buick skylark Used Parts Online

The Buick Skylark was a passenger car produced by the Buick division of General Motors. The model was made in six production runs. In each run, the car design varied dramatically due to changing technology and tastes over the years. First Generation (1953-1954) Introduced to mark Buick's 50th anniversary, the Skylark was one of three specialty convertibles produced in 1953 by General Motors; the other two were the Oldsmobile Fiesta and the Cadillac Eldorado. Of the three, the Skylark had the most successful production run with 1,690 units. This was considered an amazing sales feat, since the car had a list price in 1953 of slightly in excess of US,000. The 1953 Skylark featured V8 power and a 12-volt electrical system, both a first for Buick, as well as full-cutout wheel openings, a styling cue that would make its way to the main 1954 Buick line. Also making its way into the 1954 Buick line was the cut-down door at the base of the side window line that bounced back up to trace around the rear window (or convertible top). This styling stayed with Buick for many years and can be found on any number of automobile brands to this day. The 1953 Buick Skylark was a handmade car in many respects. The stampings for the hood, trunk lid and a portion of the convertible tub were the same as the 1953 Roadmaster convertible (and Super convertible, model 56R). The stampings for the front fenders, rear fenders, outer doors, and a portion of the convertible tub were unique to the Skylark. All Skylark convertible tubs were finished with various amounts of lead filler, so it is not unusual to find a substantial amount of the substance just behind the doors near the bottom of the window line. The inner doors of the Skylark were made from the inner doors of the 2-door Roadmaster and Super by cutting the stamping in half approximately parallel with the ground and then welding the two pieces back together in a jig at an angle that produced the necessary door dip. The wheels of the 1953 Skylark were true wire wheels, produced by Kelsey-Hayes, with everything chromed except the plated and painted "Skylark" center emblem. The model designation for the 1954 Buick Skylark was "100", which was unique to that model. The short wheelbase cars were the Buick Special, series 40; the Buick Century, series 60; and the Buick Skylark, series 100 (a "series" of just one model). All production Buick Skylarks were built as two-door convertibles and had the same luxury equipment as the 1953 Buick Skylarks. Engines 322 in³ (5.3 L) Nailhead V8 Second Generation (1961-1963) Introduced in the middle of the 1961 model year and based on the basic Buick Special two-door sedan (also referred to as a coupe), the 1961 Buick Special Skylark had unique Skylark emblems, taillight housings, lower body side moldings, turbine wheel covers, and a vinyl-covered roof. It also featured a plush all-vinyl interior with bucket seats as an option. The basic 1961 Buick Special came standard with a 215 cubic-inch, all-aluminum block, V-8 engine with a 2-barrel carburetor that produced 155 horsepower (116 kW) at 4600 rpm. For the 1962 model year, the Buick Skylark became a model in its own right, instead of being a subseries of the Special. The 1962 model used the same basic sheet metal as the 1961 models, but was available in two new body styles: a two-door convertible coupe and a two-door (pillarless) hardtop coupe that was unique to the Skylark. Tuning of the 215 cubic-inch V-8 increased power to 190 horsepower (140 kW) at 4800 rpm. The 1963 Buick Skylarks used the same chassis and wheelbase as the previous 1961 and 1962 models, but adopted new sheet metal that featured boxier styling. Length was increased by five inches to 193 inches (4,900 mm), and the 215 cubic-inch V-8 generated 200 horsepower (150 kW) at 5000 rpm. The 1963 Skylark was available as a two-door convertible coupe or a two-door (pillarless) hardtop coupe. The 1963 Buick Special shared most sheet metal with the Skylark, but was available as a 2 door pillared hard top, a four dour sedan, a convertible and a station wagon. Third Generation Beginning with the 1964 model year, the Buick Skylark, along with the lower-priced Special from which