I own mine because it's different but at the same time that can be a bad thing when looking for parts.But I hold the faith in the aftermarket companies like OPG,The Parts Place and Year One that they will be making parts for our cars in the not so distant future.People complain about other folks confusing their Buick for a Chevelle or a Cutlass,but at least then I can explain a little Buick heritage to them and educate them. :Smarty:
Life is swell in (sometimes) Buick hell... Osmosis is the reason I own my Buicks...my mom bought a one-owner 71 Skyark in 1977, at the time (and for a few years after) I was a mopar fanatic. Thru the late 70's, I had a procession of fast Dodges and Plymouths; which I was always racing, modifying, and constantly repairing! As a result, it seemed that I got more wheel time in that Skylark than my mother did...in the process I noticed what a nicely balanced car it was. The mopars were much more visceral machines, harder riding, and requiring more driver input, to put it mildly. (maybe driving 4 spds with manual steering is colouring my memory) Anyhow, when I first read about the 70 stage 1 I remember thinking what a interesting car that was, especially since no-one I knew had ever heard of one, let alone seen one. A Buick musclecar? Huh? I eventually ran across that road test (motor trend?) from 1970 where it posted a 13.38 and thought if I ever find one of these cars, I'll own it. Fast forward to 1981; I borrowed 5K from my banker to buy a 69 hemi RR and when I went to pick up the car the owner refused to let it go! Totally bummed out for the rest of the day and the next, I bought a paper and went for coffee...I've still got the ad in my scrapbook from the cars for sale section; 1970 Buick GS stage 1 engine, loaded, rusty, needs work. $500 obo. This was before ATM's (at my bank, anyway) so I got over there with the $200 that I had in my pocket, got a BOS done and hoped nobody else showed up before the bank opened the next day...25 years later all that's changed is the banks are open longer but I no longer have any money to put in them...it's all in the cars!
My buick Because I was on a mission -when I was 18 I bought a rare gs 350 4 spd but I always wanted a stage 1... Owning the buick helped me grow up and teach me responsibility that if I wanted to run the car ragged it would cost me.................. well 5 clutches later 3 trannies a rear end upper control arm for the axle ---busted the clutch fork not to mentiona few other items.. One of the reasons everything busted was due to the fact the factory :beer :beer :beer :beer :beer :beer mismatched the tranny to the rear Has anyone ever heard of a close ratio 4 speed with 3.23 posi rear
Alright I voted "because it was cheap", but man that is totally misleading because these cars were built well! First, my grandfather and father were mechanics. They never really got along except when they were wrenching. I used to hear stories once in a while about that '54 Chevy they got to do wheelstands, but they really never talked a lot about fun stuff like that. The men in my family were never big on showing emotion or really even conversing about personal things (like most are I'm sure). Then my gramps passed away and I realized I really knew nothing at all about him, so years ago I decided to buy a project with the intention of spending some quality time with my Dad. This was a little after high school, I was 19 and had always kind of had a love for cars, any car. I'd like nothing better as a kid than to grab a ratchet and go to town on my Dad's Delta 88 (beast!) or even some of the various motocycles he owned when I was a kid. Anyway, the '67 Camaro was my favorite car up until then and I found one in Orlando for a decent price. My first car! Little did I know at the time what good shape this car was in (and still is). It had light blue primer on it with grey stripes and ugly-as-hell rallys with dog dish caps. Well, about the only major thing I did to that car was to drop a grand on a brand new pair of custom Centerline Auto Drags and some big fat BFGoodrich 255s. Besides replacing some body panels and the odd pitman arm or master cylinder and tune-ups, the thing was my daily driver for 2 years. That 327 was a great little motor and an absolute dog when paired with the powerglide and rear highway gears but I didn't