Latest news with #Payton
Motor Trend
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
A-Body Brothers In Arms: The Buick GS 455 vs. Oldsmobile 442 W-30
[Editor's Note: This article first appeared in the Winter 2011 issue of MotorTrend Classic] Imagine the Indianapolis Colts playing the New York Giants in the Super Bowl. Payton versus Eli, Manning-a-Manning. It could have happened, but now it probably won't. It did happen with two other brothers, not in an NFL game, but on streets and dragstrips. Oldsmobile 4-4-2 W-30 versus Buick GS 455 Stage 1, A-body brothers each considered the 'gentleman's musclecar.' Sibling rivals from the era when GM divisions competed more with each other than with Ford, Chrysler, or AMC. John Z. DeLorean started it all with a third brother, the 1964 Pontiac GTO. Olds dropped a 400-cube, four-barrel dual exhaust into the Cutlass to create the 4-4-2 a few months later. When the 1965 Buick GS arrived within a year, it technically violated GM's 400-cubic-inch-displacement limit for A-body cars. Badged as 400, its Wildcat V-8 was a 401-cube 'Nailhead' V-8. GM replaced its 1964-'67 A-bodies with new 1968 models, with new sheetmetal scheduled for every two years. Through '69, the GTO was GM's preeminent musclecar, and the 4-4-2 was its more refined brother, with better handling. The subtle, more relaxed GS wasn't a contender. GM did away with its 400-cube limit for the 1970 model year, and Buick was ready, especially after the 1969 Opel GT launch. 'The increase in showroom floor traffic when the GT went on display early in April was almost unbelievable,' reads the Buick Engineering Production Information Department's outline of the 1970 GSX. 'Some Buick dealers reported 5000 people through their showrooms in one weekend.' Paul Haddock, owner of the 1972 Buick GS 455 Stage 1 on these pages, sent a copy of that report. He also owns a 1970 Stage 1 hardtop and a 1971 GS 455 convertible. The GSX, a 455-cubic-inch Buick A-body with 'mod' graphics typical of the era, would be the Skylark's halo model, which Buick hoped might help close the model's 50,000-unit annual sales gap relative to the Olds Cutlass. When torque came to shove, it wasn't the GSX, with un-Buick-like flat black stripes on deep-yellow paint, that gave the GS street cred. It was the Stage 1 455. 'It's the car that beat the Hemi 'Cuda,' allows Mike Bivins, owner of the 1971 Olds 4-4-2 W-30 sharing these pages with Haddock's Stage 1. Like Manning versus Manning, the Olds versus Buick musclecar rivalry would be short-lived. Car insurance rates were rising steeply by the late '60s, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, established in December 1970, enacted immediate restrictions on leaded premium fuel. Stricter regs were due in 1975. Olds and Buick lowered the compression ratio on their blueprinted 1971 W-30 and Stage 1 engines from 10.5:1 to 8.5:1 and complied with a mandated switch from SAE gross to net horsepower reporting. By 1972, the Hemi 'Cuda that Buick beat in '70 was gone, and the Plymouth pony's top engine was a 260-hp, 340 cubic-inch V-8. A year later, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries staged their first oil embargo. 0:00 / 0:00 'Despite the almost total demise of the high compression/premium fuel engine, the '71 Super Cars have managed to retain their essential vitality,' A.B. Shuman wrote in the October 1970 issue of Motor Trend. In Shuman's story, the Buick GS 455 Stage 1 edged a '71 W-30 prototype with a four-speed stick and '70 sheetmetal, recording a 6.5-second 0-60 run to the Olds' 6.6. It was quicker than the GTO, Chevy Chevelle SS 454, Camaro Z28, and Plymouth Road Runner. Shuman asked Olds for an automatic W-30 to see what effect its combo of torque converter and different valve timing would have. It beat the Buick with a 6.1 second 0-60. Motor Trend's test of the '72 GS Stage 1 was a sidebar to a June 1972 comparison entitled 'Sayonara Supercar.' 'The amazing thing, considering all that's happened just in the area of emissions controls,' Shuman wrote, 'is that a car that runs like the GS Stage 1 could still exist.' It was faster than the manual GTO and W-30 automatic of 1972, beating the latter by 0.8 seconds in 0-60-mph times and by 0.4 second and 5 mph in the quarter. Haddock's 1972 Stage 1 exists only because a 1971 United Auto Workers strike delayed GM's 'Colonnade' A-body replacements by one model year. Ad huckster 'Dr. Oldsmobile's' 4-4-2 was a separate model from 1967 to '71, then became an option package on Cutlasses again in 1972. The '72 face-lifts were minimal, with chrome headlamp surrounds as on Bivins' car on the '71 Olds and Buick, flat black surrounds as on Haddock's car on the '72s, and tweaked grille meshes. Bivins' Olds doesn't have the two vertical pieces that split the taillamps into thirds like the '72 models. Black rubber trim surrounds the taillamps on Haddock's 1972 GS, but not on his '71. The Olds is the epitome of Bill Mitchell's organic 'fuselage' surfacing, with a large, split grille and a sleek fastback with strong, muscular rear shoulders. The Buick is sublime with two small ram air intakes near the center of the hood, where the W-30 has two gigantic golden scoops. Side surfacing is more creased, lending the GS a kind of abstract Coke-bottle shape. Haddock has restuffed his