Buicks offer tremendous value compared to the Chevy and Pontiac cousins, and this neat 1972 Buick Skylark Sport Coupe takes the best-looking Buick muscle car of all time and makes it affordable and fun. 455 cubic inches make it fun to drive and with a few bits of Buick luxury, it's a high-visibility alternative to the usual Chevelle or GTO.You can say muscle was dead by 1972, but you'd be wrong if this Buick is any indication. It's not as eyeball-popping as the GSX, but the bright red paint on this Sport Coupe gets enough attention to justify the big 455 under the hood. No wild graphics, no wing out back, but a clean, conservative look that works well for Buick and makes this arguably the most attractive of the A-bodies. Finish quality is pretty good, particularly for the money, and the vivid red paint covers every visible surface, so you know it was a trim-off respray. There are some signs of use, but you have to really look for them and it only helps conceal the horsepower living inside. The chrome and stainless trim is still in good original condition, a nice indicator of a machine that has probably led an easy life someplace warm, and "Stage 1" emblems offer a bit of a warning to onlookers. This is a very clean-looking car.You could probably call the interior parchment and nobody would argue, and it definitely looks fantastic in the bright red Buick. The seats themselves are in great shape with no notable tears or splits in the material and even with the light color it seems to be defying the years pretty darned well. Tan carpets and a contrasting brown dashboard help keep it from getting too overwhelming inside and they, too, are in good order. The factory gauges cover the basics of speed and fuel level, but remember that this was 1972, so a Sun tachometer has been neatly installed in place of the clock. On the other hand, as a Buick, you got lots of creature comforts, including ice cold factory A/C, power steering and brakes, and more sound deadening materials throughout the body. That's a good thing, because the original Sonomatic AM radio is just begging for an upgrade. The trunk is mostly original with correct spatter paint, what appears to be the original mat, and a full-sized spare tire.The standard Skylark engine was a 350 cubic inch V8 with a 2-barrel carburetor, but today this one packs a thundering 455 cubic inch mill with a 4-barrel carburetor up top. Smooth, torquey, and incredibly energetic, it makes great V8 sounds and moves the sleek coupe with a swell of easy-to-use torque that's a lot of fun on the street. Nicely detailed with a few bits of chrome, Dante Red engine enamel, and plenty of evidence of recent work, this is the Buick they should have built. Backed by a TH400 3-speed automatic transmission and a 10-bolt rear end, the powertrain won't give you any hassles and it does sound great with a rumbling Flowmaster dual exhaust system behind it. The chassis is original but in good order thanks to a lifetime in a warm climate, and it rides and handles with a tautness that is unexpected in a Buick. Classic Buick Road Wheels are always right on a sporting Buford and they carry fat 225/70/15 front and 255/70/15 rear white-letter radials.This is a great-looking Buick that gives you big block performance, an awesome look, great features, all for a fraction the cost of a Chevelle. Call today!
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