No Wipers No Problem. 2000 Miles in a 1971 Skylark
There is something special about the open road on the open valley floor. During the day, the expansive desert floor, flanked by snowcapped mountains generates a feeling of wonder and smallness. Driving through the beautiful country with the windows down, music blasting, there isn’t a care in the world. As you roll through the night, the world shrinks. It is just you and your car. Only a sliver of road lit up by your headlights to guide your journey. Alone with your thoughts and whatever snack sits in your lap. There is a tranquility in the journey. You are here, and you have to get to wherever ”there” may be. That’s all there is to it. From here to there. Over the middle of March, I drove our 1971 Buick Skylark on a trip from Los Angeles to Wyoming and back. The Skylark is a recent acquisition for the Blacktop team. Originally equipped with a 350 cubic inch Buick engine, the car now sports a power packed 455. Engines made before and after 1970 produced dramatically different performance numbers due to large differences in compression. The power plant in our skylark was rebuilt with 1970 spec internals resulting in a higher compression build. The intake manifold has been replaced with an aluminum mid rise unit and the motor is livened up with a comp cam. The exhaust still flows through the stock manifold and the rear end differential is still the stock open 8.5 inch unit with highway gears. What I find most impactful about our beloved Skylark is the handling modifications. Gone are the clunky heavy components in the front. Replaced by sleek and effective tube frame wishbones that increase responsiveness and dampen the sense of weight that all muscle cars have. The rear possesses heavier duty air shocks that tighten up handling as well. Disk brakes in the front allow for a more aggressive drive with the knowledge you can stop safely. The car, while fantastic, is not the ideal cross country road car. She’s inefficient at less than 10 miles per gallon. With almost 500 foot pounds of torque and with no functional windshield wipers the car was not ready to face the rain or snow that would fall heavily on the way out to Wyoming. Furthermore, the exposed air filter sucking through the raised stage 2 hood scoop meant water logging the 850 cfm carburetor was a serious threat to the functionality of the car.
I would be remiss to forgo mentioning the social situation going on at the time of this roadtrip. Covid-19 had begun to dramatically affect the functionality of American society. By this point, most major businesses had been shuttered to allow for social distancing. Along our trip, most of the food stops that line the small towns along the way were closed. Even drive throughs were unavailable later into the night. All parks and natural areas owned by the states were closed as well. As a result, our road trip wasn’t the normal stop and see affair that they usually are. On the positive side, traffic was non existent the whole way. Rolling out in the middle of the night, the trip only became interesting around 3 AM when the Skylark rumbled into Sin City. Vegas was a ghost town. Social distancing orders resulted in all casinos, hotels, and entertainment venues being shuttered. The only fun to be had was a drive through strip club that would launch the upcoming Saturday. The headline event would be hand sanitizer wrestling. That is not a typo. Two women in a pool of hand sanitizer duking it out. With an admittance fee of 250 dollars, the worlds cleanest dirty show would not fall within our budget. For the first time in a very long time, the streets of the city that never slept were desolate and empty. No music, no cheering, no bells and whistles from slot machines, the whole city was silent. The only noise to be heard aside from the rumbling of our big block was produced by the swarm of construction work and street cleaners who were diligently pressure washing every inch of the public spaces up and down the Vegas strip. The rain had died off as we arrived and as such felt it justified to pull over and walk partway through the twilight zone that Vegas had become. The sidewalks were wet and shiny as the pressure washers hit anywhere people could have been. The casino lights glistened off the empty pavement while banners and billboards repeated the same solemn message, “ Nothing is more important to us than your well being and safety. We look forward to seeing you again soon”. A reassuring message considering how far the Skylark needed to go and I did hope to see Vegas again soon on the way back.
After a few more hours of listen to Mike Rowe’s incredible podcasts, the sunlight raised the curtain and revealed how beautiful the scenery was around us. We had stopped just outside the sliver of Arizona we would drive through before our push to St George, Utah. To the right were the snow capped mountains and green fields we were heading into. While to the left, the hard edged rock formations and cactuses poking out of the dusty dry red desert behind us. Upon reaching Arizona, the rain began to fall. By the time we had entered a the Virgin River Canyon pass, the rain and wind were in full effect. As previously mentioned, the Skylark’s windshield wipers are still on the to do list. Our liberal application of Rain-X had kept us safe so far and thankfully, the red rocked canyon was handled without too much trouble.
Saint George was also a strategic stop for us. The Skylark badly needed an oil change and the city of St George, Utah would be the last for a significant distance. Normally we would accomplish a simple oil change on the side of the road. Over the course of the first 400 odd miles in our journey, the front right suspension had become misalligned or damaged and the body was sitting almost two inches lower over the front right shock. While driving through the Arizona canyon, there were multiple intense bumps that slammed the fender onto the extra wide Cooper tires and caused even more instability. As a result, we decided to take the car to a shop instead of a simple roadside oil change. Through some internet research, we narrowed down our options to find the right shop. The first turned out to be a beautiful custom shop, but it was diesel truck focused and they sent us down the road to find Flex Auto Center. Flex is a new shop in the area, but their team are experienced and knowledgable. The owner, Brandon Armstrong personally saw to the assessment of the Skylark’s suspension. The issue thankfully was a simple one and we only had to tighten a few things that had come loose over the trip so far. One of the mechanics, Rhys, showed us their shop and laughed with us over coffee while we waited for the specialty oil to arrive. Rhys moved to St. George from Vegas over 25 years ago to work on stock cars. The mechanics’ passion for automotive work translated into good business and their shop ran smoothly.
