1968 Pontiac Tempest Coupe or 1972 Buick Skylark Coupe?

[BkMuscle76]

Hello to everyone on the forum!!

Im from the Big Apple and it looks like the weather is getting better and its time for those project cars to start getting worked on in no time.
I have a little dilemma that I need some help with.

Should I get a 1968 Pontiac Tempest Coupe or 1972 Buick Skylark Coupe as my project car?

I wish I had the room for both to be honest.

Im thinking of a 2" drop in the front and a 3" drop in the rear with American Racing VN472 472 Burnout Black Polished Custom Rims Wheels with 18's in the front and 20's in the rear.
Should I or can I go with a:
a. 18x9's - Front
20x10's - Rear
b. 18x9's - Front
20x10.5's - Rear
c. 18x10's - Front
20x10.5's - Rear
or
d. 18x10's - Front
20x12 - Rear

In addition with the rim setup, I'm going to put the Corvette rotors and calipers as well.

What offset should I go with? I think that's my biggest dilemma with the choosing of rims.


Unfortunately these NYC streets can be a killer on a car and I wish I lived in the South or California with those smooth roads, but I don't.

Please help me. I would greatly appreciate it.

[cheapta]

In my humble opinion I think the Pontiac is a better looking car-just a little more sporty than the Buick. I know I'll get flamed by the Buick guys here but that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

[waynieZ]

I like the Buick but both are nice cars.

[WSSix]

Welcome to the forum! The good thing is that the cars share the same platform so getting suspension and brake parts won't be a problem. What I would do is look into the other parts the cars might need such as interior pieces or body panels to help you decide which way to go. Since you're not set on one or the other, I'd let that dictate which car to choose. The last thing you're going to want to do is spend all your money on that hard to find part instead of spending it on the go fast and look good stuff.

[Ummgawa]

I say Buick for this reason: You can find a GS hood,black out a few parts, buy some repop badges and you got a GS clone. The Pontiac Lemans takes alot of work and parts to make it look like it's big brother. But that's just me. The rest is just A-body add ons, and there are plenty of support in the aftermarket. As far as good used parts are concerned, there are plenty here.

Welcome to the best Car forum on the net!

[Roadbuster]

I like the 68, but then I am biased Keep it a tempest and make it your own. Be aware that the 1968 cars have a lot of one year only parts. For your wheel sizes, 12 inch rims in the rear of 68 pontiac is going to require some work to fit. 10s in the front might work with 275 tires, depends on sidewall. Measure well!

[Streetking]

Originally Posted by Ummgawa

I say Buick for this reason: You can find a GS hood,black out a few parts, buy some repop badges and you got a GS clone. The Pontiac Lemans takes alot of work and parts to make it look like it's big brother. But that's just me. The rest is just A-body add ons, and there are plenty of support in the aftermarket. As far as good used parts are concerned, there are plenty here.

Welcome to the best Car forum on the net!

+1 both are something different but there is not enough built Buicks..

[Tuske427]

Ooooh, design by committee, cool

I prefer the Pontiac, and it happens to be my fav year GTO. I like the one year only details on this car. Having said that, as mentioned already, it'd likely be cheaper to build the Buick as these are generally less popular than a GTO so prices should be less and more parts are potentially available with the 1971 model and 1970 model years than you could swap from a 69 to a 68 Pontiac. I still see 70-72 2 door buick skylarks pop up on craigslist out here for 1-2k. They are overlooked cars, imo.

You won't go wrong with either car, really, and you'll stand out nicely against a sea of Chevelles.

I did have a '72 Buick Skylark while in college. It was fun to fishtail down the snowy roads in the cold Cleveland and upstate NY winters. It was the best $250 I ever spent for a car. (it was a 4 door HT and this was the early 90's)