1964 Buick Skylark Convertible mild custom project

I used what I could of the original lines as a template to bend my new lines. Since this car has A/C GM put on a return line back from the fuel filter (curious). I found a Holley 4Di fuel injection system for cheep so I think I will be using the extra line for the Holley. I clear coated the lines to help protect them from the elements.

All the original mounting brackets rotted away so I purchsed a set from OPGI in a kit. Looks nice for GM copies.

 

I worked with a shop by the name of Rust-to-Rods in Salt Lake and I went direct to Universal Air for my set up. I paid $1850 for the full set up including the computer system. The bags, lines, valves, pump and tank were just over a grand. Dagota Digital made the computer box to run the valves and that was $700 and it came with sensers for each wheel to keep it level. Pretty trick stuff but you could save some money and go with the standard controlers with buttons or switches.

The R2R shop has gone under but they priced out a full set installed for $4000. $5000 with Shock Waves.

If I was to do the job again I would spend the extra money and go with AirRide Technologies Shock Waves for the front. They are made with a bag over shock and they will save a ton of labor to install. I think those run about $500 each though.

The back end of the A bodies are real easy to convert over. I did have to weld in a top plate to bolt the bag at the frame but that was pretty easy. I cut an access panel in the trunk so it would be easier to run the lines to the top of the rear bags

 

While we are on the subject of air bag suspension. The guys at R2R talked me into 1/2 inch lines so the car would pop when fully aired up. It comes up hard and fast. Too hard and fast for my liking. I am planning on keeping the front lines to lift the motor and trans nice a smoot but the back will be stepped down to 1/4 line to slow it down. The computer will serge the air both up and down so you don't feel the car constatly adjusting itself while you drive but you can't do that without the computerized control box. 1/8 line is too slow but 1/2 line will make the back tires pop of the ground at full air pressure.

 

My car came with a receipt from a shop in the LA area. Terrible work. Oil leaks in puddles with only 2500 miles on the rebuild.

I new I would need to replace all the gaskets and seals but with the low miles I wasn’t sure about the quality of the shop, so I pulled it all apart. Everything looked great but the cam and rockers. The rocker shafts had been put on upside down because they had worn a grove and rather than replace them the person just flipped them over. The rockers rocked sideways on oval holes. The cam was fair but the cam bearings were very bad.

I started looking for a shop to do the machine work and I couldn't find one. I talked to a friend of mine that has a generator shop and turns out that one of his mechanics knows old Buicks and has all the tools to do it the right way. He boiled the block, honed the cylinders and bearing surfaces and fitted the cam and bearings.

I wanted to add nice valve covers and headers but couldn't find any. I was talking to a cousin who is a Range Rover fan and he told me that Rover used the 215 Buick for many years. Sure enouph I found a set of headers and valve covers from a 99 Rover. The valve covers originally are painted black with wrinkle finish. I stripped them off and painted them charcoal black to match the block and then sanded the tops with a belt sander to give them a nice brushed finish. The headers fit great on the right but not on the left. I had to pie cut all 4 tubes at the flange and bend them in to clear the steering. I welded them back up and they look great.

 

This motor is rated at 250 horse power stock. I added 262/262 .445 Isky Cam, Headers with 2.5 inch Manga Flow pipes and mufflers, Porting and polish, E3 spark plugs, Pertronix ignition, Royal Purple fluids and topped it with a Holley 4Di fuel injection. I think a good estimate will put the horse power over 300, may even go to 350 with the perfect tune on the injection system.

I had been told by many car guys to not waist my money on the little 300 motor and put in a small block Chevy. With all the aluminum on this motor and the 400 plus torque this will generate, I think this light weight sleeper is going to shock those Chevy guys.
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Love that Buick torque.

 

The greasy transmission in the motor photo is the original trans. I wanted to add overdrive and I found out the mid 80’s Buicks have the weak 200 4R, but with a little tweaking a guy can push some solid numbers through one. Just look at those turbo GNX’s.

