1978 Skylark coupe with a 350 for $5,950, Chesapeake, Virginia.

Recent article on BarnFinds dot com about this 1978 Skylark that's for sale on Craigslist in Chesapeake, Virginia with an asking price of $5,950

The engine looks like a Goodwrench replacement, the distributor is in the rear:

Nova Alternative: 1978 Buick Skylark



When General Motors redesigned its X-body compact platform in 1975, the Skylark nameplate moved over from the intermediate ranks.
The X-body is better known as the basis for the Chevy Nova which Pontiac and Oldsmobile also deployed.

This example from 1978 looks to be in nice condition and has recently been serviced and should be ready to roll.
Located in Chesapeake, Virginia, this survivor is available (through a dealer?) here on Craigslist for $5,950



A bit on the strange side, this generation of the X-body Buicks used parallel names.
For 2-door sedans and hatchbacks, the auto was called Skylark.

But if you bought the same car as a 4-door sedan, it was an Apollo (Why? But they would consolidate later).
In the 1970s, Buick’s famous “VentiPorts” had disappeared but returned for 1975-79.

Over the years, the mix of engines would change, but the Buick-built 350 cubic inch V8 was an option and the seller’s car has one.



The Buick division of GM saw sales of more than 800,000 cars in 1978 and the Skylark only represented about 15% of output.
That was an indication that Buick buyers were still looking for big cars, not compacts like the Skylark.

About 55,000 Skylarks were sold as coupes with varying degrees of trim.
We don’t know the history of this Buick, but it looks like the reported 62,000 miles could be legit.



Body and paint-wise, this Buick is in pretty good shape.
The only noticeable flaw is that the vinyl roof material is starting to separate along the trim below the opera window on the driver’s side.

As you would expect for a Buick of any type, this one has factory air conditioning, and power accessories,
and the 350 V8 is better suited to the car than the 231 V6 that I had in a 1978 Pontiac Phoenix.

The interior is where the wear is more visible as the leather upholstery (we think) is very loose and wrinkled.
For less than $6,000, is this a car for you?