Learning by doing. Decided to put my money where my mouth is. Just bought a '66 Skylark and taking a stab at restoring it (with some modification). I've never done one before. Fond memories of working with my father; auto repair was his thing. Figured I'd start a project with my son. Hope to pass it on to him in time. I'll be looking for coach and council. Thanks in advance. Bodies really good. Engine and interior need some help.
Welcome! We're all pals here. Name and location are usually a good start to get going! Looks like a great ride! Cheers!
Welcome! (Re: Virgin Experience - 66 Skylark) Here, here, Welcome to V-8 Buick!! My trusty 65 Buick Special wagon says hi to your 66 Skylark! You'll find more information than you can ever digest and probably at least a friend or two! Cheers, Edouard :beer
Not certain about the naming convention, but based on the VIN number, I believe that I have a Special Deluxe Skylark. A level below the "Skylark." Looks identical to the Skylark except some of the trim and I believe the interior. Based on my research, the other parts seem to match, though. Looking forward to the journey. Theo Austin, TX
Welcome, don't change the color, it looks great in black. My son lives in Cedar Park. we go there every Thanksgiving. Look around the board in garages, you will find some nice black 66s and 67s to get ideas from.
Welcome from florida. Looks like a great start for a project. Get it running and drive it with your son. Take it from me, enjoy and cherish every moment you have with your son and this car. It really will be a "Special", lol. Hope to see more pics soon. Later, Richie
Looks Great! Yes, it looks like a Special Deluxe but with Skylark front fenders and hood. The interior could be the standard Special trim, or the optional Skylark level trim (upgraded interior was an option). You've got a great car to start with. What are your plans for it? :TU:
Welcome and good luck! I joined yesterday and already posted a question and received a reply...... Tons of very smart people here who are more than willing to help..... Me... not so smart but am learning and love my gs 350! ...... Have fun! Jim
Theo, Welcome and what a great car to start with; the exterior appears to be in VG condition! I could not agree more with your choice for a project with your son as I have 2 '66 thin pillar coupes, one a GS and the other is a Special Deluxe basically cloned to GS running gear; there's a few pics in V8 garage. BTW, we visit my son & his family in Cedar Park every few months or so; he has a '67 GS400. There's some Austin area Buick guys who get together occasionally. If there's anything I can do to help, let me know. Good luck with the project; have fun and build some memories! Steve
The forum is already proving to be a great benefit. I was preparing to change the oil since the previous owner said that it had been sitting for a while. Reading through a few post, someone recommended to another member that it's a good idea to remove the valve covers and clean out any gunk. Removed the covers and found a valve cap retainer sitting loose inside. All of the retainers are in place so this was probably a missed part from some previous work. The exhaust side was full of debri as well. Probably hadn't been cleaned in decades. Immediate plans for the car: get the car running; get it stopping. Long term (based on some GREAT feedback - thanks Albert): add front/rear sway bars; change to gas shocks; add disk brakes (front); upgrade steering box to a fast-ratio box; add power steerging; interior refinishing; exterior paint A TON of work awaits Here's a picture of my inspiration vehicle (again, thanks Albert) Debating whether to chage to 17" rims with 235/50-17. My neighbor is hard and fast old school. Won't have any part of it. But there is a lot to be said for the stock rims and tires.</SPAN></SPAN> Recommendations are welcomed. Thanks all. The little guy and I are getting after it. Theo
As much work as you have to go, you should have seen the '67 I bought, it should have been a parts car from the get-go! I can't tell you how awesome this board has been. I went to go buy a set of Buick Rally rims from a member, and ended up cutting up my 67 in his driveway and swapping it all to my 66!
Welcome to the best year that Buick bodies were made! Lots of folks here are willing to help, you'll just need to ask the questions. Also please use the search on this site as there is much information here already. Congrats and enjoy the ride. Scott
Good people. Need some assistance. It's time to do some major work on the vehicle - floor pan replacement, brake conversion, springs & shocks, etc. etc... I'm starting with the gas tank replacement. I need to replace the gas tank and filler neck. Having trouble finding the filler neck. Gas tank rusted through and I'm replacing the entire thing. The current tank has the neck attached. I cannot find a similar tank online and I'm not certain how to attach a neck to the available tanks. Any suggestions? Also, where can I find seats (not seat covers) for the Skylark? I have bench seats in the front but I'm considering moving to bucket seats if I cannot find another bench seat replacement. Thanks, Theo
