I had a new red 1972 Buick Centurion convertible. It was simply beautiful and one of the best looking Buicks of all time. It had good workmanship and I did not experience any problem. What a great car! My 1966 Wildcat was very similar.
My dad had 72 Electra. Back then they had a ride and handling suspension option with heavier springs, shocks, and sway bars. It cost about 20 dollars extra and made all the difference in the world in how the car handled.
I had a 72 Electra. To help with the big marshmallow ride I found that wearing the lap and shoulder belts really kept me in place and enhanced the ride and drive and as a teenager I knew that the added safety aspect was a plus. Fast forward to 1978 and a drunk driver in a Cadillac crossed the center line and hit me head on .because of the size of the car and the fact that I was wearing both the lap and shoulder belts in the crash, I walked away with only bruises from the belts which was far better than the unbelted other driver who had massive head and chest injuries from the steering wheel.
They called it Centurion for a good reason, it is built like a tank. What a shame we don't have nice big comfortable cars like this any more. Thanks for bringing back good memories.
They are TOO BIG for the smaller parking lot measurements these days, I too remember when they accomodated the big cars. Now it's tough to park a Nissan Maxima, unless you live in a smaller city where they still have the old lots!
The tires on some of those high speed turns were reminiscent of an ice figure skater with weak ankles. But this was a beautifully styled car, gave a whipped cream highway ride in near total silence. It also had the best air conditioning system in the industry. Even Rolls Royce used GM's Frigidaire air conditioning back then.
GM's A/C was the best. My buddy had a 65 Chevelle with the factory air conditioning that was never cracked open. Never lost freon and would freeze you even in the summer.
The magnetic clutch in GM's A/C compressors back in those days didn't cycle on and off as most cars do; the system used a bypass valve which cycled on and off instead.
I really liked the front end design's of the 1972 full sized Buick's, they looked really smooth and clean, I consider 1972 to be the last good year of the classic automobiles before they've really started to decline with the Emission Control devices, smog pumps and pollution controls.
Brings back memories. These types of rides were my teenage rides. I had one of these, a 72 Electra 2 door, a 72 Impala 2 door, and a 74 Cutlass... Drifting these big boats was a blast and I didn't have a closed course LOL
Very well built and could go like a bat out of HELL considering the weight. Remember these types of cars well in the mid 80's as high school cruisers, usually hand me downs from dad or grandpa.
@redbuick I owned a base-trim level '73 LeSabre from '93 to about '98 that had the optional 455 and 2.75 axle instead of the 3.08 that came with the 350. It ran effortlessly but in the summer when I'd stop after being on the highway, the water would surge out of the overflow jug--it may have had a bad radiator cap I'm think after all these years.
@citrusparkguy Those are the beautiful Buick road wheels which the division began using with very slight alterations to the hub design each year since 1963.
I currently own a 1972 Buick Electra Limited 2dr. that I am selling, Buick;s are great cars. I loved all of the GM cars of that area, styling, personality, performance, distinction, etc ; I owned a 72 2dr. Centurion, that some creep stole off the street while parking, and it needed restoring.
I like how you could still get a good amount of power and performance on most of the vehicles built during the 1971-72 period despite the lower compression engine's many cars were dealing with during these two years.
All Flint MI built to in buick city! Its depressing now to see what is left of buick city this was from the hey day i owned a 75 Electra for a while it was a wonderful car with the Buick 455 like floating down the road.
I loved the atmosphere of this video, I was cracking up when he said the stability was good but that Buick had the body roll of an escalade with 60's Cadillac suspension 😂
although i love my lesabre t-type coupe,and super charged regal gs sedan, i would have loved to drive a big burly 455 powered brute like that. to see these cars perform that good back then makes me wish i could go back in time.
Yep those cars looked alot better then cars that are being produced now I have a 72 pontiac catalina coupe similar to the style of this centurion but a they're both different in style at the same time I got mine from my uncles junkyard last year and last on the road in 97' and was insured and plated on the road in 2019. I can definitely tell you i won't be getting rid of mine I like it.
I consider 1972 to be the last of the good years for the automobiles before the quality and the powertrains really started to decline, I've always liked the 1971-72 Buick Centurion's (didn't like the front ends of the 1973's at all)
204 ft from 60 to zero doesn't seem very impressive by today's standards. But you have to remember that you're stopping a car that weighs over 4,000lbs.
+Jason Carpp Heavy with 4500 pounds true. Plus the tires and wheels are smaller too. Buick Enclave is heavier at 5000 pounds, but their big tires and big wheels help with handling, however. Buick Enclave handles better than 1972 Buick too. I do like the big V-8, however. V-6 is fine, but V-8 is better.
