A 76-79 Skylark question...Has anyone here done a rear subframe/rollbar/or cage install on one of these? Did you run the frame rails all the way up to the front subframe, or use some type of subframe connector? Is the front subframe the same as the 1970-81 camarobird subframe? Or to put it another way, do the 70-81 camarobird parts also fit the 76-79 Skylark subframe? What rear suspension did you use? 4-link, ladder bars, cal-tracs/leaf springs, or ? How wide a tire are you running, and how far apart did you set the rear frame rails to get clearance for the tires? Did you use a frame kit from Chris Alston, Chassis Engineering, or ? and how well did it fit this application? Do you have pictures you could email to me (rlsprague@hotmail.com) showing some of the work involved to finish an install like this, and maybe give me a heads-up on any problem areas you ran into? Thanks for all your help, Randy
Geez guys, are the 76-79 Skylarks regarded as the bastard stepchildren of the buick world or something? I know there are guys here on the board that play with them at the track. Guess I will have to go look on the Nova board or something.....Dark side here I come!
Hi, Randy. The later Skylarks are not all that popular, but will probably gain popularity as the 70-72 become more valuable and are not raced any more. My car uses the stock frame rails with subframe connectors. We did weld in a tube across the rear frame rails to mount the top of the shocks to so that they would be vertical. I use Camaro leaf springs and CE shocks with Cal Trak bars. The car has a full 12 point roll cage in it. I have run 28x10.5 MTs on it on 8 inch Draglites but currently run 30x9 Hoosier radial slicks. The 60 foots are in the low to mid 1.4s. The car runs 10.30s with an aluminum headed pump gas 470 that makes about 600 hp. Unfortunately I cannot get pics of the underside of the car right now. I have tried to investigate whether the Camaro subframe is usable but have not been able to get a solid answer. It sure would be nice to have a bolt in replacement as the front of these cars is extremely heavy due to the size of the subframe. If you find out for sure, please let me know. Hope that this info helps.
Cacmanjr, I am with you on the front subframe. It would be great if the 2nd generation camarobird subframe was the same, as the aftermarket is much more interested in producing parts for them than the 76-79 Buick Skylark crowd. You would think with all the camaro drag cars there are in the world that someone like Alston or Competition Engineering would have a lightweight bolt-in front subframe in their catalog. Maybe I am just not looking hard enough. Your car sounds very similar to what I want to achieve with mine. I would like to see it capable of 10.60's, so I could run just about anywhere a sancioning body had a 10.90 bracket class (super street, super pro, or ?). It looks like you opened up the rear fenders for a larger rear tire on your car. Did you also widen the inner fenderwells for clearance? Or use an old "mopar" trick and try to swap the leaf spring mounts side for side to get more tire clearance? I have heard great things about the cal-tracs, but if I end up going with a complete rear replacement subframe, I will more than likely go to a 4-link w/coilover set-up at the rear. If I stick with a cage and the leaf springs, then subframe connectors and cal-tracs will probably suffice. If you are getting 1.4 60 ft. times, you are definately getting the car to hook! How much does your car weigh, and what are you running for trans/converter and rear gear ratio? I am going with a 9" ford in mine, as it has a little 7.5" factory rear now behind a stock V6/200 trans. That will change with the 455/Stage 2 install in the future. I also wanted to play on the street with this one every now and then, so I was thinking about a high stall S/P 400 behind the 455. I also have a BOP powerglide I could use, but I think this car will be a bit too heavy for that trans to live very long. Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Later, Randy
