Help with 1969 skylark convertible

[Guest gold1969]

Hopefully I am posting in the right place, this is my first post on this site. I need some help and it looks like this is the group that might could help me.

As pat of an inheritance I took possession of several classic cars. One is a 1969 Buick skylark convertible. I am trying to figure out it's value and the best place to sell/list it. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Robert

[Pete Phillips]

You will have to provide more information if you want an intelligent answer as to its value. Does it run? Is is complete? Does it have holes in the top? Is the body rusted out? How many miles does it have? Which engine does it have? A photo or two would help. I'm biased, but I think the Buick Club's monthly magazine might be a good place to list it for sale. $15 for a non-member to place an ad, plus $30 if you want a color photo to go with the ad.

Pete Phillips, BCA #7338

Leonard, Texas

[JohnD1956]

Why don't you put that car on the road and drive it for a year or two, before selling "that" which someone thought you might enjoy? 69 Skylarks are usually very reliable cars. Unfortunately they are not as sought after as the 1970 Skylark, but as a convertible that means you get to enjoy a sweet car that you can take virtually anywhere.

[Guest gold1969]

It has a 350 and runs well. Here are a few pictures.

[ninjagin]

Certainly looks very nice. If the paint's like that all-around, the body's just as clean and you have no missing trim, and the top is in good shape, and the service record is there (no leaks!), you could do very well. It's definitely worth something. Don't crush it, for heaven's sake. The suggestion to post an ad in the bugle is a good one, but golly, here's an opportunity to have (and drive!) a great car that can bring you lots of enjoyment.

(One thing I didn't realize until many months after I got my buick was how nice it was to be able to drive a car for enjoyment, and to spare my other cars the mileage I might ordinarily put on them.)

It sounds like you have your mind made up to sell, and that's fine, but I'd suggest waiting until the spring or summer, when convertibles sell better. This also gives you the chance to drive it a little bit when the weather's nicer, next year. In the meantime, clean out the leaves (convertible "seasoning", which comes with the dust!), take some nice well-lit pictures of it (just to be ready to send people who are interested) and prowl around on hemmings or some other collector car site for similar models and get a feel for where it might be priced.

If you're looking to find the buick fans, though, the Bugle can't be beat. I read all those ads every month, even when my pockets are empty, and even though I don't have room for a fifth vehicle.

Hope it helps. Thanks for showing it to us. Good luck!

-- Randy

[JohnD1956]

How could you even think of selling such a nice car? Here's the good thing about the 69's: #1 they come with the updated variable ratio steering boxes, which improve handling. #2, they can stop fast and safely even with drum brakes. Heck, my 69 GS does not even have power assist drum brakes and it can lock em up if need be. #3, the 350 is a heck of an engine. Decent on gas and more power than meets the eye, in stock formation.

I also notice that you may have factory air conditioning? I rebuilt mine two years ago and it works very well.

Anyway, like Randy said, it's yours to do with as you please. The car looks to be in very good condition. If you really want to see what it's worth, do a search on e bay for similar models. That will tell you what they sell for.

[ol' yeller]

Contact your local chapter of the Buick Club of America. I'm sure someone would be happy to come and look at it and give you an idea of what it is worth. They may even be interested themselves. That should give you a starting point for pricing. If you are in the Northwest, I'd be pleased to give you an appraisal and even some ideas for selling it. I wouldn't be an interested buyer though. It isn't worth big bucks as it isn't a GS and the market for collector cars is very soft right now. If it is as clean as it looks in the pictures, runs, stops, and handles well, and everything works, you should be able to get a decent price. Too little known at this point to get more specific.

[NTX5467]

With all due respect . . . even if the car is something you might be glad you inherited, but not really what you might want, for whatever reason(s) . . . the car does look pretty nice. Many of the attributes have been mentioned above, which may or may not mean anything to you, but they can to people who know about the cars . . . which is what can make them "special" in many respects.

The cars certainly are reliable vehicles, but age can have a side issue or two, sometimes. This is why you need to put some miles on it, to ensure that things are really as they need to be BEFORE you sell it. Being able to tell a prospective buyer how well it runs, handles, stops . . . plus that "wind in your hair" feeling unique to a convertible . . . can take much of the arbitrary issues out of a sale situation. PLUS, these are some of the questions any prospective purchaser might ask! If you might need to have a little work done, that might help a sale situation, too. Key thing is that you can represent the vehicle for what it is, rather than what it was the last time you knew about it.

ONE thing about those power brakes . . . from my experiences with a '70 Skylark Custom 2-dr hardtop I inherited . . . those ARE powerful brakes, even when moving at a crawl! Each time I'd move the car in the driveway, I'd have to be very careful for the first few times I used the brakes (power drum brakes, in this case) to very gently put my foot on the brake pedal and push very gingerly . . . otherwise, my front teeth would get dangerously close to the steering wheel. After driving power disc brake vehicles, getting into that car with power drum brakes took some adaptation time! But once you get used to it, everything works fine. And the power steering works very easily, too.

In driving an older car from the mid-later 1960s . . . "luxury" was defined by how much effort it did NOT take to operate the vehicle. This means "toe pressure" on the power brakes and power steering that just needed finger pressure to make work. And, of course, the famous Buick off-idle torque gets things moving very nicely, too. Plus, this was what I'd call the "Golden Age of Factory Air Conditioning", when everybody's factory system would get close to 40 degrees vent outlet temperatures. UNLIKE modern vehicles with their "Euro" orientations, which means it takes "hands" rather than "fingers" to turn the (power) steering, "foot pressure" rather than "toe pressure" on the power brakes, a/c systems that have been downsized to offer only "acceptable" cooling (in much better insulated cabins), and having a deep low gear ratio in the automatic transmission is the new substitute for "torque" in the engine.

I highly recommend you drive the car. As mentioned, this time of the year is NOT the best time to conjur up "dreams" of enjoying a sunny day in Spring with the top down . . . unless you want to "give it away", financially.

Respectfully,

NTX5467

[ol' yeller]

As a child of the 60's, I was taught to apply the power brake without putting yourself through the windshield by keeping your heel on the carpet. That way you apply "toe pressure" not "foot pressure".

[WWS]

Robert,

Where are you located?

[Guest gold1969]

Robert,

Where are you located?

In the Dallas Area. While I understand everyones point about driving this vehicle, I have to sell this and another classic car as part of probating the estate. Once expenses are paid then I will get anything left over. I'm just trying to make sure I don't get "throttled" on the sale.

Robert