care. Well, combine the frustration of a new family man not having enough money to actually DO anything on the car and then subsequently my divorce, I had to sell to "help out" my ex so my kids would be taken care of properly. My Dad had his own project at the time too ('85 Camaro, ugh) so I figured we could mess around with that once in a while. Fast forward a couple years later and the bug bit again. This time I wanted something a little different, but still a Chevy 'cause that's all I knew. I found a '63 Chevy II in town being sold by a gentleman in poor health. I really wanted a '66 or 7 but this was unique, you don't see many of those around. He represented it like an SS and I knew it wasn't but he thought he had gold and he was asking WAY too much... I talked him down a little bit and bought it anyway. I love older cars too much. Man, this time was gonna be different! I went for the sleeper look this time and reused my old rallys with the dish caps, much more appropriate for this car. We spent about a year and a half rebuilding the engine, trans, pretty much everything. I didn't touch the interior or body work because I'd had enough of that with the last car. I rebuilt the whole front suspension and had it just ready for the road after so long and... it wouldn't hold an alignment. I ended up taking it to 5 shops and either noone could figure it out or wanted to take the time to. Man, we spent a lot of time and hard work on this car and never got to enjoy it or really see what it could do, right up until I sold it. The first time I tried to do a burnout I completely fragged the spider gears. I do know that the few times I got it on the road it shot like a bat out of hell and fishtailed when the TH350 shifted hard into 2nd. I hit 60mph before I knew it! Well, circumstances and frustration dictated again that I wouldn't be able to keep this car. My Dad had major health problems last year and lost his job but thankfully not his life. Noone will hire him now (54 is still young!) after recovery and social security can't really support him so I sold the Nova to set him up for a couple of months. No biggie, some things are more important! Skip forward to less than a year later and my wife and I find ourselves in a much better position to help my folks out every month after our refinance and getting rid of a car payment. Now, she knows even before I do that since we're getting a little cash back from the insane equity we've gained here in Central Florida that I'm going to find another "project". I wasn't set on any particular brand at this point except I knew I definitely didn't want a Ford (just can't get into the body styles, plus I hate them), so I looked far and wide. I've always loved Chevelles and already knew Chevys, plus they're cheap to build, so I started looking for one. Well, the one I found was more than twice as much asking price as the Bu and didn't even run. The guy kept putting me off on going to look at it, so I figured I'd shoot on over and check out the 'Lark. Eh, they're similar body styles, I love the 70-72 A bodies (Buicks better though) and this thing is actually supposed to run! I get there and it runs great, starts on the first hit of the key. I'm thinking, "Man, I can drive this around to enjoy it AND fix it up!". I had fuzzy goggles on or something though, 'cause this thing had no weather stripping, no trim, carpet etc. Everything was crammed into the trunk too. Hell, I knew nothing about Buicks so I thought I'd just buy the odd piece here and there that it needs and be done. Hah! I haven't driven it anyway yet besides to paint & body and back. :laugh: 2 tires blew up on the way home, the trans isn't shifting right, but I still love this thing more than any other car I've owned. I'm fixing it up and working out all the bugs and I'm actually having a little fun this time too despite all the hard work. :TU: I really wish the parts weren't SO much more expensive though, seems like restoring Buicks is a rich man's game. Plus, I get really pissed when I look in the Summit catalog now and practically never see "Buick" or "Skylark" listed under most parts. I mean, come on, 300+ for headers/intakes?!?!?! Either that or NO damn company repros the part you're looking for. You guys feel my frustration especially coming from Chevyland right? Still, I'm never selling this one!
