NEW PRICE! 2-owner car with 62,566 original miles. Beautiful
paint, spectacular original interior, cold A/C, ready to enjoy.
This handsome 1971 Buick Skylark convertible is an exceptional
survivor with just one repaint in its original Verdemist Green a
few years ago. The bodywork is laser-straight and has no signs of
accidents or rust repair and whomever did the paint work did a
great job of making it look like factory. The doors open and close
well, although you need to give the driver’s door button a good
shove with your thumb to unlatch it. I don’t think the car has ever
been apart because the fit, alignment, and gaps are all about what
you would have received on a new car in 1971. The chrome glitters
and there’s no doubt that it’s production plating on the bumpers,
which have a soft shine but aren’t like today’s modern show chrome
that’s so ridiculously perfect. Emblems, glass, and lenses are
equally nice and the car presents as a very high-quality survivor
that you can show with pride.
The green interior is a nice match and I think I like it better
than, say, white or tan simply because it’s so unusual. Those are
original seat covers without any split seams or apparent wear on
the seating surfaces, and the foam underneath remains firm and
supportive. The carpets are also original, protected by
color-matched rubber mats that have probably been there since it
was new and the door panels are excellent. The only major demerits
inside might be an area on the steering wheel where the green
finish has worn off and the puzzling cloudy lens on the clock,
which sadly is not functional. As a Buick, you do get such niceties
as a tilt wheel, ice cold factory A/C, and an AM/FM radio with a
rear speaker that still pulls in signals loud and clear. The trunk
is finished with correct spatter paint and includes a full-sized
spare tire assembly. The white power top is also original and works
superbly, latching without a wrestling match and tucking neatly
under a green boot.
This is a Skylark Deluxe, which means a 350 cubic inch Buick V8
with a 4-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust. Performance is
energetic and smooth, which shouldn’t be surprising—this is a
Buick, after all. It’s nicely detailed under the hood with correct
Dante Red paint on the small block V8, a factory air cleaner with
‘350-4’ air cleaner, denoting the 4-barrel carburetor, and mostly
original-style hardware throughout. It’s not quite ready for show
in preservation classes, but a little clean up here and there will
pay big dividends if that’s your thing. It starts quickly and
easily with a great V8 rumble from the dual exhaust system, but
it’s far from being a noisy kid’s car. The TH350 3-speed automatic
shifts crisply and with 2.73 gears in the 10-bolt rear end, it’s a
fantastic highway cruiser that just loafs along at highway speeds.
The suspension and brakes, like all well-maintained, low-mileage
survivors, have a very polished feel and the car could easily be
driven any distance without a concern. Finally, it wears factory
Road Wheels, which were some of the most attractive rolling stock
of the era and it’s fitted with recent 225/75/14 BFGoodrich T/A
radials.
We call a lot of cars “nice” and this one truly fits the bill. It’s
wonderful to look at, a joy to drive, and the ideal combination of
performance and comfort. If you like looking like a grown-up
instead of someone reliving their teenage years, perhaps this Buick
will fit the bill.