1965 Skylark Gran Sport coupe, rare 3-speed manual, no rust California car

1965 Buick Skylark GS Description

1965 Buick Skylark Gran Sport coupe, Southern California car since new until three months ago (still has the black and yellow California license plates), with several decades of repair and registration receipts to prove it. The car has one old repaint in the original blue color. There is NO filler or bondo except for a two-inch diameter area above left rear corner of tail light where there is some filler. No rust except under the windshield channel where they all rust out. I have a replacement metal panel for this, which will go with the car. Doors, hood, and trunk all fit properly and open and close like new. There is no floor rust, no rust in bottoms of doors, and no dents except for a very light one about 1/8th of an inch deep just above and behind right rear wheel, but only if you look carefully and it should pop out.
I bought the car not running, and have completely overhauled the 401 V-8 with a .030 rebore, new pistons, new rings, standard bearings, new timing chain and gears, new camshaft, new freeze plugs, new cam bearings, rebuilt starter, new clutch and pressure plate, rebuilt 4-bbl. carburetor, new water pump, new mechanical fuel pump, new motor mounts and one new motor mount torsion plate, new fan belts, new radiator hoses, new master cylinder and new or rebuilt wheel cylinders, new brake hoses. I cleaned out the gas tank. Tires are good (14"). I installed new blue carpet, removed the add-on AM/FM cassette player, original AM radio is intact. The car has power steering and manual brakes. Car has the full "ironing board" console plus the floor console for the 3-speed manual shift lever. This car is one of just over 400 3-speed manual Gran Sport coupes for 1965. Previous owner converted the exhaust from duals to a single exhaust system. I will include an NOS muffler for the left side if new owner wants to convert it back to duals and wants to have stock (quiet) mufflers on it, which it has now. I am a purist, and I do not like any modifications to my Buicks--they have to be kept original in my book.
Engine has been degreased and repainted with the correct Buick green paint, and the front inner fenders and firewall have been painted with correct semi-gloss black paint. Previous owner installed new seat covers in blue vinyl. The original blue vinyl is still there underneath, but has some splits in it. Top of back seat is split from the sun. Spare tire, jack, and jack tool and jack hold-down are in place in the trunk, with the original spare tire cover. There is no rust in the trunk. The car has what appears to be a factory-installed trailer hitch and wire plug-in where the left back-up light would be (back-up light delete).
The engine is quiet, smooth, and very powerful. There is some pitting on the hood ornament chrome and on the middle bar of the tail lights. The bumpers have no pitting. The right rear bumper has a bit of a bend where it must have caught on something once. I have tried to leave most of this car original and unrestored, except for items that were redone prior to my ownership. Previous owner had the car for approximately 30 years and there was one owner before that. The repair receipts show that the car was driven quite a bit, but was also properly maintained at regular intervals, many times by the Buick dealer, other times by professional shops for tires, oil changes, batteries, water pump, carburetor rebuild, etc.--the normal items. All of the glass is good. There is no clutch chatter. Braking is smooth and in a straight line.
There is no "buy it now", so don't ask. The car will sell to the highest bidder who exceeds the reserve price. Please don't ask what the reserve price is--that gives some bidders an unfair advantage. I am selling the car because I need the funds and the space for a warehouse full of NOS Buick parts that I am in the process of purchasing. An opportunity has come along that does not often happen. I expect a $500 deposit within 48 hours from the successful bidder, and full payment within 7 days of auction's completion. Failure to comply with BOTH of these conditions will result in the high bidder forfeiting the car and the deposit, and car will be offered to the next highest bidder. I will store the car here indoors for 30 days; longer than that and you need to make other arrangements or pay me garage rent. I am willing to deliver the car to Dallas or Houston for shipment overseas, for additional cost. I am 65 miles NE of Dallas and 300 miles north of Houston, Texas.

On Jan-01-17 at 13:00:33 PST, seller added the following information:

The 1964 LeSabre 2-door hardtop in the background is also for sale, as is the 1971 Mustang convertible parked ahead of this car.

On Jan-03-17 at 18:41:55 PST, seller added the following information:

Could be driven home if you got it registered and insured, but you would need to treat it like a new engine, not exceeding 50 or 55 miles per hour for the first couple of hundred miles to allow for proper break-in of new rings, bearings, valves, etc., just as you do a new car. I have a clear California title for it.