65GS.com - Buick Gran Sport Enthusiasts!
Announcements => New Members / Bio's => Topic started by: Eoverhage on November 28, 2016, 07:07:13 PM
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Have been a fan of A-body for a long, long time and finally came across a 65 Skylark Conv in pretty good shape.
Picked it up for $4500, drove it home (only about 20 miles).
Have built several cars over the years (mostly Fords...sorry) and very excited about this new project.
Grew up turning a wrench and hotrodding in central Indiana back it the 70's and it put me through college.
Fell in love with a buddy's 401 4 speed Gran Sport after he wooped up on my 70 Camaro and big block 72 Torino more than once.
Will get some photos up as soon as I can figure it out.
Since it is a pretty basic car (300, TH350, non-air) plan currently is to do a mild pro-touring with either a 401 (2x4) I have located or the 2005 GTO LS2 I have stored away.
Always appreciate the thoughts of others so fire away.....
Eric
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Good luck with the car! I like the Cragars and lean toward the nailhead. But the LS's make good touring cars. Maybe see you on the Hot Rod Power Tour!
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Welcome to our little playpen. :thumbsup: We have a few closet Ford people here...ahem. I'm one of them. :icon_biggrin:
For that price, you got a great deal, especially if the body is reasonably solid.
There's a couple of guys over on V8Buick who did the LS swap into the 64-65 body. Another used the engine from a Cadillac Escalade and has his in the low tens or high nines, street driven!
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Welcome Eric! Nice, very clean looking car! A 401 with dual quads will perk it up tremendously. Keep us posted on your direction and fire away with any questions that you have. We like to work on others' projects as well as our own.
Cheers!
Chuck
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Thanks to everyone
Power Tour....absolutely. I am a long hauler for 5 years now in both a 70 Camaro and last two years 72 Gran Torino Sport fastback.
Nailhead most certainly provides the "wow" factor and have been reading about them extensively.
Seems there are only about 3 people across the country that have thumbs up on working on these as there are a lot of do and do not points posted on the ole interweb.
The 401 is a 1965 Super Wildcat from a Riviera according to the numbers. Was a manual transmission (flywheel and clutch still in place) and is very clean.
Guy is asking $1600, turns by hand, but owner has not heard it run... does that seem reasonable?
Eric
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Dear Erik, Jim, Tom, Chuck, and mid-60s Buick welcome wagon . . . . (http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/welcomewagon.gif)
First things first, welcome to 65GS.com!! (http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/welcome_smiley.gif)
Have been a fan of A-body for a long, long time and finally came across a 65 Skylark Conv in pretty good shape.
Picked it up for $4500, drove it home (only about 20 miles).
Looks very nice! :thumbsup:
Will get some photos up as soon as I can figure it out.
Since it is a pretty basic car (300, TH350, non-air) plan currently is to do a mild pro-touring with either a 401 (2x4) I have located or the 2005 GTO LS2 I have stored away.
Well, you could always go with either a nailhead or a LS2 engine. But if you want to remain Buick but want something a bit more "assertive" you could always go with a Buick big-block engine like this Buick 430 that has been stoked out to 445 cid:
(https://photos.smugmug.com/Biquette/Drive-Train-makeover/Biquettes-TAPerformance-engine/i-xZQsCDQ/0/XL/Biquette%27s%20engine%20-%20port%20front%20-XL.jpg) (https://canebas.smugmug.com/Biquette/Drive-Train-makeover/Biquettes-TAPerformance-engine/i-xZQsCDQ/A)
Rumor has it that it might be doing as much as 500 hp and over 530 foot•pounds of torque! All of which make it a very assertive welcome wagon!
(https://photos.smugmug.com/Biquette/Photos-of-Biquette/Biquettes-Jan-1-2016-outing/i-fzZrk4z/0/XL/Biquette%20-%20port%20front-XL.jpg) (https://canebas.smugmug.com/Biquette/Photos-of-Biquette/Biquettes-Jan-1-2016-outing/i-fzZrk4z/A)
That's just as well though, somebody has to have the welcome wagon around here!!
Once more welcome to 65GS.com Erik and hope you will find it as informative and rewarding at the rest of us! :hello2:
Cheers, Edouard :occasion14:
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Welcome to the site Eric, that's a great looking car! Looks like you got a fantastic deal on it.
Are you aware of the www.v8buick (http://www.v8buick) site? There's a guy there that built up a 64 vert in a dark maroon with lots of mild custom touches. He did an incredible job on it.
Check out his (Lowflylark) build thread here:
http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?213961-1964-Buick-Skylark-Convertible-mild-custom-project (http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?213961-1964-Buick-Skylark-Convertible-mild-custom-project)
The 300 has some build options too. It's possible to install a 340 crank with readily available rods/pistons to build a big inch 300.
Or add a turbo to make some real hp!
Dress-up items include Moon valve covers (search Olds/Buick 215), or late model Rover valve covers ( like Lowflylark used).
There are even aftermarket aluminum heads avail from TA Performance.
BTW, I have a little 'Ford blue blood' in me too. Had a 67 Fairlane in my college years (still have it), a 67 GT and a '91 F-150 'Nite'.
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Wow great score.
kicking Dust.
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Welcome Eric,
The LS family motors are excellent for the early A bodies, but you already know that.
I installed a LS1-L33 with a 4L60E transmission, the L33 is the all aluminum High Output 5.3 with LS6/2 heads larger cam and flat top pistons. If you're thinking Pro Touring it's hard to better the weight distribution front to rear with an aluminum block.
Starts like switching on an electric motor, very strong runner, holds it own with big blocks and gets 24 MPG.
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Thanks to everyone
Power Tour....absolutely. I am a long hauler for 5 years now in both a 70 Camaro and last two years 72 Gran Torino Sport fastback.
Nailhead most certainly provides the "wow" factor and have been reading about them extensively.
Seems there are only about 3 people across the country that have thumbs up on working on these as there are a lot of do and do not points posted on the ole interweb.
The 401 is a 1965 Super Wildcat from a Riviera according to the numbers. Was a manual transmission (flywheel and clutch still in place) and is very clean.
Guy is asking $1600, turns by hand, but owner has not heard it run... does that seem reasonable?
Eric
Eric, we've probably seen you and your car then, we have done HRPT 12 times with 11 Long Hauls. Going again in 2017, supposed to start in KC and then head to Iowa. See you there? Maybe some other 64-66's?