65 Skylark project

[Dr. Evil]

This will be a slow project. My wallet will only allow so much room at once for improvements. I posted a before and after pic.
I wanted a rust free project that I could drive almost immediately but didn't want to fool with any rust.
Found this gem last fall and it is very solid for a starting point. Being an A body car theres lots of support. Paint is amateur but presentable, interior is very good and I cant prove it but I believe the odometer shows true miles at 44k.

So far I've added seat belts, wheels/tires and shocks. I'm collecting parts for a disc brake conversion. I plan to use machined hubs and transplant LS1 F body brakes all around. I've already located a big block Buick motor that should find its way under the hood eventually. It currently has a 73 model 350 SBB for power that's a bit tired, but runs.

This will not be a high dollar build but rather a slow process. I hope to get my 10 y/o son involved when and where I can and he's already expressed a lot of interest.

[Dr. Evil]

Added a few more pictures.
I also forgot to add the wheel/tire specs.

Wheels are 17x8 with 4.5" BS. Tires are 245/45/17 square. No rubbing issues that I've noticed just test driving in the subdivision but we'll see once I do any cornering at speed.

[77thor]

Nice! Brings back memories of my first car; 1965 Buick Special

[Reckn8]

This car is beautiful!!

[1989GTA]

Very nice. A Grand Sport at that.

[Dr. Evil]

I said it was going to be a slow build but I did pick up what I hope to be the new power plant.
I scored a Big Block Buick 455 from a local guy. Its been sitting on his garage floor for the last 15 years. it was supposedly rebuilt when he got it. It appears to some work done but I haven't torn it down yet.
Its a 70' model with the corresponding 70' heads (non stage 1) that I'll do some home porting on before installing.

124698124699124700

[64G-lark]

Nice car. Glad to see another Buick.

[Dr. Evil]

A few boxes have shown up. In the mean time I've been fixing little things here and there that are free or cheap.
My starter was acting up and its almost as cheap to put a reman on it as it is to rebuild one so that has happened.
I played around with the timing a bit and finally got it set but it still runs a little rough for my liking.
I installed a set of mech guages, the standard Oil press, Temp and Voltage. I dont have a tach but at idle I'm
seeing 18psi oil pressure at 195*
Cold is upwards of 55psi but thats also above hot idle speed.
BMR springs showed up yesterday, hope to get them in this weekend. They are a 2" drop so I hope to keep the stance the same. The ones on it now are just worn out stockers.
I ordered a USA230 radio for a Buick that should be here any day so we can have some tunes now. The original AM turns
on but nothing comes out.
I really need to figure out what to do about my fuse block. I pulled it off the firewall and tried to clean it but
the grease or whatever it was has hardened into some type of hard black stuff that is like glue. The only way to get a fuse out
is to break it into pieces with a small flatip screwdriver. I've replaced most of them and wire brushed, sanded some of the
affected areas. I guess it just takes time. Thats about it for now.
I've got my eye on the FITECH system and am really thinking about pulling the trigger on that.
I can use it now on my SBB but also on a BBB if I ever finish the one on the stand in the garage.

That's it for now. I did say it was going to be a slow build.

[Zoomin]

What a difference a set of wheels makes!

Great find on that car. Buicks are an absolute bargain compared to their Chevy and Poncho cousins, plus they are unique. Many parts are interchangeable but a bunch aren't. I thought that A body hood hinges would swap out but such was not the case. Anyway, check before you buy.

it would be a good idea to replace all that 50 year old wiring, check into American Autowire Classic Update replacement harness. The fuse block uses the new ATO fuses and it is easy to stall.

This may be a slow build, but you're miles ahead by not having to replace a bunch of rot.

[Dr. Evil]

Steve, you read my mind. I get into an A body for a fraction of the price and got a great piece to start with. The body on this one is solid. I wanted something that I didn't have to replace any sheet metal on, at all. It is kinda cool to be the only guy in a car like this at cruise ins and shows also. Thanks for the heads up on the wiring harness, I'll look into it. This one is an unmolested original but it is 50 years old.