driver's seat, so you sit high in the Buick. Both tachometers are hard to read behind thin-rimmed steering wheels. The Oldsmobile's tach is of the tick-tock variety, and Bivins' car features a Hurst dual-gate shifter, with a separate gate for 'manual' shifting. It's easier to simply set either Turbo-Hydramatic in 'drive' and put your foot to the floor. The steering in both cars has more play than a kindergarten gym. Neither has the kind of lean or wallow most contemporaries would display even on gentle turns. Though it feels slightly quicker, the GS has less squat and tighter, more refined body control. Those huge ram air intakes on the W-30 makes the Oldsmobile feel bigger from behind the wheel. Its engine warmed, the W-30 starts immediately. The Stage 1 needs a quarter-throttle. Haddock put '70 Stage 1 10.5:1 pistons in his '72 because, 'Why wouldn't I?' Both are stronger cars than other '70s musclecars, their power coming on strong at the mid-range, with a NASCAR growl that would do a modern car proud. Don't take my word for it. I ask Mike and Paul to trade keys. 'Are they going to be diplomatic, or truthful?' Mike's wife, Laurie, asks. Mike Bivins: 'That one was right smooth going down the highway, smooth shifting. Seemed like it had a bit hotter cam. Good driving car. I didn't stand on it, because I didn't want to have to buy Paul a new motor. It has more brakes.' Paul Haddock: 'I was surprised at the similarities between the cars. They both kind of feel the same. Set up the same. The hood feels awfully long on that W-30. I like the dual-gate shifter. I think Buick was playing to a more conservative customer. The Olds looks more aggressive.' Diplomatic indeed. 'Well, we're gentlemen, right?' Haddock says. 'The Olds and Buick guys are gentlemen.' 1971 Oldsmobile 442 W-30 Ask The Man Who Own One Mike Bivins owns Tri-Tech Incorporated, a handrail and metal fabrication manufacturer in Austell, Georgia ( He bought his W-30 in 2002, five years after he offered to purchase it from a fellow Oldsmobile Club of America member and has since sold his first collectible, a 1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme sport coupe. Why I Like IT: 'Its sportiness. I like that it's a big-block car and a ram air car.' Why It's Collectible: 'Only 920 were made, and probably half are gone. It shows what GM could do 40 years ago and how advanced they were, and when performance and sportiness were critical.' Restoring/Maintaining: 'Drive it pretty regularly, especially with ethanol fuels. I use an additive to try to help with that. Change the oil regularly, and an Oldsmobile engine will last.' Beware: Clones. Local Olds Club chapters can help tell if you've got an authentic W-30. Its carburetors have unique jets. Bivins has even found 'W-30' stamped on the end of his car's camshaft. 'Buy one that's all but done. You're going to save money in the long run.' GM A-bodies are known for leaky front and rear windows. Expect To Pay: (W-30 coupe) Concours-ready: $39,950, Solid driver: $21,000, Tired runner: $11,550 Join The Club: Oldsmobile Club of America ( Our Take Then: 'The car made top marks in standing start acceleration, though it couldn't match the four-speeds in the passing range.' —A.B. Shuman, MotorTrend, October 1970 Now: The 4-4-2 W-30 is a stylish Belle Epoch musclecar, a quick and refined step up from the Pontiac GTO. 1972 Buick GS 455 Ask The Man Who Own One Paul Haddock owns Fairclough & Company, a men's fine clothing store in Charlotte, North Carolina ( His father drove LeSabre and Wildcat company cars in the '60s and '70s. Haddock bought the '72 Stage 1, one of his three GS models, about 15 years ago. He drove it unrestored 'just for fun,' then restored the car about eight years ago. Haddock repaired bodywork from front and rear window leaks, replaced the radiator support and battery box, rebuilt the engine and transmission, and replaced a front fender that had a rusted-out support. He traded a Chevy Suburban for the paint job. Why I Like It: 'I love a Buick because it's a sleeper. People just don't really get it most of the time, and it's got all the horsepower and torque you need.' Why It's Collectible: 'It was the underrated musclecar of the era. People are just beginning to understand in the last 10 or so years what they really are and were. Buick fans always knew.' Restoring/Maintaining: 'Driving the car is the best thing you can do to maintain it. General use keeps the battery up and gas running through it; so use is your friend. I mix racing gas in, from time to time—gets the octane up.' Beware: 'If you want a true, investment-grade Stage 1, get the documentation that it's a numbers-matching car. Make sure you have the correct engine, the correct transmission for the car. Guys drive a Stage 1 hard and blow a motor and throw another Buick motor in. Contact the GS club of America to check VIN codes. GM A-bodies catch stuff in the lower fender wells; the battery trays rust and corrode. All those can be fixed if it's not a totally right car.' Expect To Pay: (Stage 1 coupe) Concours-ready: $44,450, Solid driver: $23,400, Tired runner: $12,850 Join The Clubs: Buick Club of America ( Buick GS Club of America ( Our Take Then: 'In the final analysis, Buick builds a pretty good car, because, on top of everything else, it is quiet, smooth, and rattle free.'