Its my understanding that Buick switched from a top mount to a side mount May '71. Is this true for skylark and GS models? Asking for a friend who is finding info that GS models continued with top mount...
I believe that Skylark and GS would have both made the change at about the same time. After all, the GS is a Skylark with more goodies added. But, others will either back me up or shoot me down. Let's hear it.
A lot of engine stuff changed at around the same time. They were starting to design the stuff for emissions back then. Electronic dash pots started being used, with brackets that are unique to the late 71 cars only. I remember 4 different types, small block automatic, small block 4-speed , big block automatic, big block 4-speed, and other things. Emission stickers changed, and one for the electronic dash pots were added. Even the 71 side mount battery cables are different then the 72 style cables. Some venders sell them as 71-72 cables but the negative is a 71 BB only cable. I can’t remember more about it, as it has been too many years, but do remember finding and using a really nice original cable because the repro cables at the time were wrong. I even remember buying the one I used with the part it was attached to because the guy selling it was too scared to try to remove it without breaking the end off the cable. (I remember taking my time removing it.) The more I think about it I think it was attached directly to the head. I think I ended up buying the pair of used 71 heads with the battery cable. Also IIRC the 71 negative cable had a red end at the battery connection and did not have a pig tail. Also IIRC the 72 negative cable has a pig tail, but I don’t remember if the connection at the battery was black or red. Building a late 71 car correctly can be a hard thing to do, especially due to limited information from the assembly manuals etc. Duane
Just to add to this, I checked my late 71 assembly manual for A-bodies and it does show both the side mount batteries & cables, as well as the electronic dash pots. The revision date of the drawing showing the battery & cable changes was dated 2/22/71 The revision date for the 455 automatic Electronic dash pot was 2/12/71. Duane
