1972 Buick Skylark Worth the Buy? Need Advise

[Guest Apatt]

Hi,

I'm new and would like some advise on purchasing a 1972 Skylark. This would be my first classic restoration, and well just need some advise on whether this is a good buy or to run. I'm currently deployed in overseas and I'm unable to get a good look at the car. I have always wanted this year and make so am trying to have my wife buy if its a great buy.

What I know about the Vic is 1972 Buick Skylark, 350, automatic, runs good(could use tune up,been sitting for 16+ years), has GS hood, about 300 miles on rebuilt transmission, interior is all there but needs put back together,Body straight,has mag rims.

The sellers asking 2700.

I have posted some pics, so any advise would be greatly apperciated<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

[BUICK RACER]

looks like a good start for the $$, if it runs, and you like it!

[JohnD1956]

First I would like to say, Thank you for your service to our Country.

It's probably just me but a few cautions are warranted since you cannot get to see the car close up.

The engine picture shows the front fender on the pass side might not be original. This is not uncommon as many of these rust out at the bottom in front of the door. However, you don't know if it was done for that or any other reason, such as a crash, and if a crash, if there was any frame damages to contend with.

The dash shows green color. I would think that a black car with a green interior would be an awesome combination. But I do not think it was a common combination at the time. So, although the paint job looks okay in that small picture, if you really plan a restoration, then you should expect a paint job in the future.

The interior picture also shows incorrect bucket seats. The seats that are there may be functional, but incorrect. Looks like Camaro or Firebird bucket seats to me. You might want to consider if they are a good fit for a restoration. The correct bucket seats for this model are not often found directly. I suspect many people find similar seats, such as Chevelle seats and then recover them. This model luckilly has a dedicated manufacturer of new seat upholstery built to match your original interior design and color. But that won't fit on the frames in the picture. Chances are that car was originally a bench seat car and putting in Bucket seats will probably come with the cost of new carpets. Just another expense you might want to consider.

I am not trying to crash your plans or degrade this car. It may be a nice solid vehicle. But you can't see it from far away and there are some areas that require a close up inspection to determine if this is a killer deal or if this is a money pit. #1 concern is the rear windshield channel. Many times the original glue holding the rear glass in place drys up and lets water leak into the trunk. This leads to three problems. Rusted and deteriorated rear window channel ( pinchweld) , Rusty and deteriorated floor boards under the back seat and in the trunk, and rusted rear fenders before, over, and after the wheel opening.

Likewise the front window is prone to this same problem, leading to rust and deterioration of the front floor plus the metal part of the upper dashboard.

This car may not have had any of this, or may have had any combination of this. I can't see it closely enough, and neither can you. The price sounds good like Roberta says, if it runs. But to be honest, I would not rush into this car unless you had someone you trust look it over for you.

Good luck, and if you decide to move forward, you might want to ask if anyone on this board is willing to look the car over and give you a unbiased opinion. If it can be done I'm sure someone will assist.

[jscheib]

Appat,

As I said before, on the first post elsewhere, I knew you could find someone more familiar with this model and year, than me. As John as suggested, hopefully you can find someone on this forum, that might be able to look at the car before you buy. For John, if he comes back to this post, does it seem like someone was trying to create a GS clone?

John

[JohnD1956]

The best way to tell that John is by the Vin ID. The Id should begin with 4G if it was a real GS. Don't forget, in 72 real GS's came standard with 350's. So it's not unusual to find that combination. A standard Skylark's id starts with 4D, an upscale Skylark ( the Skylark 350) starts with 4F

[Pete Phillips]

Interior door panel appears to be white, while the dashboard is green. I could be wrong, but I don't think Buick mixed interior colors like that on '72 Skylarks. I"m guessing that the whole car was that olive green color, and the exterior was given a color change in the last paint job, plus the passenger's interior door panel or maybe the whole passenger door has been replaced. If it was a GS, there would be a GS emblem on the passenger interior door panel, and I don't see that.

