67 Skylarks with Bucket Seats

[Va-67Skylark]

How many 1967 Buick Skylarks were produced with bucket seats and center console! Recently bought one with bucket seats and have noticed most have split bench. Thanking anyone who knows in advance!

[John_S_in_Penna]

That's a nice looking interior, Mr. Va67!

 

Blue probably isn't all that common, either,

and that makes it more interesting, too.

[8E45E]

I believe all the Gran Sport (GS) models had buckets.

 

Craig

[61polara]

Nice looking car.  It originally had a vinyl roof.  The molding at the C pillar base is the give away.  Non vinyl roof cars did not have this.

[joe_padavano]

1 hour ago, 61polara said:

Nice looking car.  It originally had a vinyl roof.  The molding at the C pillar base is the give away.  Non vinyl roof cars did not have this.

 

Factory two tone cars (RPO D99) used the same molding to separate the two colors. The cowl tag will tell if the car was originally two tone or came with a vinyl top.

 

This is a painted two tone 67:

 

Edited September 21, 2019 by joe_padavano (see edit history)

[Va-67Skylark]

Joe, The body tag indicates it was a two tone car, lower body Midnight blue  (code “E”), top (code “C”) Arctic white. Assembled in Baltimore. I am the 3rd owner, 2nd owner had it for 29 years and painted it 27 years ago. After he painted it he decided he didn’t like the two tone look so repainted it blue. It was garage kept and covered since then. Everything appears to be original with minor surface rust on the underside and some pitting of the chrome. Typical maintenance items tires, belts, hoses, alternator and battery have been replaced. I was surprised that the spare tire has a matching chrome wheel rather than just a regular wheel.

 

[joe_padavano]

10 hours ago, Va-67Skylark said:

Joe, The body tag indicates it was a two tone car, lower body Midnight blue  (code “E”), top (code “C”) Arctic white. Assembled in Baltimore. I am the 3rd owner, 2nd owner had it for 29 years and painted it 27 years ago. After he painted it he decided he didn’t like the two tone look so repainted it blue. It was garage kept and covered since then. Everything appears to be original with minor surface rust on the underside and some pitting of the chrome. Typical maintenance items tires, belts, hoses, alternator and battery have been replaced. I was surprised that the spare tire has a matching chrome wheel rather than just a regular wheel.

 

 

GM always used a matching wheel on the spare when you ordered styled wheels. Otherwise, you would not have been able to put the spare out onto the car when you rotated the tires. The cowl tag will also have the trim code for the interior. Very cool car.

 

 

[Jim Skelly]

Bucket seats were optional on the '67 Skylark and GS.  It's nice to see them in a color other than black.

[8E45E]

9 minutes ago, Jim Skelly said:

Bucket seats were optional on the '67 Skylark and GS.  It's nice to see them in a color other than black.

Were they optional on the  GS?  Maybe I was only looking at the GS 'California' edition like this one.

 

Craig

[Jim Skelly]

Craig,

 

Buckets were standard in '65 on the GS.  I'm not sure about the '66 since I don't have the deluxe brochure for that year.  They were optional on the '67 models, and it is indicated as such in the '67 deluxe brochure.  The California GS was a 2-door sedan.  I believe all of those ('67-'69) came with a bench seat standard, too.  In fact, I'm not sure you could even get buckets on the California GS model. 

 

As I recall, GM started making buckets a no-cost option on the '65 Grand Prix and '66 Starfire.  They were optional on the '68 442.  Many authentic Chevelle SS models have bench seats starting in '66.  I'm no expert on every make and model, but many GS models came with a bench seat.  

[8E45E]

8 minutes ago, Jim Skelly said:

Craig,

 

Buckets were standard in '65 on the GS.  I'm not sure about the '66 since I don't have the deluxe brochure for that year.  They were optional on the '67 models, and it is indicated as such in the '67 deluxe brochure.  The California GS was a 2-door sedan.  I believe all of those ('67-'69) came with a bench seat standard, too.  In fact, I'm not sure you could even get buckets on the California GS model. 

 

As I recall, GM started making buckets a no-cost option on the '65 Grand Prix and '66 Starfire.  They were optional on the '68 442.  Many authentic Chevelle SS models have bench seats starting in '66.  I'm no expert on every make and model, but many GS models came with a bench seat.  