it was derived, would move to a new intermediate-size chassis that was shared with the Oldsmobile F-85, Pontiac Tempest, and the new Chevrolet Chevelle. The new chassis had a wheelbase of 115-in and the Buick Special and Skylark had a length of 203.5-in. The standard Skylark engine was now a 225 cubic-inch all cast iron block V-6 with a Rochester 1-barrel carburetor that generated 155 horsepower (116 kW) at 4400 rpm. This engine was introduced in 1964, very similar to the earlier V6 beginning with the 1962 model year which had a smaller displacement of 196 cubic-inch. This engine was basically a Buick V-8 300 CID engine with two cylinders sawed-off. The optional engine was a 300 cubic inch cast iron block and heads V-8 with a Rochester 2-barrel carburetor that generated 210 horsepower (160 kW) at 4600 rpm. An optional V8 version of the 300 CID engine was offered with aluminium heads with a 11:1 compression and a 4-barrel carburator generating 250 hp (190 kW). A long throw 4 speed hurst shifter was available. The Skylark in 1964-1965 were available in a pillar-less coupe (Hard Top) two-door sedan version, as the Specials and Special Deluxes only came in pillared coupe versions. The four-door sedan would rejoin the lineup for the 1967 model year, making a total of five Skylark body styles. Beginning with the 1967 model year, only the Skylark two-door sedan would be available with the Buick V-6 engine as standard. The 1968 model year was one of significant change for the Buick Skylark. Although still using the same basic chassis, all of GM's mid-sized cars adopted a policy of using two different length wheelbases. Two-door models used a shorter wheelbase of 112-in, while four-door models used a longer wheelbase of 116-in (the Buick Sportwagon and Oldsmobile Vista-Cruiser used an even longer wheelbase of 121-in). All of GM's mid-sized cars received all-new sheet metal. The basic Skylark was available as a two-door hardtop coupe or a four-door sedan. The Skylark Custom came as a two-door convertible coupe, two-door hardtop coupe, four-door hardtop sedan, or four-door sedan. Optional on the Skylark and standard on the Skylark Custom was a new 350-cubic-inch V-8 engine using a 2-barrel Rochester carburetor that produced 230 horsepower (170 kW) at 4400 rpm. This engine was based on the previous 300- and 340-cubic-inch-displacement V-8 engines. The Buick Special name was dropped after the 1969 model year. Replacing the previous Buick Skylark was the Buick Skylark 350, available as a two-door hardtop coupe or four-door sedan with the 350-cubic-inch V-8 as standard equipment. This 350-cubic-inch Engine was a different design then the Chevy's 350 CID engine (4.000 in × 3.48 in)the Buick design had a longer stroke and smaller bore (3.80 X 3.85 in) allowing for lower-end torque, deep skirt block construction, higher nickel-content cast iron, 3.0" crank main journals, and 6.5" connecting rods, the distributor was located in front of the engine (typical of Buick), the oil pump was external and mounted in the front of the engine, the rocker arm assembly had all rocker arms mounted on a single rod and were not adjustable. The Skylark Custom continued to be available, also using the 350-cubic-inch V-8 as standard equipment and still available as a two-door convertible coupe, two-door hardtop coupe, four-door hardtop sedan, and four-door sedan. For the 1971 model year, the base Skylark was available only with the inline 6, now only putting out 145 horsepower (108 kW) due to emission control devices, but in a two-door hardtop coupe body-style (in addition to the previous two- and four-door sedans. The Skylark 350 had a V-8 engine that put out only 230 horsepower (170 kW). It was now available as a two-door sedan in addition to the previous two-door hardtop coupe and four-door sedan. 