eds

I've wanted a 69-72 A-body for some time, and am getting closer to pulling the trigger. Cutlass has long been my dream car, but Skylarks and LeMans also get my heart going.

Bottomline, right in my town I've run across a totally rock-solid 70 Skylark. My mechanic buddy and I have been over it thoroughly, including on a rack, and have found no real flaws. fenders are NOS and don't match "perfectly" - tho you have to be looking for it to notice. front seat recover fabric is not exactly what it should be - again, if you look for it.

Mechanicals seem pretty much perfect. Suspension upgraded to GS, but not badged as such. Not attempted to remain stock, but quality upgrades. FL car w/ 59k miles - could not find a speck of rust.

Price is good.

I am looking for a dependable fair weather dalily driver, and this car seems to fit the bill

I know you are Olds guys here - what would you say if comparing equal quality Skylarks and Cutlasses?

1969w3155

If it's solid, go for it, they are good car. back in the 70's my buddies first car was a '70 Skylark, owned by a banker, it was getting some rust here and there, but the mileage was in the 60 thousand range, 350 2bbl, ran and drove very well, he sold it to buy a '70 442.

droptopron

If you like it grab it. It comes down to preference IMO rather than one being better or worse than the other. The biggest difference in my area is that you still seem to have more Skylarks going around with their 350-2BBL & single exhaust.

I have a friend with a ton of parts for these cars. LMK if you need anything.

jaunty75

If you buy the Skylark, at least you'll own a brand that's still made!

chadman

If you're not dead set on an Olds then get the Buick. A 70 GS is by far my favorite non Olds muscle car followed by the 67-68 Firebird. Hey, anything is better than a Chevelle!

MDchanic

I think the Cutlass is a much better looking car, but I've owned a Skylark, and the Buick 350 / 2bbl was a great engine.

If it's in great shape at a great price, I can't argue against it.

- Eric

oldcutlass

I'm not locked into any particular brand. The nice part about BOP A bodies vs Chevy is that they are not represented near as much as they ought to be. So they are different and stick out at local car shows and cruise ins. I get tired of and often pass on looking at the vast array Camaro's, Chevelle's, tri 5's, etc.

Dare to be different! I like the Olds and now Pontiac, as now they are part of the no longer manufactured orphan car group.

Allan R

Skylark / Cutlass ? Both were great cars. Not every day you find a car in the condition you described. Other thing is I believe you can get the production statistics on Buick that are not available for Olds.

If the price was right, I'd have no hesitation buying a Skylark - in fact we almost did buy Buick at one time instead of Olds.

drop top olds

Sounds like a good buy. As far as GM 350 motors, a stock Buick was not too bad as far a bore/stroke ratio.3.8"/3.85". It has the longest stroke of the GM 350 motors. You will just have to get used to that goofy distributor location.

eds

Thanks all. I'll post more info - and pics, when I get a chance. Figure you all don't mind looking at pic of purty cars? I believe it was bored out, with new cam - but I have the specs elsewhere.

Romance is a big thing - but when it comes to the experience of hassle-free driving, it is tough to pass on condition.

BTW - asking $13.9k.

Bluemeanie

When we were looking for our Olds, I admit I was looking around at Skylarks as well. I owned a 71 Skylark, and a 73 Century GS, both w/455's. They were both fantastic cars, and reliable as expected. I would own one again in a heartbeat. A clean cruiser Skylark with the right motor, makes a really cool unassuming sleeper...

Blackpage

I have both a 1972 Skylark Custom convertible(Olds Powered) and a 1972 Cutlass S. The Skylark is a nice, solid, well built car. So is the Cutlass. All things being equal in terms of quality, performance and value, the Cutlass is just sexier IMO. The "hips" over the rear wheel wells set it apart. For my $, the Cutlass S (442) is the best looking A body period. Maybe it just me but, the side view of a 68-72 Cutlass (442) from front to back reminds me of a woman. Gotta love the hips.

VikingBlue

Well that changes things...IMO it would need to be the top Skylark in the country to merit anything close to that, even if it were a convertible...which it is not.

