photos from the Cohort by Hyperpack.
The ’80-’85 X-body is one of GM’s most notorious deadly sins, but let’s not hold that against this incredibly well-preserved ’85 Buick Skylark Limited. For one, none of us have any control over what our provenance is. Then, of the four riders out of that sinful X-body crop, the one from the house of Flint seems to have been the less sinful of them all.
That last statement may be dubious at best, but I base it on a previous account by our Chief Editor on an early Skylark. And also, on the condition of this surviving one. No matter the sinful nature of these, I can’t disregard that this plusher X-body carries four decades of wear on its chassis. A reality that speaks for itself and that I can’t ignore.
Granted, by the time this ’85 rolled out of the assembly line some of the X-body’s worse ills must have been tamed. There’s also the possibility that Flint’s workers screwed these better than the Citations coming out from Chevrolet. Whatever the case may be, as a previous post on these said, sales of the Skylark remained more constant than those of its siblings during its run. Something that speaks in favor of these Skylarks to some degree or another.
Between their quality issues, daily usage, and non-existent collector value, most X-bodies have gone to crusher heaven by now. Seeing one is a rarity, much less in this condition. How did this Skylark make it to our days looking like this? Perhaps the gentler touch of Buick drivers?
Of the X-bodies, the Skylark was arguably the most conservatively styled of them all. The model’s shrunken Elektra looks left little room to confuse it with products from any other GM make. From the demure waterfall grille to the hood emblem, you knew you were looking at a Flint product; in Lilliputian form.
The model carries perhaps the plushest of all X-body interiors and looks awfully well-preserved on this sample. Now, no idea how those buckets look under those covers.
Still, the covers themselves look period correct in their early ’80s fur-like spirit.
If I’m not mistaken, that rear Buick panel between the taillights is what dates this model to the ’85 year. A one year mod, that occupied the space previously reserved for the license plate.
With this close-up shot, we’ll finish this brief virtual walk around this incredible survivor. Yes, take a good look; X-bodies have become incredibly scarce and who knows when another one will show up.
And while I never cared for these back in the day, I won’t deny seeing this survivor brought a discreet smile to my face. The cars may have a sinful origin, but who hasn’t sinned a bit at some point? And who doesn’t enjoy an occasional glimpse into past naughty behaviors?
Related CC reading:
CC 1980 Chevrolet Citation: GM’s DS #13 – GM’s Deadliest Sin
Auto-Biography: 1980 Buick Skylark – It Wasn’t All That Bad
Curbside Classic: 1983 Buick Skylark – “Plz Do Not Tow” A GM Deadly Sin Or Divine Grace?
Unbelievable condition for a snow belt X-body.
I drove a new V6 Skylark at Davis Buick in 1981 and was quite impressed with it, it was indeed like a shrunken Electra: quiet, plush, nice ride, refined. Thought of buying one but opted to stay with a full-size ’73 Plymouth wagon. Though we also had a Pinto wagon at the time we needed to keep the big one to pull a boat, and the Pinto was perfect as a commuter-beater for driving into a sketchy part of Baltimore city where I worked at the time in IT, though it was called Data Processing back in those good ol’ days..
Here’s another one. I’m actually tempted: https://www.kijiji.ca/v-classic-cars/mississauga-peel-region/unbelievable-rust-free-21000mi-1983-buick-skylark-limited-v6-4dr/1711070848
I’d wait for the seller to start dropping the price as it is overpriced to reality and I can’t be the only one that sees that.
Canadian dollars. Still pretty high.
The A bodies had the same wheelbase, but were they any roomier than this one? The price was higher.
I recall C/D mentioning that the A body rear seat was an inch further back than it is in the X body, because the roofline on some X cars didn’t leave enough space to push the seat back as far as the rear wheel housings would allow. I’m guessing the hatchbacks and the Citation club coupe were the offenders. My experience riding in the back of numerous X and A bodies bear that out – very similar dimensions and (low) seating position, with maybe fractionally more space in the A body.
The longer rear overhang in the A body coupes and sedans may enlarge the cargo space somewhat compared to X notchbacks, but the X hatchbacks have more luggage room than the A sedans. A bodies also got extra front overhang, ostensibly so the Oldsmobile V6 4.3L diesel would fit, although hardly any bought those in the brief time it was available. For the rest of the A-body’s tenure, the longer hood served to make the car longer so it would look more balanced and be sellable for more money.
