The owners of this 1972 Buick Skylark Convertible purchased it from the original owners more than 30-years-ago as a project/driver for their son. After a couple of years of limited use it was parked, and they have now decided to part with it. This is an attractive and solid car that is located in New Bedford, Massachusetts and is listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has now reached $6,800, and with the reserve met, it looks like the Skylark is ready to head off to a new home.
The combination of Seamist Green with the white power top suits the Skylark rather nicely. Looking the car over seems to reveal a vehicle that is in fairly good condition. External rust doesn’t appear to be a real problem, with the only obvious issues being a spot under the driver’s seat and an area in the trunk. There is a possibility that the trunk pan might be able to be cleaned, patched and painted, but replacement would probably be a better long-term solution. The owner says that the power top works as it should, and the chrome and glass all look to be in good condition.
The news on the interior front is also positive, with the condition being generally pretty good. The driver’s seat has a tear in it, and there is a pretty ordinary installation job of an aftermarket radio/cassette player, but otherwise, it all looks reasonable. It doesn’t look like the dash has been cut to fit the radio/cassette, so it might be possible to source and install a standard radio. A new cover on the seat would make a world of difference, and you would be set to go.
Under the hood, you get a 350ci V8 and 3-speed Hydra-Matic transmission, along with power steering. You would think that after sitting for 28-years that there would be some work to do, but the list is surprisingly short. While the car hasn’t had a lot of use, the owners have been starting the engine on a pretty regular basis to keep the good oils flowing. With the car running well and the transmission shifting cleanly, the owner suggests that a good tune-up and some basic adjustments will see the Skylark back in top form. The engine and its surrounds could do with some cosmetic work, but that could easily be one of next Winter’s projects.
Summer is upon us, and this opens opportunities for some pleasant weekend cruising. I can think of worse vehicles than this Buick Skylark in which to undertake these activities. The car is basically ready to drive and enjoy as it is. Any of the major tasks such as a new seat cover and repairing the rust in the trunk are not urgent, and could definitely be completed over the Winter months. This is a Convertible that seems to be ready to enjoy right now.
Seems odd to me that of the 24 photos on the eBay ad not one of them shows the car with the top down. Otherwise this looks like a good buy if it stays under 10 grand.
Got some good potential!!
Putting old tops down you run the risk of ripping the top. Old material can crack when you do that and at that point you devalued the car. New tops are expensive. If I owned it and was selling it, I wouldn’t put it down either.
Got a ’71 Skylark convertible for free in ’89, some minor mechanical work and new top and it was back on the road. Mine was brown with tan top and interior and serious rust issues, but the 350 automatic drivetrain moved it down the road quickly. I remember hearing an odd clanking from the rear end, expected he worst when I crawled under it, but found that the lug wrench was sticking through a rust hole in the trunk and was rubbing against the back of the right rear wheel. If only we were always so lucky! Sold it for a grand in ’95 when I found a $300 ’73 Fiat 124 Spider, also a rust bucket. Some of us never learn!
No A/C puts it out of the market for me.
God bless America
Nice color combo, well priced, honest Skylark. But what’s with that sandblasted engine compartment and air cleaner? Looks like it spent decades with the hood open in the desert. The paint even seems to be missing from the valve covers.
Unless it’s camouflaged, I’m not even seeing a brake booster. Non-power drum brakes on a Buick as late at ’72??
I wonder if this car hasn’t been flooded, just looking at all of the surface rust under the dash and on the brake peddle and gas peddle etc, there are some rust spots in strange places, one place I worked at once there had been flooding out west and they bought 100’s of cars in to where we were to be flood repaired quickly, this car reminds me of what those might be like now
I think you’re right, John Taylor. That is an inordinate amount of rust on surfaces that should NOT have rusted if the car was stored inside. Shallow paint on the dash, firewall, air cleaner and valve covers would flash rust quickly if it sat in a pool for a while. No reason that trunk should look as bad as it does without the car also showing typical rustout behind each fender arch (comes from driving, not sitting, in corrosive waters).
Just not many around….
No A/C ? Nah, otherwise a solid car, I like options, windows doors tilt, but that’s me
Even if it were a flood victim, not a lot of electronics to be damaged. As long as it is not moldy, I wouldn’t care. Being from Milwaukee, I am used to seeing rust. Not much on this car!
There is an upholstery shop here in a suburb of Milwaukee that will put a new top on it for $1,200. Not terribly expensive. That is parts & labor.
SOLD!
Ended: Jun 18, 2019, 07:10:07 AM PDT
Price: US $7,200.00