BUICK
STAGE II RACERS TO BE FEATURED AT MCACN
Rare Factory Authorized Drag Cars to be Shown Together
When it comes to Muscle Cars,
the word rare is thrown around like a beach ball on a hot summer day. The only
one built with a left remote mirror, a 4-speed and the hood scoop package, or
any other number of variations may indeed make a car one-off, but it is the real
factory rarities that are truly coveted among enthusiasts and collectors.
In the Buick world, the Stage 1
package cars are instantly recognized as the hot ticket for Muscle Car fans, but
many are not aware of the ultimate factory authorized package, known as the
Stage 2. This is not surprising as only two cars were assembled in 1970 before
the federally mandated emissions standards required a drop in compression,
relegating the package as an over the counter deal only, for the few dealers who
were savvy enough to recognize the performance potential.
Back in 1970, Denny Manner, a
performance minded Buick engineer, created the original proposal for the Stage 2
package. With a long list of upgrades including special heads, a 7,000 rpm
camshaft and valvetrain, 11.0:1 compression ratio utilizing special TRW pistons,
deep groove pulleys, a 4.30 posi-traction rear end and more, he knew he could
create a record breaker that would certainly put Buick on the map at tracks
nationwide. Using racers Pop Kennedy and Jim Bell, (think Kenne-Bell), he was
able to gather real data by testing these parts on the track.
Seeing the writing on the wall,
Manner and his team knew that this program would quickly be relegated strictly
to the parts counter. After working directly on just two cars, the exclusive
heads, along with the other unique parts, were soon available only through a few
dealers who were in the know. (It is said that only about 75 sets of the special
heads were produced). Thus, these two cars would be the only ones to have direct
factory involvement.
The first car, a Fire Red
4-speed, has quite an interesting past. Starting out as a Buick factory fleet
magazine test car, it was mercilessly hammered by various writers back in the
day. Once retired from its magazine duties, it became one of two test-bed cars
for the Buick engineers for Stage 2 parts development. Once the plug was pulled
on the program, the car went to auction with a mere 166 miles on the odometer
where it sold for a reported $2,500 to the Jones-Benisek race team. From there,
they successfully campaigned the car in NHRA and AHRA Stock Eliminator
throughout the 70’s. After a long hibernation, it was then purchased by Tom Rix,
who enjoyed racking up additional race victories.
Recently, the car has become a
part of the collection of Mike Guarise. Returned to its 1970 Stage 2 trim and
livery, it still has the one-off steel hood scoop and other unique pieces that
make it a true piece of Buick history.
The other car, considered the
second factory authorized test mule, is the Apollo White Reynolds Buick Stage 2
car. Raced by the Kenne-Bell race team, it currently lives on in its as raced
Stage 2 trim with less than 2,000 miles on the odometer.
Several years ago, Buick
collector-racer Guy Parquette was looking for a nice GSX when he found an ad for
this particular Stage 2 car. After researching the amazing history, he purchased
the car and embarked on an extensive 3-year restoration to bring it back to its’
original glory. Today the car is a step back in time that clearly shows the
strong commitment Buick had to making a real impact on tracks from coast to
coast. This car serves as a reminder that Buick was not always catering to
golfers and that they indeed produced cars that would “Light Your Fire.”
The Muscle Car & Corvette
Nationals is proud to announce that both of the incredible Buick Stage 2
G.S.s’ along with a special display of rare Stage 2 parts will be featured at
our 2010 show, which will take place November 20-21, 2010.
The Muscle Car & Corvette
Nationals is the world’s largest all indoor specialty show devoted to Muscle
Cars, Dealer-built Supercars and Corvettes. With over 500 cars and 200 vendor
spots filled to capacity in the inaugural 2009 show, the Muscle Car & Corvette
Nationals quickly established itself as a premier automotive event for those who
truly appreciate the country’s finest and rarest high performance automobiles.
For more information, see www.mcacn.com or contact Bob Ashton, Managing Member; bashton426@gmail,com or call (586) 549-5291.