1961 Skylark Questions

[Dale Crigger]

I have a 1961 buick. It looks like a skylark. it was my grandfathers and then my fathers. I am thinking about doing a restoration on it but I dont seem to be having any luck finding any information on it. Can anyone help me with a history and maybe an idea of a place to look for parts. I did read that the skylark was a sub model of the special in 61 and did not become its own model until 62. I also have read that the skylark was not introduced until mid year of 61 similar to the 64 mustang. if this is correct I would suppose there were not too many of them made. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. I would like to post some pics of it but I will need to figure out how to do it.

[NikeAjax]

Dale, here's what I know: the power plant is a very good, either a very small V6 or a V8. I think the eight is 215 CID! and the six was a 198. This is what they use in Rovers. The V6 is what they used in the legendary Buick Grand National which has embarrassed many a Corvette; rumor has it that's why GM stopped making them! I think you could get them either in cast iron and aluminum. The aluminum block gets a bad rap only because most people seem to half-ass the work; you need to make sure there's no iron part touching the aluminum otherwise you get electrolysis and the parts deteriorate rapidly. You don't see many of these, especially a two door. I've always wanted one of these. Parts are kinda hard come by, but your car looks pretty complete. If you want a car that's going to get you lots of looks, this will do it. Oh, you can upgrade the heck outta yer V6 too, as it's one of the favorite hot rodder engines; some guys get 1,500 HP outta them with massive superchargers and that kinda stuff; I think that's using funny-fuel, AKA nitro. I seem to recall there are shops that specialize in the these body style cars. They're very similar to the Old's F-85 Cutlass and Pontiac Tempest.
Hope that was a little help?
Jaybird

[Special_49]

From Wikipedia....

1961-63 Buick Skylark

In the fall of 1960, General Motors introduced a trio of new compact cars for the 1961 model year that shared the same chassis, engines (with some differences between the three models), and basic sheet metal, although each had unique front and rear styling and differences in exterior and interior trim. It shared the same chassis as the Pontiac Tempest and the Oldsmobile F-85. (The similarities between the Skylark and the Pontiac Tempest would play a key role in the plotline of the film My Cousin Vinny.)

Introduced in the middle of the 1961 model year and based on the basic Buick Special two-door sedan (also referred to as a coupe), the 1961 Buick Special Skylark had unique Skylark emblems, taillight housings, lower body side moldings, turbine wheel covers, and a vinyl-covered roof. It also featured a plush all-vinyl interior with bucket seats as an option.

The basic 1961 Buick Special came standard with a 215 cubic-inch, all-aluminum block, V8 engine with a 2-barrel carburetor that produced 155 hp (116 kW) at 4600 rpm. The 1961 Buick Special Skylark came standard with a version of this same engine (optional on other Specials) that used a higher compression ratio and a 4-barrel carburetor to produce 185 hp (138 kW).

For the 1962 model year, the Buick Skylark became a model in its own right, instead of being a subseries of the Special. The 1962 model used the same basic sheet metal as the 1961 models, but was available in two new body styles: a two-door convertible coupe (shared with the Special and Special Deluxe models) and a two-door (pillarless) hardtop coupe that was unique to the Skylark. Tuning of the 215 cubic-inch V8 increased power to 190 hp (140 kW) at 4800 rpm.

The 1963 Buick Skylarks used the same chassis and wheelbase as the previous 1961 and 1962 models, but adopted new sheet metal that featured boxier styling. Length was increased by five inches to 193 in (4,900 mm), and the 215 cubic-inch V8 generated 200 hp (150 kW) at 5000 rpm. The 1963 Skylark was available as a two-door convertible coupe or a two-door (pillarless) hardtop coupe. The 1963 Buick Special shared most sheet metal with the Skylark, but was available as a 2-door pillared hard top, a four dour sedan, a convertible and a station wagon. And the wagon being vary rare today, with the four speed T-10 trans, along with Engine choices, were a 198 cubic-inch V6 with 2-barrel carburetor, a 215 cubic-inch V8 with two-barrel carburetor, and a 215 cubic-inch V8 with 4-barrel carburetor. Transmission choices were a 'three on the tree' manual transmission, a floor-shifted Borg-Warner T-10 4-speed manual, and a two-speed automatic. The two speed "Dual Path Turbine Drive" automatic was a Buick design and shared no common parts with the better known Chevrolet Power-Glide transmission.

[Dale Crigger]

Thanks for the info. I am really looking forward to being able to get to work on the car

[NikeAjax]

Dale, if this was my car I'd:
1. Put some kind of thin oil like Marvel Mystery Oil down the bores, spark plug holes, and let it sit over night. Clean the plugs while you're at it and put them back in; just make sure the tips are clean for now as they'll get black when you try to start it more likely than not.
2. Check your fluid levels oil, water ATF and hoses.
3. Turn it over by hand. Get a wrench on the pulley bolt and make sure you can turn it freely.
4. Pull the fuel line from the pump and use a gas can to run it for the time being.
5. Get a fresh battery.
6. Make sure your cap, rotor and points aren't frosted.
7. Prime the carb.
8. Try to start it.

