It’s not surprising given its resources, but General Motors as a corporate entity was amazingly adept at differentiating its brands…until it wasn’t. In 1968, it was, and GM introduced a completely redesigned array of A-Bodies, and they all had a distinctive look on two new wheelbases. Despite my longstanding love of Buicks, I think Oldsmobile and Pontiac pulled off the look the best, but there’s no such thing as a bad 1964-1972 GM intermediate; therefore, this Skylark Custom is worth a look to anybody who wants a solid, reliable old car that’s a little removed from the usual car show fare. Barn Finds reader Barney sent it to us from craigslist in Vancouver, Washington, and it’s priced at $13,500. (Our own Russ Dixon wrote this one up just over a year ago, when it was posted on eBay. Did it find a buyer or is the same seller giving it another go? A flip?)
The Skylark Custom was the fancy intermediate (positioned above the base Skylark and the Special Deluxe in the Buick line), and thus came with some extra trim and a standard 350 two-barrel V8. With a regular-gas-friendly 9:1 compression ratio and a Rochester 2GV on top, it directed its 230 horsepower and 350 lb.-ft. of torque through a Super Turbine 300 two-speed automatic (without a switch-pitch converter in 1968) back to a 2.56:1 axle ratio; a stop-light terror it ain’t. Still, the 350/Super Turbine combo is a reliable powertrain that will effortlessly keep up with today’s terrifying expressway traffic. Be mindful, however, of the brakes. This one appears to have power four-wheel drums, which aren’t as bad as some people think, but they can be touchy.
The seller posts that this car has 51,986 miles on the odometer, but there’s no word on whether it has rolled or not. The engine itself has been painted black (it was all red from the factory), but the ad also doesn’t discuss whether or not any engine work has been done, just that the car runs and drives well (and that everything works, including the gas gauge).
I’ve spent a little time looking at color charts and interior combinations, and Buick didn’t make it easy for me. My best guess is that the paint is “Ivory Gold Mist,” which could have been ordered with a dizzying variety of interior colors (a far cry from today): This interior could be Champagne, Parchment, or Buckskin. The interior fabric is not original, but it looks as if it’s been replaced fairly recently, and few at the car show will call you out for incorrect materials in a ’68 Skylark. It’s just not that kind of car.
The only thing I see that’s missing from this Skylark is a styling feature that is somewhat polarizing: the fender skirts, which were standard on the Custom model. Perhaps the current owner gave them the thumbs down and the heave-ho, but that probably won’t change anyone’s mind about buying this Buick. The 1968 and 1969 Skylark Customs rarely find themselves atop anyone’s wish lists when it comes to collector cars, but being a Skylark owner myself (a ’65 hardtop), I can attest that they’re reasonably priced collector cars that are reliable, sensibly powerful, and easy to drive. Some parts aren’t as readily available as they would be for Chevelles or GTOs, but their common mechanical components are. Time will tell if the price is right, but I will rarely try to dissuade someone from buying an old Buick.
Wow, that is a very sharp Buick.
This is one very nice Skylark. Even if tge seat covers aren’t oem, they’re clean and presentable. I know there’s two different camps here on fender skirts. For me I’d reinstall them. I always thought they add a touch of class and go good with the body lines on the Buicks. I’m with Adam, I lean towards the Pontiac and Olds version, but Buick was very unique.
Always wanted the ’70-71 GSX version…but this one looks pretty presentable and not some rusted project I have seen recently…good luck on the sale.
The wonderful GM intermediates of the 60s up to 1972. Then when they brought out the colonnade hardtops for 73 it was game over for me. My very first car was a 68 OldsCutlass
convertible that I paid $280 for back in 1972. God bless my dad for that one. Anyway, the 69 Buick was always one of my favorites, but not having fender skirts,is a hard pill to swallow for me. Wonderful post as usual.