Its always nice to see a tidy survivor of something that was not much good when new or became a joke during their abnormally short lifespan, such cars are exceedingly rare now, we didnt get X body cars luckily, but I have seen two of them here, Plenty of cars that were popular have evaporated from the national fleet though and are worth seeing occasionally.
Got 14 years and 140K+ miles out of an 80 Olds Omega 4cyl 4 speed. Other than the starter motor that kept falling out and the self adjusting clutch that almost nailed a pedestrian when it failed (engaged) suddenly, It was reliable and got good enough mpg to make long trips when gas was a bit pricey.
““`Recommended a new Skylark to my neighbor in 80-81. Was 100 miles from home and a rear door separated due to a bad weld on the hinge. Had to bring it home in the back seat. Took a while to forgive me.
I’d forgotten that Flint produced the X-body Buick and that may, indeed, be a big reason the Skylark didn’t have nearly as bad a stigma as the Citation (and why more of the Buick versions survived, as well). Plus, as an upmarket car, maybe Buick owners tended to take better care of their cars.
Hard to believe that there was a ‘good’ (or at least better) X-body, but who knows? And, if accurate, a real shame since it might have mitigated the X-body’s reputation as one of the worst cars ever built.
I remember when these had almost zero value. I knew someone who accompanied an elderly relative who traded a really nice, low-mile version on a new car probably around 1990 or so. The salesman gave almost nothing in trade, and said that because the car needed tires, there was no way they could try to re-sell it at any kind of profit, even given its beautiful condition.
Although the ’85 Skylark got a few styling revisions, the most significant update that year was the Chevy 2.8L V6 getting EFI, replacing a carburetor used in previous years.
The driver’s side of the dash looked very similar to that on concurrent Electras and LeSabres. I wonder if they use the same gauges.
I’d consider the Citation club coupe to be the most conservatively styled X body. Nothing on that car that rocks the boat, either outside or in.
Thought I recognized this Skylark, when it was posted yesterday. It was also featured here a couple months ago. More here:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cc-cohort/is-this-pristine-1982-buick-skylark-waiting-to-be-crushed-or-parted-out/
Hello everyone, it’s been a long time!
This car brings out the warm fuzzies for me, because my first car was a 1985 Skylark! My parents bought it new when I was a young kid, the 2.5 engine was really that car’s downfall, very problematic, yet the rest of the car was built like a tank! Speaking of assembly, the Skylark and Omega were actually built at GMs Willow Run Assembly, in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
As for year identification, the 1985 Skylarks all got the revised tail lamps with the Buick plaque in the center, which meant a new back bumper. Up front a new waterfall grille was installed. On the Custom models, a new perforated cloth was used, that was shared with the LeSabre Custom that year.
It’s been over thirty years since I had that car, and I occasionally still have dreams where am driving it someplace!
Hi Richard. Long time indeed! Good to hear from you.
It’s a “looker”! Trunks were pretty “roomy”, too.
My parents special-ordered a 1980 Buick Skylark Limited V6 sedan when they were first introduced to the market. They took posession of it when it arrived from the factory to the dealer. It was their first new car. My Dad was a huge Buick fan, so he had high hopes for this car.
After the new-car halo evaporated, the lack of quality became apparent. None of the body panels lined-up.
Depending on which panels, there were either huge gaps between them or no gaps at all.
The steering wheel was cock-eyed, so when driving down a straight road, the wheel looked like it was turning right.
The trunk lid had a plastic Olds Omega escutcheon over the lock. The glue eventually let go so it fell off.
The engine had to warm up for fifteen minutes or more; otherwise it would stall from a standing start. There were several near-collisions while merging onto the main street near our home.
It leaked both oil and antifreeze – my Dad took it to the dealer several times to have the leaks fixed. This is when the car was new and still under its 12,000 mile/1-year warranty.
A few years later, the glue for the headliner dried-out and so the headliner sagged down, resting on the passengers’ heads.
The car always received proper maintenance at the Buick dealer and didn’t have a nick on it. It was never in an accident and the paint was perfect.
It had only 23,000 miles on the odometer when we finally sold it. It was a nice-looking car (aside from the headliner) but what a heartache!