Projects Well, my daughter's new car just followed me home....

And it is a '63 Buick Skylark. Shows what we believe is 61,015 actual miles. This car is a final replacement after the tragedy of the 2 previous cars - the '79 Camaro was accidentally crushed and the '78 T/A fell apart when it was being moved to get to cars around it and crush them.

Anyway, it runs and drives - except for the tire that is GONE off the rim on the RR. All the trim that's missing is in the trunk.

Plans are to swap the 215 for a 4.3 and 200-4R auto, convert the front end to a 5 lug pattern with disc brakes, and possibly find a rear end with discs that'll fit under it - possibly S10.

Its got a coil spring setup under it now in the rear, but after looking at the way the subframe/rails are made they could easily be adapted to handle a leaf spring setup. I'm planning to go out shortly and measure everything to ask about what different types of rearends would possibly interchange.

Anyway, she is contemplating a creme color and red medium flake roof. As for wheels, we'll figure that out when it comes time. Probably 15s and lower profile tires. Might even raise it up just a tad for to fit'em.

Anyway... here's the 15 1/2 year old girl and her car!


Here she is again with a little monkey in the background.



More pictures...

 

Nice car!! What a lucky girl!
There is a ton of info on www.V8Buick.com
Someone there has to know what rear end to use in that car.

 

Giving a nod to Rikster and Lstude for their photoshop efforts, this is the direction we're tentatively going with this thing...

 

i hope when i have a daughter shes has taste like that!!!!

 

I'm just wondering on the rational for replacing the 215, they're good little motors... the stock trannys are questionable, but a 200r4 can be adapted.

As for the rear, I'd probably stay with the coils. Just a matter of putting the coil brackets on another rear. I think one of the s10 rears may be about the correct width. I remember measuring for one that never showed up. Then when she decides she wants to bag it it's that much easier...

 

The 215 has rings that are stuck from sitting, and I'm looking more at parts availability than performance. I figure with the proper maintenance, the 4.3 will outlast the car.

Again, this is mainly for a parts availability and reliability standpoint. As a father, I'd just assume her have 4 wheel discs than 4 wheel drums - just because its my prerogative. We intend to set it down a bit in the rear, but where we're planning on moving next summer, she'll need the ground clearance.

The biggest thing about updating this little ride is so that whenever she's out and about, should something break there are parts available in the stores and junkyards whereever she is located. Essentially a modern ride dressed in sheeps clothing.

As for bags... no. LOL

 

AWESOME..... give me a ring later this week!!

 

So cool!

Now where in tulsa is that? You must be way north or way south....

 

Where I picked the car up is down near Mounds. We're in East Tulsa.. almost to Broken Arrow.

 

I'm not a Skylark expert, but if I remember right, the turn signal switch assembly is different than other GMs. We ended up swapping in a different column on one, from a similar year GM, like a truck or Impala,....

I think the original TS switch is British?....

 

That should make a cool/safe/fun cruiser for her.

Great score. Keep us updated as it comes along.

Congratulations!!!

JH

 

We may wind up swapping to a different column anyway, so that'd be no biggie. We're contemplating adapting for a console out of a slightly newer Buick or Olds that has a horseshoe type shifter. That's down the road a piece - right now I just want to make it run and drive reliably.

 

Right on... I just meant it looked like there was a lot of land around that shop... Not something you see in my neighborhood.

 

rear ends..the vega 7.5's are 481/2" backing plate to backing plate...very easy to mount disc brakes to also...inso far as getting it up from 4 lug to 5, s-10 early (28 spline ) drop right in,, you want a 75 thru 77 vega or thru 80 monza rearend to stay away from the older 4 link style,,,they are generally smaller 6.5 to boot....i have everything for a complete vega rearend install..coils, coil locator tops, springs panhard bar, brackets, very clean rearend looks wise also ..came out of my 70,000 mile blower wagon when i get to 4:10 and posi..uses a torque arm, but is very basic to set up to a 200r overdrive...the s-10 rear end is about 4 inches wider...check it out, if you decide to go this way, i can ship ya all the hardware ..the rearend would be heavy=costly...

 

Console with the shifter sounds good. Try to find bucket seats from a 4 door. Its a fathers perogative to keep his little girl safe.

 

Most wonderful thing right now is that most of the guys who are showing 'interest' in her know me from my first year of teaching - and know that I can be a mean sumbitch! That, and I've already told at least one little clown that they still haven't found the bodies I've hidden before...

Yeah, safe isn't going to be a problem - sawed off 12 guage and all.

 

Not to contradict you, but are you contradicting yourself?

Some of the S10s I've been looking at information-wise show to be 49" backing plate to backing plate. With the WMS being somewhat relative width-wise, they should rack up into the overall width of 59-60", which is going to be what I'm wanting/needing. I just really need to measure the disc brake rear end out of an S10 and see how it measures up. If I'm within an inch or so, I'm not too worried unless it's too narrow and the wheels rub the inside of the fender well. I also need to know the width of the spring perches on the axle as well.

