Buick Skylark

The buick skylark is an often misinterpreted car. When you have an image of musclecars the chevelle is more likely to be remembered. Many don’t realize that the buick skylark gran sport was a machine built to perform. Even back in 1965 it had a 401 “nailhead” engine that produced 325 horsepower and 445 ft/lbs of torque, a car built to go fast with class. In 1967 the skylark gs came out with a new engine and slightly different looking car called the gs 400. The new 400 ci engine produced 340 horsepower and 440 ft/lbs of torque. It also stepped up the acceleration by using a 3 speed turbo 350 transmission. It also came with a smaller 340 engine option that made 260 horsepower and 365 ft/lbs of torque which was respectable for a smaller engine.

 

For 1968 a major restyling had come along as the car became less boxy and more streamlined. Quarter mile times remained about the same, low 15’s. This was due to the skylark actually gaining a little bit of weight but became more aerodynamic. The base engine became a 350 cubic inch engine and made 280 horsepower and 375 ft/lbs of torque. The 400 remained the same but had an available aftermarket package called stage 1 package. Officially it only raised the power 5 horsepower, but in reality owners say it was more like 45 horsepower! The 1969 skylark gs was very similar to the previous year but did finally get the use of functional cold air hood scoops. The stage 1 package returned and with it came a stage 2 racing package. The stage 2 package raised the power another 15 horsepower over the stage 1. The quarter mile times were now in the mid 14’s for the skylark. 1970 was the greatest year for all musclecars and the skylark was no exception. The 1970 skylark had a major redesign as the folds on the doors were removed and the rearend was smoothed out and reshaped for a much sportier look. The base 350 engine produced 315 horsepower and 410 ft/lbs of torque. The 400 was replaced by a massive 455 engine with huge torque of 510 ft/lbs and potent power of 350 horsepower. The stage 1 was offered and reported a very conservative 10 horsepower increase which was underrated again. The stage 2 package continued through 1972 but was very rare. The stage two offered a very high performance cam, headers, high compression, special intake and even special oval port aluminum heads! These were sold as race intended vehicles. The stage 2 also offered a different functional air scoop for the hood. The big news for 1970 was the introduction of the gsx name. The car now had front and rear spoilers and a striped graphics package and a white or bright yellow base color. The gsx also came with a hood tach to help you keep your eyes on the road as you raced. Although the skylark is a heavy car the handling is surprisingly good. The skylark has won many handling competitions against other cars of it’s day and has beat up on even newer cars. Buick wanted to go one step further as the gsx received an improved suspension to back up it’s already sporty looks. Quarter mile times are very sketchy as everything from 13.3 to high 13’s were reported. Some comparisons showed the buick beating chevelles, fords and mopars but seemed to be swept aside and disregarded. 1971 was a sad year as epa was hounding the manufacturers to clean up there cars. The 455 lost around 40 horsepower and the 350 smallblock lost around 50 horsepower. The cars once again found themselves in the 15 second range. The gsx expanded to some different color options this year. 1972 would be the last year for the gs and gsx line. The power stayed the same this year but the way the car was rated changed. This made the numbers look much worse than they actually were. Many people feel this was the last year for the musclecar era as many cars changed looks and lost considerable power afterward. Many people held on to these cars through the “dark ages” of the late 70’s and early 80’s. The buick engines have also been swapped into many other cars including kit cars. The engines make a very good amount of torque, power and weigh much less than other v-8’s. Even the 455 is around 60 pounds lighter than a chevy 350! People would, and still do modify these great cars today with aftermarket parts such as the “hemi killer cam” and edelbrock b4b intake manifold. There is a bigger respect for these cars today as people see the potential of this often misunderstood car.