Hey everyone, Josh Here. First time posting, but I've been lurking around reading for a while. I have the opportunity to get a 71 skylark for 3500. Engine turns over, floors are decent with maybe one place needing a small patch. Seems like a decent price. I'd love to restore it and clone a 71 gs or a gsx but I wanted to know what I might be in for if I decided to pull the trigger and what to things specifically to watch out for with this model/year.
Welcome, it sounds like a great start and I wouldn’t hesitate to spend $3500 on a project car. I would try to get it for less, play hard ball. If it isn’t running then the buyer has the advantage. Aside from rust I would watch for modifications such as wiring, missing parts and hack job type stuff. I would rather a complete stock car vs a modified version. Lots of times things never go back together right when they come apart. Have fun!
Thanks! I definitely will. As far as I know, it is a stock 71 skylark. I'll keep an eye out for anything fishy though. Thanks for the reply!
$3,500 seems like a great price! IF the body is solid. drivetrain repair/replacement is easy for someone with basic tools and just a little bit of knowledge. same goes for wiring repair. i know wiring scares alot of people but its really not that bad at all. a solid car means different things to alot of people. if its original paint on the car thats a great thing no matter how bad it looks. then you can see what kind of shape the body really is in. most likely its been painted at least once if not multiple times. thats when you can really get in trouble if you do not know what to look for! these older cars depending where they spent there life can be hiding horror underneath a repaint. and that can make a great/fun project car a nightmare in the long run . good news is there are plenty of guys here that would love to help you along the way on a project car, with detailed easy explanations and pictures for reference. if you are new to this car stuff ask as many questions as you can think of BEFORE you purchase. charlie,
Thanks for the answers. I'm absorbing as much info as possible right now. I'm sure I'll have a ton more questions before and after I start.
Ha, I wouldn't be surprised if I end up doing more than one of these lol. Keeping $ damage to a minimum is probably a goal, but with me being new to this I'm sure there will be some mistakes made.
Yes, passion wins over resale value as long as you are not flipping it. As others have stated that's a descent price, but I bet if you came in at $2,800 you could get her for about $3,200... every little bit helps. That said, if she's solid, I wouldn't hesitate at $3,500. Let us know how it goes and be sure to share the restoration progress. -MIG
I'm planning on playing a little hardball with them. I'm not fully ready to start the project yet, but I thought this was a good deal, so I don't mind it sitting in the garage for a bit. I will be asking for help here I am sure, so the least I can do is send updates!
Oh yeah it’s all good, have fun with it.... a $2000 turbocharger kit for my buick 350 turned into a $20,000 engine and trans so most of the $ spent was avoidable. I think the biggest waste of $ in my project was changing my mind a bunch of times about my goals and what I wanted from the car. Get clear about your goals for the car and things will go smoothly if you ask us on here before moving forward. Guys like me have no issue talking on the phone for hours, emails, etc to help fellow enthusiasts. for example do you plan to drag race the car? Do you plan to make it a show car or a driver? Do you like to haul ass at 120 mph on the highway? Or is it a 65 mph cruiser? For example I have a 75 Regal as my highway hauler, it pulls 120 mph all day with a mild buick 350 and overdrive 4 speed auto. or my 70 Skylark is tubbed out with 20” wide tires, turbos and tries to rip your head off. Not much for cruising, very violent. both have 350s but they are night and day.
My $$$ nemesis was wanting to keep her as original as possible with either OEM or 1970's only correct parts (mostly). I did upgrade the clock with a period correct tac. One small example is when I paid $20 for a single back seat bolt... and they were only sold in sets of two... Yea, I have to stop doing that. -MIG
If you are wanting to clone a GS or GSX, you will have to find a ram air hood and air cleaner, which are pricey for the real thing, although the reproduction fiberglass hoods are available. If you are out to make a profit, invest in a mutual fund. But if you enjoy restoring old cars, like any hobby, you will spend more money than it will be worth, but you will have something cool that you enjoy. Personally, I just like fixing up old stuff... and yeah, Cole is the man!
Welcome from Florida! From what I've seen lately, that's not a bad deal even if it needs some minor rust repair. Keep us posted!
Certainly not in this to make a profit Buick skylark was my dad's first car back in the day and it's probably the reason I love the style so much. I plan on fixing it up and loving it, not making anything from it.
