Updating suspension not good on all original?

[pullejo]

Guys...I'm new to this board... wrapping up a 20 month restoration of my father's '65 GS vert....

When he gave it to me to restore 2 years ago I was all about a resto-mod (I am actually a car/bike guy...but all modern (my benz runs 11's on street tires and my harley is obnoxious - but they're not something that might be the "only one left")) until Mark Reeves at Then & Now encouraged me to keep it all original.  We're now 20 months into the restoration and about done.  It looks amazing - but I am changing out the 14" "knock offs" for 15" rally wheels with big bird caps wrapped in BFG RWL tires (the only thing I'm changing).

But...I'm wondering if upgrading the suspension at all would hurt the all original status?  I do have every receipt from every time a wrench ever touched the vehicle...and as is right now, everything is to original spec. 

Would making it handle a little better hurt that?

I'm looking at a kit like this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/64-66-GM-A-Body-UMI-Performance-Handling-Kit-Stage-1-Big-Block-Coil-Sway-Bar-/271046028554?pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Year%3A1965|Make%3ABuick|Model%3ASkylark&hash=item3f1b9a2d0a&vxp=mtr

[dsags]

Several members here have upgraded the suspensions on their cars without hurting the original looks of the car. The kit referenced in your post might be a much but the idea is right. Upgrading the front sway bar and adding a rear sway bar with boxed lower control arms will help the handling considerably. Different shocks would also improve things. With the shocks consider painting them gray to look like the originals. Its nice to have things look original even if they aren't.
Another item that would help is a faster ratio steering box. Here's a link to a discussion on that other Buick forum - http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?264739-A-Body-Power-Steering-Box-Upgrade-Replacement
Then & Now could install the upgrades and wrap up the original parts for the time when you want to return it to 100 % original.

Beautiful car.

[WkillGS]

x2 on what Dan suggested.... at least paint the components to look original.
You could use GM parts to improve the handling... A 1.25" front swaybar was used on 70's Pontiac Trans Ams, and a 7/8" rear bar was avail on GM intermediates. As mentioned, you need to use the boxed rear control arms when adding a rear swaybar.
Urethane bushings can be found in black.
The '65 GS originally had a lower ride height than a std Skylark, and spec'd higher rate springs as well. Can't say how much of an advantage the UMI springs would give without knowing all the specs.
If you'll be driving that 3 speed hard, add these rear control arm braces to stiffen things up to prevent rear crossmember flex and possible breakage:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/UMI-Performance-Control-Arm-Reinforcement-Brace-Kit-4028-B-/141003930011?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_100&hash=item20d47d399b&vxp=mtr
Similar braces were used on 4 speed GTO's back in the day. Those are repo'd as well.

x2 on the steering box.... that will make a huge difference. You can either replace the whole box or have an original '65 box fitted with the replacement gears.
 

[pullejo]

You guys rock.

[Brian]

I have done almost all of those modifications to my '65 that Walt outlined with the exception of the steering box (I like the factory steering ratio personally).  Rarely does anyone notice I have done those things and most don't realize the GM rear sway bar setup was not available on the 65 GS. 

[Bigpig455]

I've done all the things that Brian and Walt describe, and also set up the aligment with more positive caster. Makes the car feel very stable at speed, and the rear end really plants when I get on it and corners flat as a pancake....

I also did a bunch of mods for drag racing - airbags in the rear. adjustable front shocks, lighter/taller  front springs, etc..

Whatever I did, I always saved the original stuff - the nice thing about suspension is you can always put the original stuff right back on. No one has ever noticed anything I did....maybe once someone commented on how fat the front bar was.....

Set it up how you like it - it'll just sit in the garage if you dont like the way it handles and that does nobody any good.