Both of these classic cars compete in the Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Race series. The 1970 C3 Chevrolet Corvette 454 and the 1968 Buick GS 400 both feature the most powerful engine that General Motors offered for their respective model years.

The Details On Each Car

The 1970 Chevrolet Corvette 454 features a 454 cubic inch V8 good for 390 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque. This engine has a 10.25 to 1 compression ratio, and a 4-speed manual transmission. Chevrolet sold 17,316 examples of the 1970 Corvette. But only 4,473 of them came with the 454 V8 engine.

The 1968 Buick GS 400 gets its power from a 400 cubic inch V8 which also has a 10.25 to 1 compression ratio. This motor pumps out 340 hp and 440 lb-ft of torque. This power gets sent to the rear wheels by a 4-speed manual transmission as well.

The 1970 Corvette 454 has a power advantage. But, the difference in weight between the two cars is negligible, as the Corvette tips the scales at 3,978 lbs while the GS 400 weighs in at 3,970 lbs.

There is a notable difference in price between these two classic muscle cars. The 1970 Corvette 454 had a base price of $5,482. That translates to $41,860 in today’s dollars. The 1968 Buick GS 400 had a starting price of $3,288, which equals $27,992 in today’s money.

The Results Of The Drag Races

The 1970 Chevrolet Corvette 454 and the 1968 Buick GS 400 face off in three drag races starting from a dig on a quarter-mile track. In the first race, the Corvette gets an early lead when the driver of the GS 400 misses a shift. The Corvette finishes the race in 13.86 seconds with a trap speed of 101.14 mph. The GS 400 follows behind with a time of 14.37 seconds and a final speed of 99.19 mph.

The second race is much closer from beginning to end. The Chevy has an elapsed time of 13.79 seconds versus the Buick’s time of 13.80 seconds. However, the Buick driver’s superior reaction time allows it to cross the finish line in first place.

The third and final race is a win for the GS 400 as the Corvette 454 left the line too early. So the end result is two wins for the 1968 Buick GS 400 and one victory for the 1970 Chevrolet Corvette 454. At the end of the day, the cars are so similar in performance that it is ultimately up to the driver’s skill