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 I spent 8 years and an estimated 5000 hr. building this car 1968 Buick Skylark Gran Sport.  It was originally a GS 400 with a Turbo 400 transmission in it.

     It now has a 455 bored to 462CID with a Doug Nash 5 speed Stick which is sold by Richman Gear.  I has a reinforced 12 bolt rear end with after market positraction.  It is difficult to make a 12 bolt rear end that can stand the tremendous torque that the Buick 455 has, but we did it.

 

 

     This car is a complete frame off rebuild.  The Engine is a modern version of an old muscle car big block.  With electronic fuel injection a Mallory ignition system and variable rate valve lifters it gets 11 to 12 miles per gallon around town compared to the 3 to 4 MPG that these motors got when they were new using two 4 barrel carbs.  It also runs very happily on unleaded premium.  It has hardened valve seats to withstand the unleaded gas and swirl polished stainless steel valves.

151 Piece Metric & Sae Master Tool Set

      It has an oxygen sensor in both headers for the computers that control the fuel mixture.  It runs on the main computer under hard acceleration an switches to a second add-on computer when running on the street.  The add-on computer adjusts the fuel mixture for maximum mileage and the Rhoades lifters close so that the valves don't open very far.  This greatly improves the low end torque and the gas mileage. 

    

 I might add a note here on the use of Rhoades lifters.  There is a lot of talk about variable rate lifters being noisy and producing a lot of clatter.  My Rhoades lifters do not make any noise at all.  The engine doesn't clatter or any of the things that you read about.  It has been our experience that the problem is in balancing the oil pressure so that you can control the bleed down profile of the lifters. The oil pressure must not get too low at idle to 3000 RPM or then you will get clatter.  That is why when you put these lifters in an old worn engine you have problems.  (The higher pressure valve springs also help stop clatter but you must have a stronger than normal valve train to withstand the pressure, that is why we use bigger pushrods and roller rockers).  You can correct the pressure with high volume oil pump and bypass pressure springs.  I do not use a high volume pump because the engine is new and holds the required pressure.  The high pressure valve springs, stronger pushrods and roller rockers also effect the balance and the durability of the valve train when using variable duration lifters.  You must have everything right or they will not work properly.  You must be prepared to adjust the oil pressure until it's right and when done correctly the high power, high gas mileage and high "low to midrange torque" is awesome.

 

     I also have larger pushrods TA Roller Rockers and triple high pressure valve springs to smooth out the valve train with the afore mentioned Stainless Steal Swirl Polished valves and a triple angle valve grind.

          

 The small picture, at the very top left of the page, shows the car sitting in my garage where it has spent the last 16 years.  It is heated and air conditioned with air filters running and yes that's real ceramic tile on the floor.  This is where the car was built.  This shop also turns into a spray booth with filtering equipment to contain the fumes and control the over spray.  We painted the GS with 14 coats of House of Kolor Catalyzed Urethane paint.  It is Candy Apple Red paint with gold base coat containing PPG ultra fine gold metal flake.  The 14 coats are made up of, two coats House of Kolor gold base with metal flake added.  Two coats House of Kolor Inter-coat Clear with gold flake added.  Four coats House of Kolor Candy Apple Red.  Six coats of House of Kolor Clear to fill the flake and give depth.  the clear coats have ultraviolet blocker in them to protect the red from fading in the sun.

 

   I am convinced that to build a top scoring car you must have good tools and the right tool for the job.  I get my tools from www.store4tools.com as they have the best prices and the best tools.

 

     This is the Folder that is the operating manual for my car.  It has wiring diagrams and tells where every switch is and what it does and also has the original owners manual in the front pocket.

     The folder also includes things like where every relay is located and how to disassemble the custom made dash.

     This is a very complex car and without the operating manual you can't even start the car.  I started the car after not running it for an extended time and I had to go and get the folder before I could figure out how to start it and I built the car.

     I find that I often have to refer to the folder when I am adjusting or trying to figure out what a switch does.  The car also has small white lettering under all the switches and controls like the example below.

 

     Every automatic system on the car has a manual override.  Home Page Page 2  Page 3

Recently I changed to a new insurance company and they requested pictures of every side of the car plus pictures of the interior trunk and engine compartment.  My old camera is no longer working very good, so I am purchasing a new Canon Rebel XT from www.cameras4fun.com.  I checked many places but found the best over-all deal with them.

 

     I would consider selling my car if I am offered anything over $70,000.  I have spent to much time and money on it to sell it for less than that, so do not contact me with a lower offer.

 
  This is my 1968 Buick Skylark Gran Sport.  I spent 8 years and 5000 hours on it and it turned out much better than I would have believed.  I have always liked a car with a stick not just because they might be faster but because when you drive a stick you feel the power of the car and are one with it.  The first car that I learned to drive on didn't have a synchromesh transmission, so you had to learn how to double clutch.  That's now a lost art and probably not necessary in most cases.  However it was and still is great fun to be able to control your vehicle manually.  The Buick is rough and loud by today's standards but nearly tearing your head off your shoulders is what makes a car like this exciting.  A V6 Buick Regal can turn in similar times in the quarter mile and pull as smooth as silk but where's the fun in that?  This is the only car I have ever driven that you can accidentally spin the wheels just because you pushed the accelerator down a 1/4 of an inch to far.  Although this car is built for drag racing with a safety Lakewood Bellhousing shielded gas lines etc. I have never raced it because I don't want to scratch the Candy Apple paint job.  It has a lot of chrome and less than 1000 miles on it since the restoration.  There's no rust anywhere even inside the panels and they are all painted Candy Apple Red.