I couldn’t find anyone in my area to build me the trans. I ended up getting one built at New York Airport Transmission that I found on line. I later found out Monster Transmission is the ultimate builder but it was too late. I hope the one I ended up with serves me well, I can always buy a Monster later.

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The 200 4R bolts up nice and used the same yoke and drive line as the original. The dip stick tube hits the firewall so if you do one get the flex tube aftermarket type. The transmission support will need to move back about 6 inches. This is easily done on the open frame but you need to do some welding to relocate on the convertible frame.

 

With the chassis and drive done and stored away, I turned my attention to the body.

The trunk lid would not fit the opening. I lined up the front edge and the corners hit on oposite ends. The trunk floor needed to be replaced so the best thing to do was to drop the floor out of the way and pull the tail over. I used a diagonal cable and pulled the left corner over about an inch before the trunk lid finally fit the way Buick intended. Of course it wouldn’t stay put so I welded up some braces.

I then preped the area for the new trunk floor.

 

I was told the trunk floor for the Skylark was the same as the Pontiac and Oldsmobile but it's not, Buick just had to be different. The ribs for the bottom floor stop short on the Buick so I had to modify those. I didn't plan on using the spare tire mount and I want a flat floor so I cut out that area and welded in a flat sheet. The fender wells received some new metal to fit up to the new trunk floor as well as patching other areas.

 

I built a rotisserie style cage from a modular aluminum rack system that I had from a heavy duty shelf system to allow me access to both sides of the floor.
I welded in the floor and brace then I wire wheeled the entire floor to get it ready for paint. The driver's side front floor needed some small patches but after prepping the area a full patch panel would be needed. There were other small areas with pin holes but those had good solid metal so a tack weld filled them.

 

While I was working on the frame and body I was searching for replacement parts for bad items and parts I didn't like (like the bench seat). Since I am putting in a 4 speed atomatic I needed a shifter. I also wanted the interior to look somewhat stock but better. The 64 bucket seats are very square and have loose backs. I don't want a seat back slapping me around when I slam on those 4 wheel discs. I also want a shifter on the floor with overdrive and not a bulky race style shifter. I found a set of 67 GTO seats with locking backs and OPGI has a new full console for the late 60's Chevelle's with an overdrive kit so I ordered the console kit and seat covers for a 66 Chevelle. The Chevelle covers would be the inspiration for the rest of the interior.
In my searching I also stumbled anto a 1964 Skylark Hardtop. I purchase the complete hardtop for $300. The car was missing the motor and had a very rusty tail but it had most everything I wanted for my build. I was really shocked to find the parts car had a good floor so I swopped the drivers side floor over.
I then added bucket seat mounts I purchased from OPGI.

 

Sure you're right! Beat down those Chevys!

 

I double checked to make sure everything was solid before I prepped the belly for paint. The inner rockers had some very fine pin hole so I smacked them with a hammer. There are three layers of metal holding the pillars to the floor and rockers and one sheet is fairly thick. All three layers turned to dust. I had to pull away the layers up past the floor towards the vents in the kick panels. Good thing I braced the body well, this area ties the front a pillars to the rockers and if this area goes wrong the doors will never fit. After I welded up the pillars the rust repair was finally complete. I stripped the full floor and painted it with POR 15.

 

I smoothed the firewall by welding over all the holes I didn't want. I planned to hide most of the wires so the regulator was removed. I smoothed over the spot welds in the seam and replaced the seam sealer. I also planned to replace the A/C stuff and hide it under the dash with a new kit but the original equipment was in perfect condition so I changed my direction (again). I cleaned and painted the A/C parts to put them back where they belonged. I ended up finding a kit that upgrades the A/C switching that hides inside the original parts. This will switch the system on and off to stop the constant power drain of the pump. It also replaces the troublesome vacumm valve in the lines.

I planned to paint the firewall semi-goss black and I also decided to change the interior to black so I reworked the dash, pillars and windshield frame and sprayed them all mat black. (more on the dash later).