[analyte]

What a difference a set of wheels makes!

Great find on that car. Buicks are an absolute bargain compared to their Chevy and Poncho cousins, plus they are unique. Many parts are interchangeable but a bunch aren't. I thought that A body hood hinges would swap out but such was not the case. Anyway, check before you buy.

it would be a good idea to replace all that 50 year old wiring, check into American Autowire Classic Update replacement harness. The fuse block uses the new ATO fuses and it is easy to stall.

This may be a slow build, but you're miles ahead by not having to replace a bunch of rot.

I'll second the AA Classic wiring update. Nothing worse than dealing with old crappy wiring especially when stranded away from home. A great investment for a car you want to enjoy.

Kerry

[Dr. Evil]

So I made a bit more progress. I installed an autosound230 radio. I did not want to cut up the dash or try to hide one in the glove box. I'm pleased with the way it turned out. It only has a couple of speakers for now but works well enough. The stock AM had given up the ghost long ago. I also installed a set of gauges. Just the basic oil/temp/volt stuff.
I put a set of BMR 2" lowering springs in and it leveled the rear up left to right. The stock springs were past gone and the shocks were probably the originals from the factory. I used a set of new cheap shocks but its still an improvement. With the springs I used Energy Susp poly locators. The wheels tuck nicely in the rear. The front is next but I'm still gathering parts for a disc brake conversion and will do it all at once.

[Zoomin]

Dang, that car is sharp!

I love how Buick put the bumpers in tight against the body way back then. It's the big new deal these days.

[Godbolt]

Dang, that car is sharp!

I love how Buick put the bumpers in tight against the body way back then. It's the big new deal these days.

Yeah! What he said.

Those wheels look great on there.

[Dr. Evil]

128502128503128501128500Today was one step forward, one step back.
Went to have duals put on but it overheated on the way there. Turned around and drove it home after a brief cooling period and 3 liters of water. I'll get it figured out.
I did pull the console out and install a new tachometer where the stock (non working) was. I had to disassemble the new one and do a lot of trimming and test fitting but got it to fit. I fastened the assembly to the housing and then made a bracket to hold the entire housing tight to the console.

While I had it out I used a soft copper wire brush, steel wool, neverdull and elbow grease to clean it. Now I have a working tach w/shift light in a 50 year old console that looks like new money.

Not complete without pics so...

[FLYNAVY53]

Cool build....Ive been considering a '66 Skylark for all the same reasons

[Zoomin]

Wow - looks like new"

[1989GTA]

Nice job.

[Dr. Evil]

I had not cleaned it yet in the 2nd picture so it looks a bit dirty still but y'all get the idea.

Thanks guys!

1989GTA, your build is where I get a lot of my inspiration. Mine will be more limited but you've got some great ideas.

[Dr. Evil]

I scored a set of LS1 brakes from the local pull a part today for $68. New hubs and adapters from BRP Hotrods will be here Friday. Already have a booster/Master Cylinder and a proportioning valve so at this point I just need some lines and odds and ends. Excited to get a major upgrade started. Car currently has original single bail master cylinder and 4 wheel drums. Pics to follow...

[Dr. Evil]

Made some progress on the brakes. I need to finish plumbing from the master cylinder to the proportioning valve, bleed the system and try it out. The brackets and hubs came from BRP hotrods. There were no instructions and the hardware kit (nuts and bolts) must have been for a different application. I only needed to use 4 of the bolts and 4 washers. The kit had 8 of each I think. I figured it out, but they could do better IMO.

[Dr. Evil]

Brakes are done. Took it for a drive and had exhaust work done. Still need to dial in the proportioning valve and the pedal rod but its close. Car has really good feedback and stopping power is incredibly improved. A worthwhile mod if ever there was one.
I did get an x pipe and duals put on, nothing special but at least it sounds like a V8 car now.

Progress... slow and steady.

[Zoomin]

Slow and steady? Heck, you're driving your car already! A lot of these threads go for years before they reach that point.

