Hey everyone, just looking for pointer when looking into starting a new project. 1. Where should I be most concerned to find rust??? 2. Should I stick with an original engine or drop in a newer say LS type motor....and if so, how would that effect the value of the vehicle. 3. What are the most important elements you look for when picking out a vehicle??? Thanks for any input and help you can give!
Most of those questions are answered that depends. One of the pitfalls is a project can eat up far more money than the car will be worth, but on the plus side you will end up with what you want. Personally, I would steer clear of the LS motor if you are building a Buick. You will get better satisfaction from using a Buick motor and if you go to sell it you will have a better buying audience. Need more info on what you are looking at if you want specifics on what to look for. Since you have 65 in your screen name, I'll assume you like Buick's best year, 1965. In the skylark you want to look at both the front and rear window channels for rust. Look for any bubbling coming out from under the window trim and check the trunk floor for rust caused by the rear window leaking. Also look at the area between the trunk lid and the back seat from inside the trunk looking up. Look at the rear quarters for rust. They don't make replacement sheet metal for the rear quarters. As for what to look for in a project car, that depends on your budget, what you can do and where you hope to end up with the car. I'm going to guess by the questions that you have limited experience working on cars so I would say to look for a car with a good solid body. You can buy a good engine, transmission, rear end or whatever to put in the car and it's a pretty easy project. Body work can get spendy if you aren't able to do it yourself.
Exactly the type of info i was looking for. It sound a lot like the body rust is the #1 concern, and i didn't know that the didn't make replacement sheet metal for quarters, so good info there!! As far as the engine, it has a Wildcat 355. I am leaning largely on rebuilding both the engine and the trans to keep it all orginal. So good info there as well!! Thank you a bunch!!
I have rebuilt both the 64 and 65 skylark cars in past years.... I started out with the little ''wildcat 310'' version and went thru the 355 version and then to the nailhead 401, and then to the Big Block 430 that was punched to 442 cu. in.... The best set up for just fun , racing, and gas mileage was the 355.... I raced more, broke less, and had more fun with that set up than any other.... the 401 was a very good set up, but it broke stuff with all the torq... the 442 was a brute as for power and it really would break stuff... including its self.... In rebuilding my current 65 GS the main problem was rust damage,,, but the car set outside under a tree for 9 years before i got it.... rust around the cowl area and the front glass and rear glass was hardest to fix.... There is now available patch panels to fix the area behind the rear wheels ,,, these just now became available,,, saw them in a rod book last wk... China made no doubt... but better than nothing.... Go to the wrenchin secrets thread and ck. out my list of cheap tricks there and that will give you some ideas and save you some bux....and time....
I don't want to spoil you fun but if you have limited experience, all the spare time in the world, and boatloads of cash laying around then forget about the project. Whatever you think it will cost will at least triple before you finish it, same goes for the time it will take you to do it. The best thing you can do for yourself is to go find a car you like in either nice original condition or one that's already restored and buy it. If you want to change a few things to your own personal taste, do it at your own pace while still being able to drive and enjoy the car.
Thanks for the advice. My All-Time dream car is a 1965 Convert Skylark. While I do not have boat loads, I do have resouces available to do what needs to be done. Noooow, that being said, at the end of the project, we shall see how i feel about the whole process! Wha you two both say holds a lot of water, because this isn't the first time that I have heard someone say the EXACT same thing, and I appreciate the heads up. While I am not totally inexp with cars, this would be my first rebuild. At any rate, i hope that i am able to tap into the vast treasure chest of knowledge from you all and get this one done to my satisfaction without making some of the mistakes awaiting me. Btw, yeah, i think that the 355 is my best bet as well. We'll tinker with it, and try and get the most out of it, without taking away from the fun it'll bring. Who wants to ALWAY be in the shop fixing anything, after it was supposed to be finished??? Lol!! I will def keep ya'll posted, as well as post pictures of the project soon. Nice to see people just as, if not more, excited about these Buicks as myself. Thanks again!!!
FYI,,,,, The 65 Skylark used to fall barely into the top of GSA [G/ stock/ automatic] class at the drag strip.... the 11/1 piston engine with the single 4 barrel carb and dual exhaust was rated at 250 hp. by buick.... it ran against 327 /2brl. chevys and 326/2brl pontiacs and with the switch pitch 2 speed trans that came in the skylarks I never had either one of them beat me .... all of the cars in that class were advertised 250 hp. cars.... If you put some good low gears like 3.55, 3.73, 3.90or 4.11 posi,,, you will have a real sleeper on your hands.... nobody expects a Buick to run like it will.... plus lighten the car up as much as possible... the class is based on advertised hp/advertised weight....you can reduce the car about 300 lb... each 100 lb. will give you a tenth of a sec. reduction in time...that is a bunch on the drag strip... The 4 brl. engine has 11.1 pistons in it from the factory... but due to manufacturing tolerances it works out to a actual ratio of about 10.5 to 1....dont boost the compression any more unless you plan to run aviation gas in it.....:laugh: Just some info....and ideas.....:Smarty:
One very important thing.. If you think it's going to ever be finished you are wrong. Older cars are never finished you will always find something that needs to be done. It is the nature of the beast. If you are going to dive into this remember take on small parts at a time if you try to take it all on at once you will never get it done. I tried to do it all at once on a 64 LeMans I had in the end I really hated that car and could not get rid of it fast enough.
Here's what I tell everyone. There are 3 parts to the project; interior, body, drivetrain. Any of those getting done in a shop will kill your budget. Figure out which one you absolutely can't do for yourself and make sure the car you get has that area already accounted for. If you're good with mechanical stuff than buy a car with a great body or interior and no motor. If you're good with body work than buy a beat up car with a great drivetrain. If you start out with what you can't do than the project will stay alot closer to your budget and time frame.
The main pittfalls are: Never finishing and losing interest; Going way over budget; You finish but it takes years; and When you are finally through the car is worth a fraction of the time and the Franklin brothers you have invested in it.
We all tend to mention the huge investment of cash and time..............BUT the satisfaction of doing most or all of it yourself is very gratifying, after all, remember, it's the journey that counts, not just the destination!!!!!!!!! Enjoy working on it and appreciate it if it ever gets done!!! Tom