Not only over 4000lbs in a huge car - and with smaller tires, but the compounds of tires then are totally different than now and would make a giant difference. You could literally replace nothing but the tires and easily knock 40ft off that stopping distance, and probably had a .5 second to the 0-60, if not more. The leap in tire technology has been one of the biggest automobile technology leaps we've had and it's one most people don't give a second thought to.
Had a almost new '72 Electra-a little bigger than the Centurion. What a cushy ride-unfortunately the Oil Crisis had hit, and I got a good deal on it, took several trips to Florida from Ohio, and never had a problem. But it was HUGE!
In 1999 I had the opportunity to buy a 1973 225 Limited, 4 door, with all options. It needed a new top and hood, but everything else was great, even plastic still on the seats. I wanted that car (back when gas was .85 cents/gallon) but had no place to store it. Oh well...
That was the secret of any chance of having a little performance in the 70's! You had to have each division's big block (440, 455, 460) which by then barely made 200 HP, but the huge displacement gave a semblance of the old performance. A good combo in '76 would have been a 460 in a 4,200 lb. Torino, but that was the last year in the Torinos. They lasted two more years in the big Fords, Mercs and Lincolns.
Holy body roll. Overall, it does well. A 16x8" wheel of the same style, with a modern radial tire would tighten it up a bit. New suspension bushings. These cars behave fairly well.
That's all we knew, I was 16 in 1976 driving my Mother's 72 four door Torino that was the same size, I used to be able to throw that thing around pretty good.
I had the Really big brother of this car, a 72 4 door lesaber. when I pulled the motor and trans out of the Lesaber, It still tipped the scales at 5700 lbs when I sent it to the crusher. I still have the 455 in a Nova and that motor (Even with the 8-1 compression) is still a stump puller. may have only had 250 HP but it turned a whopping 480 lbft of toqure.
Buick made some nice cars. My neighbor, an elementary school principle had a 72 LeSabre in the same exact color combo and top. The LeSabre came standard with the 350 C.I. 4 barrel powerplant. I washed and cleaned the inside for a few bucks a couple times. He finally bought a new Buick in 1980 a Grey 2 door Regal.
They're simulating how real drivers drive - their 0-60 is just nailing the pedal, their 60-0 is just nailing the other pedal. These are called actual driving conditions, not putting a race car driver in a car just to get the best stats you can. Also, having driven these types of cars growing up since they were very cheap by the early 90s, panic stopping in these is nothing like what you're use to. The tires back then were complete garbage and the car would skip all over, plus the brakes generally locked up really quickly - and letting off pressure didn't mean the brakes would always let go - they always had the power brake assist way too high and there was seemingly a delay in doing everything when doing anything that was in a panic.
Even on my 1995 Cadillac Brougham, the power steering would cut out on fast turns of the wheel. On sharp right turns, the fuel would cut out too. Otherwise, it was an awesome car!
The 60's was the golden age of engineering--the best engines, transmissions, AC's and other systems were developed to near perfection. Then from '70 on, after the government came on board in '66, it was all undone under the pressure of safety and emission controls and other regs. The bean counters took over and all the great performance built up from 1949 to 1970 was lost. In '76, there wasn't one production American car that could get to 60 in under 10 seconds!
They handled extremely well for their era. Additionally, it was very easy to make them handle quite well, considering the weight, and the ridiculously small tires that would be considered inadequate on a small economy car today. Drive a typical Japanese sedan of the '70's and you will discover the meaning of the word "push". At least that Buick has an excuse, its the size of a frigate.
I'm sure glad I don't think like you! I drive these big Buick's all the time for the last 20 years, having three of them, and parts are cheap and easy to find, they are easy to work on, they don't really need much fixing though.
my grandma had one ,when i was a kid she hit with the fender a new 1981 toyota celica at aprox 30 mph,behind the celica was an oldsmobile cutlas supreme ,the ones with the plastic bumpers,the celica was totalled and the olds needed a tow,the buick had a 6 inches deep dent on the fender clearly we drive home
My friend had a 1972 Gran Prix with a 455, which is basically this same car - meanwhile I had a 72 Cutlass with a 350 rocket it. We raced once, and only once, and the results were I killed him off the line - and up until about 60 mph, then that big heavy piece of garbage got momentum going and with that 455 kicking in it blew past me and just keep going and going. That car was big and heavy and slow right off the line, but once it starts moving it takes off like a rocket and pulls you back into the seat.