Pete Phillips, BCA #7338

[JZRIV]

From my experience I would not want to put something back together that someone else took apart unless the price was very attractive. This is especially true if you do not have intimate knowledge of the model.

Many cars left in this condition are butchered up and work was not done professionally. Yes it makes the car cheaper but you may forever be undoing mistakes made by previous owners and may regret not starting with an unmolested example.

If that car is from an arid climate state such as So-CA or AZ and is found to be mostly rust free then its worth the extra effort to figure out how to finish it. If its from a rust belt state there is no way I would buy sight unseen unless a very knowledgeable individual looked at it for you.

[LINC400]

Green dash, white door panels, brown carpet, brown or black (can't tell) bucket seats, non-factory looking steering wheel, and black paint.

I would agree that this car looks to be pieced together from a bunch of different cars, and possibly some parts not even from Buicks, plus aftermarket parts. I also agree that it was probably originally all green including paint. I would avoid buying and trying to put back together someone else's mish mash of parts, especially if you cannot look at it yourself in person.

Maybe it is a good buy if it is rust free and just needs some reupholstery. But I would not proceed any furthur with it if you cannot find someone to look at it in person for you.

[60FlatTop]

Horrible car, way overpriced, stay back and save your soul.

Please send me the name, address, and phone number of the seller.

Thank you,

Bernie

[BUICK RACER]

Horrible car, way overpriced, stay back and save your soul.

Please send me the name, address, and phone number of the seller.

Thank you,

Bernie

You folks are going to scare this poor person away. Send me the info, I'll check it out, and let you know, it doesn't scare me at all, plus I responded first! lOL!

[BUICK RACER]

I already have a "project car" was totally disassembled, I mean everything, the chassis was half put back together, the body totally stripped to nothing, so I don't need any more stuff, but would be more than happy to check this thing out, or find someone close, depending on where it is!

[60FlatTop]

Humor sometimes get lost in the writing. I think the car is great and priced fair.

Over the years I have noticed that many collector Buick owners have cars they purchased in the price range of $2,000 to $3,000 or the equivalent over the last 50 years and just kept them long enough to increase in value. More did that than went out and bought the finished high buck car.

This has always been a very adaptable hobby. That $2700 Skylark, a clean 1990's Roadmaster, even a Park Ave Ultra are affordable today and will be nice cars to have in 2030. Make good choices when you are young. I'm happy with the '64 Riviera I bought for 2000 bucks when I was 30......... 33 years ago.

Bernie

[60FlatTop]

One more comment on "money pits". I look back over the monstrous projects I have brought home and never completed since I was 12. I have no regrets over any of those "dream pits".

Bernie

[Sweepspear]

The engine also has an HEI distributor in place of the original points type. Not that it's a bad thing, just another area that has been modified.

I would be shy of buying it sight unseen. Looks like that car has been through a lot in it's lifetime.

I would bet there is a lot going on with the wiring under the dash. I can picture numerous radios / cassette decks being installed and removed over the years.

[LINC400]

Of all the people I know or have heard about that have bought a car from pictures only, and did not look at it in person, very few were happy with what they received, regardless of price.

Seems to be even more of a risk with a car that is nowhere near original.

Could be a good deal, but I think I'd pass if this was all the info available, and I had no one too look at it.

Also I'd rather buy a car that I can drive and enjoy now, maybe with some down the road repairs/restoration instead of one that sits for the next 10-15 years waiting to be restored.

[60FlatTop]

This is a lot like old guys giving advice to a young guy. I am an old guy but I sure remember being young and sharing my excitement for a new project, venture, job, or the like with my father.

God, Mission 1, make sure the kid makes the same decision as he would. And certainly, don't make a mistake. They would choose your friends for you and your mother would choose your girlfriend if they could.

Once a friend of mine and my son were sitting at the kitchen table. I asked my son if he had ever hear someone say "If I knew then what I know now"? He said "yes". I asked "Do you want to know?" He said "No" , got up and walked away. Good kid, just like the old man.

