I just purchased a 1962 skylark as my first "project" car, and just joined this group for the first time... The car is in good condition, with only minor rust (1 hole into the truck from underneath, and some surface rust). The chrome needs to either be replaced and/or refinished for many areas of the car, but it runs well and sounds great! I have not been able to find much information about the '62 lark on the web, and am looking for good sites to visit. Any suggestions and/or "do's/don'ts" in the restoration would be appreciated..
Congrats on the new ride! I just got mine in March, so that makes me pretty new to them also. I have had to do a little work to it (or have it done) and will gladly offer any assistance I can, however limited it will be. Oh yeah........I wanna see pictures!
I know this may be a "dumb" question, but should I use leaded or unleaded gasoline for this car? o No: Have you found any good places to obtain parts for the '62 lark? I hae searched the web several time, and can't find much. I had to go to 4 different local parts stores to even get the necessary items for a tune-up (and even then some of the stuff needed to be ordered)... I have attached a pic...enjoy! BTW - Have you been able to find a manual for the skylark? The only one I was able to find was on CD-ROM...
Brian, I use a lead substitute additive when I fill up, with mid-grade. Every month-ish I run some Techron through to keep the build-up minimal. I found several manuals available through vendors advertising in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds. Prices varied from $25-60. If you don't have a subscription to Hemmings yet, that would be the first thing I would suggest. I had to get some front end and brake work done on mine, and what I ended up doing was ordering all the parts myself and taking them to a reputable shop to do the work. You will find that most auto parts places only have parts info for the Skylark dating back to '64. So most of your parts searching will be done through some more specialized vendors. Until you find a manual, if you need any info out of them (I have the Chassis and Body manuals) I would be glad to help any way I can. Keep workin' on that pic. or just email 'em... jelzic@cox.net
Best I can tell, it's another case of the parts selection only going back to '64. But, there are several "generic" style weatherstripping vendors. www.jcwhitney.com has some. Use some good 3M adhesive for your doors and I would think it should work fine. Sorry I couldn't be more help. I will keep my eyes open.
Thanks for looking... I have ordered the following on CD-ROM (hopefully it will be here within the next few days): http://www.motocom.com/automobiles/1962/6/8150 I have found many other sources of information within the last few days, so if there is anything I can help you locate, let me know...
Sounds like a nice CD. I might need to consider that one. There are a few listings in Hemmings for weatherstripping. I found this site through them www.steelerubber.com toll free: 800-544-8665 Looks promising! According to their site, they should have whatever you need. Oh yeah......always keep your eye on eBay. I've already gotten an extra set of hubcaps and an extra grill! You never know what'll pop up.
They look a little expensive, but I have sent for their paper catalog (it's free, and would be a good reference). Thanks again for all of you help thus far....
I found a few links that you might be interested in (related to the 215 engine)... http://aluminumv8.com/ http://www.v8capri.clubonline.org.uk/tuneup.htm Did you know that you can use the buick 300 crank (with a little machine work), heads, and aluminum intake on the 215? I also saw a website that claimed to be able to convert the 3.5 liter 215 into a 5.0 liter...
cool links......thanks! There is quite a history with the 215. It's a shame Buick didn't hold on to it.
I just recieved the CD-ROM manuals, and here is what's included (for the 1962 Buick): 1) Buick 1962 Chassis Service Manual 2) Buick 1962 Body Service Manual 3) Buick Chassis & Body Illustration Catalog 4) Buick 1962 Chassis Service Manual (Special) The CD Rom also contains interesting facts about the time period when the car was released (i.e. world events, etc.), car clubs, and a listing of parts vendors. All in all, it looks like I got my money's worth...
Cool. How does the index work? Is it all .pdf or does it do some cross-referencing? Are all of the photos/illiustrations included? Sounds like a good deal.
The documents and all papaerport files, and the index is handled via an Access database. Although I would have written this software differently, it could be much worse... Basically it breaks up the sections by topic and lets you go right to that topic. I did have some installation problems (as I had Access 2000 on my pc and the software came in Access 97 format), but there was an update available from the tech support webpage, and now it works fine...
brian, 62's are a good candidate for v6 turbo or 350 engine. but check out how your rear bolts up. they are not the best setup(bolts to the chassis). you will have to get a narrowed 10 or 12 bolt for the extra h/p. have a friend of mine put a 401 4spd in one......YEOW. car would fly. john
