The 1953 Buick Skylark was a rare bird to begin with, with a total of only 1640 units produced for the model year. After nearly 70 years of attrition, nicely restored examples are now selling for over $100k. Owners are unlikely to have another one park next to them at the local car show, but how do you make yourself stand out from the crowd without comprising the value of such a fine automobile? Our feature car may be able to help with that, as it was originally built into a custom show car in 1961 and has remained virtually unchanged for sixty years, albeit a little worse for wear after all that time. Located in Prescott, Arizona, and found here on craigslist with an asking price of $24,500, it features a long history, including having been featured on at least one magazine cover. Thanks to Barn Finds reader D.J. for the tip on this historic Buick!
The April 1962 issue of Speed and Custom Magazine described the engine compartment as being “completely chromed, even down to the radiator.” With that information and a fairly recent image found on the Custom Rodder Forum that displays an empty engine bay, the car appears to no longer possess its show car powerplant. In its place is a rather plain-looking 322ci Buick “Fireball” V8, which could possibly be the original engine. The internal condition of the motor is not mentioned, but that ad does state that it’s backed up by a Dynaflow transmission.
The interior is a far cry from the plush cocoon featured in the early magazine photoshoot, but it does look to be structurally solid. Most of the dash, pirated from a 1960 Lincoln, is still in place, including the receiver of an early car phone. The seller states that the original custom seats, which are 1959 Dodge swivel units, do not come with the car. However, they are available for purchase if the buyer is interested. The interior appears to have some work done since the aforementioned photos on Custom Rodder Forum were taken, which show a tangled mess of wires hanging out from under the dash.
This angle provides a good view of much of the custom bodywork that was completed back in the day. At the rear, fins from a 1958 Cadillac were grafted on, extending the rear by fifteen inches, and a continental kit was installed. Originally, the car featured bullet taillights from a 1959 Cadillac, but they appear to be missing. The front end, while admittedly odd-looking on its own, blends in well with the other custom touches when the car is viewed as a whole. The large bullets bookending the grille are from a 1955 Cadillac, the canted headlights were repurposed from a 1958 Lincoln, and a 1960 Chevrolet gave up its hood panels to help meld everything together. The seller has fitted new Kelsey Hayes wire wheels wrapped in wide whitewall tires, and the suspension has clearly had some recent work done as well. With much of the hard work already complete, this one-of-a-kind custom is ready for a new owner that can finish the job and restore it to its former show car glory. If that’s you, we’d love to see it again when it’s finished!
Pretty ugly compared to the original factory design. Don’t get much for the asking price on this one.
I love this thing, but not 25k worth. Where are you going to find top bows? Build a Carson style top would probably be the most cost effective way. Classy seller, holding the swivel buckets hostage. I wonder how much of this car will come up for sale after some one buys the body? Engine compartment chrome, interior?
I say put it out of its misery. Someone created a Frankenstein that didn’t age well.
Not nearly far enough alone for the price tag
Why?
A Buillac? Caduick?
Congratulations, you totally destroyed the value of a rare classic.
Tbone and BF readers,
When this car was published in the car magazines, it was considered a well-done example of what customizers were doing to older used cars that were no longer wanted. The 1950s was a time of fast-paced automotive styling jumps, and the 1953 & 54 Skylarks [as well as the Oldsmobile Fiesta] were bypassed by many collectors for years, in favor of the Cadillac Eldorado. All 3 were built in the same specialty GM shop inside the Flint Wagon Works.
In 1961 a beautiful 1953 Skylark was worth about $250, while a tatty one might have been on an independent used car lot’s back row, for $95, with $10 down and $5 a week. This car, customized as in the Magazine, was worth probably around $3,000.
This car deserves to be restored to the way it was when featured in the magazines and shown in the custom car events in the early 1960s. Now about the missing parts: My restoration shop did some mechanical work to a 1953 Skylark, and if I remember correctly, while the windshields on the Skylark had been cut down several inches, the top mechanism remained the same as the Roadmaster convertible, with the rear pivot points having been recessed into the top well to provide the lowered look. So the top parts should be the same.
The swivel seats are not very difficult to find, as they were offered on all 4 of the Mopar car lines in 1959 thru 1962, and on the 1963 Imperials. While 99% of Mopar Swivel seats were sold in 2-door cars, they were available on the sedans as well [I once owned a 1961 Chrysler New Yorker wagon, loaded with options including swivel seats].
This car’s owner says the original swivel seats are available, and I would advise a potential buyer to go ahead and buy them as well. I’m guessing a former owner of the car has them saved for possible use in another car, but would sell them.
If this car was professionally restored to a level similar to an AACA Jr First, and as it existed in the magazines, this car could be worth more than it would be if it was restored back to the 1953 version. Any new owner is lucky to have the magazine photos to aid in restoring the car.