Handled pretty good for a car of its size that was tuned for a soft cushy ride. The stopwatch timing was flawed, 0-50 in 5.2 second, sounds reasonable for the 455 and 4500lbs but it couldn't have taken another 4 seconds to reach 60? s
I agree. G.M. have cars now that rival the imports in reliability, safety, and design. G.M. now builds quality vehicles and competes globally with some of the best cars the world has to offer. It comes at a price though. HIGH unemployment. Personally, I was happy when the "Big Three" were competing amongst themselves and had their obsolescence rates gears for MAXIMUM employment. Sure, we had to replace parts more often but, that kept the people of this country employed.
Im in the UK and I can truly say, that for this country at least, the end of the 1970's was the end of the cars with any character about them. The 70's gave the UK, the Ford Zephyr, the Ford Zodiac, The Ford Granada, the Vauxhall (GM) Victor and Viscount. Yes these cars may not have been assembled with the same care as a Merc or an Audi, but the big engines, wide stance and overall appearance just makes them great. I would take understeer over a 1980's eurobox any day of the week
C'mon folks. These are older cars. They handled the exact way anything at 4500lbs would have handled back then. These cars are awesome. Don't underestimate straight line muscle.
it weighs 4050 not 4500. says that in the video and i own a 72 small block one its about 3900 lbs so the with the big block thats dead on. less than a new camaro.
Cars and even trucks made before 1973 or 1974 are far better rigs for sure. Love that big block Buick V-8 at 455 CID too, or 7.5L too. Bigger engines rule! I love 4 barrel carburetors too. No need for computer junk too. It runs on both unleaded and leaded fuel for sure. Heavy at 4500 pounds too! The big GMs with big block V-8s can tow 7000 pounds for sedans and coupes too. Wagons were rated at 6000 pounds for towing too!
+Bryan Tint They were better looking, and much stronger than the junk we started getting by the middle 70's. But don't knock fuel injection and computerized engine controls. Back then, when the temps went below zero, carburetor-equipped cars didn't start reliably. Every car had a routine to learn, i.e. Pump the gas twice then hold it halfway down or some little ritual. You had to learn what to do if you flooded the engine, and sometimes moisture would freeze the fuel float causing the engine to get massively flooded. If it did start, it might stall out several times before you could keep it running, even if it was a newer model. We used to refer to a car that was finicky in frigid temps as being 'cold blooded'. Now there is no such thing. Even fifteen below zero you turn the key and the thing starts and runs perfectly. Carburetors were antique devices that couldn't begin to compare to what we have today. I can remember my dad buying a brand new 1973 Ford van and it had a manual choke knob on it! Automatic chokes were trouble prone and complicated little devils.
+DYNO DON I remember a morning in about 1975 when it was 15 below zero and the gas station where i hung out (as an 18 year old) got inundated with calls from customers needing jump starts. My Ford van was running and warmed up and I went out giving jumps for $5 apiece and made $70 before lunchtime - darned good money then, equal to about $300 today. All from customers of the gas station whose cars killed the battery in the process of trying to get started. And I was only handling the overflow, the regular tow truck driver was getting first crack at all the business he could handle. Fuel injection and electronic engine controls are among the good things to come out of all the emissions laws... now you can get a Dodge Charger that's quicker and faster than any of the real musclecars - and gets 3x the fuel mileage and clean exhaust to boot.
lol this boat has the same 30 and 60 mph times as the 68 455 h/o 442 lol detuned my arse! this thing screams for its size! my buddies mom had a Riviera similar to this and it just fried tires with that 455 beast under the hood. ☆☆
Those were the cars that were made for people who didn't need any driving assistance and knew how to drive. You can always buy and build up a high performance crate 455 engine from TA Performance, install better brakes and better shocks. And then you haave a car that is not only comfy but which has lot of horsepower, torque but which is comfortable to drive.
This was a different time where the engineering compared to today's was rather simpler, its no wonder these cars wallowed, pitched and understeered like mad at corners, they weighed rather alot and had treacle for suspension. They may be crude and inefficient by today's standard, but then again do you love something for its efficiency? My laptop is a pretty efficient and useful device but i don't love it. I mean just look at it, it is a piece of art, very characterful. Ideal for its environment.
hehe, the slalom in slo-mo. great vid, fantastic american car. love the centurion, more than say the pontiac GTO. The decals in itself are museum pieces LOL
I also wish they can make cars as big and powerful like they used to back in the 1960s and early 1970s, I would love to own a 1971-72 Buick Centurion with a 455, I wish they didn't make the 350 standard for the 1973 Centurion
They Caddi STS/SLS was big powerful and EFFICIENT. Car capable of 145mph and could return 32mpg at 75mph if you kept your foot out of it most of the time. Sure miss the Northstar V8 powered cars, although Buick never got the N*V8... would have been interesting if they did.
bought one of these when I was 16yrs old,,,back in 1982,,,for about $400,,,,yes,,,the good old days?? when a 16yr old started with a 455 engine in his first car
In 1978 at 16 I had my grandfather's 72 Electra. It was a blast to drive and it would move. Luckily I was that rare teenager that wore a seat belt back then, both the lap and shoulder belts.
