so for him to be able to ''work'' freely and easily, just with minor tricks.so those ''mills'' are able to do better.
Been binging on Bud great stuff
@kffive i second your words, mine has a 350-4 with 350 trans. and gives me 20 mpg on highways. but still it costs me less than other cars because all i spend on it is 4 liters of engine oil and filter, i don't remember when i got the tuning coz it's been many years it didn't need any maintenance.
my dad brought a new 1973 Buick 4 door with a 455 from the dealer it was parked out front I understood why when he got it home the A/C broke few days later it ran hot . engine felt like you were driving with the left foot on the break .. total dog . ate water pumps and Transmissions .. needless to say after I saw how the dealer responded I never bought a Buick
I'm building a hot rod based on a 77 Buick Century Custom, with staple console shifter. It will have a Nelson Racing 509 in it and a whole bunch of other toys. I figure a 10 second or lower quarter mile. It should be fun.
Love the car I had a 1975 century special. I wish like to have another like my
My old man had one to, made him drop me off a block away from the theater. A 6 cyl .
Back in the day when it was easy to take out the pollution control garbage and raise the compression.
haha...yeah, cool. they offered the Olds. 455 in the Cutlass model through 1976.
Nice car, definitely one of the faster performing cars of 1973, it's a shame that the Emissions Controls had to take effect by this time period and the quality of these cars started to take a nosedive by then due to the cruddy Emissions Controls crap which hurt the performance of these cars.
MY COUSIN HAD A 74 CENTURY 350 2V AND IF THIS CAR WAS TAN ,THAN I WOULD SWEAR THIS VIDEO IS AN ORDINARY DAY OF HIM COMING HOME FROM THE BAR
as for the hot coil,in some countries it is expensive to change them as you said,so it's cheaper to do those tricks and enjoy the power increase with little cost. in fact in my buick i get to 100km in just 6seconds and the needle keeps going up very fast till 160km which is very good considering it is only 3 speeds automatic carrying its heavy weight (more than 2 tons).finally,new modern engines are powerful and economic,they are very good engines,but man we feel torque in old big blocks.
My 1st car was one of these. Little did I realize that it was involved in a flood, because it had all kinds of eletrical problems, and the vinal roof where it meets the windsheild was all rusted out, and whats weird, the vinal roof only covers half of the roof. Mine was the standard 350, 4bbl carb which ran fine. The whole car at the end was retired / scrapped in 1987.
They should have tested the Stage 1 option!
I wish they would bring the century GS back
Do you have any videos for the 1974 454 corvette or 1971 hemi charger vintage road tests?
WOW! Its amazing what counted as good handling back then! ...and that car has the "sport" suspension!
It may have had low grip limits but it looked like it was very controllable.
yep...that would be one of the first things i'd do too. the 455 Buick motors of that era had one of the few performance Q-Jet carbs. ever built.
Whatever, the 1970s is better! Some of the 1973 Buick Century line can tow 6000 pounds with 455 big block V-8 from Buick and towing package too. Our 2005 Buick Century and 2008 Buick Lacrosse can only tow a measly 1000 pounds. Same too with my 2013 Chevrolet, same old 1000 pound towing and 100 pound tongue weight. I did tow 3 U Haul Trailers from California to Washington State and it did fine, however. Towed 1 850 pound trailer and 2 990 pound trailers too. First trailer, I did drive 50 mph for first 500 miles too. When I reached Gardinerville, Nevada I sped up faster to keep up with traffic, as I already hit 500 miles of towing too. Some dude got impatient one time on US 395 approaching Nevada state line on California side and almost got into a head on collision in front of me. He wanted to go 65 mph or 70 mph and I was only doing 50 mph for break in period too. After break in, I can do whatever speed I want. I did not tow with the Buicks, but they are generally 50 mph for first 500 miles and 55 mph thereafter. New cars need to tow again, like in 1970s!
+Bryan Tint Another thing, I did weigh the second trailer, it was 156 pound tongue weight, so the trailer could be 1500 pound loaded too. 990 pounds empty too. My 2013 Chevrolet towed it very good! It has a Cadillac 3.6L V-6 as well. My other rigs from Buick, have not towed a thing yet. Have a 2005 Buick Century with Chevrolet 3.1L V-6 and a 2008 Buick Lacrosse with Buick 3.8L V-6 as well. All are rated for 1000 pound towing and 100 pound tongue weight.
