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To say that we see a lot of nice cars here at the Original Parts Group Inc., headquarters in Seal Beach, California would be a bit of an understatement, as most of our local customers are in the process of restoring classic General Motors vehicles. We get to see many of those vehicles in different stages of completion when they are driven to our HQ to pick up new restoration parts. Obviously, many of those cars are unfinished, but every now and then one will arrive in 100% restored condition. The lime green Buick Gran Sport seen here is one of those totally restored cars.
OPGI Customer Bill Moore of Hawthorne, California is the proud owner of this ultra-clean 1971 Buick Gran Sport. Bill is a retired aircraft mechanic who says that although it took “two years and ten days” to complete the total body-off restoration of his Gran Sport, he really didn’t keep track of the cost of building the Buick because “it would hurt to know” how much it really cost him. Whatever it did cost, we’d have to say it was worth it.
Of course, it was a nice choice of car to begin with, as a 1971 Gran Sport with a Buick 455 V-8 under the hood is a great car to restore. The car also came fitted with Stage I heads and a beefier F41 suspension package as original factory options. When rebuilding the engine, Bill had the 455 bored .060 over to 468 cubic inches and added a larger Quadra-Jet carb along with a pointless distributor. He then backed it with a fresh Turbo Hydramatic 200-4R transmission to give the car an overdrive gear for freeway cruising.
All of the bodywork on the exterior of the Gran Sport was performed by Jeff Beck at Santini Paint & Body. The Lime Mist paint job was also applied at Santini’s shop. Bill also tasked Jeff Beck with restoring the interior and a new headliner, seat covers and door panels were installed at that time. Power door locks and a rear window defogger were also added for a bit of modern convenience. The completed car now looks and drives better than it did the day it rolled out of the factory, and as a member of the Gran Sport Club of America, Bill frequently enjoys driving it in the Southern California sunshine.
1971 Buick Gran Sport
Bill Moore, Hawthorne, California
Buick 455 V-8
Lime Mist paint
THM200-4R automatic transmission
Buick Rallye Chrome Wheels – 15×7
BFGoodrich TA Radial Tires – P255/60/15