[Dr. Evil]

Have quite a few more miles on the car now. Brake upgrade really brings a smile, its a huge difference.
Exhaust sounds so much better with the 2.25" true duals, x pipe and turbo mufflers.
I had an overheating issue crop up and I thought my motor had turned loose of something. I was seeing a bunch of oil in the coolant. Put in a 180* thermostat, verified water pump was working fine and flowing well. Looks like it was trans fluid so I added an aftermarket trans cooler and bypassed the radiator. That go the oil/trans fluid out of the cooling system (and a very thorough flush).
Did a lot of reading on a buick board and set timing, played around with some other things like switching the vacuum advance over to manifold instead of carb vacuum etc.
Looks like my overheating was due to retarded timing. Once I added timing it really woke the car up.
I also read some bad reviews on fram oil filters so I switched to a Purolator. This alone gained me about 10psi oil pressure at idle.

[joejbal]

Are you using a low angle booster bracket?

[Zoomin]

Any more changes planned soon, or are you going to drive the wheels off it till Winter? :)

[Dr. Evil]

Are you using a low angle booster bracket?

Joe, I did not use any bracket. I was initially concerned about the angle but its fine as is. The firewall has 4 bolts for mounting. I cut off the 4 bolts on the face of the booster and welded some tabs to the lower part to extend it so that I could drill out two more holes to mount it using the 4 bolts on the firewall. This also allowed me to center the rod in the firewall hole. I have no hood clearance issues and it sets in the slot on the inner fenderwell for the booster perfect.


Any more changes planned soon, or are you going to drive the wheels off it till Winter? :)
I have a little left in the budget and am trying to decide what I want to do. I definitely plan to swap in a jeep steering box soon. I just made a deal on another board for a T/A performance dual plane aluminum intake for the 350 in it now. I want to use the 350 in it now to sort out the suspension and drivability before swapping another (455) engine in it. I really want to put an FITECH on it now as part of that but that gets a bit pricey. I've put a couple hundred miles on the brakes since I last posted and have been playing around with the proportioning valve to get it dialed in. I put a return spring on the brake pedal too. It wasn't returning all the way and was dragging the brakes just a hair. Works great now.
Now my trans is leaking a bit. I may throw a th350 under it since its a direct swap to keep it on the road.

[Dr. Evil]

I was curious what this car weighed so I took it down to the local truck stop. 3560lbs without the driver.
Still has the spare in the trunk and about 2/3 tank of gas. I havent weighed the new wheels but I'm sure
the 17x8 with 245s are heavier than the stock 14s. I've also done a disc brake ugrade that likely added a few lbs too.
I'm pleased with it being that light thus far.
Future plans include some corner carving and an occasional trip down the 1320. An aluminum intake, relocated lighter battery and a few other weight saving mods I think I can get it below 3500lbs.

[Dr. Evil]

I have hopefully solved my overheating issue. I picked up this 2 core from the local hot rod shop for $160. Pics show how much larger it is than the one I had in it. The one I took out with the plastic tanks had a leak in the trans cooler anyways.
I also picked up a BOP TH350 for $25 off of the local craigslist. It needs to be rebuilt but $25 for a core was fair.
I have also since picked up another big block buick 455, a 70 non stage model complete. I got it for the misc parts that I didn't have already. Things like valve covers, rocker arms, oil pan, distributor etc. It has a good timing cover too.
Other than that, I've been driving the car quite a bit, at least once a week.




131241131242

[Zoomin]

Yeah, that new radiator should do the trick. That's a good buy too.

[Dr. Evil]

Been busy so not a whole lot to report. I dropped off the big block at the machine shop. I also got my jeep grand Cherokee steering box installed. I couldn't locate fittings for using my old hoses and to be honest, wasn't thrilled about the idea of using old hoses anyways. I ended up using AN fittings and made my own hoses. A lot of people here have done this swap so no need to go into detail a whole lot other than I had to upgrade my old PS pump to a newer Saginaw type. Then the bracketry wouldn't match up so out came the die grinder. Some time and a lot of metal shavings later it fit.
A worthwhile mod to go from the old numb set up to this one. Car drives much nicer and is easier to drive and especially to park.

