NickD wrote: Not sure if you figured it out yet, but that 2-speed transmission would be the Super Turbine 300. Not related to a Powerglide in any way, shape or manner. From '64-'67 these were the Buick and Olds transmission. Some even came with super cool switch-pitch torque converters.
Thanks NickD and SilverFleet. Quick question...does this Super Turbine 300 take Dexron/Mercon fluid? I think so, but you guys probably know for sure.
This is turning out sweet! You going to be out at the property tomorrow? I might have to come take a look.
In reply to singleslammer:
Yep. Come on out. Mrs. Sparks and I thought we might ask if we could come see your new "project" that we haven't seen yet.
Dexron should be fine, AFAIK the original dexron was backspecced to all GM autos, and the Dexron line is fully backwards compatible. I'm a fan of Valvoline Maxlife.
It's too cold right now to want to work on projects so I have time to update the thread here. However, we have had an unseasonably warm winter so I have had a few minutes here and there to tinker with the Buick Skylark Automobile over the past few weeks. One of the problems that became evident while letting it run and driving around the property was that it was making this strange buzzing/moaning sound. At first, I thought it was some sort of vacuum operated something-or-other talking to me. But then I realized that it coincided with the "Gen" light on the dash. It would happen frequently and sporadically. I followed the noise and tracked it down to what I guessed to be a voltage regulator or such on the firewall. Turns out, I was right about what the little box was. The voltage regulator was clean and had clearly been replaced "recently". From what I read of others' experience, if it's buzzing it might have a bad ground, the alternator might have a problem, or the voltage regulator itself might just have a problem. I used a jumper wire to see if things improved when I grounded the regulator well. No change. I took the cover off the voltage regulator and could watch stuff in there oscillate while running/buzzing/moaning. Not sure if that was good or bad but the system was charging at close to 16 volts and not very consistent. That seemed like signs of a voltage regulator not regulating voltage properly. Existing Voltage Regulator (with cover removed):
Looks like the common maintainification solution here is to replace the voltage regulator with an electronic upgrade. The VR715 by Wells Manufacturing was mentioned frequently in threads about VR problems as the solution. So...for less than $20 I ordered one up and installed it. Here's the new voltage regulator next to the old one (neither is installed in this photo):
New voltage regulator installed:
I haven't been able to test the results yet because the night I installed was pretty cold and the choke doesn't seem to be closing on the carburetor (I couldn't get the car to start). I expect it probably will fix the problem. If not, heck, it was $17 and a good peace-of-mind upgrade. It's probably not too obvious from the photo above, but I've also been occasionally hosing down the brake fittings in the engine compartment with penetrating oil in hopes they'll come loose easily for the dual circuit master cylinder. I suppose I should get a master cylinder coming this way. I did put the aluminum turbine wheels on it with a new pair of tires on the front. I'll update with new photos next time the sun and the car are both out at the same time. Looks pretty good. The carpet has been painfully slow to dry out. Looking forward to that so I can get it cleaned up a bit more. That's all for now. More to come, eventually.
I think the voltage regulator did the trick. It's charging around 14 1/2 volts or so and the dome light isn't flickering at me. I got it out before it got dark this evening. Here it is today: 
The car is dirty because it's mud season. Meh. I have a dual circuit master cylinder on the way.
This is another case of a set of wheels completely changing the look of a car. Nicely done.
Looks like a beater from about 30 years ago. I like it.
BrokenYugo wrote: Looks like a beater from about 30 years ago. I like it.
Maybe hit the lettering on the tires with a white or yellow paint pen? While we're at it, a very slight tint job might be nice.
You know, before addressing any real mechanical issues that might still be lurking.
Sunday was a beautiful day. We spent most of the weekend moving into the new house (where all the projects and tools already live) and I was ready to go for a cruise in the Buick Skylark Automobile. Mrs. Sparks and I hopped in and cruised around the backroads nearby.
It's nice to tool around on gravel roads in a "neat" car without worrying about tearing up paint and such.