With the suspension issues handled we continued onward along the 15 freeway only stopping in the city of Beaver, Utah for gas and warming beanies and gloves. The Skylark’s lack of heater or weather stripping had become another issue and we were freezing in the car. As we rolled out passed a rusted out vintage firetruck, the snow began to come down adding another level of danger to our drive. While the Rain-X stood up the frequent rain, the snow would stick to the window until it melted. Thankfully, the snow wasn’t too heavy and the stretch of road was strait and wide. Our journey would prove smooth sailing all the way to our destination in Rock Springs Wyoming. The trip was made in darkness and was uneventful. The car ran surprisingly well. Between the oversized radiator and the constant whirling of the upgraded fan, the Skylark’s 455 actually struggled to stay above the minimum operating temperature. Temperatures outside the leaky windows dropped below 20 degrees as we drove on into the night.
In the morning, my two passengers continued their journey on their own. They would continue on to Minnesota while I drove the Skylark back to Los Angeles on my own. Without a timetable to hold, I was able to enjoy the scenery at a more stop and go pace. On my first gas stop I found a beautiful mural commemorating Wyoming and the steam locomotive. From there, the snowcapped mountains and fields, paired with the bright blue skies kept me in happy company. While the snowfall had resulted in a long detour north on our journey east, the blue skies provided me with the opportunity to take a more direct and mountainous route through Utah. Leaving the 15 freeway before Salt Lake City, Utah, the alternative route along the 189 took the powerful Buick through a few small towns in mountainous valleys before opening up to ring around Deer Creek State Park. The roads were wide despite the twists and turns and I had the opportunity to take aggressive lines cutting across multiple lanes. After the lake, the 189 takes travelers through Provo Canyon which is a beautiful pass with waterfalls and pine trees. The freeway itself was architecturally beautiful with one direction separated from the other by 30 feet. The road twisted and turned through the vibrant green pine trees and sheer rock cliffs. The hard cut natural valley was the journey’s turning point. After Provo, the terrain began to flatten out and the mountains started to recede. The high desert was calling. Around 7:30 PM, the small town of Beaver was back in my sights. Saint George was only an hour away. I could feel the soft hotel bed in my mind and was excited for a day of relaxation.
After a day of rest in a hot tub equipped suite, it was time to take to the road bright and early. Rolling out of Saint George by 9 AM, the rain decided to say hello once again. By 10 AM, the lone muscle car on the open road reached the Arizona canyon. Keeping with the trend of the trip, the harshest rains kicked in the second I dove into the first turn. Road construction made the pass more dangerous than normal but after the snowy Utah passes, I had become more confident with the road feel and didn’t slow down much. By 11 AM, the Vegas skyline loomed on the horizon. Despite knowing it would be closed, I took a quick roadside break at the famous Las Vegas Speedway. Cruising down the empty Vegas strip at the height of the weekend was the last hurrah of the trip. Idling at a red light along side the Bellagio, it was a rare sight to see empty sidewalks and the famous fountains rest at idle. The final leg of the trip went smoothly. By sunset, the Skylark was back in the driveway. 2000 more miles on the dash and more priceless memories for yours truly.
GALLERY
A beautiful mural in Green River, Wyoming.
Overlooking the Desert along the 15 freeway.
From the backseat during my supposed nap.
Lakes had frozen solid in northern Utah.
The popular bridges over the Vegas strip. Normally packed, the whole city was glistening with rain water and disinfectant.
The only noise to be heard was the flood of pressure washers taking on the challenge of cleaning the city.
Driving back on the way home. The sidewalks remained empty.
Every inch of street was freshly cleaned.
These photos were taken around the Deer Creek park area
A barnyard turnout was the perfect spot for a photo.
The roads were empty enough to stop in the middle of the road to take this photo.
I wonder if the building is newer or older than the Skylark.
The Achilles heel of the Skylark. The stage 2 scoop and ram air system increase throttle response and power but leave the car vulnerable to weather conditions. We stopped roadside a few times to switch the air cleaner lid back to a closed element.
Driving through the outskirts of Salt Lake City, we spotted a beautiful Indian Chief rumbling past.
Left to rot in a Beaver, Utah gas station. A 1940s fire truck.
An abandoned gas station along the freeway hugging town of Baker. Home of the worlds tallest Thermometer.
I was hoping to score some access but there was no one to finesse. The gates were locked and blocked. A quick stretch break outside the Las Vegas Speedway.
Roadside an hour out from Beaver, Utah. Stopped for a phone call but stuck around for the view.
The last photo I was able to fit onto my overstuffed memory card thankfully turned out to be a beautiful one.