For that $$ or maybe a little more you could get a nice GS convertible and for 8-9K a clean GS hardtop.

chadman

That does seem like a lot for a Skylark IMO.

eds

Thanks, guys. I'll consider everything you have to say. I should clarify - my budget is not terribly tight. I guess what really impressed me was the condition. Since I don't seek a "project," I'm leery of some "bargains."

Also, the proximity eliminates any travel/delivery costs.

Like I said - keep the comments coming. And I'll keep looking - and considering this Skylark.

mrolds69

I own both 70 skylark GS + a 69 442. The Skylark is better built. I know that will tick the Olds guys, but it's true. My GS has a boxed frame, cross braces on the core support, reinforcements on the rear control arms, and more body mounts among other things. Some of those things are on a Skylark, also. Parts are harder to come by than Olds, you won't find a lot of repro stuff like bumpers. It does seem a bit pricey. but if the mileage is true and it's nice it may be a fair price.

White_Knuckles

^^ Wow, that's crazy. I would have guessed the frames would be nearly identical. Perhaps GM allowed Division engineers to tweak the "standard" frame? That means more engineers! EEK. Go Buick.

oldcutlass

I know some big block A bodies came with 2 extra body mount bushings. The same options that are available on a Buick suspension wise were available on an Olds. As far as built better, I think that may be a bit subjective. I know with my Cutlass there are a lot of parts not available through the aftermarket, like bumpers, headlight bezels, dash parts, etc... The Buick was pretty popular in it's day and I would bet serviceable parts are not that hard to find used.
It's not a perfect world in the car market.

That's a great price if the Buick is in really good shape.

Demonator666

Buy one of each.

eds

I really do appreciate everyone's comments. Just ran across my notes from looking at the Skylark, and thought I'd post them.

The 350 engine is bored +.030"
supposedly 360 HP, 410 lbs ft torque
forged aluminum pistons, plasma moly rings
GS heads, 10.5-1 compression
special cam - 284 degrees intake, 304 degrees exhaust, .490" lift
stainless valves, Rhoads lifters
T/A Performance Stage 1 intake
carter AFB carb-750 cfm
hooker headers
numbers matching engine/trans - turbo 350, 3000 stall converter
GS 3.42 posi
suspension upgraded to GS specs
floors, trunk, sheet metal all original except NOS GM front fenders
interior original except front seat cover and carpet

52,375 miles, w/ 8k on engine and restoration.

Just wanted to help you all further compare apples to apples.

Also, I'd appreciate hearing anything more you might have to offer regarding price. The opinions have ranged from "Better be the best Skylark in existence" to "great price if in really good shape."

I saw one car a year or so - a 69 Cutlass, which I'm kicking myself for not buying around $10k. I'd say that was probably in pretty similar condition to this Skylark. But other than that one car, I really haven't seen anything I would seriously consider buying for under $10k. Like I said upthread, I'm not looking for a project. And while I would like to do minor maintenance, I lack the expertise, facilities, or time to do much more myself. I KNOW something will go wrong with any old car, but I want the most solid car off the bat to hopefully minimize that. Also, buying any car at a distance has travel and transportation costs.

So I'm not arguing with anyone's opinion as to what is or is not a good price for this car. I'm just wondering what sorts of things contribute to your opinion.

Also, any questions you would want answered that might affect your assessment of this car either up or down?

Like I said, I welcome all opinions, and really appreciate this forum as a resource.

VikingBlue

my 'it had better be the best Skylark on the planet' comment refers to a stock Skylark. Obviously, if said car had a $25K race engine in it, it would be worth more than 6-7K to selected buyers.

So how much is that 'used' engine worth ? I still can't the car being worth more than 7-9K....but that's just me...I'm sure you could find a nice GS driver for under 10K.

droptopron

That sounds awfully optimistic. You can't get that in my neck of the woods.

oldcutlass

Can you post some pictures? I look at things differently based on what the car has vs what it is. The question boils down to what can you build one for vs buy? Does it meet what your expectations are? And most of all do you like it?

halfmoontrail

I've become convinced that only the specialty models of mass-produced A-body coupes (e.g., GS, GTO, 442) can be considered as "investments".