One of my many cars, and one I thoroughly enjoyed was a 69 Skylark Custom convertible. Rusty and holey as all-get-out, but it ran great, stopped good, and the top went up and down with the switch. Felt so good to get out of work, put that top down and cruise on the expressway at 60mph in the wind. August in northern Ohio made the black top and black seats a little hot, but I didn’t wear shorts at work…
Can there be “Love At First Site” with a car?
Without a doubt.
A nice set of wheels and a dual exhaust and a cruiser is born. Very nice !
Got that right Mike. Great tq from the 2bbl legend. 🏁👍
Like my ’69. 15 Buick Rallys and duals.
I’m with Aaron on the skirts. Gotta have ’em even if they’re a pita to remove at wash time to clean the ww tires. I added a set to my ’70 Caprice coupe so I know!
While it’s tempting to put the road rims on, the appeal of the wheel covers work better imo with the wws.
Add in the aftermarket stow/coffee cup armrest and enjoy a cup on the way to the show.
The only wish was for a/c.
A number of years ago, I read an interview with the founder of Rent-A-Wreck. At the end of the interview, he was asked, “what is the best older car and why”? (or something to that effect); he said it is the 1968 Skylark because it could run without water, oil, and sometimes gas. I laughed out loud – In high school, a classmate had a ’68 Skylark. In a not so sober state, he bottomed out one night with a bunch of us in it, leaving the oil pan and an oil slick behind on the road.
He drove it to school for a month before it gave up.
Rent-A-Wreck! OMG! I remember them. When I lived in Plainfield, NJ in the early 80s a rented a couple of cars from them. Kinda long term, like 3 weeks to a month. I can’t remember the cars but I went through three of them and had to have them come out a couple times for flat tires.
I’m sure the federal government had something to do with their demise
Fun times!
Great outfit Angel 😇 they were here in BC too 🍁
Hey, Angel!
Another one was Ugly Duckling Rental.
My second return trip to Alaska in 1995 I had to go on the cheap so I rented a Limina from this outfit. Drove all over the Kenai Peninsula with it. Only issue was it would quit a lot and it was the transmission modulator. When I left for Fairbanks on a school bus, I had my friend’s Jeep to use.
Hey Jon!
Always great to hear from you.
I’ve never heard of that one. But when Stan mentioned Rent-A-Wreck it brought back so many memories. I’m thinking one of the cars I rented was a early model Chrysler Cordoba. I could be wrong, it was the early 80s and that was a turbulent time for me.
But I always thought that was such a good idea, rent-a-car CHEAP! Not new, less than perfect.
But as I mentioned, I think our illustrious government put an end to it “for our safety.” But at the time it sure came in handy. It was one of those rare times I was between cars and needed to rent one to get back and forth to work. Hence, why I needed it for several weeks.
I had a ’65 two door hardtop Buick Skylark, Seafoam Green with black bucket seats and a console that housed the shifter for the AT. Loved that car – stuck thermostat at the Colorado/Kansas line had me stranded for an afternoon in a little Colorado town awaiting the arrival of the replacement thermostat. Afterwards there was a sort of ‘clicking sound’ and I decided to overhaul the engine in my home garage. It came out very well and when I traded it for the ’70 Skylark, and on a return trip to the dealership, I looked at the odometer of the my ’65 and I guess because it was so clean, the dealership had rolled back to odometer from 90,000miles to 47,000.
I had a ’65 two door hardtop Skylark, black vinyl top, black bucket seats with console. Loved that car.
I love fender skirts, they add to the flow of the trim and body lines on every car that has them especially Cadillacs and Buicks. You don’t need to remove them to clean the tires, just wash what you can reach and pull the car forward 2 feet and finish what’s left.
My memory is going. I bought a 1969 Buick Skylark 2 door hardtop in 1975. I don’t remember what model. It had the 350 V-8 2 barrel. It had ps, and pb. It had vinyl bucket seats, center console, floor shifter, and a/c. I think it had the 3 speed automatic, that is what I’m not 100% sure of. I loved the car, unfortunately circumstances, college student, part time job and putting 550 miles I week on the car I couldn’t afford gas. I made the BIG mistake of trading for a 1974 Vega.