65 skylark

[nail lark]

Hi ; I have a 65 skylarkGS vin#444375z124096 . All that I can find is Buick , skylark, 2door hardtop, 1965, built in fresno ca.,production #. Is this right. The car has all the GS emblems, it has a nail head .The ser# is gone ,it looks like it was machined off . The casting # are for a 65 401-425 ,the head # look right to. The frame looks like it is boxed, I don't know how large the front stabilizer should be .To me the rear suspension doesn't look like it is boxed in. How heavy should the front springs be. The car has a auto in it ,but it has a clutch pedal. It has no hole for the shifter. The auto looks like a 400 ,that isn't right for the car is it. Big learning curve ,Having fun though .

[nail lark]

I was told today that the buckets from a 65 chevelle are the same. Is that true?

[Dr. Frankenbuick]

64-65 Buicks use the same seat foam kit from Legendary as the 64-65 Chevy A-Body. I think it is safe to say all the buckets from the 64-65 GM A-Bodies are basically the same seat with different covers. I went through this with my 66 GS and used GTO seats to be recovered in Buick patterns/ colors.

The CA built 65 GS did not have the S on the trim tag like the 65 GS cars built in other locations. So, that will not help you ID it as a GS. As you have probably already determined, the GS did not have it's own separate model distinction in 65. It has to be under one of the V8 Skylark vins to be a GS, but these also included all of the 300 equipped Skylarks as well. The 65 GS boxed frames were under passenger compartment of the the car. Look around the area where the transmission crossmember is placed. If the frame is a C channel there, it is not a GS or the frame has been replaced. If it is boxed, look for a partial vin # near the rear wheel well on the driver side of the frame that matches part of the vin of the vehicle. You can be pretty certain it is GS if these match and the frame is boxed under the passenger compartment. All bets are off if it is a convertible, which yours is not, as all 65 Skylark convertibles came with the boxed frame.

Nothing to it - Right?

[Dr. Frankenbuick]

Also look for 5Z124096 stamped on the front driver side valley pan rail. There also should be an LR code on the passenger side of the same rail followed by a three number date code.


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[nail lark]

Thanks on the frame info I didn't know about the frame number . I thought the seats had different chrome and the backs where a bit different. The engine numbers you are talking about are they the thermostat cross over. If they are all I can see is a faint 5 about in the middle almost behind the thermostat. Nothing else. There are arrows on the valley cover pointing to where numbers should be.

[Dr. Frankenbuick]

They stamped them wherever they wanted on that rail - sometimes upside down and sometimes far apart. You may need a strong light and to remove the paint and grime in that area. Maybe some steel wool would remove the rust and grime without removing the paint.


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[Dr. Frankenbuick]

Any manuals or warranty books in the glovebox? If one of those has as stamped metal plate on the next to last page it is the protectoplate. It has the vin of the vehicle as well the stamping and codes for the engine and trans original to the car. Sometimes a build sheet can be found between the tank and trunk or under the back seat. These can be decoded to tell you about the car.


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[65specialconvert]

All 65 GS's had the battery on the driver side,Specials & Skylarks on the passenger.It could have been an manual transmission shifted on the column AKA 3-in-the-tree.
Sounds like you have a project on your hands.