The car was balanced. I once drove mine on the open interstate in the ruts of about 4 inches of black ice and packed snow at 70 MPH for about a mile. It ran straight as an arrow. I called it my destroyer, as in 'pretty big and fast ship.' Was I what? As a matter of fact, yes, I was kind of stupid. 🥴 Why do you ask?
1:47 "Detuned". That word pretty much sums up the whole year 1972 as the EPA really started getting under the hood of your American V8 car before the real dark ages of Detroit began and lasted from roughly 1974 to 1990. Still not bad performance numbers from this old Buick sled, though.
By 1974, the last year before catalytic converters, new cars barely ran, especially in California (and that's no exaggeration). They did get a little better in 75 with the converter (at least they would start and move without being warmed up 5 minutes) but they had little power and poor efficiency.
He had to have meant 70mph since all the other tests are from 70mph and normally end up around 200ft - even the sister models of this car are in that same range.
The 1970s was the final decade of these Giant American Land Yachts so I guess they saw the writing on the wall with the looming Fuel Crisis and Government Regulations In the years Following.
I had a new red 1972 Buick Centurion convertible. It was simply beautiful and one of the best looking Buicks of all time. It had good workmanship and I did not experience any problem. What a great car! My 1966 Wildcat was very similar.
My dad had 72 Electra. Back then they had a ride and handling suspension option with heavier springs, shocks, and sway bars. It cost about 20 dollars extra and made all the difference in the world in how the car handled.
I had a 72 Electra. To help with the big marshmallow ride I found that wearing the lap and shoulder belts really kept me in place and enhanced the ride and drive and as a teenager I knew that the added safety aspect was a plus. Fast forward to 1978 and a drunk driver in a Cadillac crossed the center line and hit me head on .because of the size of the car and the fact that I was wearing both the lap and shoulder belts in the crash, I walked away with only bruises from the belts which was far better than the unbelted other driver who had massive head and chest injuries from the steering wheel.
They called it Centurion for a good reason, it is built like a tank. What a shame we don't have nice big comfortable cars like this any more. Thanks for bringing back good memories.
They are TOO BIG for the smaller parking lot measurements these days, I too remember when they accomodated the big cars. Now it's tough to park a Nissan Maxima, unless you live in a smaller city where they still have the old lots!
Whoa, that big boat hard braking looked like a jet landing while making first contact on the runway.
The tires on some of those high speed turns were reminiscent of an ice figure skater with weak ankles.
But this was a beautifully styled car, gave a whipped cream highway ride in near total silence. It also had the best air conditioning system in the industry. Even Rolls Royce used GM's Frigidaire air conditioning back then.
GM's A/C was the best. My buddy had a 65 Chevelle with the factory air conditioning that was never cracked open. Never lost freon and would freeze you even in the summer.
All cars in the 70's had tiny tires compared to those on modern cars. Even the old muscle cars, like the Challenger and Mustang had tiny tires.
The AC was rated to be the same power as 27 domestic refrigerators at the time!
The magnetic clutch in GM's A/C compressors back in those days didn't cycle on and off as most cars do; the system used a bypass valve which cycled on and off instead.
Although they've only made the Buick Centurion for only 3 years I consider the 1972 model to be the best looking of the bunch
I really liked the front end design's of the 1972 full sized Buick's, they looked really smooth and clean, I consider 1972 to be the last good year of the classic automobiles before they've really started to decline with the Emission Control devices, smog pumps and pollution controls.
I like how he fired shots at the beetle lmao
Brings back memories. These types of rides were my teenage rides. I had one of these, a 72 Electra 2 door, a 72 Impala 2 door, and a 74 Cutlass... Drifting these big boats was a blast and I didn't have a closed course LOL
That car had nice body lines and what really was right is that 72 was the last year for normal looking bumpers.
+Eddie Last Yeah, I curse those federal bumpers that put auto styling in the trash for the following 10 years.
