1971 Skylark One Owner - 29k Miles - No Reserve - All Original Unrestored - Wow on 2040-cars

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Offered for sale at NO RESERVE is this stunning 1971 Buick Skylark two door hardtop, in fantastic original condition with 29,623 original miles. The car was the pride and joy of its original owner, a woman named Eleanore from Tucson, Arizona who treasured the Buick and drove it sparingly until she put it in dry storage in 1992. After that it remained in the same garage in Tucson until I purchased it a couple of months ago from her daughter. I brought the car here to Oakland, CA and have done the necessary work (it didn’t need much) to put it into perfect running and driving condition. It is completely unrestored and factory original and is ready to drive anywhere with its new owner.

HISTORY: Eleanore’s husband Frank bought the Buick Skylark for her as a gift on August 2, 1971 at Bob Miller Buick in Cleveland, Ohio where they were living at the time. Over the years they owned many cars but Eleanore’s daughter (pictured below stepping into the Skylark on her wedding day in September, 1971) told me this was Eleanore’s favorite – she always took special care of it and joked that she wanted to be buried in her beloved Buick!

Luckily for this beautiful car they soon left Cleveland and moved to Tucson AZ, taking the Skylark along. Since they had other cars the Buick was used only occasionally and was always garaged. Eleanore kept a notebook in the car with gas fillups and mileage records which reveal that in its first ten years it was driven an average of under 3000 miles a year. After that its use dropped to less than 100 miles per year as it was driven only for special occasions and the occasional exercise. Frank passed away in 1990 and two years later Eleanore put the Skylark away for the last time, with 29,498 miles on the odometer.

And there it sat for the next 22 years, in the friendly Arizona climate, in the same garage it had lived in nearly all its life. In 2009 Eleanore died at the age of 90 and her daughter moved to her house where the car was still resting in the garage. A few months ago she finally decided it was time to find a new home for the Skylark and that’s when I was able to buy it from her. Amazingly it fired right up with a new battery and some new gas and it drove onto the transporter that brought it here to California. My specialty mechanic started in on the car and with a tune up, a little brake work and four new radials the Buick now drives like new.

CONDITION: EXTERIOR: This is a spectacular looking car, particularly considering that it has never been repainted. The striking Cortez Gold paint is all factory original and in superb condition. I have pored over the car from top to bottom, and although it’s hard to believe I can’t find any traces of body rot, accidents, repair, or repainting. There are some small scratches and dings on the car that I have shown in the photos but please realize they are very minor overall it looks fantastic. The original black textured vinyl top is in virtually new condition. The bumpers look like new and all of the chrome does too. For some reason the right rear taillight housing has some small bends on its lower edge (this piece is made of the original material – plastic). It’s hard to figure how that happened as I can’t find any other damage in that area. It’s not very noticeable but a new one can be found on the internet if you want to make it perfect. The wire spoke wheel covers are beautiful and although I don’t think they are original to the car (they look like Mustang covers!) they have been on the car for a very long time as they can be seen in some of the 80s photos. They are also in just about perfect condition.

INTERIOR: As great as the outside is, the inside is in even better condition. All components and surfaces look like new, from the headliner to the carpets. The seats, even including the driver’s seat, are in virtually new condition. There was a large rubber floor mat and when we took it out, the original protective paper from the dealer, never removed, was still in the driver’s footwell, emblazoned with the motto ”when better cars are built Buick will build them”. Although it had been chewed up by the nubs on the bottom of the floor mat, we kept it (had to unscrew the rocker cover to get it off) and it goes with the car. The dash and gauges are in fabulous condition and everything works except the AM radio, and the heater which for some reason has had its hoses disconnected under the hood. The AC works fine but does not blow cold so I assume it needs recharging. The trunk is super clean with the original plastic / vinyl liner and the original jacking instructions sticker on the underside of the lid.

MECHANICAL: Driving this car is the closest experience you will have to driving a brand new 1971 Skylark. The factory 350 engine starts right up and is smooth and quiet with lots of power. The transmission shifts perfectly and the power steering is excellent. The rear brake cylinders were leaking so we have replaced those and the brakes are perfect. When the car arrived here, it was wearing ancient radial tires that Eleanore’s daughter believed were the originals. We kept the best one for the spare (you might want to replace it) and it is now riding on a brand new set of correct Hankoook P215 -75R14 whitewalls. Overall, a fantastic car to drive.

INCLUDED with the car are the original Protect-O-Plate with owner information, original consumer information pamphlet, the original front floor paper protector, original license plate from Cleveland, family photos of the car in the 70s and 80s, a stack of insurance renewals and Arizona Registration cards from the 1980s, the original keys and even the original key knockouts with codes for replacing lost keys. Apparently Frank was a mechanic and serviced the car himself so there are no service records but there is the fascinating notebook kept by Eleanore detailing every gas fill up with the car’s mileage noted from 1974 to 1992.

OVERALL this is a fabulous car and certainly one of the best preserved original Skylarks to be found anywhere. If properly cared for it is sure to increase in value in the near future, making it a blue chip investment that can be enjoyed while it appreciates. Bid what it’s worth to you and you can own it as there is NO RESERVE.

If you can’t bear to wait for the end of the auction you can contact me with a “buy it now” offer, and I will give it serious consideration. Contact me through eBay, or by e-mail at jc@piedmontpiano.com, or by phone at 510-325-7490.

SHIPPING: US: I am confident the car could be driven anywhere but if you need to ship it eBay has some shipping info or look on the web for auto transporting to get a price quote. I can help with shipping arrangements if necessary. I can hold the car for a reasonable period of time but payment in full is required as indicated below.

SHIPPING: OVERSEAS: I believe it costs 2000 to 3000 USD to ship from here to Europe, Asia, or Australia, but please do your own research to determine the exact price. I will be happy to help with paperwork and local delivery to a shipping terminal, but the buyer is responsible for all shipping arrangements and please note payment MUST be made as per the schedule outlined below.

TERMS: The car is sold as is, with buyer responsible for transport. All sales are final. Bid with confidence - I have been selling collector cars on eBay for over fifteen years and all buyers have been very happy with the transactions - check my feedback or I will provide references if desired.

PLEASE ONLY BID IF YOU ARE SERIOUS.

Please bid only if you understand the rules of eBay. Since there is no reserve any bid is a binding contract to purchase the car at that price. If your feedback rating is less that 10 you must contact me before bidding to confirm that you understand the terms. If you have any questions e mail or phone me and get them answered BEFORE you bid. If you wish to inspect and drive the car here in Oakland, CA you may contact me to make an appointment but please do so before you bid. Deposit of $1000 by paypal is due within 24 hours of the end of the auction, no exceptions. Payment will need to be made in full by check or wire transfer within 7 days of the end of the auction. Good luck and thanks for your bid!

Contact info: e-mail jc@piedmontpiano.com, phone 510-325-7490.