I did a little acceleration test and was pleased with the results. I was also surprised when the transmission shifted...again. I had to stop and do another foot-to-the-floor run and confirm. 2 distinct shifts. That's right, turns out it has a 3 speed transmission. I have no idea what yet, but the transmission has evidently been replaced at some point. As others mentioned earlier in the thread, this car should have come with a 2 speed automatic transmission.
Whatever is in there has good, firm shifts. Cool. I might be able to learn how to drive an automatic after all!
It was raining this evening so I pulled it out of the barn and scrubbed down the horizontal surfaces with a scrub brush. Hopefully I got most of the organic growth and dirt knocked off. I found a leak (hopefully THE leak, but I'm not getting my hopes up) dripping on the passenger front floor mat. I reached up as far as I cold and I guess it is probably coming from the windshield seal. That'll probably never get fixed.
Seatbelts and a brake master cylinder need to happen soon. The master cylinder is purchased, painted, and waiting for me.
Hopefully a TH350.
I had been driving the car this spring when the weather was nice (not too hot). I drive around and make sales calls all day for a living. This car is a good conversation piece, if nothing else.
I was driving it around to put some miles on it and see what I could break and fix BEFORE Fathers' Day weekend. Because on Fathers' Day weekend, the plan was to take the Buick Skylark Automobile on the road trip to our family float trip. So on Friday afternoon, we loaded up the trunk with camping gear (dutch ovens, tents, coolers, gallons of water, lawn chairs, life jackets, and several flip-flops). The old jalopy was riding *pretty* low in the rear...but whatever.
We all piled in, ready to go. I put 'er in D and off we went...about 50 feet. The combination of low ride height and 255/60/15 tires was causing a tire rub on the left rear. Turns out...I should have tested it out by driving it with a trunk full of gear and 4 people in it. The rub was bad. The tire couldn't work under these conditions. That made the 16-year-old say, "so...do we get to take another car now?" I even briefly considered it...until I thought about unloading the trunk and re-tetrising it into another car. No...that just wouldn't do. So I pulled a 235/60/15 (on 8" wheel) tire off the front of the Malibu and tried it out. No good...same problem.
(. . . . . Safety Flops (r) ^^^) Next, it was an ugly-but-almost-sure-to-work alternative...A 6" wide steelie with a 205/70/15 tire (coincidentally, a match to the spare...buried under all the gear in the trunk). Bingo!
So, we trundled off down the road. That's right...we had one mis-matched wheel on the driver side rear. See...sometimes when it is broke, I DO fix it (poorly). We deliberately took the route that was more heavily weighted toward 2 lane blacktop (rather than 4 lane divided). This was my plan all along. Take the slow, scenic road and enjoy a vehicle with wing windows and no overdrive.
The 16-year-old's apprehensive attitude lightened up a bit:
We all had a fun drive...low and slow!
Mrs. Sparks made us some fun, coordinated T-Shirts for the occasion. Mine:
Mrs. Sparks'ses:
Sparks kids'es:
We had a great weekend camping and floating.
Sunday afternoon, the Buick Skylark Automobile ambled back home again with no problems...at all. I have to hand it to the wife and kids. Good sports. Maybe not the best judgement in husbands and role models...but darn good sports ;) This family float trip will be hard for any of us to forget! Well worth the price of entry. 1965 Buick Skylark Automobile...If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.
berkeleying awesome!
No shirt for the dog? 
The dog does not think I'm funny.
Sounds like you need a set of air shocks.
ClemSparks wrote: The dog does not think I'm funny.
Have met dog, can confirm
This past Saturday the wife tricked me into going to a "Mustang Show" at the Missouri State Fairgrounds. That's about an hour and a half (in Buick time) from home. She didn't really trick me...it was a wild horse show. I put two and two together. "Xtreme Mustang Makeover." A pretty neat deal. Check it out if you're a horse lover. Anyway, we cruised there and back in the Buick Skylark Automobile and just had a great day. 
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