1972 was the last model year for the mid-sized Buick Skylark. During this model year many pollution controls were added to the Engines, Compression was lowered, engines had to accept leaded and unleaded gas, and spark timimg was retarted (no vaccuum advance in lower gears)while driving in lower gears to reduce emissions. For 1972, the base Buick Skylark used the 350-cubic-inch V-8 with the 2-barrel Rochester carburetor (now putting out 145 horsepower) as standard equipment. A new federally-mandated system to calculate power was put into effect that year, and the actual engine performance was probably comparable but slightly lower because of pollution controls in the 1972 model year to the 230 horsepower (170 kW) that was listed for the previous year. Skylark Customs were available with the same 350-cubic-inch V-8 engines available in the basic Skylark and the Skylark 350. The Custom had an upgraded interior and dash with some extra chrome. Convertibles only came in the Skylark Customs and the Skylark 350's. Engines 225 in (3.7 L) V6 (1964-67) 250 in (4.1 L) I6 (1968-71) Supplied by Chevrolet 300 in (4.9 L) V8 (1964-67, 1964-65 Sport Wagon) 340 in (5.6 L) V8 (1967 Skylark 4-Door Hardtop Sedan, 1967 GS 340, 1966-67 Sport Wagon) 350 in (5.7 L) V8 (1968-72, 1968-72 Sport Wagon, 1968-69 California Gran Sport, 1968-69 Gran Sport 350, 1970-71 Gran Sport, 1972 Gran Sport 350) 401 in (6.6 L) V8 (1965-66 Skylark Gran Sport) 400 in (6.6 L) V8 (1967 GS 400, 1968-69 GS 400, 1968-69 Sportwagon 400) 455 in (7.5 L) V8 (1970-72 Gran Sport 455) Fourth Generation (1975-1979) In the middle of the 1973 model year, Buick returned to the compact market with the Buick Apollo, using General Motors' X-body platform, which was heavily based on the Chevrolet Nova. When the car was extensively restyled for the 1975 model year, the two-door hatchback sedan (coupe) and two-door sedan (coupe) were rechristened as “Skylark” models, while the four-door sedan remained as an “Apollo". Two-door hatchback sedan and four-door sedan models were available as the base Skylark or as the more upscale Skylark S/R. Four-door sedans were available as the base Apollo or the more upscale Apollo S/R. In addition, there was a very plain, lower-priced Skylark “S” available only as a two-door sedan with minimal interior and exterior trim. The standard engine for the Buick Skylarks was Buick's own 231-cubic-inch (3.8 liter) V-6 engine with a 2-barrel carburetor creating 110 horsepower (82 kW) at 4000 rpm. Beginning with the 1976 model year, the four-door sedans used the Skylark and Skylark S/R names instead of the previous Apollo, and came with the 3.8 liter V-6 engine as standard. The 260-cubic-inch (4.3 liter) V-8 was discontinued after the 1976 model year. For the 1977 model year, it was replaced by a pair of V-8 engines. Beginning with the 1978 model year, Chevrolet's 5.7 liter (350 cubic-inch) V8 with a 4-barrel carburetor, which produced 170 horsepower (130 kW) at 3800 rpm, also was available. The 1979 model year saw the discontinuance of the Skylark Custom two-door hatchback coupe (the base V-6 produced 10 horsepower (7.5 kW) more than 1978's version). The 1979 model year was short because, midway through it, the all-new 1980 models were introduced early. Engines 231 in (3.8 L) Buick V6 (1975-79) 260 in (4.3 L) Oldsmobile V8 (1975-76) 301 in (5.0 L) Pontiac V8 (1977-79) 305 in (5.0 L) Chevrolet V8 (1977-79) 350 in (5.7 L) V8 Buick (1975-79) 350 in (5.7 L) V8 Chevrolet (1978-79) Fifth Generation (1980-1985) The 1980 to 1985 Skylark shared GM's new X-body architecture with the Chevrolet Citation, Pontiac Phoenix, and Oldsmobile Omega and would bear some resemblance to the G-body mid-size cars. The new front-wheel-drive Skylark was introduced in the spring of 1979 as an early 1980 model equipped with MacPherson strut front suspension and front disc brakes, featuring a transversally mounted engine. The new optional 2.8 liter V6 was designed specifically for the X-cars. The Skylark was available in two- or four-door sedan bodystyles, and in base, Sport, or Limited trims. The standard 2.5 liter Iron Duke 4 used a 2-barrel Rochester carburetor and produced 90 hp (67 kW) at 4000 rpm. The optional 2.8 liter V6 also used a 2-barrel Rochester carburetor and produced 115 hp (86 kW) at 4800 rpm. For the 1982 model year, the base 2.5 liter engine received fuel injection. The optional 2.8 liter V6 was joined by a more powerful high-output version that produced 135 hp (101 kW) at 5400 rpm. In model year 1983, the base Skylark became the Skylark Custom. The Sport model was replaced by the T-Type, which was available only as a two-door coupe