Project Wheels and Stance
 

Well, it's finally time. As many of you saw a couple months ago, I picked up a pristine 64 Buick Skylark and have been planning, drawing and ordering parts for phase one, the most important part; wheels and stance.

It will be way more than skin deep but since Summer is upon us and it doesn't last long in the NW, I'm doing a fast and super functional facelift with a big emphasis on style and function. After a bunch of research and calls and favors, etc, I ordered up a full TVS system from Hotchkis complete with front and rear tubular control arms, BIG sway bars, Bilstien shocks and everything to make it pound corners instead of dragging the door handles around them! Next is a set of Baer 2 piston brakes with the 2 piece rotors to get it stopped right instead of standing on the brick of a pedal and waiting for the worn out drums to haul it down safely. I actually watched an Explorer stuff a Focus into a clean 71 Charger right in front of me this morning so these brakes can't go on soon enough! To hold the corners and grab the road when i have to stop is a set of BF/Goodrich G-Force KDWs wrapped around a set of Rushforth Whiplashes with brushed centers and polished outers.

I've always had a thing for Skylarks because as a designer they have way more style and time and money invested from the factory and they're far less common than Chevelles and about half the price. No offense, my A-Body brothers! And we are brothers because the beauty of the GM A-Body is of course availability of parts and interchangeability.

The car was so nice when I saw it on craigslist, I only slept on it for 2 nights instead of my usual week before I went and looked at it and I struck a deal with the owner who has had it in a garage since 82 only driving it on weekends racking up 96,000 original miles! The only thing done to it other than loving care and oil changes was a repaint in the factory color about 15 years ago that's still in good condition but while I was waiting on parts, I've been detailing it in and out.

The point of this car is obviously to A) Have fun!, B) Promote my design and wheel businesses, C) Go to shows and autocrosses and hone some driving skills, and D) Show people what can be done to an affordable alternative bodystyle when you search with an open mind, use some creativity and some careful parts selection. Do what you can with what you've got! I jones for radical over the top cars but the reality is kids, mortgage, small business and little patience so I found a car in my budget that I could drive this summer which started Sunday so get out there!

If you got this far, thanks for reading!

So, before someone puts up a "This Thread Is Worthless Without Pictures" post, here are some pictures.

Exactly as it was when I found it.
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/IMG_4820.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...els/buick1.jpg

Mocking up some wheels to check fit and clearance at Jared's www.J-RodandCustom.com
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/000_0007.jpg
And of course the rendering which wasn't too tough to come up with considering how nice this car is.
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...sc0381d9e6.jpg

While we were waiting on parts, we were having great weather and I was itching to drive it so J-Rod and our good friend Howard hammered it for me so i didn't look like I carjacked Frank Sinatra and I've put a few hundred miles on it while the UPS man gets to know me even better bringing cool stuff everyday.
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/100_0291.jpg

Remember what I said about more money being spent on Buicks? As an example, they had great designers that had to come up the ranks and they designed killer details like tucked bumpers that look like something from a high end shop. Alright, so not quite that tight of a fit but pretty damn cool from the factory! And check out how the bezels and taillight trim panel are castings not stampings. Same with the grille!
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/100_0298.jpg

Dig the extra details like the roof trim and the flushed windshield trim that's also up front.
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/100_0303.jpg

Can you tell I love this car?

The UPS man aka Santa brought me big white boxes with BAER written on them!
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/100_0287.jpg

lol...


Nice find, Jason. Those wheels and the finish that you used on them looks great. When are you mounting the brakes?

And you're right, that car has a lot of thought put into it from the factory. :thumbsup:

yes yes yes

now thats a great find.:thumbsup: .....love the non typical SKYLARK
no paint jail or need for heavy custom body mods .just update the suspension and wheels and ENJOY..great idea...wish i had done that..
keep us posted

tom

Awesome! What a great find that car was and I totally agree with your styling comments on the more upscale divisions. :thumbsup:

Very nice!!
The rendering looks awesome. Should be a nice car when complete. What color is that by the way? I like the color on that car.
Keep us posted.:cheers:

Thanks for sharing my enthusiasm, guys!

Baer Brakes, complete Hotchkis TVS system, Lee quick ratio steering box from Savitske, my wheels and BF/Gs are all going to happen in the next 2 weeks before I leave for Columbus. Like I said, Summer's here and I'm not that patient!

