Bluesky62
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Posts posted by Bluesky62
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Joe, that's another good idea. I've been thinking about it, too, the need for air conditioning. It's gets up to 110-112 degrees here in the Central Valley of California (there's no surfing beaches around here where I live!) and AC is just pretty much a must. I think that's a pretty darned good idea - cut back on the flash of a super pretty paint job (for now - it can always be done later) and consider making the car as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. And you know what? It doesn't matter HOW pretty the car is, if it's 110 degrees out, my wife will definitely NOT go for a ride in it with me if I don't have air conditioning in it!
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Joe, you give me what sounds like some very logical and sensible reasoning here (I'm sorry to hear that it is based on that really heartbreaking experience!). It really doesn't make much sense to sink a TON of dough into a beautiful paint job if I'm going to be putting it in harm's way every day. And I know one thing for sure - I'm not good at winning arguments with insurance claims adjusters!
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Well, that's (kind of) encouraging, Jim. I guess it's good to know that this book looks a little intimidating to others, too. It actually covers from 1940 to 1963, inclusive, so there are a lot of years there. Is the process the same as if it covered only two or three years?
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JD, I just figured out what you meant by "Batavia"! Jeez, I'd love to make it, but that's just too far away. Sometime there'll be a meet out closer to me, I'm sure and I WILL be there! Dave
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Well, I guess I'm guilty there, too, Shaffer, but it is only because this '62 is the only Buick I've ever had and I don't know anything about any of the other models. I've looked at pictures of the other ones and they sure are beautiful, but I've got a lot to learn about them. I'll get a pic up ASAP. Thanks, Dave
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I just bought a "Buick Master Body Parts / Chassis Parts" book (huge!) off of eBay and the description of it said that it shows what years have parts that are the same. Can anyone tell me how to "read" this book so that I can tell if a part for my '62 Skylark can also use parts from, say, '61-'63, too?
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Yes, Jim, it is going to be a driver car. I'm a bit torn about it, because it really is in pretty good shape, but I just don't know if I'm enough of a perfectionist and have enough knowledge to take it to show car status. I've been told that it is necessary to take the body off, powdercoat the frame, put it all back together with new bolts, etc, etc. That seems like a lot of work for a car that isn't all that valuable to start with.
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I don't know, JD - is that somewhere near Bosnia? I don't know what (or where) Batavia is. Is that where there is going to be a meet of some kind?
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Karl - wow! I had no idea that stuff costs what it does these days! One thing, I guess, that kind of threw me on my hardtop is that - even fixed up - it's not an overly valuable car (to anyone else, that is). I mean it is worth a lot to me, but they aren't worth that much to someone else, are they? How does one figure out how much should be put into a car? I don't know.
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Thanks, Pete. I don't mind paying it if that's about the going rate these days, but I just hate getting taken advantage of. I'm sure (based on everything I've heard about the painter) that he's going to do a good job and he told me himself that the $2500 is "Cheap - very good price I give you", but I'm just not enough up on the times these days to know if he was just blowing smoke or not. Thanks again!
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I've got a 1962 Skylark that isn't that far away from being a pretty nice car, but I've never restored a car before. I took it to a painter who has a real good (locally anyway) reputation a couple of days ago and he gave me an estimate of $2500 to paint it. The top on a "62, remember, is vinyl, so he's just painting the bottom half of the car. He is going to use a good paint - I think he called it either "Beta Clear" or "Besa Clear" (he is Hispanic and his accent is a little hard to understand). The body is totally straight, so he won't have to do any bodywork, but he told me that he's going to take the current finish back down to the metal (it is very oxidized and wasn't very good paint to begin with). Anyway, does the estimate sound like it's in the ballpark?
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Something tells me, JD (which is my best friend's name, too BTW), that this time I'm going to be driving her a lot! For some reason, up until now, I've never really considered her to be ALL mine. Maybe I was thinking that my daughter was going to want her back, maybe I had my doubts about my ability to bring her back to life - I don't know. But she's coming back now - for good! - I guarantee it!
