First Turbo Buick: Legend Of The Buick Century That Spawned K National, Indy Measurement Car

Gary Bryson, Molly Designs too Buick Special Products Group, led past times Herb Fishel, developed this 1976 Buick Century turbo. It was the first, black, V-6 turbo Buick — heir apparent to the Grand National. Just telephone telephone it Darth Vader's begetter amongst attitude. 

Before dark Buicks were famous, a teenager held the keys to a sinister Century. Dan Bryson was a grunt working at famed 1976 Buick Century Indy Pace Car used at Indianapolis Motor Speedway inwards 1976. Dan doesn’t yell back the exact engagement of the turbo Century build, but he believes it pre-dates the Indy Pace Car. "It was the epitome for the mensuration car," Dan said. "The answer from the Century too Pace Car were thus positive, that spun off into the 1983 turbo Regal project."

  That makes Dan's auto 1 of the most of import Buick prototypes e'er built.
 
Blacked-out Buick
  The difficult move began after a novel dark Buick Century was delivered to Molly's shop. "Me too my partner at Molly, Tony Olshefski, reworked an aftermarket hood to instruct all the imperfection out," said Dan. "The bumper was made from scratch. We took the bumper off too started amongst 1-inch past times 1-inch wood, framed the license plate too started laying fiberglass." After the body was prepped, the bumpers received the blacked-out chrome treatment. "A showtime at Molly."
  Distinctive striping was the adjacent social club of business. "At showtime nosotros were inwards the store laying downwards 1/4-inch lines too knocking ideas around. We take in this was agency likewise wild for Buick." said Dan. But Herb Fishel loved it. "It set him on the map, large fourth dimension at GM."
  Dan subsequently worked on the cherry-red 1983 Street Regal, which was one-of-two T-Type Regals, 1 black, 1 red, commissioned past times Herb Fishel to prepare what would move the Grand National.

This Molly-designed turbo Buick Century heavily influenced the 1976 Free Spirit Indy Pace Car. Hood too bumper are exact knock-off.

What happened to the engine? 
  "After the Buick's minute inwards the spotlight was over, nosotros had to ship the all-aluminum V6 turbo engine dorsum to GM," said Dan. The engine was provided past times Bill Mitchell's R&D group. Like many one-off manufacturing industrial plant life freaks, this engine had to live returned to GM, where it would live destroyed. Jim Bell, founder of Kenne Bell, too Dan's dad had other ideas for the engine earlier it was cutting inwards half.
  Fishel stated that the engine could live returned inwards whatever shape, simply equally long equally it was returned. "Well my dad too Jim stuffed it inwards an Olds Starfire too ran it at Irwindale Speedway. They unopen off the blow-off valve too gave it most xxx pounds of boost. They had some fun for a while, until it blew," said Dan. "Dad said it sounded similar a purse of tin cans. Herb cutting it inwards one-half too dorsum to melting industrial plant life it went."

Gary Bryson at the bike of the simply completed Buick Century turbo inwards 1976.

What happened to the car? 
  The stock hood replaced the custom steel unit of measurement amongst the hood blister after the magazine photograph shoot. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 stock Buick 231-cu.-inch V6 was dropped into the Century’s vacant engine bay. The Turbo 400 transmission amongst a switch pitch torque converter remained.
  Dan Bryson's dad, Gary, turned the right away turbo-less 1976 Buick over to him simply about 1979. "My Dad gave me the auto simply to instruct it out of his garage," said Dan. "He wasn’t a large fan of GM products (during that era) because the doors were thus long too heavy. After you lot got a few miles on those cars, the hinges would sag too thus the doors would drupe too hang-up on the latch."

More Grand National cues prepare on the showtime turbo Buick after a Corvette wrecks the Century inwards 1980. 

Drunk driver inwards a Corvette changes things

  Bryson's Buick underwent a transformation after a drunkard driver inwards a 1973 Corvette smashed into the driver's door. The Corvette possessor was notorious for DUIs inwards Portland, Oregon, where the wreck occurred. It was his 7th DUI, all inwards Corvettes.

  Replicating the Molly designs on the Buick were non a priority after the accident. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 solid dark coat of paint, t-tops too golden Enkie wheels were added to the Century. 

  "The onetime human being didn’t much similar the t-top’s, but your a 20-year-old, living inwards New Port Beach, California," said Dan. "This matter was a baby magnet." Dan hauled the car, along the W coast, piece he worked at several Goodyear stores. "I worked at the Hillsboro, Oregon Goodyear store. The Oregonians didn’t know what to intend of me too the Buick until they saw that it was from California," said Dan.
  In 1989, Dan sold the Buick simply earlier his delineate of piece of job solid unit of measurement moved to Sacramento, California. "I sold the auto to a guy inwards Costa Mesa for $2,500," said Dan.

Molly Sanders, left, and Gary Bryson in 2010. Molly died May 16, 2010, after a scrap amongst cancer, at 66 years old.

Memories of Buick burnouts, dad
  Dan had a blast driving the large Buick amongst the turbo. "I could live doing seventy MPH on the expressway too punch it," said Dan. "Smoke the tires BIG time!" The Century was motivated past times a 3.8 liter Buick block amongst aluminum heads too a Kenne Bell turbo. To this day, Dan too his dad, Gary, reminisce most the hateful solar daytime that the transporter pulled upward to deliver the dark turbo auto to GM inwards Detroit. "Molly, my dad, Tony too I had pulled an all-nighter on it," said Dan. "The Sun was simply coming upward too nosotros were pulling the masking newspaper off the auto when the truck drove up. It was a swell father-son moment. I had worked on ton’s of other magazine auto projects amongst Molly too dad, but this was 1 of the most memorable."

Dan Bryson is looking for this car. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 1976 Buick Century amongst t-tops, it played a unique utilisation inwards Buick history. Last seen inwards the Newport Beach/Costa Mesa expanse inwards California.

Help Dan honour his onetime 1976 Buick Century 
  Dan Bryson wants to honour the auto that ties him to a chapter inwards Buick's turbocharged history. The showtime black, Buick turbo. If you lot know where Dan Bryson tin privy honour this 1976 Buick Century or you lot ain it yourself, send an electronic mail amongst the details to Dan at dan@chemfreeair.com too junkyardbull@gmail.com.
  If Dan can't locate the car, he plans to recreate it. "I’m going to practise the paint, bumper too hood all over again," said Dan. "Now the kicker hither is finding 1 amongst the dark velour interior too bench seat." His Century was delivered to a Buick dealer inwards Pomona. "It also came amongst a manufacturing industrial plant life Buick CB radio amongst an antennae mounted on the body too a woods grain dash."
  Even if Dan does or doesn’t locate his car, he may move the driving forcefulness of a back-to-the-future Grand National trend. Could nosotros start seeing an upswing of 1976-1977 Buick A-bodies restorations? I promise so.

– Jody Potter, junkyardlife.com

Know of a auto or a junkyard I demand to see or desire to send me photos too information most a barn find, auto or junkyard?  

Send emails to junkyardbull@gmail.com.

Molly designed the "Turbo-6" logo that showtime appeared on the 1976 Century’s flanks too continued onto the Buick Grand National models.

Molly custom blended the orangish too xanthous pinstripes that outlined the gun metallic element grayness metallic element pattern on the 1976 Buick Century turbo prototype.

Know of a auto or a junkyard I demand to see or desire to send me photos too information most a barn find, auto or junkyard?  

Send emails to junkyardbull@gmail.com.

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