In 1966 my father came home excited because he found a car for me. We drove to the next town and looked at it; a 1961 Ford Station Wagon, 6 cylinder, stick, and brown. That was a ZERO. I brought him back to our town and showed him the Austin Healey at the Buick dealership. While we were there we saw a black 1960 Buick Invicta. I bought it. Neither of us planned on a car like that. Thank goodness I pushed back on that Ford idea.

Its fun writing this stuff so if you read this far you must have time.

On that girlfriend comment I made. I remember when the Olds Intrigue came out. I stopped to see the first one, walked around it and though about for a few seconds. I decided the car had all the appeal of a girlfriend my mother would pick out for me. Talk about corporate image.

Bernie

[RivNut]

Bernie,

It sounds like your dad and my dad went to the same old skool. I looked at a couple of "really cool cars" (or so I thought) until Dad pointed out various money pits to me. I was looking to purchase a '57 Chevy that someone had put a 327 4speed into with metaflake paint and a Tijuana tuck n' roll upholstery. It didn't take dad long to pick it apart. We did however find a '63 Dodge that once was a KS State Trooper car. Dad knew that it has been serviced well and because is had a lot of HD parts on it would serve me well. It did that all through college. When I got married, by wife wanted something with a/c and power brakes and found something "really cute." Don't remember what it was now. Dad had worked at the local Buick dealer and found us a really neat '64 Wildcat 2dr hardtop. Bucket seats, console, a/c etc. Nice car. Should have kept it, instead we traded it for a '68 Dodge Charger - no a/c. Then a new '73 Buick Regal and all sorts of other family cars.

After the family was going strong I then bought a '57 Austin Healey 100-6 BN7, fixed it up, played with it for a while, and finally sold it for a pittance compared to what they're brining now. What a fun car to drive. Had to go around everything I saw in the road. It was so low I couldn't tell the difference between an asphalt patch and a pot hole.

Then 30 years ago when I was 34, I bought the '63 Riviera that I now still have. Drove it for 17 years as my daily driver. 197,000 miles on the orginal engine and transmission.

Wonderful memories. Thanks,

Ed

[JohnD1956]

This is a lot like old guys giving advice to a young guy. I am an old guy but I sure remember being young and sharing my excitement for a new project, venture, job, or the like with my father.

God, Mission 1, make sure the kid makes the same decision as he would. And certainly, don't make a mistake. They would choose your friends for you and your mother would choose your girlfriend if they could.

With all due respect Bernie, I see this as the direct opposite of the old man giving advice to the young guy. No one here found this particular car and tried to push this on Apatt. He brought it up and asked for opinions. And that is what he got.

Personally, I read three factors into Apatt's initial post:

1- Being "deployed overseas " he can't go and look at the car first hand.

2- He may be in need of thriftiness based on the pay for Service personell.

3- He is new to the Buick Classic scene.

And that's what has lead me to respond with general caution. I could be wrong on all accounts but it appeared to me that Apatt wanted to take advantage of those with some experience to help make his final decision. I think he did the right thing asking before spending the $$$. And I think we all did the right thing offering opinions of the potential pitfalls he could face with this particular project.

[Guest DavidC77]

Howdy

I'll 1st say thank you for your service, be safe over there.

NADA is listing it at $4375.

That car looks ruff, but, it is a good car to do over by the looks of it.

If you want to rebuild a car I'd say go for it if the engine is good, but get it for less then $2700 if you can.

Here's the NADA link : 1972 Buick Skylark 2 Door Hardtop (350) Prices, Values & Specs - NADAguides

Good Luck :cool:

[Guest Adam Skylark]

i myself have a 72 skylark and i must say its an amazing vehicle, won car of the year in 72 only thing is that seperates it from the normal muscle car is the fact that its a luxory vehivle so none of that 4 barrel carb stuff i already tried, if you wanna love this car youll need to treat it like a prius