—A.B. Shuman, MotorTrend, June 1972 Now: It's a clean, trim, upper-middle premium intermediate with more power than more common contemporaries.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Memorial Day boosts road traffic in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — AAA projected record numbers of travelers to the sports and entertainment capital of the world for Memorial Day 2025. The organization anticipated that 1.2 million additional Americans would travel via automobile compared to last year. 'We went out last night, partied this morning, and now we're going home,' said Stella Trajo, a Los Angeles resident who was filling up at a Nevada-California border gas station. 'I haven't seen this many people in Las Vegas, except for last weekend with EDC- but even then!' Taia Stewart, a Las Vegas resident who just graduated from the University of Nevada, planned to celebrate with a road trip to Disneyland. 'There was a lot of traffic since it was Memorial Day,' said Stewart, who did not realize it was a holiday until she hit the travel rush. Deandre Payton, a Floridian who visited Las Vegas on vacation, headed to Los Angeles for a brief excursion. Payton said his road trip experience was better than his experience at Harry Reid International Airport at the beginning of the holiday weekend. 'The airport was crazy,' Payton said. 'It's been pretty chaotic.' He noted his shock over Nevada gas prices, which are higher than those he is used to. California residents, however, chose to fill up in the Silver State as the prices are lower than those in the neighboring Golden State. 'We're filling up the whole tank right now before we go back out there,' said Naomi Portillo, who said gas in their home state typically ranges from $5 to $6. According to AAA, gas prices in Nevada dropped slightly ahead of Memorial Day weekend. The average was $3.93 on Monday, down three cents from last week. In 2024, the state average on Memorial Day was $4.35. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Gary Payton believes Stephen Curry is not a real point guard: "We are putting shooting guards as point guards now in the NBA"
One of the biggest debates about Steph Curry is whether he is a point guard or not. Curry is the Golden State Warriors' starting one by position. However, he does not orchestrate the Dubs' offense as a traditional floor general would. Instead, that task falls heavily on forward Draymond Green, while "Chef's" main task on offense is usually to break free from his defenders and get that small space where he can launch his deadly three-point shots. Advertisement Hall of Famer and 1996 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Gary Payton shared his case against Steph being considered a true point guard during a recent appearance on the "Brownie and Rab Show." "Everyone looks at Steph Curry as a point guard, and he's not," said Payton. "I don't believe that. They're scorers. That's what we say in the era again. A point guard is not a legit point guard, what we're talking about. If you think about it, Nash is a legit point guard. You're talking about Jason Kidd as a legit point guard, myself as a legit point guard, Chris Paul is a legit point guard, John Stockton is an elite point guard. See, that's the difference of what the era is. We are putting shooting guards as point guards now in the NBA." A shoot-first point guard Payton attributes it partly to the difference in eras, but also to the natural evolution of the game. What started as a traditional, structured sport under Dr. Naismith has transformed into today's positionless style. Back then, big men played exclusively on the inside. Nowadays, they step out and take the three-pointer with the green light from the bench. Advertisement Point guards, like the names GP mentioned, were more facilitators or court generals who set up the offense. At best, they racked up assists and preferred to pass rather than score. Much like today's big men are expected to shoot, modern point guards are also scoring threats. Some, like Curry, are even shoot-first guards — but Payton firmly argues that he doesn't fit that traditional point guard mold. "Now it's a little different in this era because we got a lot of people that can go one-on-one basketball and score. Now, if we really think about it, what is the point guard that you see right now who is having more assists than anything? Now we're looking at Haliburton. He's a legit point guard, because he facilitates and does things the right way, and he gets to the bucket when he has to," the Hall of Fame guard added. Related: Walt Frazier admits NBA players were afraid to lift weights back in the day: "Basketball players thought it would affect their shot" Zeke also said that Steph is no PG Payton's thoughts about what a true point guard is were once shared by his fellow Hall of Famer and two-time NBA champion, Isiah Thomas, who also believed that Curry should not be included in the GOAT PG debate because he isn't a real point guard. Advertisement "What he's been able to do for this generation of play and the way he's won it with has been different than anybody elsehas ever tried to do it," Thomas said on "The Draymond Green Show." "With Stephen Curry, the way he has done it, nobody could compete with him. Allen Iverson was the closest small guy to come to doing it the way Steph is doing it." As mentioned earlier, the current game has become positionless, so not all players can be standardized under traditional positions. Today's game features roles like Stretch Fours and Point-Forwards, and if you want, you can call Steph a hybrid guard. But perhaps the more fitting label is "modern point guard," a title that, while accurate, might not sit well with old-school legends like "The Glove" and "Zeke." Related: 'I was never able to drive right or do anything going to my right hand' - Steph Curry reveals the secret that unlocked his back-to-back MVP seasons