Thanks Tom, I love your Rambler and totally sympathize with the long road a car like that goes on and seen it happen 100 times with friends and clients so I bought the cleanest car I could find that wasn't totally mainstream but had a lot of aftermarket support and some style and a full frame under it and it just so happens, great paint and interior! Bonus! I was totally fixated on wheels and stance so I was willing to buy a car with some patina bit when I found this, I had to pull the trigger. Another guy came to buy it from the craigslist ad 3 minutes after we shook on the deal. He got out of his car to see what he missed, shook his head, congratulated me and said "You snooze, you lose and I snoozed!".

From what I've learned doing a little research, the color is 64 Buick Marlin Blue.

The paint is base/clear and is in good shape but I've had some time to play with it while I wait for parts so I've been cleaning and detailing and even had some help from my daughter on Father's Day.

Here she is polishing the coat hook with Eagle One NEVR DULL. No, I didn't misspell that. Good stuff and I've used quite a bit of it cleaning up the stainless and neglected chrome like the interior and exterior mirrors, door handles, and all the various gingerbread. Good stuff but use it in an open area or you'll get dizzy.
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/100_0268.jpg

Ever used paint clay? Think it's snake oil? It's frikkin' magic! For little spots, just use your spray detail but if you have a 17' long car with dry feeling paint, fill up your wash bucket with soapy water and keep your area wet and well lubed and rub gently with the clay spread out flat and you will be blown away by what the clay picks up and what your paint looks and feels like afterward. The paint is fine and there's lots of clear on it but it needed a little love and just had that dry feeling like it hadn't been waxed in a few years. Now it feels like it's freshly waxed and I haven't even taken any polish to it. The clay works on aluminum and glass as well.
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...100_0272-1.jpg

So easy, an 8 year old can do it!
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/100_0285.jpg
How's that for an endorsement? Hey Mother's, need a spokesmodel?
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/100_0286.jpg

aren't u aware of child labor laws in this country?:_paranoid


as far as the project goes...

It's your turn Jay! enjoy - This car is going to be awesome, there needs to be a magazine build article for this take lots of pics

Cool cars. I kinda like the side trim on it, makes the car less Chevelle-like and more unique.

hmmmm are those black or grey Whiplash Rushforths..... least you have good taste :yes: and didn't go with Rated X like the rest of the guys :lol: .I still hope I have the only set of black center Whiplash wheels :)

Sweet car I got real close to pulling the trigger on a 65 Buick convertible when I was in my 64-67 Abody search. Ended up with the 66 Olds instead.
Looking forward to your progress.

Nope, those are Smoked Titanium mockups from another project at J-Rod's and I'm running brushed ones so you still have the only black ones!

I've been watching your Cutlass, Gearhead! I love these A-Bodies, especially the BOP ones!

I'm surprised you went with that wheel manufacturer.



;)

That car is stunning Jason,you're a braver man than me to de-chrome that beauty.

Odd - I was thinking the same thing

--- so if you get a ticket in Columbus and I'm in the passenger seat does that mean i have split the ticket with you.

looking good you just need to through a diffrent engine in it a sell me that nailhead:yes: J/k looks bitchin

Thanks Guys! HAHA, Mark and Marty! You guys are cards!

I wouldn't say I'm "dechroming it", John. It's just the first rendering and the paint is so nice, that I'm not doing anything but claying it and polishing it for at least the next couple years as far as the outside but the mechanicals are going to change in stages starting right away.

The Nailhead is yours, BooneDog! Just as soon as I put a new motor in it but it likely won't happen until the end of the year at the soonest.

mock up hmmm so you are going to run the Whiplash????

k sounds good i wont need it tell after then anyways. I have one for mock up but its shot. Car is looking good keep us posted.

Yep! Picking a favorite is like picking your favorite child but that's definitely the wheel for this car!
Check out Jared and Brett adding ballast to the door sill to simulate how it might look before it got lowered complete with the Whiplash stuffed in the front wheelwell.
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/000_0010.jpg
See all the Full Throttle cans stacked in the upper right corner? That's how Jared and his crew crank out the work! He just delivered a 52 Chevy and has an opening in the shop and a full case of Full Throttle!

Gonna be a sick car there, not to mention you picked the best of the best from Rushforth :lol: . I must say you have got Great taste in wheels :thumbsup: Brandon

Looks very cool Jason. I think you should have diamond back put a thin whitewall on your tires to be reminiscent of original but modern at the same time.
Enjoy it.

