Guy surprises his dad by swapping original engine of his 1966 Buick Skylark with special new one
- YouTuber surprises his dad by swapping the engine of his Buick Skylark
- It was purchased by his great-grandfather in 1966
- Then it was passed down from father to son
Published on Oct 11, 2024 at 7:36 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Oct 14, 2024 at 11:48 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
After it was purchased by his great-grandfather in 1966 and passed down through the generations, this YouTuber wants to surprise his dad by swapping the engine of his Buick Skylark.
After the original owner died it was passed father-to-son.
This content creator’s father then enjoyed it for a couple of years before a main seal leak turned into an entire rebuild on the engine 17 years ago.
Two years ago, this car enthusiast decided to surprise his dad by putting an LS drivetrain in the family heirloom.
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The 1966 Buick Skylark
Using Holley Performance, Mortske Repair decided to give his dad a birthday surprise.
To keep his plans on the DL, he borrowed the car under the guise of installing brakes after it had been sitting idle for almost two decades.
It also needed a new oil pan gasket, headers, and oxygen sensors, which they acquired via the catalog for a 1966 Chevelle chassis which is ‘pretty much the same’.
While challenges like fitting the cross member and installing exhaust components are thrown up as they install the engine, modifications are needed for optimal fit and function.
Finally, they focus on wiring it up and ensuring all systems – fuel, electrical, and cooling – are properly configured and that throttle response and transmission linkage won’t be an issue.
While some shifting issues need refinement, the ‘holy cow’ he got from his dad made the project well worth the hard work.
Classic car engines
If you’re looking for more on classic-car engines, this man found four incredibly rare Mustangs in North Carolina barn find, including one with a powerhouse engine.
Meanwhile, this man discovered a shocking engine surprise on a 1959 Chevy pickup that had been parked for 30 years.
Last, but not least, this family owns a hangar filled with vintage aircraft and engines recovered from Elvis’s private jet that needs to be seen to be believed.
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.”