It doesn't make good financial sense to spend the same money on a Skylark, modified no less, as you would spend on a GS. Likewise, the Olds seem to be selling better nowadays than the Buicks - mechanically they are quite similar.

This is based on my experience, I've owned many of both; and currently have a '71 GS Stage 1 car in addition to my 442's and Cutlasses.
Steve

mrolds69

Right, prices vary + NE prices are among the highest. Pics would help. My main concern would be the body (+ frame). If they put fenders on it, it may have been rusty. I would bring a magnetic business card and see if it will stick to the lower rear quarters. I f those are thick bondo, they will bubble through in a few years no matter how good it looks now. If the interior is nice, the body is nice, beefy engine...it's way better than buying something cheaper, 'cuz they cost a lot to fix. BTW...don't pay any attention to like what Gas Monkeys or Counting Cars are paying for cars. That's TV, I don't see any cars around here going that cheap, and I don't see any place fixing them that cheap!

eds

You guys are the greatest.

Keep the comments coming. Photos are on my phone - may take me a while get to my computer where I can upload and link them.

I sure haven't seen any "nice GS drivers" for under $10k. Sometimes when I read folks' opinions about car prices, I feel the same as when I watch those home repair shows on TV. You know the ones - where they basically rebuild a house for something like $50k. Whereas I get quotes nearly that high just for a kitchen. Exaggerated example - but you know what I'm getting at?

And I guess what still has me returning to this car is that it impresses me as a significant step above most of the "drivers" I've seen, while still being short of a trailer queen. I used to drive a 62 Corvair - so I know a little bit about an inexpensive driver that looks nice from 10'.

By the way, 5 responses in 45 min. Don't you guys have anything to do other than sit around on a messageboard?!

I'm about to duck out of work. At the airport outside my window they have a show of WWII planes. They've been taking off and landing all day. Gonna take a look around.

72 w29 all green

Interesting. Is your '70 GS a convertible?

mrolds69

Yes, my 70 GS455 IS a convertible and I'm aware that other GM A body convertibles had boxed frames. But...Buick used boxed frames on GS, convertible or not. My 67 GS400 coupe also has a boxed frame and core support crossbars. My 70 has special metal spacer brackets on the rear axle stops that I've never seen on Olds.

eds

FYI - decided against the Skylark. Went to look at it again yesterday, and just found it didn't do it for me the way I want my next car to. Know what I mean? Hard to put into words, but basically what I started feeling was the guy who customized it did it to fit HIS dream, which isn't the same as mine. And once I got that thought in my head I kept focusing on little things that I would need to do to bring it to MY dream. Nothing major, but together they would add up - and add to the price of the car.

The car drives like a champ, and looks beautiful from the outside. Bt I'm going to keep looking - and dreaming. Still don't have the $ (and spouse) quite in position to pull the trigger. A lot of $ and physical and mental effort going towards working on a house we just bought last month. But hopefully later this fall...

oldcutlass

Cars have to speak to you, a wife's approval helps dramatically also. Good luck with your quest.

s i 442

I dislike Buicks, the distributor is in the wrong place, and I hate the square dash instrument dash clusters.

White_Knuckles

Well this is interesting? Buick, Olds? People jus' go meh. I'd toss Pontiac in the meh line-up but they had a save with GTO's. Hold on 442 dudes, yes, some folks know of them but they are a mighty slim section of basic enthusiasts.

Oh but they all go nutty for Chevelles. "SS" oh my! They fetch crazy numbers and people think they're magical A or G bodies. Bah! Olds and Buicks were a premium purchase in the day and got respect. Now? Meh.

The gas station curious often approach me and say,"what kind of car is that?" I normally reply "a Rambler". If they laugh, I might fill 'em in.

Get a good driver that's fun and suits your vision and budget. Burn some gas in that thing. It doesn't matter who made it as long as it's fun.

Stupid Chevelles!