1972 Buick GS Stage 1 Takes On 1969 Plymouth Road Runner: Video
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The muscle cars are back, this time with a 1972 Buick GS Stage 1 going head to head with a 1969 Plymouth Road Runner.
Recently posted to the Cars And Zebras YouTube channel, this video hits all the classic Cars And Zebra high notes – toilet humor, a mountain of specs and stats, and oh yeah, some drag racing action as well.
Let’s start by checking out the 1972 Buick GS Stage 1, which is showing up with a 455 cubic-inch V8 under the hood. When it was first produced, this thing was rated at 270 horsepower at 4,400 rpm and 390 pound-feet of torque at 3,000 rpm, all of which is routed to the rear wheels through a Turbo 400 three-speed automatic transmission. Curb weight is coming in at 3,743 pounds, while the burnt orange paint and white top make this thing look very tasty indeed.
Moving over to the other lane, we have a 1969 Plymouth Road Runner, which gets a 440-cubic-inch V8 topped with three Holley two-barrel carburetors dumping in the fuel. Properly unleashed, this ‘eight was rated at 390 horsepower at 4,700 rpm and a ground-pounding 490 pound-feet of torque at 3,600 rpm. This particular example is running a four-speed manual transmission, with 4.10 gearing in back to put it to the pavement. Curb weight tips the scales at 3,450 pounds.
Based on the numbers, the Buick GS looks like it might be outgunned. Of course, neither of these machines is totally and completely stock. Rather, despite the “Factory Stock” class name, the rules do allow for a few modifications to be made, which means both rides have a shot at taking home the win.
To that point, the end of the video includes three individual races to determine who has the quicker ride. Skip ahead to the 5:42 mark if you want to get straight to the action.
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Love that video..
Happy 4th of July
Why when you are doing drag races are you using 72 Buicks only!? Try a 69 stage 1 or a 70 stage 1 car against these Mopars and see how bad it is for the Mopars! Using low compression 72 Buicks against high compression 69 stuff
What low-compression Buick does 12?
Clearly you need to read the rules.
If you think that 455 is still low comp then you are a very ignorant individual
@Tim, exactly.
Great video I love the stage ones I also like the a12s I’m a GM fan and a Mopar fan I own both I own a 69 Pontiac and a 68 barracuda both convertibles but I kind of lean towards the Pontiac so I’m kind of glad the GM one
Whats the deal with all these asinine commercials?
When commenting about hp, it pays to point out what’s gross and what’s net.
It must be amateur hour at GMA.
Go to bed boomer.
Sorry, much younger, but with more sense than a Millennial.
426 hemi roadrunner would have smoked the buick
Didn’t Roy Badie get smoked by a Buick in a similar GTX?
Everyone knows the 440 was the racers choice back in the day the 426 breed better at high RPM and was used in NASCAR
The 426 was available for those who had the money, it came in 68 and 69 roadrunner. It was 500 horses and was fastest production car made, it was in the 69 challenger with dual 4 barrels and Dana rear end and smoked everything at that time
The Challenger was a pig and even with the Hemi wasn’t anything to be feared. Original testing showed the 1970 Buick GS Stage 1 was quicker than any hemi, and even the 1970 LS6 Chevelle could take down most of them. And FYI, they didn’t make a 1969 Dodge Challenger.
If the Hemi put out 500 horses, it would have been a solid 12-second car.
So you also might be disheartened to learn the Hemi was rated at 350 net horses. Even Homey knows that don’t play 500 horses.
DON’T let this distract you from the fact that
Gomez Addams is an athletic, acrobatic, and eccentric multi-billionaire. Though an extremely successful businessman, having acquired much of his wealth through inheritance and investments, he has little regard for money and will casually spend thousands of dollars on any whimsical endeavor. Like the time he bought a slow knock off Chevelle called a “Buick GS”. A turd with minimal horsepower and style.
MOPAR or NO CAR.
A Knock off chevelle?? You mopar guys can’t stand the thought of your over hyped Heeemi’s getting their asses handed to them……… I wonder if the Buick had is Air conditioning on?
Buick’s, Fast with Class!!
Says the guy that gets it handed to him from a Mopar. That 69 Roadrunner screams iconic muscle and old school power. Great lines and cool. A beast in it’s day. Today Dodge is still winning in power. The Charger 4 door Grocery getter at 700 plus hp.