+Bryan Tint Towing has gone to SUVs which can tow much more than these under powered dogs from the 70s. Thank God the cars from 70s are history.
The 1975 Buick Century with Buick big block 455 V-8 can tow 6000 pounds with 500 pound tongue weight. Maximum for big cars, such as sedans, wagons, and coupes is 7000 pounds for the heaviest of full sized and mid sized cars. 1975 Buick Century with 350 small block V-8 can tow 5000 pounds with 500 pound tongue weight. The 1975 Buick Century can be upgraded to EFI, no problem. It runs on the same unleaded gas anyway. However, no updated Buick V-8s for 21st century. The Buick V-6 made it from 1962 to 2008. With EFI and advanced engineering, the Buick small block and big block V-8s will do better with basically the same catalytic converter. SUVs kind of suck anyway. However, for police rigs, only SUVs rule in towing, as Chevrolet does not allow towing with Chevrolet Impala nor Chevrolet Caprice for 2013 and 2014 or whatnot late model Chevrolet squads. Only Chevrolet Tahoe and Chevrolet Suburban can tow in squads. Civilian Chevrolet is rated for 1000 pounds. GM banned towing for Chevrolet Impala PPV and Chevrolet Caprice PPV. The civilian Chevrolet Impala can tow 1000 pounds with 100 pound tongue weight. I did tow 1500 pounds with 156 pound tongue weight. Towed like 4 different trailers from LA to Seattle. Even passed many solo cars on Lewiston Grade on US 95 with my 2013 Chevrolet. I did install cop tires and cop battery on my 2013 Chevrolet. Plus I added a cop oil filter AC Delco PF 48. Replaced that AC Delco PF 63. The battery is upgraded at AGM technology which is deep cycle/starting battery too. About 880 CCA or so. Or 885 CCA, cannot remember. It's on durable battery. Standard cop battery is just a 720 amp flooded starting battery. Mine is more heavy duty. Made for aftermarket cop use. I did upgrade my front brake pads from ceramic to semi metallic for my heavy duty use. Will upgrade the brakes further such as larger rotors later. Plus upgrade the bracket and caliper too. Will upgrade the rear brakes too. Make it totally cop brakes back there too. It's not larger, but thicker rotors in the rear. The only weak area for towing is the rear suspension, it sags a little. Car is rated for 1000 pound towing with 100 pound tongue weight. I towed about 1500 pounds with 156 pound tongue weight. Does awesome in towing! The 1971 Chevrolet can tow 7000 pounds with 500 pound tongue weight with big block 454 V-8 by Chevrolet. 6000 pounds with wagons. Sedans and coupes are 7000 pounds. The 1977 Chevrolet and 1991 Chevrolet are rated for 5000 pounds with 500 pound tongue weight. 2000 and later Chevrolet is 1000 pounds with 100 pound tongue weight too. Police Chevrolets are not allowed to tow, however. Police Dodge and Police Ford can tow 1000 pounds with 100 pound tongue weight too. Chevrolet dumps towing to Chevrolet Tahoe PPV, and Chevrolet Suburban. Plus Chevrolet Silverado 4X4. Silverado can be had with 6L or 6.2L V-8. You can install a 6.2L V-8 in a 1975 Chevrolet wagon, however. Or a 1975 Chevrolet sedan. The 1977 Chevrolet and 1991 Chevrolet can use 5.3L V-8 or so. They all run on the same unleaded gas. Same catalytic converter. Over the years, they did change the pellet catalytic converter to monolith converter, but it does the same job. Monolith is better, less drag, compared to pellet type. As for 1974 and older, should leave it stock for stock reasons at the pump! 1977 Chevrolet is powered by 350 V-8, which was a dog, but still good. The cop version is not faster, just more durable, which is better. The 1991 Chevrolet is 350 for cop use. 305 for civilian and taxi cop! 305 V-8 for wagons. I'd say 350 for sedan and 305 for wagon. 2000 Chevrolet is 3.4L V-6 for civilian and 3.8L V-6 for cop. A few civilian cars had 3.8L V-6. 3.8L V-6 is Buick. 3.4L V-6 is Chevrolet. 2006 Chevrolet was 3.5L V-6 for civilian. 3.9L V-6 for cop use. Both are Chevrolet V-6s. My model has a Cadillac V-6 which has more power at 302 horsepower and 262 pound feet of torque at 5300 RPM. 302 horsepower is at 6500 RPM or so. The 350 V-8 of 1978 made 270 pound feet of torque at 2800 RPM or 2400 RPM, but I cannot remember. They were lazy V-8s of the 1970s. Which is fine. Even that Ford 3.3L 6 cylinder made 75 horsepower with 145 pound feet of torque. Still better than our 2.6L 4 cylinder by Mitsubishi at 101 horsepower with 143 pound feet of torque. Torque is more important than horsepower, but horsepower helps torque to balance out fuel economy!
