Seeking photos of a 1965 Skylark coupe

[Pete Phillips]

I am planning an article for the Buick Bugle magazine which compares the 1965 Skylark Gran Sport and its features with a regular 1965 Skylark. I own a '65 Skylark GS coupe (2-door sedan), so it would be nice to find a 2-door sedan Skylark, but a 2-door hardtop would also work. What I want to do is run side-by-side photos of the Skylark's features and the Gran Sport's features. The article is going to list the differences, and there are many. For example, the Gran Sport has a 401 V8; the Skylark probably has a 300 V8; the Gran Sport's battery tray is on the driver's side of the engine compartment; the Skylark's battery tray is on the passenger side; the Gran Sport has dual exhausts; most Skylarks have a single exhaust (notice I said "most"); the Gran Sport has a fully boxed frame; the Skylark's frame is open on one side; the Gran Sport has no roof moldings, other than the "Gran Sport" name plates; the Skylarks have the so-called :"halo" roof molding--at least, the two-door hardtops do--not sure about the two-door post models; the Gran Sport has bucket seats as standard equipment; Skylarks do not all have bucket seats. Skylarks have a body side molding that runs the length of the car. Gran Sports lack this molding. And so on...

 

There are no 1965 Skylarks in my local chapter of the BCA, so I am looking for someone to come forward with a fairly unmodified '65 Skylark, who would be willing to photograph it and its features for me. I would like to put this in the May issue of the magazine, so we have a couple of months to get this done. Any volunteers?  I already have two or three photos from a nice 1965 Skylark station wagon, but I really need a two-door Skylark to show some of the regular features that aren't on a wagon. Please help, and thanks if you can help.

 

Pete Phillips, BCA #7338

Leonard, Texas

[NTX5467]

In general, the GS cars might have had "red line" UniRoyals as standard equipment, rather than blackwall or whitewall tires on the non-GS cars.  The GS cars might have had some suspension upgrades, which would mean stiffer shocks and a larger front sway bar (even the addition of a rear sway bar AND possibly boxed rear lower control arms to go with the rear sway bar attached between them).  The drum brakes would be of the same diameter, but possibly with wider linings or linings with more heat tolerance.  Power steering gears could have had "higher effort" calibrations with "faster" ratios in them.  Automatic transmissions probably had governors with higher WOT upshift calibrations and different torque converters (slightly higher stall speeds AND possibly more friction material capacity behind the more powerful engines).  Radiators would be more engine-specific, generally, not really dependent upon the GS option per se, I suspect.

 

Many GS option components might have also been "police" or "trailer towing" option items, usually.  Of course, the GS cars could have rear axle options from 3.64 to 4.33, or thereabouts.  PosiTraction optional.  Tach redlines would be higher, too, than normal vehicles would have had, possibly, again, engine-dependent as we saw on Chevrolets back then.  On many vehicles with "higher rpm" propensity, the a/c compressor would have a larger compressor clutch pulley, especially with the deeper rear axle ratios.

 

Many of these things would not be readily-apparent until you look for them OR know what you're looking at.  Much less apparent than trim and ornamentation items!

 

These are some of the general orientations I've noticed when comparing normal Chevy Camaros and Chevelles with their performance versions.  I suspect Buicks were somewhat similar.

 

NTX5467

[Loren@65GS.com]

Pete,

 

I will look through the items I have from my late father-in-law.  He had a nice example of the '65 Skylark model 44427. Unfortunately there are not digital pictures from those days.

  You are correct  that the "halo trim roof " was also used on the thin pillar coupe Skylark.  The interior of both the 44427 Skylark and the 44427 Gran Sport share most of same pieces. Exception would be that the Gran Sport would have bucket seats whereas  bucket seats in the Skylark would have been an upgrade.

Another item to point out is that '65 Gran Sports all had floor shifts weather it be manual or automatic.  A Skylark with automatic would have been standard as a column shift, but optional floor shift with a full console just like the one in a Gran Sport, was available.

As you are already aware, the suspensions were different. The Gran Sport option had heavier spring rate and heavy duty shocks . Also you noted, the front sway bar was of larger diameter. I have not seen an option listed for a rear sway bar on the '65 Gran Sport. I can look through my Buick Dealer literature if need be.

The rear axle used on a '65 Gran Sport was shared with the wagon. Primary difference between the Skylarks and the wagon / Gran Sport rear axle was the use of larger wheel bearings compared to the Skylark.

Further difference between the Gran Sport and its' little brother Skylark would have been wheel and tire size.  All Gran Sports came standard with 14 X 6 steel wheels painted black. The Gran Sport also came standard with full size spinner hubcaps.  A full size wire spoke hubcap was optional as were the chrome road wheels.

As for tire size, the Gran Sport came standard with 7.75 X 14 black wall and optional 7.75 X 14 white wall.  Red line tires were not available as an option on '65 Gran Sports. I may stand corrected, but my understanding was that the red line tires came available in '66.  Tire size on the Skylark with a 300 v8 was 6.95 X 14 on 14 X  5 wheels, optional size 7.35 X 14. Also optional on a Skylark could be the 7.75 X14 tire on the 14X6 wheels. Note here that many of the options I have mentioned for the Skylark model would apply to a Special also.

Since I could go on and on here, I am going to stop at this point  If you wish for even more details, feel free to contact me., Pete.

 

 Loren@65GS.com