[Dr. Evil]

Was at the local hot rod shop the other day and a guy brought in a Holley 600 vac secondary to trade in. He purchased it off the internet and it was the wrong one. The parts guy whom I've gotten to know better, plus we went to HS together many years ago, asked if I wanted it for $150. Upon inspection it is brand new, never been bolted up.
Its now sitting on top of an alum intake that I picked up from another board for $100.
I now have it all installed and the car really likes it. Its not going to win any races but it definitely runs much better. For <$300 including gaskets I have a new carb, alum intake, linkage and breather. Pics to come shortly. I may even drive it to work tomorrow.

[Dr. Evil]

135620
Been doing some home porting on the big block cylinder heads. They are at the machine shop now and the cam, springs and lifters arrived from TA performance.
135621

135622135623

In the last pic you can see the new PS pump and setup. The close ratio box helps drivability tremendously. The Holley 4bbl and alum intake are running great. I've driven the car to aork a couple times now (40 miles each way). The 2 speed has got to go however.

The BB is coming along slowly, I hope to have it together in a couple months and in the car before summer is over.

[1989GTA]

Yeah, I really like the Grand Cherokee steering box on my car. Keep us posted with your progress.

[Dr. Evil]

So Ive been driving it mostly and enjoying it. Not a lot on the car to update. I did make a really nice score on some big block parts though. I picked up an early edelbrock B4B intake which is a nice score but the guy also threw in a set of alum finned valve covers. I flipped the covers and ended up making a small profit which I put into the big block build.
Funds are tight so every bit helps.
I ordered a distributor, motor mounts, adapter plates, odds and ends. I have everything to start the BB now. I hope to get it on the stand and broken in in the next week or two.

143745

143746

[Dr. Evil]

The big block is together, going to for it up on a test stand and break in the cam. Meanwhile, as if I'm not moving door though on the engine and needed something else to work I decided to pull the dash apart. I'm tired of looking at the stock instrument cluster. I'm using a piece of clear plexiglass to make a template. Once that is done I'll make one out of aluminum with the typical fuel, voltage, oil pressure, temperature, tach and speedometer.

[Dr. Evil]

Pics

[tim222]

I like your progress, If I follower the thread correctly, your Buick car is dropped 2" with BMR springs all around?
I am hoping to assemble once and not sure if I have the right parts for enough drop on the front of my Skylark.

The dash idea is great, looking forward to updates.
-Tim

[Dr. Evil]

Tim, I have only dropped the rear so far. I wanted to wait on the front to get the big block in to see where it settles with the new weight.

[Dr. Evil]

So it took longer than planned but thebig block is done and ready. For anyone wondering about the starter, I had a spare left over from a 1996 LT4 corvette I used tp own. Turns out its a direct replacement and works great.
We broke it in on the stand and ran it for 30 minutes, no issues. Intially Iĺl have to use the manifolds and will add headers as budget allows. Now I need to find time to swap and funds for a th350 and converter.

[skylark guy]

Looking good my fellow Skylark owner!

Do you know if your car is originally arctic white with black vinyl top? If so, I was wondering if you could share a picture of your data plate. I'm trying to see if I am correct about how I decoded mine.

[Dr. Evil]

Drake, are you a member of v8buick.com? Lots of info on our cars over there.

[skylark guy]

Drake, are you a member of v8buick.com? Lots of info on our cars over there.

I am now! Thanks for pointing me there. Looks like a great resource.

[JRANGER]

Yeah v8buick seems like a good site...I almost bought a skylark but ended up not due to the rarity of parts. :)

[Dr. Evil]

I finally got my ass in gear. I pulled out the tired 350 sbb and 2speed.
Swapped in the 455 and th350 combo. Took me a while since I'm doing it by myself and I had a few kinks to work through along the way. The car moved under it's own power yesterday with the new combo.
It's going to be a fun summer...
Pics and details coming when I can get to it.

[skylark guy]

Woohoo! Looking forward to the pictures!