1968 was a coming-of-age year for the Buick Gran Sport, as the namesake finally became its own separate model instead of just an options package on the popular Skylark. GS sales were fairly strong for the car’s first year as a stand-alone offering, with well over 20,000 of them finding homes, but of that total fewer than 2,500 were droptops, making this 1968 Buick GS 400 convertible here on Craigslist sort of a rarity. It’s a project located in Meridian, Idaho, and also comes with a second parts car with the seller making it clear that his price of $4,600 for the pair is non-negotiable. A big thank you goes out to Barn Finds reader Gunter Kramer for finding this Buick duo and sending us the tip!
I want to commend the seller for not using any over-hyping tactics here, as he states upfront this is an as-is offering and goes so far as to use the term basket case, and while there is plenty of attention needed I’ve run across numerous autos in far worse condition billed as not too far from road ready, so kudos here for the honesty. Just based on the photos, I’m not considering this one as all that bad of a restoration candidate, as the body rust doesn’t appear to be extensive and some extra parts are also shown, including a spare hood, rear bumper, and a pair of fenders. But the front end shows evidence of tapping something, and while there’s damage here to contend with it doesn’t seem like a deal breaker, plus that looks like a decent grille shown sitting in the front seat.
The second car is a Skylark Custom, and it’s not going to be much help in repairing the front end of the convertible as it too has been wrecked in the same area. But other than one other minor dent in the passenger quarter, the rest of the body seems reasonably straight although there does appear to be rust present in some of the panels, it’s just hard to tell how severe with the angles we get to view. Still, if you’ve got the storage space, there’s bound to be a few useful parts here unless the buyer decides to make the second Buick a project as well.
Another idea thrown out is the possibility of each car being sold separately, with an individual asking price of $4,400 for the Gran Sport and $800 for the Custom. But the seller mentions these are both part of an estate, and if either has to be moved the price goes north, so I think he’s hoping interested parties will act now. It’s also important to note that both cars have clear titles, perhaps making the second car a bit more appealing as another potential project rather than its current donor designation. What are your thoughts on this pair of late-sixties Buicks?