I'll keep you in mind about the coil sprung axle to swap into it. I'm thinking more modern if possible, but we'll just have to see how it goes.

 

Congrats.
I just went throught that exact same thing 3 weeks or so ago.
My daughter turned 15 1/2, and I promised her a cool car. She got what she wanted. A 63 Bug with sliding ragtop.
Here she's in it for the first time, with her friend and my son in the backseat.

And as you can see, at almost 6'1 and 350lbs., the boys know not to mess with her. My wife says I scare them. And I'm the most normal looking one of all my friends

 

Yeah, dump those bench seats, and add a baby monitor to the interior while you're at it.

That's why I wanna get rid of my Corvair.. My sister offered me her bench seated, automatic Ford Falcon, soon to have a fogged up rear window..

 

depends on which s-10 rear ya go with ..they come in two different widths...been doing the vega thing for 11 years, seen guys haven a hell of a time trying to get the longer axles into the 7.5 vega housing..as far as modern goes, it is same as a s-10, once ya throw discs on it.uses the same ring gears ect...as long as you're talking 7.5 s-10 rearends...that's what is used on the vegas..i guess what i'm trying to say is don't assume that the s-10 rear is the right length when ya buy one..measure it to be sure..they are for a fact available in 2 different lengths..although most web sites only claim 1 width...been there done that..... i just thought this might be an easier way , to stay with a coil over car....parts i figured on letting ya have them for whatever it costs for shipping........one of my girl friends in high school drove a '63 Buick Skylark when i ws 16........

 

Man you BETTER get your baseball bat ready...........

For the boys that are going to be following your daughter AND the car around.

Shes precious,

My daughter was into cars at that age to,until around sixteen and a half.....then she lost interest for about four or five years ,

now she'll come over and help me out in the garage more than my son!

Very nice start to a very nice ride,

By the way are you looking for bucket seats and a console?

 

My son messes with s10 ,Monza ,Vega,Camaro he says that the center sections from all those swap between each other
S10 2 and 4 wheel drives have different rear axle widths I believe 4 inches difference between the 2 and 4 wheel versions.
Have you considered Fox bodied Mustang rears? Disc brake posi rear with coils.

 

My daughter's got a pickup.

(No backseat )

 

I bought one of those when they first came out. Super fast with the 215 & Muncie 4 spd, mine turned 103 in the quarter with an ET in the mid 13's box stock. That was a great highway car as well. Mine came with bucket seats, a console with 4 on the floor.

 

I used to go parking in the cornfields with the farmers daughter in my dads pickup. Farm girls know the best fields and sometimes set the hay loft up nice.

 

Why not use the rear out of a mid-80s Monte Carlo? Should be about the right width and have coil perches on it. The S10 2wd is too narrow, 56" if I remember right from various discussions on using them in 49-54 Chevys. The 4x4 rear is either 2" or 4" wider though.

Any thought to using a Buick V6 and keeping it all in the family, so to speak? Might be able to get that, the rearend and a 200R4 all out of the same donor.

 

I've got one just like that in the junk collection, if you need any parts let me know.

Brian

 

You may be able to use your T/A parts yet.
Check out Globalwest.net They sell upper control arms that allow you to mount the tall camaro-T/A front spindles onto an A-body. The 8.5 rear in the T/A should be a posi with a 3.08 ratio. The good master cylinder, proportioning valve, brake booster, and quite possibly the big fat sway bars could be fitted to your daughters skylark. [tho the rear sway bar will take some fab work]

There's also a chance you can swap the steering column from the 'bird into the 'lark... Maybe add tilt!
The front buckets and console could be used as well.

Go with a 3.8 buick V6. I'm about 90% sure it will bolt to the existing mounts. A T-350 is cheap as dirt and reliable. For a little more fun, you could find a carbed turbo setup for the buick motor from the late 70's. A buick 231 is as cheap to build as a SBC, and probably even more reliable... Fuel efficent to boot!

Nice looking ride. Hope she enjoys it!

 

Greg, let me know if you want to get rid of the 215?

 

I may holler at you yet if that rear will swap right into this thing. Would be easier than trying to fab up another setup. Discs could always come later, or look into the S10 disc setups and see how hard they'd be to modify.

I grew after high school - I was 6'2" then. I dated a girl who was 6'1". I drove an '84 Nissan 720 lowrider and she drove an '89 S10. It was tight in those cabs, but we got the job done. I also used to carry an air mattress for the bed....

I thought about the Buick motor, but I *KNOW* the 4.3 would last virtually forever.

I may holler at you. I'm going to need some small stuff.

Will do Tom. Chad's wanting it too. LOL