KFD
07-10-2009, 10:30 PM
Hey folks. Just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Kelly, and I am in the Navy (SeaBees).
I just found out about this forum on Google. You guys might have read my posts on a few other buick forums, so if you have read this already, I apologise!
My car is a 1971 Skylark. It was originally sold new at Griffith Motors in Johnson City, TN. It is 26A, Stratomist Blue, White Vinyl top, 350+2, bench seat, column shift, no A/C car. It didn't have much in the way of options, save for power steering, a radio (it had a funky aftermarket cassette player), and the mirror map light.
My dad bought this car in the mid nineties from the second owner, the proverbial little old lady with 55K on the clock. My mom drove this car for a few years, before, you guessed it, the cam bearings went out.
I was becoming driving age, and so after I procured a rusted out '73 Century with a solid 350+4. I spent three months after school and football practice pulling the old motor out and putting the new one in.
http://www.kellyscars.net/skylark/skylark4.jpg
I moved to Florida my Senior year of high school, and on my way to a new school for the first time, seventeen year old lead foot, Florida rain storm, curb, and bald tires on a set of mag wheels ended up bending the frame.
The buick was laid up again for another three months, while I pulled the car apart. When I was at school during the day, my old man used a bottle jack and 2x4s to jack the body off the frame (that is the only thing he did). I swapped out the bent Skylark frame from one out of a '69 Chevelle. At this time, I tore off the tattered white vinyl top.
http://www.kellyscars.net/skylark/threequarter.jpg
I soon started doing a few other things to it, I got bucket seats for it, added the sport mirrors and tinkered with this car for the next six months until I graduated.
I moved back to California, and left my Buick behind, where my dad occasionally drove the car, or let my nephews drive it on their property in Northern Florida. I bought a '58 Dodge out in California, and using knowledge from the constant tinkering with the Skylark, made that car a really cool hot rod.
http://www.kellyscars.net/coronet/2004/fontana/fontana5.jpg
In 2005, I sold the Dodge, and moved to Arizona, and shifted from old cars to motorcycles. School and a little baby keep my preoccupied, but I knew that car wasn't going anywhere...
I got my Aprilia RSV, which I still own, and vowed to bring my Skylark back to Arizona.
I enlisted in in the Navy, and fate had me temporarily stationed out in Florida...
http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/13/l_044b39ecb8094f44930ceb7e4e17ceb6.jpg
So here was how I found it. Patiently waiting for the time to go back on the road again...
I dragged it out of the mud, cleaned it off, put the mags (actually '79 Camaro Turbines--with one replaced--damn curb!) with new tires back on, and started "tinkering"
http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/80/l_c42cb532e97343368838b0d8d533bc16.jpg
Even as a goofy 17 year old, I was still obsessed with details. I recrayoned all the codes on the firewall, and the not present air cleaner still has a 350-2 decal on it!
http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/70/l_774c2549999b40d1925e14066cd39205.jpg
So this is where I am right now, working on it, and having someone who apparently really knows old buicks giving me advice in my ear!
http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/72/l_1c5dc72af8b64ac9b7fd576f01b31d2a.jpg
KFD
I just found out about this forum on Google. You guys might have read my posts on a few other buick forums, so if you have read this already, I apologise!
My car is a 1971 Skylark. It was originally sold new at Griffith Motors in Johnson City, TN. It is 26A, Stratomist Blue, White Vinyl top, 350+2, bench seat, column shift, no A/C car. It didn't have much in the way of options, save for power steering, a radio (it had a funky aftermarket cassette player), and the mirror map light.
My dad bought this car in the mid nineties from the second owner, the proverbial little old lady with 55K on the clock. My mom drove this car for a few years, before, you guessed it, the cam bearings went out.
I was becoming driving age, and so after I procured a rusted out '73 Century with a solid 350+4. I spent three months after school and football practice pulling the old motor out and putting the new one in.
http://www.kellyscars.net/skylark/skylark4.jpg
I moved to Florida my Senior year of high school, and on my way to a new school for the first time, seventeen year old lead foot, Florida rain storm, curb, and bald tires on a set of mag wheels ended up bending the frame.
The buick was laid up again for another three months, while I pulled the car apart. When I was at school during the day, my old man used a bottle jack and 2x4s to jack the body off the frame (that is the only thing he did). I swapped out the bent Skylark frame from one out of a '69 Chevelle. At this time, I tore off the tattered white vinyl top.
http://www.kellyscars.net/skylark/threequarter.jpg
I soon started doing a few other things to it, I got bucket seats for it, added the sport mirrors and tinkered with this car for the next six months until I graduated.
I moved back to California, and left my Buick behind, where my dad occasionally drove the car, or let my nephews drive it on their property in Northern Florida. I bought a '58 Dodge out in California, and using knowledge from the constant tinkering with the Skylark, made that car a really cool hot rod.
http://www.kellyscars.net/coronet/2004/fontana/fontana5.jpg
In 2005, I sold the Dodge, and moved to Arizona, and shifted from old cars to motorcycles. School and a little baby keep my preoccupied, but I knew that car wasn't going anywhere...
I got my Aprilia RSV, which I still own, and vowed to bring my Skylark back to Arizona.
I enlisted in in the Navy, and fate had me temporarily stationed out in Florida...
http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/13/l_044b39ecb8094f44930ceb7e4e17ceb6.jpg
So here was how I found it. Patiently waiting for the time to go back on the road again...
I dragged it out of the mud, cleaned it off, put the mags (actually '79 Camaro Turbines--with one replaced--damn curb!) with new tires back on, and started "tinkering"
http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/80/l_c42cb532e97343368838b0d8d533bc16.jpg
Even as a goofy 17 year old, I was still obsessed with details. I recrayoned all the codes on the firewall, and the not present air cleaner still has a 350-2 decal on it!
http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/70/l_774c2549999b40d1925e14066cd39205.jpg
So this is where I am right now, working on it, and having someone who apparently really knows old buicks giving me advice in my ear!
http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/72/l_1c5dc72af8b64ac9b7fd576f01b31d2a.jpg
KFD