I wanted to know what you guys thought...to help out my own thought processes...ok, so heres the things thats made me think... i have a 72 buick skylark (2 door) with a 455 in it already, an alright paint job, good interior, a/c, rebuilt th350, and 2.56 rear end (stock 14x6 wheels too)....then i have a 64 buick special (4 door) 225ci v6, powerglide (both need rebuilding if they are to be used), body is real straight but has some rust, interior will need to go all the way though, no options at all.... thats the set up....now what to do... i could start modding the 72 slowly as money comes in (heads, intake, headers, ignition) get new brakes, wheels combo and i have a 12bolt out of a 68 chevelle with 4.10 gears that i can put in....and just do a really cheap rebuild on the 64 and keep it all stock and use it as a daily driver... or...this is a big "OR".... i sell the 72 and build the 64 up and have like a retro bmw m5 killer....i have a buddy of mine at a junk yard with a working, w/ under 70k, 455 that he would let go for about 250 bucks for me, buy a t-56 six speed to go behind it, take that 12 bolt and swap in a 3.55 gear to it, put some nice 17's on it, i have a few friends that have been doing interior stuff for over 40 years and they will cut me a really good deal, me and my friend can do the body work to it, and start having fun with a really lite wieght 64 buick... the main thing that came about this thought was that not many people want to buy a 64 special 4 door that doesn't run and it cost money to put it up for sale....and the 72 i could get money for it and start up for my ultimate project that iv'e been dreaming of...but its still 50/50 between wanting a 4 door or the pretty lines of the 72....both will take a lot of time.... but thanks for reading all that...and just really wanted to see what you guys thought about...or which one you would do... daniel duncan
What are you crazy? :spank: 4 door's don't get any respect. You will be sorry later! Sell it for what you can get for it and buy yourself something your '72 really needs. I'll bet parts are more plentiful for that car also.:Brow:
Which one 'feels' better when you sit in it. How do you like the angle of the steering wheel, can you reach everything? What is visability like? I am not real tall, about 5'9", and some cars are a little to big for me to get that perfect fit in. Just a place to start some of the thought process.
Dryskip makes a good point. Comfort is everything. Try sitting in a '92 ford tempo. Baught one for the wife, driver, most uncomfortable car I ever sat in......I can't get comfortable in that peice of crap.....what you put up on the space on the dash always ends up on your lap......and that stupid automatic motorized wraparound seat belt strangles me every time I back in the driveway and try looking out the door. It moves forward as soon as you open the door. :af: However, it has been a very reliable car for us. It's perfect for her, because she's short. I hate the dammed thing.:blast:
thanks for the replys...i'm about 6'5 so most of these big buicks fit me perfect...i had a 69 electra, now talk about fitting like a glove...i loved that car but the engine went out on it and then the rear end was making noise...the owner before me had really abused the poor girl, and wrecked with with the help of a toyota minivan! the more i think on it the more i like the 64...but i'm trying to sleep on it for a while so that i end up with the car for me and try not to let some of my friends around here curve my judgement thanks guys...keep them coming if you can daniel
the 72 is worth more as an investment while the 64 would be more of a personal pleasure. and it sounds like there is more sentimental value with the older car as well. but the pain in the a$$ of trying to do something like what you want to do with the 64 would -to me- make it too much trouble vs. putting a little more time and energy into the 72. why not put the low milage 455 your buddy has into the 72 and put your old 455 into the 64? in fact you could try building up the 72 and as you try different things use them on the 64 if they dont "mesh" with the 72. this way you have a platform for experimenting and still have a cool car to drive. there is no reason to stay cemented with one plan, is there? that is why most of this stuff just bolts on and unbolts right back off again.
Not to ruffle any feathers, but I'm partial to '70-'72 Skylarks, anyway! Sell the '64! Nothing against 4 doors, either, as I have a '70 Skylark 4 door with a 455, myself!:bglasses: I just could never get used to the '60s body "styles" (SQUARE!). Riv's are NICE, but NOT '60s Skylarks (or Chevelles, or Cutlasses...). Even GTO's were NICER (looking) than the '60s Skylarks/Specials (whatever you want to call it)o No:! The '72 IS "easier" to find parts for, over the '64 (just because of the age difference!)! Sure, you CAN find parts, but NOT as MANY for the '64 (especially '64 BUICK!)! I don't understand, either, WHY you would sell a '71 GS (probably the MOST Valuable car that you have, out of the 3 Buicks that you have listed), before you would sell a '64 Special (4 door or not, is not worth much, mainly because of it's age), OR a '72 Skylark (even with a 455, is not as "collectable" as your GS IS!)!uzzled: Let me tell you this, Daniel, I LOVE your idea of the "retro/modern machine", as you and I have similar ideas! That would be an AWESOME car! Realistically, though, the '64 will COST you more to get it done (the way you'd like it to be done, anyway), and you may regret it later. o No: Something else to think about: SELL BOTH, the '64 AND the '72, and KEEP the '71 GS, to fix up the way you want it! No matter how you fix up the GS, at least IT will always KEEP it's "value", because it IS a GS!:Smarty::TU:
One more thing...I don't know if you want to show it or not.....But a mediocre 2 door will get awarded when the prestine 4 door parked right next to it won't even get noticed. I've seen this happen at least a dozen times at shows.:rant:
well about the whole selling and keeping ideas...i don't really have the extra funds to do both cars, cause then i would air bag the 64, put in a new 3800 series II supercharged engine with a good o/d auto, get a newer regal and make that interior fit in the 64 and have my old looks with new stuff....then i would go all out on the ol 72.... also about the 71 GS, i've thought about keeping it, but i'm really not doing the car up to hold its value...the car i'll build will basically go with me to the grave no matter the amount of debt or money i put in it...but thats just one car and my 72 is in better shape than the 71 and the 71 doens't seem to want to sell anyways, so i might be forced to keep it anyways, which might not be soo bad... i'm still about 50/50 on my idea, but its getting closer to topple...humm....though i will try to sell the 71 on the board one last time before i try ebay.... ohh i forgot, the 72 does have a rebuilt 455 in with about 8k miles that i've put on it, though it does need some head work and intake/carb combo, but then i would do that to any engine i go... sorry...just thinking out loud thanks a lot guys for the responses...i can see it starting to get finalize, keep them coming daniel
I'd like to see how you plan on doing thatuzzled: ......it would never fit.... The front seats, maybe....... Do you mean the whole interior? o No: Once you do that to it, don't plan on ever selling it.......nobody will want it that way.
joe....i was just saying thats what i would do if i had the extra money...but now that i think on it...yes it would be a LOT of work to fit it in, but i like how the newer style interiors feel and function...but no...that idea isn't even in the equation...more than likely it will just be 2004r, 3.55 gears (12bolt) 4 wheel disc brakes, some ROH wheels, and some engine parts for the 72 lark.... thanks again to all who replyed...really help me think of where to get the ball rolling...and keeping some of my thoughts in line too :Smarty: daniel
