65 Skylark "halo" roof trim.. Should I leave on or take off?

The title pretty much says it all. I got a regular (non GS) 65 Skylark (the most chrome decorated version of the Special/Skylark/GS). I'm in the middle of getting some body work done to it, and I am trying to decide what to do about the roof moldings. Both of the body guys working on my car told me to get rid of it.

I want your honest opinion. What do you guys think about the chrome/stainless "halo" around the roof? I know a lot of people will tell me "it's your car do what you want", but I also want other people to appreciate the full potential of this beautiful car. Whether it means leaving the chrome on or off.

Deleting the chrome will mean a few hundred bucks with my body guys. I don't want to spend good money and possibly lower the value of this car either. I am also interested in your opinion on whether permanently taking off the chrome will lower the value of this car in the long run. I'm planning on keeping this car for a while.

Thanks!

 

What is the color combo of your Skylark?
I would keep it if mine, that is part of what makes the car standout.
I just sold a white on white 65 Halo skylark. If I had kept it we were going to paint it burgundy mist with the white inset roof:TU:.

 

I also like the Halo moldings..Ads a little more chrome to the car..We have it on our 72...

 

The color combo right now you could say is primer with light blue interior, I plan on keeping the light blue interior (it's my favorite old muscle car interior color). I was thinking about painting the car either bright alluminum silver or bright metallic silver or something to match the chrome color because there is a lot of chrome on this car, and even though this car would also look good in a darker color such as midnight blue black pearl, or black w/ metallic blue flakes, I am worried that a darker color would be too much of a contrast to all of that chrome, most notably the roof halo chrome.

As you can tell, i'm also having trouble deciding on a color.

---------- Post added at 09:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:45 PM ----------

Chrome is something the newer cars lack these days. What little amount of chrome they have is usually all made of plastic. The amount of (tastefully) done chrome that went into some of the older cars can speak for their quality. What is tasteful, and what's not is what I'm trying to decide.

 

I really don't like the halo trim, it is one thing that would keep me from buying a non-Gran Sport Skylark. If I had a car with that trim I would be thinking about repainting it so I could remove it. That my two cents worth.

 

I had one & really liked the look.I'd keep it.:TU:

 

Thanks for your input. The only thing with the GS is that you got the piece of chrome that goes along the bottom of the back window which separates the roof from the rest of the body. I definitely don't care for that piece of chrome, but if you were to get rid of it, I would most likely be lowering the value of the GS, which was Buicks' flagship sports model for that year.

 

I think the halo roof is one of the coolest things I've ever seen on a car, so much so that it's one of the very reasons I always wanted a `65 Skylark. That and the taillights that go all the way across. I would never consider removing the halo moldings for any reason.

 

I'll have to admit to having a taste for what was popular in the early sixties, no chrome at all. I would strip all the chrome trim off a car and probably all the badging if I wanted a really cool look. But then at that time we reversed rims and used baby moon hub caps with thin whitewalls, and I still like deep painted rims and small caps.

On the second part of your question; deleting the chrome will definitely lower the value of an original/stock car. If you have plans to resell the car keep it as stock as possible. Shop people tend to give advice that is related to repair ease and cost. The local tranny guy told me to remove the switch pitch option when I was asking about rebuilding a transmission, a really bad piece of advice.

All this said, I think you need to keep the trim.

 

Project 65,

I don't want to hi jack your thread, but I have been tossing the same thing around on my 64 Skylark. I like the halo trim, but it being aluminum it doesn't shine like chrome anymore.

Also I read from a board member I think, that the 64 had a different mounting system that was prone to leaking, that really concerns me.

So I would be interested in what input there is with these two problems.

Thanks for letting me jump in here, and I say keep your halo trim!

 

Mine has it and i am keeping it. It is also in mint shape with exception to scratches. I am going to be sanding and buffing it here in the next couple weeks so i can paint the car. The car used to be gold with tan interior. Going to be pearl white with black interior when done. I like the look of it, different than other cars.

 

Having no chrome at all with a clean body does look cool. I've seen a "blacked out" 65 Skylark with no chrome, badges, nothing. Whatever chrome they couldn't get rid of such as the headlight bezel's, grill, etc.. they painted over with black paint. It had a 454, and it looked bad ass for what it was, but I'm not building a hot rod with this particular project, I have in the past though.

Thanks for the info about deleting chrome and lowering the value on your car, I will take that into consideration. I know what you mean about you can't always listen to shop guys.:grin:

---------- Post added at 05:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:29 PM ----------

Very true it does make it different than others. I don't know about now, but back in the day Buick was known as more of a luxury car company compared to some of the other GM manufacturers.

---------- Post added at 06:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:36 PM ----------

I don't see it as hi jacking my thread (yet):grin:. It looks like you're in the same boat as me. As far as the 64 goes, once you buff the aluminum out with a buffing wheel, and some good compound, it should look pretty close to new again.

As far as the mounting system on the roof, 1964 uses screws to mount the trim clips, 1965 uses welded in studs. I'm not a body guy, but I think when you go to install the screws on the roof, if you use some weatherstrip adhesive around the base of the screws, you should be OK as far as any leaks go.

 

Thanks for the info. I didn't realize aluminum trim could be buffed out like stainless. Mine is in excellent shape, just dull. I'll have to give buffing a try. Then plan on resealing the mounting screws once I get to the paint and body.

Best of luck with your project, whatever decision you make on the halo trim :TU:

 

The halo trim is anodized aluminum, so buffing it will not even touch it unless that anodizing is removed first. I get it off with EZ Off oven cleaner and some 0000 steel wool. Be patient, it doesn't come right off like putting paint remover on paint. Or, if there is an anodizing facility near you they can remove it for you. Once that is done you can buff it to a brilliant chrome like shine. After that you'll either have to keep it polished, get it re-anodized, or clearcoat it.

 

I would leave the halo trim in place. I like hving the contrast between the top and sides. But this is from a guy that spent the time to weld on all the trim buttons so that I could reistall the trim. My car is going back original dark auqa metalic with the white inset on the roof.

 

My 2 cents is that it will depend on the paint scheme. The halo molding can really make a two tone car pop.

 

you can guess from my avatar what my opinion is. The inside of the halo is white; just as the factory did it.

 

Hmmmmmm??uzzled:uzzled:

 

keep it.



Jeff ~

 

I ditched mine,,but also ditched the side moulding and kept the wheel well mouldings!!
Kinda depends on the look your after,,I wasn't after the factory correct look!!