Whether you love GM, hate GM, or are of no opinion on the matter, there’s no denying the success that they enjoyed with their 1964-1972 A-body intermediates. Spread across four of their five divisions, they were a smashing success right from the start. Millions were assembled over those nine years, and of course, entries such as this 1965 Buick Skylark Gran Sport (GS) were part of the formula. This West Werner Bremerton, Washington, example is as clean as a whistle, so let’s give it a review and see if we can determine the secret to GM’s success. Discovered here on craigslist by Curvette, this refined muscle car is available for $22,500.
Pontiac offered up its LeMans/Tempest-based GTO performance car, kicking off a trend in 1964, and Oldsmobile was quick to follow with its 442. Buick jumped on the bandwagon in ’65 with the GS and presented it as a more refined version of its corporate cousins. Total Buick intermediate (A-body) production that year, including all body styles for the Special/Skylark/GS series, amounted to 205K units, with the GS responsible for almost 16K copies. GS body styles included two-door hardtops, two-door sedans (post coupe), and convertibles. The listing for our subject, which is an estate sale, is light on details, so the images have to do the talking. We are told that new paint, which appears to be Sahara Mist Poly (paint code S), was applied ten months ago – and this car looks sharp! The finish is deep, there’s no rust or dents, strong chrome and stainless steel trim, and a very sound-looking black vinyl top. Buick’s ubiquitous road wheels finish off the presentation, and they work very well with narrow white stripe tires.
The seller lists the mileage recording as 15,795 miles, and that’s what the five-digit odometer reads, but looking at the engine compartment, I question that total. What I am seeing is a 325 gross HP, 401 CI V8 engine that appears to be stock and complete, and likely experienced more than 15K miles of use. The seller states, “Runs and drives great, does have a motor noise.” A motor noise, hmm! That’s suspicious, as it could be very minor or a cause for great concern. Making the rear-wheel connection is a Super Turbine 300, two-speed automatic transmission – a bit of a wet blanket on the performance aspect of this car, but I imagine all in all it pulls out with some style.
The interior is described as “very nice,” and it does present well. Actually, the buckskin vinyl upholstery and color-coordinated carpet look new, while the center console shows no age-related deterioration. The instrument panel is typical GM for the era, uninformative, but what’s there is very clear, clean, and legible.
Well, I was pretty excited about this car at first; I like understated, and that’s this Buick to a tee. The price seemed right, too. But the second time through, and focusing on that engine noise business has made me rethink this GS. I appreciated the seller’s honesty, and if you like what you see here and you’re local, you can physically check it out and possibly determine the source of the mystery noise. Beyond that, you pay your money and take your chances, right?
Ok Barnfinds, what’s up with have to view the ads to continue?