69 Skylark - "Free Falling" build up. :Comp: Figured I need to start a thread on this, mainly because I've allready lost my notes. :error: The backstory: Pulled the car out of a field outside of Lubbock, Texas that use to be a car dealership. The dealership's owner died years ago, and it's been sitting. I had stopped and looked at the car on the otherside of a chain link fence for over a year before I tracked down the widow (no easy task) and convinced her to sell me the car. $1,200 dollars later I'm the proud owner of a 68 Skylark, 350-2 car. 2-door, hardtop. Because it was titled under a dealership, and that license has since expired I have to have the car appraised before I can get a bonded title for it, only came with a bill of sale. Something to do with the widow getting fined if she sold it with the title like that. Still have yet to do that.. ou: So far I've done the following: New windshield. Old one was cracked so bad when the light hit it you couldnt see without sticking your head out the window while driving. Front disk brake conversion. Not a bad deal, got a kit on sale off e-bay for $350. But.. when I pulled the drum setup off the front I found everything else was shot too. So: New upper and lower balljoints. New tie rods - inner and outer. New drag link. New master cylinder New front brake hoses All new rear brakes, including drums, spring kits, and wheel cylinders. New transmission filter. New valve cover gaskets New belts, and hoses. New water pump. When we went to replace the pump, we found that the timing cover was cracked pretty badly. Purchased a used one from a member off this board. :TU: Pulled the cover, found a loose timing chain.. so in goes a new one. When we went to put the new cover on, we found a bolt broken off in the block above the driverside water socket. Cant really manually drill it out due to how it's broken, and too scared to try blowing it out with a torch. So, after calling a machine shop and talking with the bank I've decided (and been approved) to give it a full .030 over bore and full port and polish job for the heads, including a 3 angle valve job. Estimated cost of machine work, pending we dont find any more major problems: $1,800 And I just got off the phone with TA performance putting a rebuild kit together. Below are part numbers and pricing: 1602 - Pistons, .030 over. 10 - 1 compression = $335 1635 - Rings to go with above pistons = $79 1432A - Large intake valves, cant remember their size atm = $225 1559 - Cam bearings = $59.95 1550 - Main bearings (All sizes the same price) = $89 1540 - Rod bearings = $55 1705B - Complete gasket set = $133.85 1517B - Brass freeze plugs = $10.00 1507 - Oil pump kit = 29.95 1510 - Forgive these next two, oil pump goodies. Missed writing down exactally what they are = $20.95 1502 - = $19.95 1704 - Shim kit for above pump goodies = $16.95 1529 - Assembly lube = $7.50 TA 112 - Performance cam for the 350 = $185.00 1405 - Hydraulic Lifters = $79 1436 - Stage 1 Valve springs = $75 1434 - Keepers = $29 1529D - Cam oil breakin lube = $18 Parts list grand total = $1,468.00 (prices are subject to change) Looks like I'll need a little bigger loan, but we'll see what the machine shop says after they clean up and take a look at the block before I buy any parts. Think it's time for a second job? o No: Need to price out one of those shiney X-Factor intakes too. :Brow: Then I can worry about a carb, and a dyno run.
Will grab some soon. Body is a little dented, and it's going to need an interior, but it's solid. Nicest thing about the car was once I got it home, all it took to get it to start was a good set of wires, new cap, rotor, points, drop a good battery in it and poor a little gas down the carb. Cant believe it had been sitting all that time and didnt freeze up, but I suspect people had been messing with it over the years. Was running rough at first, but I drove it around for a week before I tore into it and it's running better and better. Put some new plugs and a timing chain in it, should purr like a kitten.. Will have to wait till it gets put back together tho.
Here's a few pictures. It's a bit rough, but deffintly workable. :TU: I've seen worse.. heck, I've owned worse. Carmantx: Let me know if you get it, I've fallen in love with the 68, 69 bodystyles.
I was told by the lot's neighbor that the car was suppose to have 65,000 origional miles. Neighbor claimed to have known and worked with the dealer's owner, but after pulling the engine partially apart I no longer believe that. However, when we did a compression test it had 135 and above on all cylinders. I dont think there's any way of telling tho. When I found the car it had a 70's style passenger mirror on it. That's since been removed and sold. I do like the avatar, was taken the day I found the car.
What's the difference in the 68s and 69s? I wish my 67 was a 68 or 69. They're all cool though. Keep us updated.
Driver side seatbelt and vin say it's a 68. Either way I'm happy with it. But now I'm curious, what is the difference in the 68 and 69s?
It's a very nice solid find either way. I love them both. Post the vin number or the cowl tag and we'll decode it for you. Some of the differences between the 68 and 69 off the top of my head are, No vent windows on 69 doors. Square rear side marker lights on 69's, 68 are round. 3rd middle backup light in rear bumper on 69's only. The vinyl roof on 69's sweeps down and back behind rear side window. 68's would cut back forward a short ways under the side window. The front fenders have 3 vertical gills, 68's would be horizontal. The grille has a middle bar, 68's have none. The ignition switch will be on the column for a 69 and in the lower dash of a 68. The headlight surrounds have rounded corners on a 69, the 68's are square. The 68 dash will have a silver back ground on the speedo and radio faces, the 69's will be black.
Guess I never did look up the vin on this car. ou: :error: V.I.N.: 435379HI68444 1st Digit - Division 4 = Buick 2nd and 3rd Digits - Series 35 = Skylark V6 (1968-69) 4th and 5th Digits - Body Code 37 = 2 Door Hardtop Coupe 6th Digit - Model Year 9 = 1969 7th Digit - Assembly Plant Code H = Flint, MI Last 6 Digits - Production Number I68444 Cowl tag (above the firewall, under hood before the wipers) reads: ST69 43537FL1 087979BDY TR 124 50 BPNT 11D I couldnt find any sort of stamp on the motor itself. Checked under the powersteering bracked (front of the motor is off at the moment), and for a stamp on the block between the first and third cylinder. Intake says 350 on the back. Hmm.. off to the paper trail then.
ST69, model year. 11D means it was built the 4th week of November. ..So the car has leftover 68 parts from the previous production year?
Not at all. Your car was an early 69. Buick and other manufacturers design and order the parts to build them years in advance in order to have everything ready for the production lines. Subassemblies and parts are stamped or coded with the dates they're built so it's not uncommon to find parts from a year or so earlier on your car. My 69 has an April 69 build date, almost the end of 69 production and I have 1968 dated seatbelts in mine too.
Thanks for the information. Cant believe I never looked up the vin on this.. o No: About 70 miles east of Lubbock. Head south from Dickens and you cant miss it... unless you blink. Population of about 1100. We have one red light in the whole town, and it blinks. p
Hmm.. interior looks faded white to me. Maybe that's what it's suppose to look like? o No: Of course I have no clue what the origional Parchment interior looked like. Will have to look it up. I do think the car did / will look good with the origional paint scheme and black vinyl top tho. But.. I'm also thinking eventually I'll find a GS ram air hood and air cleaner for it.
just a suggestion, get the car appraised BEFORE you start dumping all that work and money into it. makes the bonded title easier to get and costs less also because the liability of the bonding company is less. if you get it done after the car is together then your just costing yourself money