Nice car,nice music, nice times((
Then came Oil crisis and all these luxury cars stoped. On every gas station: Sorry no gas, 10 gallos limit ....... Sad :-(
Very well built and could go like a bat out of HELL considering the weight. Remember these types of cars well in the mid 80's as high school cruisers, usually hand me downs from dad or grandpa.
loved the 71-73 lesabre centurion line they drove like a jet! pretty good engineering for the era.
@redbuick I owned a base-trim level '73 LeSabre from '93 to about '98 that had the optional 455 and 2.75 axle instead of the 3.08 that came with the 350. It ran effortlessly but in the summer when I'd stop after being on the highway, the water would surge out of the overflow jug--it may have had a bad radiator cap I'm think after all these years.
I know that I love my 72 buick Riviera :D One of the best old cars I have ever owned.
@citrusparkguy Those are the beautiful Buick road wheels which the division began using with very slight alterations to the hub design each year since 1963.
I currently own a 1972 Buick Electra Limited 2dr. that I am selling, Buick;s are great cars. I loved all of the GM cars of that area, styling, personality, performance, distinction, etc ; I owned a 72 2dr. Centurion, that some creep stole off the street while parking, and it needed restoring.
at 4:29 not too many test drivers can drift a big body car like this guy did excellent driving
I like how you could still get a good amount of power and performance on most of the vehicles built during the 1971-72 period despite the lower compression engine's many cars were dealing with during these two years.
All Flint MI built to in buick city! Its depressing now to see what is left of buick city this was from the hey day i owned a 75 Electra for a while it was a wonderful car with the Buick 455 like floating down the road.
I loved the atmosphere of this video, I was cracking up when he said the stability was good but that Buick had the body roll of an escalade with 60's Cadillac suspension 😂
although i love my lesabre t-type coupe,and super charged regal gs sedan, i would have loved to drive a big burly 455 powered brute like that. to see these cars perform that good back then makes me wish i could go back in time.
i just love seeing all these classic cars
Me too!
My father bought one new in '72 and it had the Stage 1 option which was available in the Rivera also.
Just wonderful to see these roadtests, I've ordered one of your DVDs!
This is what I had in mind when I designed my slot cars
1970's America, awesome
Yep those cars looked alot better then cars that are being produced now I have a 72 pontiac catalina coupe similar to the style of this centurion but a they're both different in style at the same time I got mine from my uncles junkyard last year and last on the road in 97' and was insured and plated on the road in 2019. I can definitely tell you i won't be getting rid of mine I like it.
1972 was my favorite of the 1971-76 full sized Buick's.
I consider 1972 to be the last of the good years for the automobiles before the quality and the powertrains really started to decline, I've always liked the 1971-72 Buick Centurion's (didn't like the front ends of the 1973's at all)
I really liked that 1971-73 GM Sport Coupe roofline! Chevy, Pontiac, Olds and Buick all had it...
204 ft from 60 to zero doesn't seem very impressive by today's standards. But you have to remember that you're stopping a car that weighs over 4,000lbs.
+Jason Carpp Heavy with 4500 pounds true. Plus the tires and wheels are smaller too. Buick Enclave is heavier at 5000 pounds, but their big tires and big wheels help with handling, however. Buick Enclave handles better than 1972 Buick too. I do like the big V-8, however. V-6 is fine, but V-8 is better.
+Bryan Tint Does it? I've never driven either a 72 Buick or a Buick Enclave.
like trying to stop a dam truck almost lol
Not only over 4000lbs in a huge car - and with smaller tires, but the compounds of tires then are totally different than now and would make a giant difference. You could literally replace nothing but the tires and easily knock 40ft off that stopping distance, and probably had a .5 second to the 0-60, if not more. The leap in tire technology has been one of the biggest automobile technology leaps we've had and it's one most people don't give a second thought to.
Larger tires would've certainly helped.
Had a almost new '72 Electra-a little bigger than the Centurion. What a cushy ride-unfortunately the Oil Crisis had hit, and I got a good deal on it, took several trips to Florida from Ohio, and never had a problem. But it was HUGE!
If you drive that car in Oakland Ca, your going to get followed everywhere by everybody. Every homeboy is going to Drool for the car.
In 1999 I had the opportunity to buy a 1973 225 Limited, 4 door, with all options. It needed a new top and hood, but everything else was great, even plastic still on the seats. I wanted that car (back when gas was .85 cents/gallon) but had no place to store it. Oh well...
