Abandoned Buick Skylark has hood lifted and there's a dinosaur-looking creature in the engine

  • This abandoned Buick Skylark enjoys its first wash in 30 years
  • Despite being pretty grimy –  it’s a satisfying watch
  • You won’t believe what was found under the hood

Published on Sep 09, 2024 at 7:33 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones

Last updated on Sep 10, 2024 at 11:10 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by Tom Wood

You need to brace yourself for what was found beneath the hood of this abandoned Buick Skylark by a team of US detailers.

The satisfying restoration involved the dirty car receiving its first wash in 30 years.

However, what should have been an ASMR-tingles moment turned into something a little icky when the hood was lifted.

You need to see what they discovered in the engine bay.

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The abandoned Buick Skylark restoration

Like pimple-popping videos and giving the fridge a deep clean – the line between satisfying and gross can be a fine one.

Enter the interior and exterior restoration of this barn-find 1968 Buick Skylark, which is in a pretty poor condition.

While pressure washing the outside is simple enough and followed by a wash, clay bar, and polish to bring back its long-lost shine – what was found in the engine bay was less ‘ahh’ and more ‘argh’.

Alongside a whole host of mouse nests, when the hood was popped RJ and the team at WD Detailing discovered an an opossum skeleton.

Inside the cabin, the carpet is covered in droppings and urine from the infestation of mice and other critters and so has to be removed completely.

The good news is that, despite its condition and the many layers of grime, the vinyl top of the car is able to be cleaned.

RJ even uses razors to clean the windows and applies leather conditioner to the car’s seats to revive the worn-out upholstery, making it soft and shiny again.

Other satisfying and gross restorations

Check out this restoration of a Honda Acura NSX that had mice living inside it.

The restoration was also done by WD Detailing on a car that had seen better days.

More satisfying, this is the ‘rarest’ Mercedes that got its first wash after being in a basement for 60 years.

Thankfully not all of the critters found in engine bays are beyond help, like this groundhog that was discovered stuck in a car.

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All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”