Having a car restored can be hard enough, so imagine doing it twice. That’s what Mike Smith has experienced in the 38 years he’s owned his 1970 Buick Gran Sport Stage 1. “I always liked fast cars,” remembers Mike. “I couldn’t afford an E-type or Aston, but after a friend suggested trying an American car, just as fast but lots cheaper, I never looked back.
“First, there was the 1969 Pontiac Grand Prix with a 428cu in V8 that I owned for five years. A 1969 Barracuda convertible followed, then later a ’68 Chevy pick-up. But I really wanted a genuine muscle car. I’d read in a magazine about a couple of guys who owned 1970 Stage 1 Buicks and who’d drive to their local dragstrip, pull the slicks out of the trunk, thrash all-comers then drive home. The feature stuck in my head and a Stage 1 became my dream car; even better, a convertible model. Learning Buick only made 232 GS Stage 1 convertibles in
