Dealer Catalog 65 Skylark with GS ports

[jmos4]

Hi,

I picked upa dealer catalog that was released in September 1964 and it shows the GS style fender ports as a Skylark option, also shows it has no mention of any A-body Gran Sport parts.

They do show the Skylark style/Special Deluxe moldings, but only on the Specials..

Maybe they intended those ports for the Skylarks originally then changed their minds when the Grand Sports were being designed?

Anyone ever notice this or seen any more examples of a car with these options

(Another weird thing is the car shown has Halo moldings as well)

Regards,

[Loren At 65GS]

Jim,
You have a parts catalog there. That shows all of the trim on one picture for easy of location. Or in another sense, a "generic picture". If you then take the listed group # in the picture and look at the specific part #, it will show the application.
  Hope that sheds some light for you.
  Loren

[jmos4]

Loren,

Yeah I realize why they might do it, but was thinking this car must have been a prototype or studio model, as photo shop was not around back then and not sure what techniques were available back then to come up with illustrations

As this catalog was released 4 month before the Gran Sports were available and does not show, the as you would see now the standard side molding for a Skylark, which struck me as odd, also that the only GS part shown in the car is the vent ports as there is no mention of a 401 in the engine section or any of the GS specific 4 speed parts as well

Would anyone have or know when the Gran Sport was shown in the 65 catalog or was this handled differently with a addition similar to the shop manual?

Regards,

[Loren At 65GS]

Jim,
The people doing the work of creating those items were called illustrators or "artists" may be a more correct term.
As for the Dealer sales album, the one I have and others I have seen, had stickers placed on the appropriate pages of the Skylark for the GS . Call it an Update?
  Loren

[Chris]

My bet is that the ports were already designed and designated for the Skylark when the call came in to build a performance version and it was then decided to use the ports for the "GS".  This would be in alignment with the restyling of the fenders, parking lights and front bumper for the 65 model year.

It's funny how much you read about the styling department coming up with new designs that don't really have a purpose and are given a purpose later on.  I just read in last months Hagerty magazine how the Riv was actually intended on being a Cadillac model and they turned it away.  Of course Buick jumped on this "reject" and the rest is history.

Chris

[mrbuick65]

Hey Guys. Have a look at this picture in the service manual. This is a September 64 printing and no reference to Gran Sport.
John

[jmos4]

Hi,

Yeah at least your manual shows the correct moldings vs. the Dealer Parts Catalog I have, that's what sparked my curiosity.

Though I believe the normal Special/Skylark manual does not have the Gran Sport stuff shown, they are shown in the Gran sport manual.

Either way like Chris was saying it is interesting to see those fender ports were designed before the Gran Sports were available.

I saw 2 1964 dealer catalogs one dated September 63 and the other February 64 so wonder if there is a February 65 and what does it show?

Regards,