and came with the high-output version of the 2.8 liter V6 engine as standard equipment. In 1985, the last year of production, the X-body Skylarks were available only as four-door sedans in Custom or Limited trim. The two-door Skylarks were replaced by Buick's new Somerset Regal two-door sedan, built on GM's new N-body. Engines 1980-1985 Tech-4 2.5 L (151 in³) I4 Supplied by Pontiac 1980-1985 LE2 2.8 L (173 in³) V6 Supplied by Chevrolet Sixth Generation Beginning with the 1985 model year, the two-door coupe was replaced by the Somerset Regal coupe built on the Oldsmobile-developed N-body platform. This generation of compact Buicks featured a more upscale and aerodynamic design than its predecessor, incorporating the long-hood/short-deck look popular at the time. With the start of the 1986 model year, it lost the Regal suffix from its name and was known simply as Somerset. The Skylark name was moved to a four-door sedan version of the Somerset. This version of the Skylark has a spilt bench seat with a center console with a column shift, which was particularly odd since it was a compact car about the size of a Nissan Stanza. The 1986 Skylark would continue to be available as either a Custom or a Limited model. The standard engine would continue to be the 2.5 liter Iron Duke 4, now available with a five-speed manual transaxle as standard and a three-speed automatic as an option. A new optional engine would be the fuel-injected Buick-designed 3.0 liter V6, generating 125 hp (93 kW) at 4900 rpm. On 1989 models, a fuel-injected 3.3 liter V6 (160 hp at 5200 rpm) replaced the previous 3.0 liter V6. A new LE package become available on four-door sedans that featured a vinyl roof that covered part of the rear side windows. For 1990, a new base Skylark was added, moving the Custom model up to replace the Limited. The S/E package was replaced by a new Gran Sport two-door sedan, reviving a name that had not been connected with the Skylark for many years. The LE ("Luxury Edition") sedan would become a full-fledged model. 1991 was the last year the N-bodied Skylarks would be offered, and there were few changes from 1990. Engines 1986-1991 Tech-4 2.5 L (151 in) I4 Supplied by Pontiac 1987-1991 Quad-4 2.3 L (138 in) I4 Supplied by Oldsmobile 1986-1988 3.0 L (181 in)V6 1989-1991 3300 3.3 L (204 in)V6 Seventh Generation (1992-1998) The Skylark's new aerodynamic body had a low 0.319 coefficient of drag, compared to 0.374 for the previous version. It was initially offered in two- and four-door sedan bodystyles and in base and Gran Sport versions. The base engine was the 2.3 liter Quad 4, which produced 120 hp (89 kW) at 5200 rpm. The optional 3.3 liter V6 (standard on the GS) produced 160 hp (120 kW) at 5200 rpm. All Skylarks came with the three-speed automatic transaxle. For the 1993 model year, the base model was replaced by Custom and Limited trims. For 1994, a new 3.1 liter V6 (160 hp at 5200 rpm) replaced the previous 3.3 liter V6 as standard on the GS and optional on the others. Mechanical changes for the 1995 model year included the upgrading of the standard 2.3 liter Quad 4 engine from a SOHC design to a DOHC design, increasing power to 150 hp (110 kW) at 6000 rpm. The three-speed automatic transaxle continued to be standard with the base 4-cylinder engine, but a new four-speed automatic (electronically-controlled 4T60-E) was optional with the 4-cylinder engine and standard with the V-6. Skylark received a minor facelift for the 1996 model year in the form of a more conventional-looking grille. The previous 2.3 liter 4 was replaced by a new 2.4 liter DOHC 4 that produced 150 hp (110 kW) at 6000 rpm. The previous three-speed automatic transaxle was discontinued and the four-speed automatic became standard on all Skylarks. An on-board diagnostic system (OBD II) was standard. Buick offered an "Olympic Gold" edition of the 1996 Skylark to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Olympic Games. It featured gold USA/5-ring badging on the fenders, gold "Skylark" badges, gold-accented wheel covers, and gold accent trim. Engines 1992-1995 Quad-4 2.3 L (138 in) I4 Supplied by Oldsmobile 1996-1998 LD9 2.4 L (146 in) I4 1992-1993 3300 3.3 L (204 in) V6 1994-1998 3100 3.1 L (191 in) V6