The time finally came to put the body back on the frame.

 

With the body on the frame and new paint here and there I wanted to address some areas of the front clip that I didn't like but I didn't want to bugger up my paint. I still had the full parts car so I rolled it into the garage and used it to mount and play with the sheet metal.

First thing I wanted to address was the door to fender fitment. The Skylark has a nice swooping body line from the windsheild but the line gets broken up with the square door and fender lines. I cut away the door to follow the body line of the A pillar and I welded the pillar cover to the front fender. The front fender still goes on and off the same it just has an extension up the pillar. With a light skim of filler this area looks much better.

Now I can't decide if I want to put the mirror back on or weld over the holes. Please let me know what you think; mirror or no mirror?

Sorry, I turned on the date stamp of my camera but I forgot to change the date. This was last Fall (2009).

 

In these photos you can see the grille and bumper fitment as Buick made them. I adjusted the bumper back and up as far as possible. The bumper body line that follows into the lower front fender is the target to keep smooth for the eye to follow. You can see that the fender still hangs lower than the bumper even with the body lines mated up. The top of the bumper next to the headlight has a large gap. Buick filled this gap with a rubber filler but those parts are long rotter away and no one remakes those so this eye sore needs attention. Also, you can see a bolt head on the sides of the bumper. That bolt holds the backing plate for the turn signal and it's got to go.

In the grille photo you can see the grille is resting on the bumper. This makes for a nice rattling noise. At the top of the grille you can see a huge gap that I can slide my hands in. I played with the grille mounts and it can't be moved up.

The nose area will need to be cut up and welded back together to get it the way I want.

 

Brian,
I for one like the door treatment, I think I'd use the mirror. I've seen the bumper fillers available at OPG and Year One. But at the same time I understand you wanting to "correct the gaps" !! Great job so far man keep up the good work it is truely inspiritrational!!
Doug

 

Thanks Doug,

That's one for keeping the mirrors. (I have dual remote mirrors)

I checked with OPGI and they tell me the bumper fillers won't work on the 64 and 65. Do you know if they do fit? (Not that it matters for my prodect, but other Skylark owners will want to know.)

 

I started with moving the grille up. The grille and headlights are all one unit that bolts to the core support in slotted holes that allow the grille assembly to move side to side. I slotted the holes to go top to bottom as far as they will allow without cutting things up. I also slotted the bumper brackets so the bumper would move back so that the front tip of the bumper corners meet the front tip of the fenders. With the bumper securely fixed, I cut the lower front corners of the fenders off. I welded a flange to the back of the bumper and bolted the pieces of the fender to the bumper ends. With strips of sheet metal I welded the fender back together following the contour of the bumper. (I wish I woud have photographed this but I get in the grove of flying sparks and I forget to photo the work) I tack welded the bolts that showed on the bumper ends then ground off the heads, welded them over solid then carefully filed them smooth.

The grille still needs to move up a little more but to do that I am going to need to cut up the center support. I slotted the supports and brackets as far as possible but their just not there yet. The headlight rings hit the fender as well so this area is going to require a few more hours to perfect.

I mocked up the new headlights while I was cutting things up. These are BMW knock offs. They use the bright white high power bulbs and the backs need more room in the core support so I had to cut more core. These are glass and are about 1/8 of an inch smaller than originals but with some tweaking they look great. I plan to rewire the rings to light up with the park lights.

 

The close up photo of the headlights show the alignment of the fender to the hood. Skylarks have a seam that follows just under the lip of the hood and in the fender. This area is prone to rust in that seam and the original care in putting them together left the hood and fender poorly aligned. I spent many hours aligning these areas. It's pretty hard to get a stright line on both top and bottom of the hood when it was originally two parts spot welded together. I welded over the seams and glazed them smooth.

These little details rarely get noticed but are surely noticed when they are out of alignment.

 

Brian,
I haven't tried to be honest with you so I don't know if they do or not.
Doug