Obviously, you have most, if not all the information  on these Buicks.  I was going by memory, where I remember it was standard on the GS (or a sub-series of it) for at least one of the years that package was available.   I got my year that they were standard wrong.

 

Craig

[joe_padavano]

9 hours ago, Jim Skelly said:

As I recall, GM started making buckets a no-cost option on the '65 Grand Prix and '66 Starfire.  They were optional on the '68 442. 

 

Not quite. Bucket seats were standard equipment on the 1966 Starfire. RPO A52 bench seat was a no cost option on the Starfire. Same thing for the 442 from 1967 through 1971 - bucket seats were standard and RPO A52 bench seat was a $68.46 credit option, as shown in theses page from the 1966 and 1968 Oldsmobile SPECS booklets. Standard equipment is shown in the LH column.

 

 

 

 

[Jim Skelly]

Joe,

 

thanks; what I should have stated was that not all had buckets because a bench seat was a no-cost or credit option

[zepher]

Bucket seats were standard on all SS Chevelle/Malibus from '64 to at least '72.

Consoles delete could be added to remove the standard SS console and a bench seat could also be substituted for the standard buckets.

 

[padgett]

Possibly dumb question but are the Starfire options from 1966 and the 442 1968 ? Reason I ask is the Skylark has the performance (vacuum) gauge on the console while the 442 has the Rocket Rally Pack (U21) and radial tires (PT2) available.

 

Thought the strange console tach was also available in the early years.

 

 

Edited October 1, 2019 by padgett (see edit history)

[joe_padavano]

Yes, I posted the 1966 Starfire and 1968 442 pages as examples. The console tach was included with the console in the 1964-65 Cutlass cars. It was not a separate option those years and thus did not get a separate RPO  code. Same thing with the early Starfies.

[padgett]

Dredging now but think the "performance gauge" used the same housing on the console but was a tach with a stick shift and a vacuum gauge with an automagic. (really need to organize a dig).

[joe_padavano]

2 hours ago, padgett said:

Dredging now but think the "performance gauge" used the same housing on the console but was a tach with a stick shift and a vacuum gauge with an automagic. (really need to organize a dig).

Yes, in 1966 the "performance gauge" replaced the tach in Oldsmobiles also, and yes, it used the same housing as the prior year's tach. And it was again included with the console and not offered as a separate RPO code.

 

[padgett]

AFAIR this was a case of the public wanting a tachometer in a sporty car so GM gave them one that the dealer could install - a 90 degree way down on the end of the console where it was impossible to see.

[Jim Skelly]

8 hours ago, joe_padavano said:

Yes, in 1966 the "performance gauge" replaced the tach in Oldsmobiles also, and yes, it used the same housing as the prior year's tach. And it was again included with the console and not offered as a separate RPO code.

 

Hi Joe,

 

So if someone got a 4-speed with their '66 Starfire, you could not get a factory-installed tachometer?  I didn't see a tach on the option list you posted.

 

Also, was the Tic-Toc-Tac gauge package first available on the '66 442 or the '67 442?  

 

Thanks!

[8E45E]

9 hours ago, Jim Skelly said:

Also, was the Tic-Toc-Tac gauge package first available on the '66 442 or the '67 442?  

I believe the 'Tic-Toc-Tach with the integrated clock and tach into one was a Mopar thing. 

 

I don't recall GM offering a single gauge that incorporated both.

 

Craig

[padgett]

Seem to recall a later (68-72) Olds 442 that had the tic-tock-tach, wasn't very complex.

 

Dredging but think for the early muscle cars from GM (64-67) the "performance gauge" was a tach if a stick shift and a vacuum gauge if automatic. Couldn't really see either. Was also a dealer installed option at least for Pontiac. Think they also had a clock that could go there. Was more into Grand Prixs then. Suspect I have an early 60s accessories manual in the den "somewhere", no finding in '68.

 

ps thought so: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1970-72-Oldsmobile-Cutlass-442-Tic-Tock-Tach-Only-/350505517483

Just have to know what question to ask.

Edited October 3, 2019 by padgett (see edit history)

[8E45E]

On 10/3/2019 at 8:29 AM, padgett said:

Seem to recall a later (68-72) Olds 442 that had the tic-tock-tach, wasn't very complex.