Just some thoughts,
Jaybird

[COMPACTBC]

Dale, don't try to start the car until you are sure it is not in a frozen state. Also if the engine is free, leave the s/plugs out and turn the car over until you are sure you have oil pressure up and can visually see the oil in the rocker arm area. This will avoid damage to the engine! See my recent post under "general" page 2

[NikeAjax]

Poop! I knew there was something I'd forgotten on that list! A quick and very easy way to fill the galleys with oil is to carefully mark your distributors location exactly on the block, and do the same with the rotor. Next pull the distributor out completely. With a drill and a long slot tip screw driver you've sacrificed for the shaft, lock the shaft into the chuck, and put the tip into the opening of the distrb shaft making sure it goes into the slot for the oil pump. Turn on the drill, you'll know it's primed when it slows down. Keep it up for a few more seconds, that way you're sure everything's full. With the distrb pulled, you can put new points in and adjust the gap really fast; you can also check the condition of the distrb too, see if there's any play in it that shouldn't be there. Once you have the engine full of oil, put the distrb back in making sure you line everything up the way you pulled it out. This was taught to me by an old master mechanic.
Another old trick to try is, once it's started take a spray bottle full of water and with the motor revved up and warm squirt the water down the throat of the carb. This will very effectively clean out your cylinders of rust and baked on oil. It sounds counter-intuitive, but since water won't compress, it only absorbs heat, it makes the detonation bigger and hotter: it's actually a more efficient burn. It will help re-seat your valves after they sat for how many years?
Just a thought,
Jaybird

[d2_willys]

From Wikipedia....

1961-63 Buick Skylark

In the fall of 1960, General Motors introduced a trio of new compact cars for the 1961 model year that shared the same chassis, engines (with some differences between the three models), and basic sheet metal, although each had unique front and rear styling and differences in exterior and interior trim. It shared the same chassis as the Pontiac Tempest and the Oldsmobile F-85. (The similarities between the Skylark and the Pontiac Tempest would play a key role in the plotline of the film My Cousin Vinny.)

Introduced in the middle of the 1961 model year and based on the basic Buick Special two-door sedan (also referred to as a coupe), the 1961 Buick Special Skylark had unique Skylark emblems, taillight housings, lower body side moldings, turbine wheel covers, and a vinyl-covered roof. It also featured a plush all-vinyl interior with bucket seats as an option.

The basic 1961 Buick Special came standard with a 215 cubic-inch, all-aluminum block, V8 engine with a 2-barrel carburetor that produced 155 hp (116 kW) at 4600 rpm. The 1961 Buick Special Skylark came standard with a version of this same engine (optional on other Specials) that used a higher compression ratio and a 4-barrel carburetor to produce 185 hp (138 kW).

For the 1962 model year, the Buick Skylark became a model in its own right, instead of being a subseries of the Special. The 1962 model used the same basic sheet metal as the 1961 models, but was available in two new body styles: a two-door convertible coupe (shared with the Special and Special Deluxe models) and a two-door (pillarless) hardtop coupe that was unique to the Skylark. Tuning of the 215 cubic-inch V8 increased power to 190 hp (140 kW) at 4800 rpm.

The 1963 Buick Skylarks used the same chassis and wheelbase as the previous 1961 and 1962 models, but adopted new sheet metal that featured boxier styling. Length was increased by five inches to 193 in (4,900 mm), and the 215 cubic-inch V8 generated 200 hp (150 kW) at 5000 rpm. The 1963 Skylark was available as a two-door convertible coupe or a two-door (pillarless) hardtop coupe. The 1963 Buick Special shared most sheet metal with the Skylark, but was available as a 2-door pillared hard top, a four dour sedan, a convertible and a station wagon. And the wagon being vary rare today, with the four speed T-10 trans, along with Engine choices, were a 198 cubic-inch V6 with 2-barrel carburetor, a 215 cubic-inch V8 with two-barrel carburetor, and a 215 cubic-inch V8 with 4-barrel carburetor. Transmission choices were a 'three on the tree' manual transmission, a floor-shifted Borg-Warner T-10 4-speed manual, and a two-speed automatic. The two speed "Dual Path Turbine Drive" automatic was a Buick design and shared no common parts with the better known Chevrolet Power-Glide transmission.

The 198 "Fireball V6" was first available in the 62 model Specials and Skylarks.
Dual Path drive was available from 61-63 on Specials and Skylarks.

Be careful with Oldsmobile 215 parts as some of these parts (cylinder heads I believe) are different than the Buick 215.

[NikeAjax]

Oh yeah, if you do pull the distrb, make sure you have the motor at TDC, that's when you mark your distrb!
Jay