That was the secret of any chance of having a little performance in the 70's! You had to have each division's big block (440, 455, 460) which by then barely made 200 HP, but the huge displacement gave a semblance of the old performance. A good combo in '76 would have been a 460 in a 4,200 lb. Torino, but that was the last year in the Torinos. They lasted two more years in the big Fords, Mercs and Lincolns.
Would kill for something like this for the late 1950s!
Holy body roll. Overall, it does well. A 16x8" wheel of the same style, with a modern radial tire would tighten it up a bit. New suspension bushings. These cars behave fairly well.
That's absolutely amazing, I had no idea ! Now I REALLY really want a 1964 Buick Electra 225 more than ever before!
Beauty of this beast and the beast in this beauty.... a gobsmacker indeed
The test driver must have been really talented - flinging this beast around without crashing.
That's all we knew, I was 16 in 1976 driving my Mother's 72 four door Torino that was the same size, I used to be able to throw that thing around pretty good.
I had the Really big brother of this car, a 72 4 door lesaber. when I pulled the motor and trans out of the Lesaber, It still tipped the scales at 5700 lbs when I sent it to the crusher. I still have the 455 in a Nova and that motor (Even with the 8-1 compression) is still a stump puller. may have only had 250 HP but it turned a whopping 480 lbft of toqure.
Buick made some nice cars. My neighbor, an elementary school principle had a 72 LeSabre in the same exact color combo and top. The LeSabre came standard with the 350 C.I. 4 barrel powerplant. I washed and cleaned the inside for a few bucks a couple times. He finally bought a new Buick in 1980 a Grey 2 door Regal.
I own a 72 Lesabre Conv..
THESE ARE AWSOME CARS!!!!!!!!!!
My first car was one of these. Light metallic blue with the black vinyl top. 455 under the hood too.
Wow!! 204 feet to stop at 60 moh??!! Not bad for a car the size of a small town.
senorkaboom I think it would be much better if they tried to threshold brake.
They're simulating how real drivers drive - their 0-60 is just nailing the pedal, their 60-0 is just nailing the other pedal. These are called actual driving conditions, not putting a race car driver in a car just to get the best stats you can. Also, having driven these types of cars growing up since they were very cheap by the early 90s, panic stopping in these is nothing like what you're use to. The tires back then were complete garbage and the car would skip all over, plus the brakes generally locked up really quickly - and letting off pressure didn't mean the brakes would always let go - they always had the power brake assist way too high and there was seemingly a delay in doing everything when doing anything that was in a panic.
Size matters,
Just plan your stops.
Ice berg right ahead!
Even on my 1995 Cadillac Brougham, the power steering would cut out on fast turns of the wheel. On sharp right turns, the fuel would cut out too. Otherwise, it was an awesome car!
The 60's was the golden age of engineering--the best engines, transmissions, AC's and other systems were developed to near perfection. Then from '70 on, after the government came on board in '66, it was all undone under the pressure of safety and emission controls and other regs. The bean counters took over and all the great performance built up from 1949 to 1970 was lost. In '76, there wasn't one production American car that could get to 60 in under 10 seconds!
It is not the customer's job to keep a company afloat. It is the company's job to provide a product worth buying.
Love the sound of a mammoth V8 sucking gas through a 4 barrel carb!
I BOUGHT ONE IN 1980,WHAT A CAR,BIG LIKE A BOAT TOOK GAS LIKE CRAZY,
The braking and handling tests are hysterical! Handles like a wet sponge!
They handled extremely well for their era. Additionally, it was very easy to make them handle quite well, considering the weight, and the ridiculously small tires that would be considered inadequate on a small economy car today.
Drive a typical Japanese sedan of the '70's and you will discover the meaning of the word "push". At least that Buick has an excuse, its the size of a frigate.
Bias-ply tires. The handling would be much better if they would have had steel-belted radials available for it.
Back in 1976 I put steel belted radials on my 1962 Chrysler Newport it was like a totally different car. I couldn't believe what an improvement it was
inkey2
Yes, they do make a big difference.
I loved this video clip!!!!
I'm sure glad I don't think like you! I drive these big Buick's all the time for the last 20 years, having three of them, and parts are cheap and easy to find, they are easy to work on, they don't really need much fixing though.
my grandma had one ,when i was a kid she hit with the fender a new 1981 toyota celica at aprox 30 mph,behind the celica was an oldsmobile cutlas supreme ,the ones with the plastic bumpers,the celica was totalled and the olds needed a tow,the buick had a 6 inches deep dent on the fender clearly we drive home
pure gold!!!! what a tank!
