Project Wheels and Stance

[JayR]

A couple months ago, I picked up a pristine 64 Buick Skylark and have been planning, drawing and ordering parts for phase one, the most important part; wheels and stance.

It will be way more than skin deep but since Summer is upon us and it doesn't last long in the NW, I'm doing a fast and super functional facelift with a big emphasis on style and function. After a bunch of research and calls and favors, etc, I ordered up a full TVS system from Hotchkis complete with front and rear tubular control arms, BIG sway bars, Bilstien shocks and everything to make it pound corners instead of dragging the door handles around them! Next is a set of Baer 2 piston brakes with the 2 piece rotors to get it stopped right instead of standing on the brick of a pedal and waiting for the worn out drums to haul it down safely. I actually watched an Explorer stuff a Focus into a clean 71 Charger right in front of me this morning so these brakes can't go on soon enough! To hold the corners and grab the road when i have to stop is a set of BF/Goodrich G-Force KDWs wrapped around a set of Rushforth Whiplashes with brushed centers and polished outers.

I've always had a thing for Skylarks because as a designer they have way more style and time and money invested from the factory and they're far less common than Chevelles and about half the price. No offense, my A-Body brothers! And we are brothers because the beauty of the GM A-Body is of course availability of parts and interchangeability.

The car was so nice when I saw it on craigslist, I only slept on it for 2 nights instead of my usual week before I went and looked at it and I struck a deal with the owner who has had it in a garage since 82 only driving it on weekends racking up 96,000 original miles! The only thing done to it other than loving care and oil changes was a repaint in the factory color about 15 years ago that's still in good condition but while I was waiting on parts, I've been detailing it in and out.

The point of this car is obviously to A) Have fun!, B) Promote my design and wheel businesses, C) Go to shows and autocrosses and hone some driving skills, and D) Show people what can be done to an affordable alternative bodystyle when you search with an open mind, use some creativity and some careful parts selection. Do what you can with what you've got! I jones for radical over the top cars but the reality is kids, mortgage, small business and little patience so I found a car in my budget that I could drive this summer which started Sunday so get out there!

If you got this far, thanks for reading!

So, before someone puts up a "This Thread Is Worthless Without Pictures" post, here are some pictures.

Exactly as it was when I found it.



Mocking up some wheels to check fit and clearance at Jared's www.J-RodandCustom.com

And of course the rendering which wasn't too tough to come up with considering how nice this car is.

[JayR]

While we were waiting on parts, we were having great weather and I was itching to drive it so J-Rod and our good friend Howard hammered it for me so i didn't look like I carjacked Frank Sinatra and I've put a few hundred miles on it while the UPS man gets to know me even better bringing cool stuff everyday.


Remember what I said about more money being spent on Buicks? As an example, they had great designers that had to come up the ranks and they designed killer details like tucked bumpers that look like something from a high end shop. Alright, so not quite that tight of a fit but pretty damn cool from the factory! And check out how the bezels and taillight trim panel are castings not stampings. Same with the grille!


Dig the extra details like the roof trim and the flushed windshield trim that's also up front.


Can you tell I love this car?

The UPS man aka Santa brought me big white boxes with BAER written on them!

[hechtrod]

Oh wow! Love this car! Thanks for pointing out those factory design details. Very cool indeed. This should turn out to be a very cool ride! What tire size? What engine/trans does it run? Can't wait!

[buickfunnycar.com]

Damn Jason...that is one clean Skylark.

I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Buicks,my dad worked at Mid-County Buick/Opel in Brooklyn,NY and in the summer,I'd go to work with my dad and play in all the new cars,especially the GS Skylarks & Riviera's.

Can't wait to see it when you're done...

[MrQuick]

ruuuahhhroooohhhh


I think I just heard Zbugger fall off his computer chair.

Very nice Jason.

Can't wait to see it on the rollers.

vince

[JayR]

ruuuahhhroooohhhh


I think I just heard Zbugger fall off his computer chair.

Very nice Jason.

Can't wait to see it on the rollers.

vince

LMAO! Thanks Vince and everyone else!

I'll be running 18x8 with 235/40/18 and 19x8 with 245/40/19 BF/G KDWs. I know it seems conservative but I'm counting on the Hotchkis parts doing a lot of the work and the rear wheelwells are pretty narrow and the frame rail is flush with the well so any minitubs would require moving the frame rail so with an emphasis on time and budget at the moment, we're leaving them alone for now.

Right now, it has a 300" V8 with factory aluminum heads and intake that runs like a top and a powerglide, so again with the emphasis on time and budget, she's going to stay right there and the powerglide will stay in 1st gear out on the autocross! Next winter, I'm going to be on the lookout for an LS motor and an overdrive trans. Sorry Buick guys! I'd love to do an efi 455 like the one in Buwicked a few years back but that just isn't going to happen for less than a fortune so that's a no....

Anyone want to swap a set of wheels for an LS motor and trans??

[oestek]

Jason, I'll have an extra Buick 430 I'd swap... give it a slight punch-over and it's a 468, same stroke as 455. Then drop a FAST EZ-EFI on it and you're there, and you won't get the Buick goons throwing rocks at you!

[rockytopper]

Anyone want to swap a set of wheels for an LS motor and trans??

I'll swap my entire car that has a ls motor and trans for your buick with your awesome wheels on it of course. By the way the cutlass is even rarer than the buick I think. Nice ride looking fwd to seeing it progress.

[srh3trinity]

Nice 'lark. I like early A-bodies and I agree, the Buicks have some nice lines and details that set them apart.

[eric1967]

A friend of mine bought a 1965 Skylark a few years ago. He built a 455 for it. Just a mild pump gas hydrolic flat tappet cam. It has torque like nothing I have ever driven. These are killer motors to drive. I love the car. Good luck.

[1badchevelle]

Glad to see a update,
so I take it you are not going with TTII......

[BaddestBuick]

Wow that thing is clean

[JayR]

I'm really not sure why all the images seem to be various sizes since they're all off of my photobucket...

Check out Brett and Jared adding "ballast to the door sill to simulate what the car would look like back before it got lowered.


Check out the interior in it. All she needs is a carpet and some tunes! Oh, and I'll be ditching the Auto Zone gauges!

[jackfrost]

i kinda like the white walls on the billet wheels.

nice car. I love to see the alternative A-bodies.

[1971CHEVELLE]

Awesome car

[Tony_SS]

Neat project - keep the updates coming!

[nekkidhillbilly]

id take the 430 and 200-4r over the ls motor and whatever trans

[WS6]

Whose rims are those? LOL just kidding. The car looks great Jason and the rendering looks fantastic as well. I love Buicks but had no idea about those special factory features like the flush windshield molding and tucked bumpers. That is very cool indeed. Thanks for the history lesson. Good luck with it all.

[Motown 454]

Sweet car Jay

[JayR]

While waiting on the last few parts to come along in the UPS truck, I clayed the rest of the car and I swear by that stuff! Look what it picked up off the paint right after I washed it! The paint was feeling a little dry and now it feels like it's freshly polished and I haven't even taken a towel to it yet.