Looks nice - but I think those boys need to bulk up a little to get the car lower.

:unibrow:

It will definitely be a head turner once done

They aren't 30 yet and Jared's strung out on all that caffeine so give them a few years to pack it on and metabolisms to slow down!

I got to drive the car for a bit on Wednesday, it drives nice and smooth. The pics almost don't do it justice, it is clean. We stopped to get me a coffee, and the girl at the drive thru said "what are you guys doing today, just driving around in your cool-ass car?" it was priceless. It was all good until J mentioned how many bodies we could fit in the trunk...for some reason that seemed to make her a little uncomfortable!
Tim

I love the wheel choice. I went superspoke instead on my A-body. I guess I was a little too chicken to get a 7 spoke design. I don't regret getting the superspoke but damb those do look good!

While waiting on the last few parts to come along in the UPS truck, I clayed the rest of the car and I swear by that stuff! Look what it picked up off the paint right after I washed it! The paint was feeling a little dry and now it feels like it's freshly polished and I haven't even taken a towel to it yet.
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/100_0334.jpg

Very nice Jason.:cheers:

Since the weatherstripping was old, cracked and generally dried all to hell, I replaced every seal with a complete kit from SoffSeal but not before the dried up trunk seal allowed enough moisture in to make the trunk floor a little scaly so I stripped the floor and painted it up with a quick coat of POR 15. This is supposed to be the rusty sheetmetal one-time-fix cure-all. Just keep it off your skin or anything else you don't want to be black forever! They even warn on the can to keep it out of the grooves of the can or the lid will go back on permanently.

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/100_0330.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/100_0331.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/100_0333.jpg

A little carefully cut carpet and some sound deadener and this will be a distant memory!

Really Kenny, No I mean Jason.

Bigger pictures for us older guy's these little pics you post are for kids with good eye's

Bigger is better in this case.

and hurry up and start driving that beast.

okay really question here. Are you going to try to put 3 point seat belts in the car front & back? I am looking at doing it in the camaro so my kids can ride in the car.

"Hurry up and start driving that beast" from the guy with the neverending project! I think you keep coming up with stuff for Kenny to do so you can keep sending updates and not have to actually ever finish!

Junior's safety is a primary concern so I'm actually considering hiding a harness bar in the trunk with 4 point harnesses going through a slot in the edge of the package tray. Alternate ideas are welcome but I'm concerned with finding a good anchor point for a 3 point.

We've been hard at it over at J-Rod and Custom and I have proof.


Look at that pile of parts next to the soon to be molested Grandma car!
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/100_0339.jpg
Just like Christmas morning!
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/100_0342.jpg
Getting some progress
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/100_0350.jpg
Here's a funny comparison. The new rotors are a hair smaller than the original hubcaps!
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/100_0349.jpg

The Buick is in good company at J-Rod's! Dig the intake he fabbed and the soon to be fabbed headers for the TT BBC.
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/100_0346.jpg
You know about junkyard dogs, well Dozer is the shop dog. It took a little getting used to being on the ground with a handful of tools and having him walk up and lick your face but Doze' and I are cool!
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/100_0345.jpg

Check out the old meets new replacement parts comparison. The Hotchkis TVS system is so complete and so slick. I can't wait to get behind the wheel with the new parts. It won't even feel like the same car.
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/100_0355.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/100_0356.jpg

So much cool stuff!
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/100_0354.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...0353_face0.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/100_0353.jpg

:woot:

....from grandma touring to GRAND TOURING ...GO JASON

I LOVE THE RESPONSE TO MARTY....:lol:

great car....cant wait to see it with the new rollers on the ground


tom

We were making good progress when we noticed sunlight going away but there wasn't a cloud in the sky so Chris (YouthPastor) looked out from the driveway and crapped his pants when he saw the cloud of smoke billowing into the sky from this 5 alarm fire a half mile down the street. Well, being boys, we had to go see it and it was the biggest fire I've ever seen. 5 story 120 unit apartment complex that had been under construction and was fully erected, sheeted and roofed and was ashes in an hour.

The heat was so intense, we couldn't stand closer than 4-500' away.
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/100_0361.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/100_0360.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/100_0359.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/100_0358.jpg

Thanks Tom! I like that! Grandma to Grand Touring!

nice pile o parts u got there

dude...this was crazy, the heat, the loud noise from all the fresh wood burning, people running all around, fire engines- and the smoke...I've never seen anything like it. -Chris