My friend had a 1972 Gran Prix with a 455, which is basically this same car - meanwhile I had a 72 Cutlass with a 350 rocket it. We raced once, and only once, and the results were I killed him off the line - and up until about 60 mph, then that big heavy piece of garbage got momentum going and with that 455 kicking in it blew past me and just keep going and going. That car was big and heavy and slow right off the line, but once it starts moving it takes off like a rocket and pulls you back into the seat.
Rod Munch that is why they called them land yacts sailing on the concrete sea
Hilarious.
Handled pretty good for a car of its size that was tuned for a soft cushy ride.
The stopwatch timing was flawed, 0-50 in 5.2 second, sounds reasonable for the 455 and 4500lbs but it couldn't have taken another 4 seconds to reach 60?
s
I agree. G.M. have cars now that rival the imports in reliability, safety, and design. G.M. now builds quality vehicles and competes globally with some of the best cars the world has to offer. It comes at a price though.
HIGH unemployment.
Personally, I was happy when the "Big Three" were competing amongst themselves and had their obsolescence rates gears for MAXIMUM employment. Sure, we had to replace parts more often but, that kept the people of this country employed.
@cadrolls1 Would it be able to pass emissions today if they would stripp off the emission controls equipment?
Im in the UK and I can truly say, that for this country at least, the end of the 1970's was the end of the cars with any character about them. The 70's gave the UK, the Ford Zephyr, the Ford Zodiac, The Ford Granada, the Vauxhall (GM) Victor and Viscount. Yes these cars may not have been assembled with the same care as a Merc or an Audi, but the big engines, wide stance and overall appearance just makes them great. I would take understeer over a 1980's eurobox any day of the week
A Stage I 455 in that as an option would have been nice.
This is way better than motor week
C'mon folks. These are older cars. They handled the exact way anything at 4500lbs would have handled back then. These cars are awesome. Don't underestimate straight line muscle.
it weighs 4050 not 4500. says that in the video and i own a 72 small block one its about 3900 lbs so the with the big block thats dead on. less than a new camaro.
i have a 72 lesabre. looks the exact same. small block is the only difference i see. i love my clean ass buick!
I'd like to have one of those. Could it be ordered as a manual shift? Anyone know?
ah good stuff, the very first car of mommas i drove. what a treasure,.but i was looking for the trade mark buick port holes i dont see them.
Cars and even trucks made before 1973 or 1974 are far better rigs for sure. Love that big block Buick V-8 at 455 CID too, or 7.5L too. Bigger engines rule! I love 4 barrel carburetors too. No need for computer junk too. It runs on both unleaded and leaded fuel for sure. Heavy at 4500 pounds too! The big GMs with big block V-8s can tow 7000 pounds for sedans and coupes too. Wagons were rated at 6000 pounds for towing too!
+Bryan Tint They were better looking, and much stronger than the junk we started getting by the middle 70's. But don't knock fuel injection and computerized engine controls. Back then, when the temps went below zero, carburetor-equipped cars didn't start reliably. Every car had a routine to learn, i.e. Pump the gas twice then hold it halfway down or some little ritual. You had to learn what to do if you flooded the engine, and sometimes moisture would freeze the fuel float causing the engine to get massively flooded. If it did start, it might stall out several times before you could keep it running, even if it was a newer model. We used to refer to a car that was finicky in frigid temps as being 'cold blooded'. Now there is no such thing. Even fifteen below zero you turn the key and the thing starts and runs perfectly. Carburetors were antique devices that couldn't begin to compare to what we have today. I can remember my dad buying a brand new 1973 Ford van and it had a manual choke knob on it! Automatic chokes were trouble prone and complicated little devils.
+townhall05446 Well said!
+DYNO DON I remember a morning in about 1975 when it was 15 below zero and the gas station where i hung out (as an 18 year old) got inundated with calls from customers needing jump starts. My Ford van was running and warmed up and I went out giving jumps for $5 apiece and made $70 before lunchtime - darned good money then, equal to about $300 today. All from customers of the gas station whose cars killed the battery in the process of trying to get started. And I was only handling the overflow, the regular tow truck driver was getting first crack at all the business he could handle. Fuel injection and electronic engine controls are among the good things to come out of all the emissions laws... now you can get a Dodge Charger that's quicker and faster than any of the real musclecars - and gets 3x the fuel mileage and clean exhaust to boot.
How much power did the 455 have from the Centurion? Some sources say it has only 225 net hp and others say it has 250 net hp
I agree 100%.
I was going to purchase a Miata for autocross but not now. Anyone know where I can find a mint 72' Centurion?
70's American cars are just THE coolest looking machines in the world.