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Sean Payton finally lands ex-Lions coach he targeted for years
Sean Payton finally lands ex-Lions coach he targeted for years Sean Payton finally got his man. After losing several members of his staff this spring, the Denver Broncos' coach managed to land someone he had been targeting for years: new director of game management/OL assistant Evan Rothstein. 'Evan, I tried to hire before," Payton said in March. "I tried to hire Evan when he was leaving Detroit, Rothstein. He ended up in New England, but I had interviewed him in New Orleans. So every season, I've always kind of paid attention to what he's doing. He's real smart. He's a football coach. He's also someone who has a great way about him, both analytically and from a preparation standpoint. So finally that worked out." Rothstein worked for the Lions from 2012 to 2020 before landing with the Patriots, where he held various positions for four seasons before landing in Denver. When he was with the New Orleans Saints in 2021, Payton attempted to hire Rothstein, but the coach ended up in New England. Four years later, Rothstein has joined Payton with the Broncos. Related: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Gary Payton explains why guarding Kyrie Irving in the '90s would've been easy work: "We're hand-checking. We can control him"
Dallas Mavericks superstar guard Kyrie Irving is one of the best guards of his generation. Many say Irving has the deepest bag in the league and is, as such, one of the most difficult players to contain in the current NBA. However, 1996 NBA Defensive Player of the Year winner and nine-time NBA All-Defensive first-team member Gary Payton said that if Irving played during the '90s era, "Kai" would have been an easy assignment for "The Glove." Advertisement "I could've put my hands on him," explained Payton on the "Barnie and Rab Show." "See, we're hand-checking. We can control him. All that dribble, dribble, sh**? I get it. That sh**, if I put my motherfu*** hand on you, make you go anywhere I want to and rip you, and I rip you all the time, that's gonna be it. And I'm gonna pound-hound him." GP can control where he wants Kyrie to go Payton is one of the best defensive players of all time and is arguably right there at the top when it comes to the best guard defenders ever. Standing 6'4", he was known as "The Glove" because of his extremely quick hands and ability to knock the ball off the offensive player and get steals. He was also an excellent lockdown defender who maximized the use of the hand-check to guard offensive players. While it has been banned since 2004, the hand check was a tool that players in the 80s and 90s used to play defense. With the ability to hold the offensive player's back, waist, or hip, defensive players like Payton could push or hold their man, thus effectively controlling where her wants him to go. GP would certainly have the advantage if he used that trick against a much smaller Irving. Advertisement "I would have took his little a** on the block," boasted GP. "That ain't nothing but a chicken dinner. I'm a kill him, barbeque chicken. He gonna get it. I'm just gonna be honest. I'm gonna put him in the paint, and I'm gonna go to work. You're going to either double me, or I'm a kill you every day on the thing." Related: "She is the one…This is the golden goose" - Pat McAfee emphasizes that Caitlin is the player the WNBA has been looking for Strickland thinks differently Contrary to what Payton said, former Washington Wizards guard Rod Strickland — a guy whom GP played 35 times during his NBA career — said that Irving would be a problem if the Dallas Mavericks' All-Star guard played during the 1990s era. Advertisement "He would've been a problem," Strickland said. "I mean, just look at the game. He can shoot the ball, he finished with the bucket in, he can take contact, he has a midrange, he can pass the ball, get him out in an open he's physical...I think he would've been as special as he is now. I think he's one of those guys just because of his skill level and physicality." Payton didn't consider physicality when bragging about how he would've shut down Kyrie in the '90s. Irving does not play a physical style, but he's one who does not fear anyone and is not afraid of the challenge. Sure, hand checks might have affected Kai's game, but they weren't as foolproof as Payton described. If it were as easy as GP said, everyone would have been barbeque chicken for him. But that was not the case. Related: J.R. Smith reveals what makes Kyrie Irving his most gifted teammate ever: "The only player that I've ever seen that can score at every level with either hand"
