1965 Buick Skylark Gran Sport Hardtop for sale.Description:The car is located near Minneapolis/St. Paul in Minnesota. I am asking $31,000 for the car including the dual carb setup and other parts listed below.
This car is originally from the Denver, CO area and was restored by the previous owner. I have owned it since 2015. It was Built in Fremont, California during the fourth week of January, 1965 and as such is one of the rare early-build Gran Sports with the small front grill “Square Style” Gran Sport emblems. The numbers matching engine has been resealed and painted but has never been rebuilt to my knowledge. Rust-free floorpans and frame were cleaned and painted with POR-15 paint. The body was repainted in the original code R Flame Red color and a new vinyl top was installed. Front and rear bumpers have been re-chromed. The car has all-new glass. Most of the interior is original and in great condition. The back seat still has the original upholstery while the front seats have been reupholstered with new, matching material in option 157 red. The red dash pad is original and does not have any cracks. The dash paint on the metal surfaces is original and has some patina but still looks great. The original white headliner is in fantastic shape.
The car was upgraded with disc brakes and Hotchkiss front and rear stabilizer bars when restored.
Since purchasing the car I have had the steering wheel re-cast in the correct red plastic, had the armrest bases re-plated and restored and had new armrest pads made in the correct color at Just Dashes. I also replace the auto parts store floor mats the car came with the correct reproduction red Buick floor mats, front and rear.
The car shows less than 58k on the odometer. I am not sure if this is 158k or 58k but it runs and drives like its the later number. The engine starts right up when cold or hot and runs at a constant 40 PSI of oil pressure at speed and about 32 PSI at idle. The coolant temperature generally runs less than 188 degrees F. This is the most trouble-free, best running Buick I have owned. The engine oil and filter were changed in June of this year. Engine code is LR 25b 5Z111458 ( I am not sure if the b is actually a 6 or not) which matches the VIN plate number of 44437 5Z111458, meaning this is a numbers matching car. It has been stored in a climate and humidity controlled garage and driven occasionally to shows in the summer since I have owned it.
The previous owner replaced the original 4-speed transmission with a different unit to achieve different ratios. The original 4-speed transmission with “GS” cast into the housing is included. Additionally the original AM radio is included with the sale.
The car has 15 inch radial redline tires and reproduction Buick chrome wheels with correct style “bird” center caps.
The car is equipped with the following original options:Model 4437 Sport Coupe
A3 4-speed transmission
C8 Power steering and power brakes
D1 Sonomatic radio with manual antenna
E6 Rear speaker
K9 Backup lights
M6 windshield washer - dual speed wiper
O5 Remote control outside mirror (includes glare proof mirror, clock, trunk light)
U6 Convenience group
W5 Custom bright exterior moldings
33 Black Vinyl roof
157 Flame Red interior
Short console
Consolette with Tachometer
Extras:As stated above the original 4-speed transmission and AM radio are not installed but are included with the car. I had planned to update the engine with a dual quad setup and have all of the needed parts to do so, included with the sale. This includes carburetors, dual quad manifold, fuel lines, linkages, brackets, as well as a set of beautiful cast aluminum Buick valve covers. Also included is a dual quad air cleaner and lid with Super Wildcat decal as well as an extra air cleaner base (without lid). Note that the carburetor numbers are not correct for a 4-speed car. This wasn’t a problem for me since the car didn’t come with Dual Quads originally. The carburetor numbers 3645S and 3646S.
The sale includes a heavy duty California Covers car cover.
Needs and things that bug me:There is a small rock chip just ahead of the right rear wheel. It’s probably less than 3/32 inch in diameter but it fills up with wax and is visible if you look closely enough. There is also small rock chip in the windshield on the drivers side. The windshield and back glass leak a bit when the car is washed, probably due to gaps in the sealant when the previous owner installed them. I am just careful when I wash the car. And I never drive in the rain so this hasn’t been a problem for me.
If I were to keep the car, I would continue to replace a few non-original style parts like the radiator cap with correct parts. The rear package shelf is discolored. I have a new reproduction part but have not installed it, it will be included with the sale.
When the previous owner installed the carpet he must have cut it too short near the kick panels as there is a gap there that he filled with small pieces of carpet. It’s only visible if you know to look for it.
The accessory gages (coolant temp, voltage, oil pressure) are in a large housing that partially obscures the tachometer in the consolette. A smaller housing would enable unobstructed view of the tach.
Please post here at 65GS.com with any questions or for more info and respond to this posting with any interest in the car per forum rules. Thanks for looking!
Go here for additional photos:https://www.gransportstage1.com/my-buicks/1965-buick-skylark-gran-sport-hardtop/