why i bought a buick ??? firts off i reallly really wanted an american car to restore ( mostly muscle cars )and to work on at the time when i had the money i went looking for cars i've found a few things : mopar: way to exspensive if you can find them ( over here in the netherlands ) and the only cheap ones are darts and dusters wicht i don't like Ford: a 67 galaxy had my intrest but it had a bench seat ( can see the advantage off that :Brow: ) and a to small engine ( 289 ) other ford models are to common here on meeting's and ford didn't make ( my opinion ) good muscle cars. Shelby did on the other hand Chebby: way to common over here on meeting's i wanted to buy one thoug, a 79 camaro but just missed out on one ( can't find it very disapointing ) How i came to buick: In the Netherlands where i live it's hard to find a nice and original car to restore. I went to a dutch site ( like ebay ) and found a buick there for i nice price. So i called the owner and talked to him and made a apointment to have a look at the car. I went there and the first thing i noticed was how nice the lines where for a car made in '75 how i saw the car it had no int in it lots and lots of rust on it small parts missing on it. But i lissend to my feelings and bought it. after about half to one year i realised the this type off buick's are quitte rare in the Dutch american car scene wich was a great plus for me i only drove it for a week or so to show everyone what car i had bought. After this week i took it appart and started restoring it. wich i'm currently buzzy with. I must say that by owning a buick i feel more conected with the brand and with some owners over here in the Netherlands. A good looking buick will always stand out on any meeting however my dream car is a 70 challenger t/a or a hemi ( prefer the t/a because i haven't seen one here in the Netherlands ) so that's my story about buick Greetings Lennard
Pretty simple. Plus, 99 out of 100 cars are not a Buick. Surrounded by waves of Chevies, fords and a few Mopars here. Ok, I own a Mopar as well, but I'm also the only 66 Charger around for miles.:beer
I've always loved the classics.So now I'm(retired),and I needed a hobby.I always loved the Buick Rivieras,so I started looking to buy a project.Well after awhile,I started seeing the Skylarks,and thought they were nice too.Then I thought,HEY my middle name is Larkins.Bought a Skylark...... :Brow:
back in 2000, my wife suggested that i go out and buy a car, from the past since i had always spoken about it and besides we were emptynesters. back in 1970, i ordered in a new chevelle malibu 2dr ht. had a great time with that car & it was quick. anyhow, like all us other fools, i sold the car in 1974. as time passed, i lamented that fact & vowed someday to own another muscle car. so in 2000, i started hunting for a good malibu. by chance, my brother was looking for a showcar-quality muscle car. he found the gs that i ended up buying, because he wanted a turnkey car and this gs needed some restoration. believe it or not, i did not even know that buick made an (a-body) gs as i had never seen a gs. i bought the gs for half of what the owner had been advertising. he needed to money. since then i have restored it. love my 72 gs. that's my story.
Why a buick. Cause its the only one at the show!!! But makes it difficult to buy parts because 1. no one makes them. 2. there hard to find. 3. Expensive if they are reproduced.
I bought my '67 GS conv't back in '74, my first car and still drive it as a daily driver except in the snow. I also hve a '57 Merc.Turnpike cruiser 4 dr. for something a little different
My father had the good sence to buy m my 76 century in 2000 from the lady who ordered it from the factory. I sold my fords to pay my dad back for the Buick and ended up falling in love with the 75,000 mile baby blue 4 door. It is now black but getting a midnight blue self done paint job and new vinyl top and interior work. People ask me why I'm putting money into this car and I so why not? Sure its not a Polular car but so what! I fits a family of 6, does burnouts on command and gets 20 mpg. Stay tuned for the hot Buick 350...
I have to go for the I was too dum to know better now I am hooked and have 4 of them 5 counting the wifes 96 Riv
Bought mine from my Granddad who ordered and bought it new, paid him $500for it in 1979(I had admired and been facinated with the car from the time it was new) - drove it as my only car for 4 years, did it's first restoration in 1982, the second one in 1986 - the paint job in the pic (last summer) has been on 20 years now and is still near flawless. So my love for Buicks started when I was 7 I guess. (1967)
I fell in love when i bought my first one a cortez gold 72 skylark, ansen aluminum slots, jacked up in the back , 8 track player which worked fine,the only tape i had was paranoid by black sabbath. Iv'e been a buick GS man ever since best looking A body out there,my opinion.
Buicks are in my blood line. My first ride was in a 46 Roadmaster when Dad and Mom brought me home from the hospital. Dad was a Buick man til the day he died so I grew up with Buicks and have always owned one or more(right now alot more) since I was 12 years old. I like all GM brands but the Buicks are my passion. Besides that, I am set in my ways and too old to change now!
