Our Newest Addition..Daily Driver..'61 Skylark..60's Custom?

******, its needs 14"x5 (just like the 60's) chrome reverse with thin 3/4" or 1" whitewalls.

 

Thanks for all the good opinions. I've been looking for wheels with 4 bolt a 14" diameter or caps with a 13" diameter with not much luck.
We just got this so we have a long way to go!


******Knuckles

 

Long way to go my ***. That's a sweet little ride, Heather should have some fun in it. Throw a set of Radirs and redlines on and drive it!

 

Just for reference.

 

A quick shave etc... you get the idea...

 

I wouldn't think of doing it to this car, but if it had this roofline...

 

Just lowered a lot, with slightly bigger wheels and wide whites (which work nicely with the white top).

 

your a ****

 

That green Special on the 1st page is a GREAT looking car! My internet's slow so the other ones haven't come up yet!

 

Looks really clean! Redrill for 5 lugs, 14" chrome reverse, bias plys & a lowering, possibly a little nose down rake... Nothing more!

 

That is a beutiful car and rare, don't screw it up, sell it and build a kustom if that's what you want.

 

In looking at the photos people posted with other wheels, lowered etc. I think it looks better the way it is. Somehow, it doesn't look quite right with the shiny wheels.

The interior of that thing is amazing. I'd just drive it. The tires and hubcaps on the one on the trailer are nice though and the lowering suits it.

 

I'd advise keeping the stock 4 bolt wheel pattern- 4 x 4 1/2" (4 x 114.3" metric equivalent) if you're running a stock or mildly modified engine and don't need to change out the stock, i.e.-weak, rearend. This bolt pattern is shared by lots of smaller american cars and imports, including the early corvair (also early mustangs, toyota, datsun/nissan, etc) The problem you run into is not the bolt pattern, but the odd-ball 1" negative offset where the mounting surface of the wheel is closer to the outside of the rim than the inside by 1". The offset has less backspacing than a front wheel drive, but more than most rear wheel drives.

If you're going with a steel rim and want to go to a 14 or 15" diameter, the 61-63 Olds F-85's ran these as an option and are a perfect fit, but the 15's are pretty rare.

Reversing the stock rims as some have suggested probably won't have enough clearance considering the small fenders wells on these cars.

 

bingo and finding a set of old 4 lug cragars or something similar with the right offset is gonna be next to impossible also. i think you'd have to locate 4 skinny 4 luggers 14x4.5 for all 4 corners. you could maybe find something with an offset for frontwheel drive and use adapters and go just about any lug pattern. lots of folks have issues with running adapters. never had a problem myself and that is a small light car so less to worry about. you can call order chrome reverse in whatever offset you need and in your lug pattern with no problems. so if you want "easy" that would be the easy solution.

oddly enough i actually really like the photoshop of it dropped and with wide whites. i'm full blooded 60s/70s style guy and always have been but it sure looks simple and clean in that ps.

is the lug pattern on it the same as the lug pattern on the corvair? if so corvairs had the option of stock wire wheels for a coupla years i think so finding a set of those might get you some nice wheels that work. either way that a nice car as is. hope to see it at HRW...ken....

 

if you really want wheels.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Rare...013QQitemZ230099787168QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWD1V
4 lug cragars are cool and deff 60s correct. he says 4x4 pattern but they sure look like unilug pattern to me which should fit 4x4-4x4.5. he also has some 4 lug keystones to. either would look good on the car with skinny whites or maybe even redlines...ken....

 

Do you know what year they started makin the 13" 4 spoke SS?

 

late 60s i believe.i wanna say 68. earliest set i've seen in person was a 71/72 set i think. i don't think 4 lug keystones were out until the 70s. i could be wrong. i think Fenton had a 4 spoke wheel like the cragar also in the late 60s or so. and probably a few other to. the odd ball wheels are out there.

i've heard rumor of a few sets of wide 5 vw keystones. i've been on a mad search since i heard that rumor.

the ebay set i linked above are cheap enough even if it is only 3 that you could get them. mount a tire on one of them to make sure there were no fit issues. if they work out kick *** look for your 4th wheel(they come up a good bit on ebay in varying conditions). if not resale 'em and give yourself an A for effort...ken....

 

Yes Andrew that is the perfect look....

 

You guys are the ****!!


******Knuckles

 

Your Skylark looks great!! I'm getting ton's of ideas on what to do to my '62.

 

I'm thinkin pinner whites and astros. shaved handles leave the rest of the trim and silver flake roof. maybe a mack truck hood ornament.....that you call.

 

Here is my 1962 pontiac Tempest wagon ( same body style ,but in a wagon)

 

Just a thought, but if you're going for the early 60's look, don't waste time looking for wheels. There are some great O.E.M. caps(ex: 57' Ply) around for cheap. Paint the wheels red,some skinny whites, pop the caps on = mild custom

 

Notice lots of comments on changing wheels. Has anyone noticed that all 3 of the BOP had a 'strange' front suspension and because
the tierod ends protrude pretty far out into the wheel area it takes
a SPECIAL rim for the front anyway?

Went thru h... in 1972 finding a rim for my 62 Tempest Lemans
after a tire place screwed up two of my rims mounting tires!!!

Take a good look about clearance....

 

I know its been awhile since this post has moved but I wanted to know how it turned out! There is one of these larks for sale in Pittsburgh about 20 minutes from me. I wish I could scoop it up. They are really sweet cars and it being Buick is even more the reason to park in the middle of a bunch of Chevys. If someone wants one, and it looks to be in great great shape, I saw the ad on the v8buick.com site. My father has a '67 Skylark and its amazing how many people say...Now what is this???...I've never seen one! Good luck on the build and post something if anything changed.

 

What a great looking ride. I always thought they were the best looking "compact" ever made. The only small car that dosn't look small. I agree with the guys. Change the wheels and tires. Chrome reversed would be more period correct and I really dig those photoshop red lines. Just a little lower. Otherwise leave it alone.