My Favorite Ride
Cleveland old Skool Cruiser Cars. Superior & St. Clair Road 70's - 1980's
Somebody know soundtrack of this test?
i want one so bad
Me too.
lol this boat has the same 30 and 60 mph times as the 68 455 h/o 442 lol detuned my arse! this thing screams for its size! my buddies mom had a Riviera similar to this and it just fried tires with that 455 beast under the hood. ☆☆
Those were the cars that were made for people who didn't need any driving assistance and knew how to drive. You can always buy and build up a high performance crate 455 engine from TA Performance, install better brakes and better shocks. And then you haave a car that is not only comfy but which has lot of horsepower, torque but which is comfortable to drive.
"If youre a bettle driver..you'll be thankful to stretch your legs" lol classic
This was a different time where the engineering compared to today's was rather simpler, its no wonder these cars wallowed, pitched and understeered like mad at corners, they weighed rather alot and had treacle for suspension. They may be crude and inefficient by today's standard, but then again do you love something for its efficiency? My laptop is a pretty efficient and useful device but i don't love it. I mean just look at it, it is a piece of art, very characterful. Ideal for its environment.
understeer is just RIDICULOUS!
hehe, the slalom in slo-mo. great vid, fantastic american car. love the centurion, more than say the pontiac GTO. The decals in itself are museum pieces LOL
dang with todays cars...! i don't believe to many people that could handle such a big car no car leans like that anymore,great car,
I LOVE A BIG CAR
"...he ran through at 40 mph and the body lean was not excessive and the recovery was very good." - then the car goes off the track @4:05 lol.
I bet the driver was sliding around like he was piloting a speed boat lol. At least it rides like the road was paved in marshmallows...
I also wish they can make cars as big and powerful like they used to back in the 1960s and early 1970s, I would love to own a 1971-72 Buick Centurion with a 455, I wish they didn't make the 350 standard for the 1973 Centurion
They Caddi STS/SLS was big powerful and EFFICIENT. Car capable of 145mph and could return 32mpg at 75mph if you kept your foot out of it most of the time. Sure miss the Northstar V8 powered cars, although Buick never got the N*V8... would have been interesting if they did.
Body lean was not excessive? Compared to what?
bought one of these when I was 16yrs old,,,back in 1982,,,for about $400,,,,yes,,,the good old days?? when a 16yr old started with a 455 engine in his first car
In 1978 at 16 I had my grandfather's 72 Electra. It was a blast to drive and it would move. Luckily I was that rare teenager that wore a seat belt back then, both the lap and shoulder belts.
The car was balanced. I once drove mine on the open interstate in the ruts of about 4 inches of black ice and packed snow at 70 MPH for about a mile. It ran straight as an arrow. I called it my destroyer, as in 'pretty big and fast ship.' Was I what? As a matter of fact, yes, I was kind of stupid. 🥴 Why do you ask?
What a boat.
1:47 "Detuned".
That word pretty much sums up the whole year 1972 as the EPA really started getting under the hood of your American V8 car before the real dark ages of Detroit began and lasted from roughly 1974 to 1990. Still not bad performance numbers from this old Buick sled, though.
By 1974, the last year before catalytic converters, new cars barely ran, especially in California (and that's no exaggeration). They did get a little better in 75 with the converter (at least they would start and move without being warmed up 5 minutes) but they had little power and poor efficiency.
@@rsattahip 1974 was an awful year for lots of reasons including cars. The last vintage American cars I'd even give a second look at are 1973s.
Sorry about the double post, hit the button twice. Stupid double click habbit.
anypne know the title song in 01:07 ?
i still remember when Mrs. Clontz had one of these at my high school. I never, ever thought that it was cool WAY back then.
Great car ! Better that the cars today , it has more styling.
I LOVE Buick's but......a panic stop at 60 mph....204ft!?!? Thank God for disk brakes.
He had to have meant 70mph since all the other tests are from 70mph and normally end up around 200ft - even the sister models of this car are in that same range.
car has disc brakes
Body lean was NOT excessive?!!! WTH? Too funny....my parents had one of these and it was like driving a mattress. I loved that car though...hilarious!
Were they intentionally trying to see how big they could make cars in the '70's?
Then as now, just replace cars with crossovers!
Yep, the bigger the better - smoother ride and more room for more passengers.
The 1970s was the final decade of these Giant American Land Yachts so I guess they saw the writing on the wall with the looming Fuel Crisis and Government Regulations In the years Following.
land yacht with big big engine i love it who its made
i want to go buy one
The Centurion did not have portholes, all the other Buicks did however.