 

Dredging but think for the early muscle cars from GM (64-67) the "performance gauge" was a tach if a stick shift and a vacuum gauge if automatic. Couldn't really see either. Was also a dealer installed option at least for Pontiac. Think they also had a clock that could go there. Was more into Grand Prixs then. Suspect I have an early 60s accessories manual in the den "somewhere", no finding in '68.

 

ps thought so: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1970-72-Oldsmobile-Cutlass-442-Tic-Tock-Tach-Only-/350505517483

Just have to know what question to ask.

That Olds tach/clock combination does ring a bell.  I just don't recall Dr. Oldsmobile making a big thing out of it like the Dodge Boys did with theirs.

 

I do remember the vacuum gauge on full size 1965 & 6 Chevrolets and Pontiacs.  On both vehicles, the vacuum gauge went in the standard clock location. 

 

Craig

 

Edited October 5, 2019 by 8E45E (see edit history)

[joe_padavano]

Sorry, no. In 1966, Olds offered the one-year-only sidewinder tach that bolted to the LH side of the dash. The gauge on the console was the vacuum gauge. In May of 1966, Olds released the Rally Pac that included gauges and tach in the RH dash pod of the 1966-67 Cutlass line. The Rally Pac with the Tic Toc Tach was first offered for the 1968 model year. No console mounted gauges were offered from he 1967 model year on.

 

[padgett]

I was thinking more like 64-65-66 for the console thingie. Pretty sure it was a C-B-O-P dealer installed item. Should be in an accessories manual or the front of a parts manual from then but my filing cabinet is blocked by the printer...

[joe_padavano]

As I noted above, if you ordered RPO D55 console in 1964-65, Oldsmobile included the tach. You could not get the console in those years without the tach. In 1966, every console came with the vacuum gage.

[Jim Skelly]

thanks for the information, Joe; 

 

others: note the clock below the tach, temp at top, oil to the right, and amp on the left

 

 

 

[padgett]

That is an interesting unit. Cutlass with an aluminum turbo  V8 & four speed ? 215 hp/215cid

[joe_padavano]

6 hours ago, padgett said:

That is an interesting unit. Cutlass with an aluminum turbo  V8 & four speed ? 215 hp/215cid

No. That is the original Olds Rally Pac introduced in May 1966. The turbocharged Jetfire was dropped after the 1963 model year.

[8E45E]

6 hours ago, padgett said:

That is an interesting unit. Cutlass with an aluminum turbo  V8 & four speed ? 215 hp/215cid

That is somewhat similar to one of Ford's accessory 'Rotunda' column-mount gauge pods from 1967, which incorporated the same 'full-read' amp, temp, and oil pressure, plus a vacuum gauge, instead of a clock.  A separate Rotunda tach was also available.

 

Craig

[padgett]

'60s was a period when idiot lights (Chevvy even had COLD (green) and HOT (red)) were the norm and instruments, when available, were optional. Was part of what pushed me to Pontiac - instruments were more common. I always use a slight drop in oil pressure at hot idle to tell me when to change the oil & filter.

[ol' yeller]

Interesting how a post about Skylark bucket seats evolved into an Oldsmobile tach/vacuum gauge discussion!

Edited October 4, 2019 by ol' yeller (see edit history)

[padgett]

Well it was hard to get full factory gauges on a Buick in the 60's. OTOH it was easy to swap the speedo and tach in my 70GS so the tach was in the middle where it belonged. Problem with owning a gaggle of Jags earlier was that you became paranoid about oil pressure (40 psi at 3,000 rpm...)

[Va-67Skylark]

22 hours ago, ol' yeller said:

Interesting how a post about Skylark bucket seats evolved into an Oldsmobile tach/vacuum gauge discussion!

Yes amazing, I am still curious of how many 67 Skylarks were delivered with buckets seats.However, I have learned a great deal about the console and it's variations.

[Jim Skelly]

On 10/5/2019 at 11:04 AM, Va-67Skylark said:

Yes amazing, I am still curious of how many 67 Skylarks were delivered with buckets seats.However, I have learned a great deal about the console and it's variations.

Contact the Sloan Museum in Flint (I'm not sure if the Buick History Center still exists).