THere was a thread showing how to get the back seat out just a day ago or so. http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24500 Matt uzzled:
Yes, I also prefer the cars that don't need work. Just joined the '68 owners ranks with this one. It's on a trailer somewhere on the eastern seaboard winding its way to Chicago. Have fun.:bglasses:
Welcome to the 68/69 fraternity, Mike! :TU: We'll show you our secret handshake later... So, when do you get to take 'er for a drive? :Brow:
Just one man's opinion.... Regarding the car and the girl, I would consider the vehicle and the relationship permanently damaged and not worth fixing. My next door neighbors recently divorced and after deep discussion with each of them, her laying his Harley down was the beginning of the end. That '68 just doesn't look worth the trouble and is beyond the realm of reasonable repair. Sorry, but you seemed to want opinions on this. Cut your loses and move on! China Mike...that car is amazing. DROOL DROOL-what did you give for her? Wasn't she like 18k?
I'm scheduled to be back in the States beginning week of Sept 8 for a week or ten days or so. With any luck the car will get home before I do. Should make for some fun. Details of that deal are here: http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24128 With 17K miles it's still hardly broken in yet. Yee Ha :laugh: :laugh:
5 years ago NY state still had you blow a smog test for inspection. I took the 46K skylark in for the test and the mechanic asked if I had put Catalytic Converters on......Why ?? Because the barely broken in, well tuned motor blew a better Emissions test than a new car would. :TU:
I know this is going to take a large amount of time and money, I'm okay with that. I know that if I ever sell it I won't make my money back, but that really isn't a concern of mine. (Ever see a U-Haul behind a hearse?) What I'm looking at is saving a car from the scrap heap, keeping part of my family's history, and getting my car back. Alot of people have told me just to get over it and move on to something else, but nearly an equal amount of people have told that it can be saved. I have a guy at a salvage yard that has a '68 Buick Special Deluxe that has an excellent core support, a nearly perfect grille, a hood that just has a little surface rust, solid front bumper, and an extremely solid frame considering where its sitting right now. All for $500, delivered to my front door. I'm just not sure if everything will fit correctly, they look like they will but sometimes looks can be decieving sometimes. I've tried looking online but can't find anything on swapping parts between different cars like that. I've come to find out that there just aren't enough hours in a day, a 36 hour day would be much more accepting of my schedule, :grin: P.S. I miss my car:ball:
The 68 Skylark and Special Deluxe are the same vehicle. The main difference is that the Special Deluxe is a "thin pillar coupe", meaning that there's a frame around the window on the doors and a post that runs to the roof where the door closes. The Skylark doesn't have this. The hoods, bumpers, grilles, frames, fenders, and such are the same for both cars. That special frame and front end parts will work for reviving your Skylark. Here's a pic of Jim's Skylark coupe. No frame around door for the glass and no post.
Here's a Special, note the frame around the window and the post that runs from the roof down to the quarter in front of the rear side glass. Everything else is the same.
Awesome that just made my day, thanks James, I really appreciate it. I'm pretty good friends with a guy who owns an auto body Shop that specializes in Hot Rods and Classics, he said that if I got all the parts that I need togeterh he would cut me a deal on the labor and other misc. things that he needs to buy. He takes a long time to get to the older cars, because he makes more money off the newer crap, but the work that he does is second to none. It doesn't really bother me that I won't have my car for a really long time but at least I know its going to be fixed right. By the way, after my car is done I hope to go to some of the events, show, drags, etc. Someday, probably about 5 years.:grin:
Jasguer, why dont you turn it into a learning experience and swap frames yourself? all it is, is a few nuts and bolts and diffrent fluid lines. just there are a lot more nuts and bolts. just think how much more you'll love the car doing it yourself. sure... leave the fenders and body work for your buddy but do the mechanicals. heck when your done you'll have a frame off restoration (nearly) Nate
Wow, Andy That one does nearly exactly looks like mine. Unfortunatley, I don't have that kind of money right now. I wish I did that would make my decision a whole lot easier. I figured I could rebuild my car bit by bit and pay for it over 2......3.....5.....10.....20years.......or so..... Probably not 20 years considering how nice my girlfried is being to me now :Brow: Nate, I sent you a PM
Go for it if it makes you happy. These are just a bunch of machines with different colors and options. The one that makes you feel good is better than the one that makes somebody else feel good. The most important thing is to feel good about what you're doing. Have fun.:laugh:
I don't see why people are telling you to move on. The hardest part about fixing that car would be finding the parts, and aligning the sheet metal. Everything else is easy. I had an incident with a tall curb in the fog when I first bought my Riviera nearly 6 years ago. I took the car to the frame shop and they said it was to bent to straighten properly. I nearly cried when he told me that! I ended up buying a frame from a 72 in the junkyard. They pulled it off the car and shipped it to me on a flatbed for $350. I pulled the frame in my garage with the help of a lot of jacks, stands, and wood blocks. While I was doing it I rebuilt the front end and the brakes. The whole repair cost me $500! Now, I know you need to buy sheet metal, etc but I think 2000 should cover that easily. Its worth it to fix it. You might even want to look for a stronger El Camino Frame so you can eventually covert it to a convertable
You don't want an El Camino Frame, they are a 116" wheelbase and are 4" too long. They are also different past the rear axle. Duane
Progress, Progress, Progress Things are actually going pretty smooth with no major problems or other major things that are wrong with the car. Not to mention that this has reminded me how much I like haveing a car that I can actually work on. I'm having fun and it is turning out to be a learning experience. NEVER LET MY GIRLFRIEND DRIVE MY CAR, EVER!!! :laugh: Here's what I've got so far: Overall view, I've got most of the front end off and I'm getting ready to pull the motor. I've just gotta get a hold of one of my friends that has a cherry picker, and get someone over here to help me. I usually have a few friends, until I ask them to help me pull a motor :blast:
I bet a few people are probaly wonder what the interior looks like, I guess I posted a little too late though because most of it has been taken out...