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Yes, Brian, I'm going to follow those steps you outlined and send in a picture. It'll be fun for me to see her "in print"! As far as meeting each other at a meet, I hope we can. The only quandary I'm in right now is that I live right in the middle of California and I can't figure out whether it would be better to go north or to go south. There's a chapter in Sacramento (about five hours away) and there's the chapter(s) down in the LA area (I don't know, I think maybe three hours away in that direction). I wish the Central Valley Chapter was still up and going - it would make things a LOT easier!
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Tom, it's like she just keeps calling me back to her. "C'mon, c'mon, get me back on the road where I belong!". And this time, I'm going to do it! Thanks for understanding!
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Yes, Karl, automatic transmission and it is SO smooth! Pic ASAP. Thanks!
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I am excited! There's no one around here (my wife, my son, et al) that can fathom my glee, so I'm going to post it here - maybe there's someone here that will understand. I just drove my little sweetheart home from the mechanic's shop! A two-door, aluminum-blocked V-8 with the 4 bbl. carb, hard-topped, 1962 Skylark, this was the first time in seven years that I've been able to drive her. I bought her eighteen years ago to be my daughter's first car and, at the time, I reserved first right-of-refusal if she ever decided to get rid of her. When my daughter decided to join the Navy about three years later, she was returned to her "rightful owner" - me! She lost her reverse gear in 1998 and I haven't been able to afford to have the transmission gone through. But I can now! The tranny has been completely overhauled, new soft plugs were installed, all new belts/hoses/filters are in place, all fluids have been drained and replaced, new heater core and fan motor put in - and she tootled home today just like the quiet (but peppy), little top that I remembered her to be!. The body is super straight, there is no rust anywhere that I can see and now all that I have left are the fun things: paint, new tires, lubricating this and that, weather stripping here and there, that kind of thing. This is the first car that I've ever attempted to "restore" (and I'm not much of a mechanic) and I know that there'll now be things (maybe lots of them!) that are going to pop up as a result of her sitting for seven years, but I say, "Bring 'em on!" I'm really looking forward to it! I don't know what the "connection" is between me and this little car, but it almost like it is something spiritual. Some of you MUST know what I'm trying to say here, right? Anyway, I'm going to try taking a picture of her (thank you to Brian Laurance, BCA #5168 for tips on how to do it) and post the picture on this forum. I'm probably going to have lots of questions for you more seasoned hands and (BTW) if any of you have any suggestions for me at this stage of the restoration, I'll welcome them. I've got a lot to learn, but I'm sure looking forward to doing it! Thanks for hearing me out.
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eBay, sure, I should have thought about them. I'll go look right now - thanks, Keith!
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Wow! Some very good information here! I wonder where I could get a copy of the "Engineered Approved Accessories Book" for my '62? I just joined the BCA and maybe when I start getting "The Bugle" I will be able to find a source for it? Thank you so much for your help on this.
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I'm new to this restoring game. I'd like to order the various floor mats for my '62 Skylark. Looking in the JCWhitney catalogue, they have a "factory authorized" set, but one comes with a logo and the other doesn't. I'm going to try and go original, but I don't know how to tell if my car came with logo'ed mats or not. Can you tell me how I can find out? Thanks!
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These are all good suggestions, Ed, and a couple three of them I had not even thought of. I'm looking forward to giving it a try and thanks for getting back to me.
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Thanks a lot - this is exactly the information that I was seeking. I was leaning towards "factory" anyway and this cinches the deal.
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Although I've owned my '62 Skylark for 17 years now, I'm just getting around to restoring it (I'm REALLY a rookie here - not much of a mechanic, never restored anything). It hasn't been driven for the last 6 years (reverse gear went south), but I think it's really in pretty good condition (body is straight, transmission now newly overhauled, engine ran like a quiet, little top) considering. What I'd like to ask this: what are the pros and cons of doing some customizing vs. trying to bring it back up to really nice "factory"? Thanks, Dave Prestage, Porterville, Ca
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in Buick - Post War
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Well, Jim, with the information you gave me and, after spending some time nosing around in the front of the book, I think I have at least a LITTLE idea about how it works. Now, I can find my '62 stuff, but how can I tell if the part I'm looking for can also be found on OTHER years of Skylarks, too? Am I just not looking deep enough? What am I not seeing?