This week marks my 23rd anniversary with my first classic car purchase (my 1965 Mustang is a family heirloom), this 1965 Buick Skylark, and since then, I’ve driven it 45,000 miles with fewer repairs than you might expect for a 61-year-old car. But things wear out and jobs long put-off sometimes need to be reckoned with, and this latest batch involved things that backyard mechanics hate to do: crawl under the dash and reach inside the doors.
I did these jobs over the course of two days, and the first was one that I’ve been putting off for years—replacing this mechanical oil pressure gauge with an electric unit. I actually have no problem with idiot lights for oil pressure, but the holes were cut into the dashboard and the gauges installed by a previous owner. So why did I want to replace it?
It’s because of this plastic oil line. A mechanical gauge reads pressure at the gauge itself, and oil is fed to it through a cheap plastic line (or a copper equivalent for those who are more enterprising) that passes through the firewall from the engine itself. This is the Skylark’s line after I removed it, and you can see that the plastic has “taken a set,” as you might expect after a quarter-century or more. If this plastic piece decided to quit, there would be no getting that oil out of the carpet, or my clothing.
Electric oil pressure gauges read through a (large) sender, which sends a signal to the gauge, so the only thing you need to run through the firewall is a wire. The sender itself wouldn’t physically fit into the cavity on the passenger bank of the engine block where the original sender for the dashboard light picked up oil pressure, so I used a trick that Ford used on cars with oil pressure gauges rather than lights back in the sixties, an oil pressure sender extension. It was a $20 part on Amazon and did exactly what it promised.
As I said, I did have to run some wiring, and that’s what took the most time, aside from removing both radios from the dashboard (I installed an aftermarket radio in its own binnacle beneath the dashboard). I decided to use a green wire from the gauge to the sender.
When I’m connecting wiring, I generally remove the plastic crimping insulator and use marine heat shrink instead. Here, you can see where my green wire is connected to the gauge, but there’s also a red wire for power, a black wire for ground, and a couple wires for the LED light. I made a mistake by trying to save time, sharing a ground wire between the gauge and the light; however, the gauge would peg all the way to the right when I turned on the lights. Therefore, I ran a dedicated ground for each circuit, solving my self-created problem.
I ran the power wire to a switched source on the fuse box, the brake light/turn signal circuit in this case. It looks like my fuse box could use a good cleaning; I’ll have to put that on the list.
And after putting everything back together, this is what the dashboard looks like. I know that the slightly mismatched gauges would drive some people crazy, but I’m lucky enough to not be very anal retentive, so I’ll forget about it in a week. And if I get really ambitious, I can buy a matching Auto Meter temperature gauge, but there’s really no need. The new oil pressure gauge cost about $100 and came from Summit Racing; I wanted a quality unit so I wouldn’t have to do the job twice.
Next, to the window regulator, which is the component that actually raises and lowers the door glass (the window crank is attached to it). About a year ago, I noticed that the window would regularly bind when I tried to raise or lower it, and I narrowed it down to the regulator itself (the rivets holding the crank assembly to the body of the regulator seemed to be loose). My Fisher Body manual says to remove the glass to weasel the regulator assembly out through the holes in the inner door, but I tried a short cut and duct taped the glass to the vent window frame so it would stay in its raised position. (Once the regulator is unbolted, there’s nothing holding up the glass.) In this picture, the regulator has already been removed; notice that there’s no window crank.
Here are the old and new regulators, side by side. I’ve put off this job not only because it’s finicky but also because I couldn’t find a new window regulator; they were backordered for at least six months, and used regulators are likely to be as worn out as mine. I have to admit that it’s foreboding to have such a hard time finding such a common part for such a common car; this regulator fits any 1964-67 General Motors A-Body hardtop, including Chevelles and GTOs.
Getting that big regulator with its swinging arms back into place required a specific order of operations that I had to work out on the fly given that I wasn’t strictly following the service manual’s instructions. The trick was to unbolt the channel that bolts to the inner door and faces outside (it’s held in place by two bolts). Then, I inserted the front and rear window rollers into the glass channel, which allowed me to operate the window crank to put the “gear” in the right position and maneuver the regulator past the vent window channel so I could then bolt it to the door (using four short bolts). Finally, I slid the inner door channel over the last roller and bolted it to the door in its original position to maintain adjustment. It wasn’t as complicated as it sounds, but I did wish for an extra hand or two more than once.
The glass did need a couple adjustments since the new part isn’t worn out. I had to lower the back of the “bolt-on” channel to orient the glass a little lower in the rear, and I also adjusted the upper door stop. The good news? My diagnosis was correct, and now the window seems to work as well as you’d expect considering that it has a reproduction part behind the curtain.
Two days of working under the dashboard and in the door left a few marks, so if you’re game to try any of these jobs, keep that in mind. Those door edges are sharp.
But now, I can roll my window up and down with ease while not worrying that I’ll get 10W-30 on my shoes at a rate of 40 psi, and aside from maybe adding a small electric pusher fan, the Skylark’s list is mostly complete for the summer. (It’s always run warm sitting at lights, but not to the point of overheating.) That will most likely be put off for another year while I tend to the rest of the fleet, which if nothing else, needs maintenance such as radiator draining and refilling, oil changes, lubrication, and brake flushing. And there’s always that Volvo to deal with. I have a floorpan to patch so I can attach the fourth bolt holding the passenger seat down. No kidding. The list never ends.
Related Reading
COAL Update: 1965 Buick Skylark Sport Coupe–Deferred Maintenance (by me)
Nice work on a great looking car. Working under the dash and inside the doors are definitely my least favorite jobs too. Your courage is inspiring. Thanks for documenting how to do these repairs.
Thanks!
I have a 25 year old F-150 that had a thump in the door upon closing. Finally decided to fix it. Discovered that after a million door slams, a window mount cut through its sheet metal anchor, turning it into a perfect oval-shaped washer. It took my buddy at True Value hardware to figure out what I had. Well, after fixing it all, my arm, like yours, looked like I lost a knife fight. Sometimes our auto chore can require skin and blood, right?
My college buddy had a 1965 Skylark. A beautiful old car back when only $1000 would be enough to own one. A solid handsome decade-old machine. So yours reminds me of Colorado mountain trips into remote wilderness camping with friends. Cars from that era require regular maintenance even when new. A joy was in learning that you can master your car’s mechanical needs with screwdrivers, duct tape, junk yard parts, skin and blood. Happy to have the drive and abilities to enjoy this dying brotherhood.
Your Buick looks great!
It’s not REALLY fixing a car 🚗 unless you donate some blood 🩸.
Thank you! As usual, pictures make the Skylark look a lot better than it does in real life, but I appreciate it. The paint is probably 50-year-old lacquer and it shows…it’s a perfect ten-footer.
Aaahh, mechanical window regulators. The kind that wear out after 50 or 60 years, instead of the modern kind with something that breaks at maybe 7 or 8 years. I think I had to do three of them on the two front windows of a certain Crown Victoria in my past.
At my house, it is simply not a car repair unless you draw blood at some point in the process. And I hate working under dashes and inside of doors too.
I have a 65 Gran Sport, and I found it to have one of the toughest dashboards to work on out of all my cars. I been in there a few times: clock/speedo repair, heater core and new dash speaker, etc.. That stupid fan/heater conrol bezel once too about an hour of my time to re-install. Car look great and I hope you are enjoying it.
Thanks, Rhett. I’ve seen your Gran Sport and it’s a beauty!
What is it with Buick’s and window regulators? I’ve been into our 2003 LeSabre several time for the driver’s door, since it’s the most heavily used. This was exacerbated by the quality of aftermarket parts. The cheap replacement from Amazon lasted months before a gear stripped and the one from Rock Auto lasted a few years but is now also dead.
I also fear the Buick is owed a trip under the dash for a blend door motor
The door regulator probably isn’t that bad, but that blend door motor sounds awful. But you do what you have to do!
I too, am doing some PM on my ’83 Ranger, replacing some fuel lines and rebuilding the Carter mechanical fuel pump. Both were new a mere 34 years ago when I did the 302 engine swap.
Your engine looks just like the 215 aluminum V8 from which it was spawned from.
Yep, the 1965 300 was the first of the family to be all cast iron; the 1964 engine had an iron block and aluminum heads. Because of that little 215, Buick was kind of hamstrung for the rest of the small-block’s life because the bore centers were so small. The 340/350 Buicks had quite a long stroke.
The window regulators on my ’66 F100 are getting balky (again) but a shot of lubricant seems to get them back in a state I’m willing to live with.
Nothing wrong with that, but I’d bet it would be an easy job on that truck. CJ Pony Parts has one for $77.59 (plus shipping, sales tax, and $5 virtual palm reading and other fees), so it would probably come out to $105. I’m sure it’s cheaper elsewhere, too.
https://www.cjponyparts.com/window-regulator-f-100/p/WR42-V/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17347840277&gbraid=0AAAAAD1v5VmoyMSSBLWt96f9KP91dW8Ae&gclid=CjwKCAjwl97RBhBWEiwAa9rbXeFQFuid2z3y4t6RcVN9Rc2726L3B27T7xy5I9J2S-UVV6W-gWWAaxoCyJkQAvD_BwE#217=967
I hate working under the dash. With my ’66 Riviera I would lay on my back with my butt on the seat, my legs up over the seat back and my head brushing the carpet. My head would be upside down and I could only work for a short time, like 15-20 minutes before I had to take a break to avoid a massive headache. Later I decided to unbolt the front seat and tilt it back against the rear seat cushion. I would then lie one my horizontally across the front floor board. This actually worked out much better.
Surprise ! (not really) I’m a Journeyman Mechanic and I too dislike under dhash and inner door repairs =8-) .
I couldn’t handle those awful cheapo gauges even if they did match .
I hope you retained the “idiot light” (?) , they sell those same senders with two connectors specifically for that purpose .
The wrist / arm cuts are normal, be glad it’s an older vehicle as modern (post 2000) vehicles have such sharp edges on all punched sheet metal parts I often leak a bit of red on the upholstery .
Modern window lifts are not well made, I just replaced the D.S. one in my 2000 Chevy Tracker and it’s better but the long glass still tips forward and drags going up, I’ll keep looking for a N.O.S. one, gotta be one somewhere, right ? .
Now’s the best time to glue in some CLOSED CELL padding in the door, it really helps reduce interior noise .
Also, add a plastic sheet over the open door, this prevents water from damaging the door cards and helps insulate road noise and drafts .
It’s always the little tings that make the biggest improvements .
-Nate
The idiot light hasn’t worked since I’ve owned it, so I’m used to looking at the gauge.
No padding in the door, but I always cut a painter’s drop cloth for the inside of the door panel; I just didn’t show it here.
Nate, the manufacturers started cutting corners long ago on power windows. Open up a 91 Mazda 626 and look at the power window regulator system. What moves the window up and down is a long line of plastic balls, in the channel, attached to one another. For some strange reason the driver’s side rear window needed to be replaced twice after the window slid down over my years. That window is never used unlike the driver’s window which is original. Just four days ago that window slid down again meaning the line of plastic balls broke without ever being used. There are no more regulators to be found so I had to slip something inside to jam the window in the up position.
Sharing your pain. My hand are covered in old scars from cars. I’ve never cut myself working on aeroplanes.
Those Ford oil extensions are nice. I have two stored in a box on my shelves from years ago. There was also one that could accommodate two senders. One for an idiot light and one for a gauge as seen below for the Custom Cab dash. Speaking of work it would be nice if you were out here to help putting the engine into my Parklane. This is the 390, from 2013, into the F100. Yesterday I had two 17 year olds try to help with one not liking to get his hands dirty. That one being my son. Their idea of cars is Grand Theft Auto. Needless to say we ran into a snag and now I am about to go out by myself to make some modifications with the 410 hanging on the lift.
I’d be around to help man the engine hoist for sure; in fact, I wouldn’t have minded being in SD today to watch the NASCAR race, although I’m sure that people who live in the area didn’t love the extra tourism.
Failed again today after 5 hours. Resting on the mounts but the three mount to block bolts are 1″ behind the block holes and the engine will go no further back. Bottom torque converter stud in but bellhousing off to driver’s side by an inch while the top has a 2″ gap. Not sure about these mounts and seems entire transmission has moved back and to one side.
I have a replacement dash pad for my ’70 Charger 500, and I have (somewhere!) a listing of exactly what tools are needed, including curse words, Band-Aids and Neosporin! I also need to replace the deteriorated plastic defroster vents as well. I’ve found that for me, removing the front driver seat makes things (marginally) more comfortable while working under the dash; STILL not looking forward to it! A salute to those of us still willing to tackle these projects and I raise a tube of Ben-Gay for the aftermath!! LOL!! 🙂
Plastic oil lines are never a good idea. If no one minds, I will share my story of such a device.
Back in my younger years money was always tight and I owned a Valiant with a slant six. I had been having oil pressure problems which were solved by replacing the oil pump with one from a wrecking yard.
I decided to install an oil pressure gauge so I didn’t have to rely on the light.
I proudly installed my brand new Kmart gauge in the dash and all was good.
As I said money was always an issue, and when a friend of a friend who I knew fairly well, we will call him Paul for this story, wanted to borrow the Val I said sure if you have a usable battery.
Paul was a good bush mechanic but mistakes do happen.
Apparently a spanner was left on or near the battery and said spanner did what any unrestrained tool would do in that situation.
I wasn’t there but they were at or made it to a 7/11 car park after seeing the smoke.
The ignition was of course off but with wires melting together, the starter motor was engaging itself with the result that the melted plastic oil line was spraying flaming oil everywhere.
The wrecking yard oil pump was a good one.
Anyway Paul had already grabbed the 7/11 fire extinguisher and put the fire out before the car burned to the ground.
As luck would have it, Paul worked for a large government department that managed a large fleet of vehicles, so the engine bay was rewired and the car returned to me with no ill effects.
And my memory is hazy on this last point, but with the possible addition of a copper oil line.
I love your Skylark.
Question about the extension on your oil pressure gauge. It looks like something that could eventually Crack because of vibration and fall off creating a massive oil leak. