I’ve only owned one Buick, and it was a head-scratcher for a 17-year-old. I had a 1971 Buick Electra 225, one of the nicest cars I’ve owned, and it was only $750 in 1980 when I got it. A car like this 1962 Buick Skylark Convertible with a small V8 and 4-speed manual is the Buick I should have had, and should have now. This one is listed here on eBay in Mansfield, Massachusetts, and there is a $2,000 opening bid price that hasn’t been clicked yet. Even when it is, the reserve won’t be met.
Unfortunately, the seller has an AI-generated description, which basically gives zero information. They do give a tiny description, mainly describing the paint condition, and they say that the top leaks, but it is “90% watertight.” That’s it: there is no engine photo (argh), and no drivetrain description at all, no underside photos for a Northeast car that’s showing body rust, and none of the usual things the majority of buyers want to see for an online listing, for something they’re unlikely to see in person before it shows up on a car trailer and could bring a lot of disappointment. I’m not saying this car is disappointing, as it looks pretty nice in the photos overall, but, in general, having an online listing without enough photos and hardly any real description or info may not be the best for sales.
But it’s like shaking my fist at the clouds; it does no good at all to even mention a disappointing listing here, as most sellers don’t even remotely think about such things. I’ve harped on all of this too often in the past; my apologies. And again, this particular car looks like a very good and worthy restoration candidate. All that being said, the details of the ’62 Skylark are really nice. There is a lot of detail on this car that the designers added when they could have “cheaped out” and just given a basic car. Here is a foldout brochure showing the ’62 Skylark, and another one showing a few ’62 Buick Skylarks on pages 4 and 5.
The first-generation Skylark was made for 1961, 1962, and 1963, and this interior photo makes the whole otherwise slim listing for me. Seeing that factory 4-speed manual shifter on the tunnel is as cool as it gets. The seats appear to have been reupholstered; they look much nicer than the body of the car does, or the rest of the interior. The dash is cracked, the carpet is shot, the steering wheel is cracked, yadda-yadda. That Borg-Warner 4-speed makes up for all of the other cosmetic issues, which are easily repaired.
The 215.5-cu.in. OHV aluminum V8 engine is hiding under this red hood. Were the trunk and hood repainted at some point? They’re red compared to the worn paint on the adjacent tops of the fenders, both front and rear. The Buick Fireball V8 would have been rated at 185 horsepower and 230 lb-ft of torque when new. Backed by a 4-speed manual, we have to assume this car isn’t in running condition because the seller didn’t mention that. We already know it needs a new top, a lot of bodywork, and who knows what underneath, but it would have been nice to know if it ran or not. Have any of you owned a first-gen Skylark? What is this car worth in its present condition? Hagerty is at over $12,000 in “lo” condition, but they’re only at $16,000ish for one in “hi” condition.
OMG AI is going to make us all lazy and stupid. I read that vehicle description and thought, if you at least have a high school education you should be able to write a paragraph. That said, this is a neat little car. I would be tempted but I have enough work to do on my car.
Ha, you nailed it, Fox Owner!
I just hope that a few million people are typing in, “Cure for cancer, cure for Dementia, cure for Parkinson’s, etc.” rather than “How much did Barry Williams make per episode for The Brady Bunch?” or whatever they’re using it for.
I don’t need AI to make me lazy and stupid, my wife says I’ve been that way for 45 years. The only smart thing I ever did was marry her. Without her I would have starved to death with nobody to feed me and I would smash up the car every time I drove without her to tell me how. I guess I’m one of the lucky ones, I don’t need AI.
I had a ’63 Skylark coupe with a 215 V-8, bought in ’74 for 100.00 bucks. But mine was an Automatic, I saw pictures in the owners manual of the optional 4speed. One of those was what I really wanted. The convertible with a 4speed is really cool, but I don’t think these cars have a big following.
Ha, excellent!
A 3-speed manual was also available. Make mine this exact spec with a 4-speed, but a couple of notches nicer, and it would be pretty tempting.
Restoration or reclamation candidate!
These were pretty nice when new, but this one has seen its days come and go. Cost a boat load to repair and then not worth too much as the people who lusted over them when young are pushing up daisies. (Well, not all, I am still here, but for how long? I am sure not going to be buying any more collector cars) WE as a society do have a small select group of over the top rich dudes who will collect a warehouse full of shiney cars but do they really know and understand them all? Is there going to be future rich dudes wanting to buy what is in that warehouse when no one alive really cares? Will museums even accept as donations? Nationwide car museums are closing as the Boomers walk off the mortal coil in droves. Who knows what future generations will consider collectable? I read cell phones from 20 years ago have young people all eager to have. Crazy but true. Is a generation that often does not care to drive at all going to want to see or own a 1962 Buick? Can not blame the owner for trying to cash in, but they are a little late in the game. Just go no reserve and accept what the going price is. My humble opinion.
I hate generic descriptions. People are so sorry and lazy these days.. .
This could be a great looking car, if brought back.
So little information will keep bidders away. So much is unknown.
I hope someone local gets a good look at it. Be great if it finds a home with someone to restore it ptoperly.
Hmmmmm, without a closer look at engine compartment, underside, trunk area, etc., I think I’ll pass. I do agree though, that if it’s solid, it could be made into a cool looking little car.
I recently privately sold my Gen 1 Crosstrek Hybrid using Cars.com, Craigslist, and FB Marketplace. I placed the max pics on each site, and did a full description with as much service history as I could write. It worked – guy who bought its said my write up helped him. I made $3k more than if I sold to a dealer. Its not rocket science.
As for this car – when I see it I think this would be a great EV conversion project. The Cost to restore it would be painful.
I’m glad you were able to sell your hybrid for a good price-but this car is a very special and rare car. The aluminum engine was leading edge technology in its day. The 4 speed/convertible combo puts it over the top. Making it into some EV Restomod would be a travesty- and it would cost way more than a significant refurbishment. No. And No.
I just read the ad. ” The product is a 1962 vehicle with manual transmission, belonging to the “Other Makes” category.”
What on earth are things coming to? The Product is a vehicle from 1962? I’m sorry if I offend anyone here, but thats just a whole new low we are seeing nowadays. How hard is it to type out A 1962 Buick Skylark Convertible? The product? Sheesh.
That being said……
The product is a 1962 vehicle with manual transmission, belonging to the “Other Makes” category 😆 🤣 😂 looks like it could be a good solid restoration candidate, and the 4 speed is definitely a huge plus.
“Hey, honey, let’s go look at a new product today! There are a few product dealers in the neighborhood. Which one should we start with on our quest to get a new product for our family?”
Lovely looking car. My favourite years for the Buick Skylark are 1962 and 1964. I hope whoever buys the car enjoys it and takes care of it.
I really like these. But the lack of pictures, story, etc. Compounds the frustration of possible rust damage considering where it lives. If this was a Nevada, California, Washington, Oregon car I would most likely be jumping on it. But no way am I going to drive cross country to pick up a most likely rust bucket. The “2 tone” paint says to me previous body work. So how much mud is in the 1/4 panels? But, this could be just a family member tasked with getting rid of grandpa’s car and knows nothing about cars.
Maybe it’s my old eyes, but I don’t see anything in the ad about it having the 215 cu. in. V8.
You could not get a 4 speed with the 198 V6. Only available with the 215 V8.
PNP, here’s where I generally go first for specs:
https://www.automobile-catalog.com/make/buick/special_skylark_1gen/skylark_1gen_convertible/1962.html
Then, Wiki, and then brochures. Brochures are official info so I should really start there, but sometimes they’re hard to read and pretty pixelated.
Thanks for the info source. It is amazing what knowledge is available today.
Back in 72, I got a 351 Cleveland out of a stolen Cougar ( I did not steal it)
When I went to parts store, they did not have a starter. The Ford dealer, sent me to Mercury dealer. They had the starter and told me Mercury ran out of Windsors 351s, so they took next years Clevelands to finish out the year.
What a difference 50 years make.
I’ve had 2 of these 1962 “Baby Buicks” over the years.
Two really sore spots on these cars. One is the lower glass channels on the door windows. The channels rust, swell, split and the brackets on the bottom of the channel (used to raise and lower the window from the regulator) break off. They are even more prone to this on convertibles. Plus, they’re chrome plated, as an added extra expense when repairing. Not impossible to fix, but worth remembering.
Another bad spot is the rear lower valance panel. I question why this one looks so VERY good, compared to the rest of the car. They rust mercilessly. Can you say BONDO?
Someone’s going to have fun trying to fix the front point on the left front fender, and the side-to-side wide chrome molding on the lower bottom of the trunk lid is going to be REALLY expensive to re-chrome. The ribs in it are very finely detailed, and those pits look deep already.
A good indication of the care this car has had is the lack of the pedal pad (rubber) on the clutch pedal.
The description being AI slop? Here’s what Claude gave me back when I asked it to do an AI slop critique of that description: “The description isn’t just vague—it’s a rare and well-preserved piece of content marketing history, delving into the exciting world of saying absolutely nothing about the make, model, or engine while still finding room to remind you, twice, that 1962 was indeed a year that happened.” Garbage in, garbage out.
it’s neat but good luck finding parts.
Well, I would bet $10 the aluminum 215 has a bad head gasket. Local buick dealer had a ’61 convertible with 70k on the odometer, white on white without a scratch, $500 with a bad motor. 1961 Olds f85 wagon, same story…
In 1961, the 215 V8 was rated at 185hp but in 1962, it was rated at 190hp due to an increase in the compression ratio.
750 was a lot of money for a 1971 buick in 1980. I was making 4 dollars an hour back then and that would have been a months pay after taxes so I was buying the 300 dollar cars every 6 months or so. Maybe he had it right by buying the more expensive cars.
Hey Scotty, thanks again for the link to the brochures. It’s amazing how much thought was put into creating these – part marketing hype of course, but those last 2 pages have specifications that only an automotive geek would love.
One person bid at $2000 and the reserve is not met??? The shiny hood and trunk against the dismal paint on the body has me wondering.
Most schools and universities have a prohibition against using A.I.
Historically I.Q.s are dropping as well as Testosterones levels…
For the most part, people who enjoy restoring older vehicles like this one are dreamers. In the end, this car would be nice after restoration, but not if you’re looking to make a profit off it. The 90% watertight top is scary. That other 10% can create a LOT of damage, and drive up restoration costs more than anticipated. I would want to do an inspection before making an offer.
As always check for rusted out floor pans . If one was to attempt a restoration on a convertible Buick skylark like this, were in the world would one find top and door rubbers ??? Hmm
I had a friend in high school that was a duplicate to this car. Red,convertible,4spd,215 v-8 but in much better condition in the 70’s.
It was a great car. Not fast but fun to drive.
Auction update: this one made it to $3,050 and didn’t meet the seller’s reserve, so no sale.