We often see classics from the 1960s and 1970s that are one-owner survivors, but this 1969 Buick Skylark caught my eye. It isn’t simply the sole owner factor that made me take notice. It is the fact that the gentleman in question was born in 1916! That makes him 106-years-old, which is pretty astounding. He has used the car sparingly over the past decade, and the seller is assisting his family in moving this survivor to a new home. The Skylark is listed for sale here on eBay in Milford, Connecticut. Modest bidding has pushed the price to $1,781, although that figure is short of the reserve. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Larry D for spotting this classic with an amazing history for us.
One of the attractions of classics like this Skylark is that it comes to the successful bidder with a known ownership history. That is a reassuring factor for many enthusiasts, especially when it is backed by significant documentation. That is the case here because the seller includes the original Order Form, Dealer Invoice, Owner’s Manual, Protect-O-Plate, Registration Certificates, and Inspection Report. The invoice reveals that the owner ordered this classic in Turquoise Mist with a Black vinyl top. When the seller dragged it from its hiding place, it carried a heavy coating of dust. Washing this away revealed paint that was surprisingly good. It retains a good shine, while the vinyl looks excellent. The panels are straight, and any rust is pretty insignificant. There is some visible in one lower corner of the passenger-side front door and some in the lower rear quarter panels. The areas impacted are small and would require nothing beyond some well-crafted patches. The seller indicates the floors, frame, and trunk pan are rock-solid, allowing the buyer to enjoy this classic immediately. The wheels and tires are a recent addition to help return the car to a roadworthy state. The seller doesn’t indicate whether they retained the factory wheels and hubcaps, but I hope they did.
The Buick’s engine bay presents in the sort of state you might expect from an unrestored classic of this vintage. The seller admits that while they treated the exterior of this car to some TLC, they have not detailed the rest of the vehicle. Sprucing up the engine bay will be a task for the next owner, but it appears they won’t face mechanical refurbishing. The engine bay houses its numbers-matching 350ci V8 that should produce 230hp. The owner elected to back the V8 with a Super Turbine 300 automatic transmission with power steering to remove the hard work from the driving experience. This isn’t a muscle car, although its ability to cover the ¼ mile in 17.9 seconds was considered respectable in 1969 for a family sedan that could seat six people. When the seller revived this classic, they were surprised how little it needed to return to a roadworthy state. They replaced the wheels, tires, master cylinder, rear brake lines, rear muffler, tail pipe, and the battery. They acknowledge a small exhaust leak the buyer may wish to tackle, but it has no further mechanical needs. It runs and drives well, the transmission is smooth, and the seller indicates that the winning bidder could confidently fly in and drive this beauty home.
The seller admits they haven’t had a chance to thoroughly clean this classic’s interior so that task will fall to the successful bidder. If I were that person, I would perform the work before considering any restoration or repairs. The front seat has a significant split in its black vinyl, and there may also be one in the back seat. The driver’s door armrest is damaged, but it is difficult to identify any further issues. The buyer could source replacement seat upholstery, which would lighten their wallet by around $700. Alternatively, they may elect to buy some nice slipcovers to hide the problem. The interior isn’t heavily optioned, although it does feature a tilt wheel, a remote driver’s mirror, and a factory AM radio.
What would be your plans if you were to buy this 1969 Buick Skylark? Would you preserve it as a tribute to its solitary owner, or would you restore it to its former glory? The lack of use during the past decades is understandable when you consider its owner’s advancing years. Regardless of your chosen path, it is great to see it out of that garage and return to active service. The owner must have retained this classic for more than five decades because he cherished it. Do you think its buyer will feel the same way and elect to own it for a similar period? I’d be surprised if that were the case, but you can never rule out anything in the classic scene. Who knows, I may find myself writing an updated story on this Skylark in another fifty-three years. Hey, a man can hope!
The color and presentation is nice and the wheelcovers and new tires are a nice addition. Because it’s a 4 door the market value for the Buick would be less than a comparable 2 door.
My first car was my mom’s 1969 GS350 I bought from her at the trade-in price for her next car. I remember the squeaky power drum brakes that needed turned alot. I have nightmares of those black vinyl seats that were as cold in winter as they were scorching in summer. I remember being stranded with boilovers and broken hoses and the certified mechanics who failed to diagnose the problem. A gas station mechanic replaced the thermostat and the overheating problem finally stopped. The 350 4bbl with dual exhausts was rated at 280 gross horsepower which is 50 more ponies than the Skylark offered for sale here. The 230 horsepower should be more than adequate. My car had no air conditioning making the vinyl seat issue that much worse. The power steering of that vintage was effortless but lacked road feel.
‘The wheels and tires are a recent addition to help return the car to a roadworthy state” If that were the case, they’d just buy new tires and mount them on the original wheels ;Buick mags and white letter tires were done to help sell an otherwise boring little ol’ lady car .It really looks like the only other thing the seller did was wash and maybe polish the car, and it does look like there’s some bubbling in the rear quarters – this is a normal area for rust for these cars at least here in New England, so I’d bet there’s Bondo in there, and that means its likely been repainted. at one time.
Im the new owner of the car and I’ve looked it over throughly and other then the handful of small rust spots it’s incredibly clean for Connecticut the rear quarter rust is there but it’s expected for a car that has 80k on it
I just bought this car from the original owner’s nephew I think it’s a little worse then the pictures but for the area and price it’s a relatively clean survivor car with tons of original paperwork