Did bully a Dodge Ram today with my 2013 Chevrolet. I used to own a Dodge Ram. It's a good truck, but I treat my 2013 Chevrolet like Dodge Ram of 1996. Same damn thing to me. We had 1975 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, 1978 Chevrolet, 1981 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, 1984 Dodge Caravan, 1991 Ford Taurus, 1996 Dodge Ram, 1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 2005 Buick Century, 2008 Buick LaCrosse, and 2013 Chevrolet. They are all big Detroit tanks, and I treat them all the same. I do bully Dodge Ram today on I-405 in Washington with my 2013 Chevrolet. So funny! He was tailgating another car, and I only wanted to let 2 cars to enter my lane, not the third one, which was that Dodge Ram that was tailgating a small car. I pushed him back! He had to back off! 1970s cars are better, at least those stupid trucks have to pay some respect! I push them back! Don't care! I live in the 1970s! All big Detroit iron is the same! Should be treated as such! Old man's Detroit iron always rule! Dodge Ram owners should know that! I don't like young man's cars, such as economy cars nor sports cars. It's always old man's cars. Many of them are used in public safety, for being big!
@@bryantint1339 you are incorrect , sir .
The civilian version of the 1977 Impala 350 used the LM1 350 , rated at 170 horsepower . The LM1 had 8.2:1 compression , a mild cam , and 1.94" intake valves and 1.50" exhaust valves .
POLICE versions of the Impala , option code 9C1 , used the 205 horsepower L82 350 , borrowed from the Corvette . The L82 had 8.5:1 compression , a "performance" camshaft (nudge nudge , wink wink , stifled giggle !) as well as 2.02" intake valves and 1.60" exhaust valves .
I think it is hilarious how this, at the time, was "excellent" performance.
Of course, the '73 Century Luxus (just a little Buick 350 and column shifted automatic) in my driveway rides so smooth. I don't think a modern Lincoln could beat how smooth it is. And somehow, the power steering is so smooth, it's as good as a Honda's. It's insane.
Since breathing clean air became popular😃
i'm sorry but the 73 grand prix i had would of out done this car hands down but then again the lady that originally owned it special ordered it and it was a beast.
Beautiful i wud love to own one- im sure the 455 models must be pretty rare. Wud make a great sleeper. W a good tune up and dual exhaust it wud b fun
She can do reverse 180's all day....maybe, but driver i think was done after one
Nice car, but, NO STAGE 1. Just a run of the mill 455. My dad had a brand new Riviera GS, & IT had the 455 STAGE 1. Even then it was able to smoke the rear tires in Stereo. @ 1st he didn't like the idea of a hole in the roof, but, he got used to it. Afterwards, every 2/3 years it was ASTROROOF. Only problem was in winter some times it wouldn't open. Only when Dad didn't garage it. Only complain every time, was how the 455 lost power. He had Rivieras new since mid '60s. So, he knew. When better cars are built, Buick built them.
"since breathing clean air became popular". Who wants that?
0-70 in under 11 seconds for a car that heavy was pretty damn impressive. Despite the claims of good handling, that car wallowed around like the boat it was but for the time, it was good. My friend had a ‘74 Grand Prix with the same 455 4 barrel and it was a beast.
That was a great 0-70 time in 1973. Even with that lower axle ratio, I'm pretty sure this car would have pulled the whole 0-70 run in 1st and 2nd gear with the throttle detent all the way pegged in the automatic trans. 70 isn't even top end in 2nd gear on these cars.
@@scdevon Thats about right, my slightly lighter 72 Cutlass with a low compression 350 would shift to 3rd at 82 MPH, with a highway gear of 2.73. The car in this video has the big Turbo 400 trans, and actually doesn't use a kick down cable. It uses only a vacuum controlled module only...The smaller Turbo 350 did have the cable and vacuum module.
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