I worked on a friend's 72 Skylark after it had been stolen and run dry on several fluids, replacing the 350-2V engine trans at my (then) family business, a machine shop for BIG stuff. Like my other friend's 72 Cutlass and 74 Century, it got a best of 13mpg. Most all V8s got 11 when you drove on twisty-roads at our hilly end of the county. His other Buick was a 67 Skylark with 340 4 V and loads of under-body rust, that got much better mpg, like 15. We figured higher compression engine along with a smaller venturi on primary throttle bores was the reason why
Car repairs done on weekends in a heated shop with 5 and 10 ton cranes was a dream come true for any friends of mine or my cousin Scott's. Scott once craned an MG body around to do metal and frame work.
When we tried to put in the Skylark's rear trans support cross member, it was so rusty it wouldn't hold up anything. Imagine the collective relief when I learned to weld that day and put flat stock on the ends so it would fit again, then shop-primed it before getting the engine back in by suppertime
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