That Buick GS is like a bad haircut. Weird lines and not much style. Definitely the ugly sister to the Chevelle.
Apparently you haven’t seen a 1970 Coronet before.
Mopar is at the top of the food chain now, test drive a Demon or hell cat, Buick makes nothing with power today there are SRT 300’s for fast luxury, cobras, Challengers in 35 flavors
You mean the Mercedes cloaked in Challenger duds sold by an Italian company?
Maybe so, but Buicks are still being made. What’s a Plymouth? Is that something like a Rambler?
The 69 road runner screams iconic muscle so much it got STOMPED by a bad haircut!!
Mopar cars of the 60’s- 70’s are nothing but a tin can.
I think I’ll go take the cover off of my 70 GS and go get a haircut!!
Possibly the Mopar driver sucked at Drag Racing. Was it bone stock Roadrunner vs a hopped up motor on nitrous? Was it Apples to Apples on motor? Doubt it.
No comparison in looks. The Roadrunner is far better looking.
If you knew something, you’d know the race was apples to apples, though we don’t know if this was a practice run of two cars or they were matched by class.
These races, whether FAST or Pure Stock, are everywhere online, and it doesn’t take much to understand how they are run.
Why is it when a mopar gets beat it’s either a poor driver or the car they race is cheating? The Mopar camp can’t admit there are some fast cars that don’t have Dodge or Plymouth on them.
I’ve owned my GS for almost 40 years and I’ve raced it quite a bit and I’ve Always held my own, are their faster cars than mine? Yes there are but for a pretty much bone stock GS its always done well.
As far as looks……. well beauty is in the eye of the beholder…. I’ll take my GS any and every time!!!
Granted the 1972 Buick GS has better lines than the 1969 Buick GS. The 69 had that strange body line on the sides. Over all a similar car to the 70-72 Chevelle.
In terms of production the Buick GS less were made.
In terms of rarity value. Plymouth Cuda, Superbird, Hemi Roadrunner,Daytona. 6 figure plus cars.
It seems Mopar has alot of fans, willing to pay big bucks for power and beauty.
Market value has no bearing on anything.
And please show me a 6-figure ‘Cuda 383.
Unless you’re talking about the basketcases on eBay that never sell because even a restored one is 10s of 1000s away from 6 figures. LMAO
Have you watch Graveyard Cars? You will see 100k Cuda Concours restorations well over 100k.
Check out Barret Jackson auctions. A hemi Cuda non restored in the 7 figures. I have yet to see a split video vette sell for 7 figures. The most iconic classic vehicle in the GM lineup.
How did an anemic 290 horsepower Buick GS, out run a 390 plus horsepower “Rated low for insurance purposes” Roadrunner?
Classic Mopars command more $ than most GM products. Even the odd looking Cornet has become a big dollar car with a 383.
To each their own.
So you’re not going to show me a 6-figure 383 ‘Cuda?
Kevin Hart’s car doesn’t count, in case you want to move the goalposts like you have.
BTW, have you ever heard of an L88 Corvette?
To each their [sic] own my ass. You don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.
Your an idiot. Do some research. 383 Cuda. Possibly not. Hemi Cuda orginal miles and non restored. Over a million dollars at Barret Jackson. What L88 Corvette recently sold for over 1 million?
Kevin Hart’s totalled Cuda was a hellcat motor restomod. Not a real orginally classic. What the topic is about. Two stock classic cars racing. Buick GS and Roadrunner. Bipolar much? Typically GM guy in his feelings and “Manties” in a bunch.
Don’t get mad at me. You’re the one who said, “In terms of rarity value. Plymouth Cuda, Superbird, Hemi Roadrunner,Daytona. 6 figure plus cars” when even you seem to know it’s not true.
So is it fair to say that you don’t have a point and I can yawn and move on?
The Dodge Challenger is currently the segment leader, selling 15,052 units and garnering a massive 46 percent of the market. The kicker here is that the Ford Mustang is actually not far behind, selling 14,676 units with 45 percent of the market share. Some quick math will reveal just how dire of a position the Camaro is in. At 2,792 units sold in Q2, it represents just nine percent of muscle car sales.
MOPAR OR NO CAR! LOL.
You are so wrong on sales … a Challenger has never outsold a Mustang. Not on this planet, anyway…!