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Muscle car

1970 Buick GS 455

Muscle car powered by 455-cubic-inch Buick V8, four-barrel.

1970 Buick GS 455 hardtop in a stock-appearing configuration; visible trim does not establish individual-car originality
Build pathway Factory Buick GS 455 series
Body styles 2-door hardtop coupe and convertible
Engine 455 ci 4-barrel Buick V8
Production, non-Stage-1 GS 455 5,589 hardtops and 1,184 convertibles reported in production table

Story

1970 Buick GS 455

The 1970 Buick GS 455 was the factory big-engine Gran Sport, identified in Buick records as the GS 455 series rather than a dealer or tuner conversion. Source records separate the GS line from the GS 455: Team Buick's model-year table lists GS 455 sport-coupe and convertible production under series 46, while the VIN reference maps series code 46 to GS 455 and body codes 37 and 67 to the two-door hardtop and convertible bodies.

The base GS 455 powertrain was Buick's 455-cubic-inch four-barrel V-8. Hemmings' buyer guide reports the regular 455 at 350 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque, with Stage 1 treated as a separate option rather than assumed for every GS 455. The order form shows a standard manual-transmission pathway plus optional Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 and four-speed manual choices, so this page covers the verified transmission choices instead of choosing one unsourced example configuration.

Chassis evidence is similarly option-sensitive. The buyer guide and Buick order/code records support standard hydraulic drum brakes, optional power assist and front discs, optional limited slip, performance axle choices, and the F41 Rallye Ride Control/heavy-duty suspension package. Production is safest at body and engine/transmission dimensions: the production table reports 5,589 non-Stage-1 GS 455 hardtops and 1,184 non-Stage-1 GS 455 convertibles, with manual and automatic sub-breakdowns.

Appearance and interior coverage is conservative. Buick paint-code records provide the regular 1970 passenger-car colors, while GSX-only Saturn Yellow is not treated as a regular GS 455 color. Interior claims are limited to source-backed seating, console, instrumentation, steering, and trim options; unresolved factory trim-code detail remains a coverage gap for follow-up in dealer data books or original trim charts.

1970 Buick GS 455 hardtop exterior at a car showSicnag / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Price history

Values

Nominal dollars from original price sheets, auction archives, and approved value references.

Original Price

A verified original price is not yet available for this car.

Market Observations

  • Price guide value $33,400

    Jul 28, 2026 · Hagerty Valuation Tools · Current guide point

    July 2026 #3 good-condition benchmark for the exact regular 1970 Buick GS 455 convertible with the base 455cid/350hp V8. · unknown · good Hagerty showed $33,400 for the exact non-Stage 1 GS 455 convertible configuration in July 2026. This is a configuration guide, not an individual-car authentication, and it must not be presented as a Stage 1 or GSX value.
  • Auction sale $41,055

    Jun 25, 2026 · Bring a Trailer

    Regular non-Stage 1 GS 455 Sport Coupe 446370H210814 with an automatic transmission, repaint, aftermarket cylinder heads, intake, carburetor, ignition, exhaust, and rear axle, plus documented rust. · modified · fair Hagerty's vehicle-specific past-sale row records the $41,055 completed Bring a Trailer sale. The Bring a Trailer archive supplies the chassis identity and modification, equipment, repaint, and rust context. The sale should not be compared as an original-drivetrain or concours example.
  • Auction sale $66,000

    Jan 18, 2025 · Mecum Auctions

    Regular non-Stage 1 GS 455 convertible 446670H346033 with the base 455/350 V8, Turbo Hydra-Matic automatic, restoration, hood tachometer, power steering and power brakes. · modified · excellent Mecum records the $66,000 completed sale. The restored condition, convertible body, automatic transmission, dual exhaust, changed 15-inch five-spoke wheels, equipment, and consignor-supplied description materially affect comparison; this is not a Stage 1 or GSX observation.

Values move with paperwork, originality, options, condition, venue, and body style. High bids and guide values are labeled separately from completed sales.

Reference records

Options, Colors & Components

Source-backed details for trim, chassis, production, and authenticity.

Transmission

  • Factory transmission Heavy-duty floor-shifted 3-speed manual
  • Factory transmission M40 Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 automatic
  • Factory transmission M20 4-speed manual, wide ratio
  • Factory transmission M21 4-speed manual, close ratio

Options

Base 1970 Buick 455 four-barrel V8 specificationClassic Muscle · Reference illustration

Paint

1970 Buick GS 455 hardtop in yellow with black hood treatment; finish, wheels, cabin, and photographed-car equipment remain contextual.Sicnag via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Chassis

Production

GS 455 three-speed, four-speed, and Turbo Hydra-Matic choicesClassic Muscle · Reference illustration

Authenticity

Buick 10-bolt, Positive Traction, and performance-axle coverageClassic Muscle · Reference illustration
  • VIN series code 46 for GS 455 · VIN second and third digits · fraud detection
  • VIN body code 37 for 2-door hardtop coupe or 67 for convertible · VIN fourth and fifth digits · trim correctness
  • VIN model year 0 for 1970 · VIN sixth digit · date correctness
  • Stage 1 not assumed Stage 1 requires supporting option/engine evidence, not merely GS 455 identity · Order paperwork, engine/transmission evidence, and option documentation · fraud detection
  • Engine serial number stamp location and VIN relationship Engine serial number is stamped on the 455 CID V8 between the two front spark plugs and the exhaust manifold; the source states the engine serial number matches the VIN. · Engine block area between the two front spark plugs and the exhaust manifold on the 455 CID V8 · numbers matching
  • Engine production code stamp location and GS 455 code family The 455 CID V8 production code is stamped between the two rear spark plugs and the left exhaust manifold; the 1970 GS 455 listing shows SR and SS 455 engine codes. · Engine block area between the two rear spark plugs and the left exhaust manifold on the 455 CID V8 · trim correctness

Still Researching

  • rear axle AMA power-team data resolves base GS 455 standard and performance axle ratios by manual versus automatic transmission, but the remaining sources still do not establish a complete limited-slip/order-dependency matrix for every ratio and order combination.
  • interior General seating and option records are sourced, but trim-code-by-color tables for GS 455 hardtop versus convertible were not fully normalized.
  • authenticity markers VIN markers and 455 engine serial/production-code stamp locations are documented; carburetor number, distributor, axle stamps, and detailed component date-code rules still need factory parts/service pages before exact values can be public claims.

Codes & names

Names & Engine Codes

Common names and codes are grouped so LS6 references point to the same engine, not separate pages.

Standard drum and optional power front disc brake coverageClassic Muscle · Reference illustration
1970 Buick 455 four-barrel V8 455-cubic-inch Buick V8, four-barrel
1970 Buick GS 455 base engine 455-cubic-inch Buick V8, four-barrel
1970 GS 455 4V 455-cubic-inch Buick V8, four-barrel

Photo and video gallery

Gallery

5 photos and videos

Sources & Documentation

Reader contributions

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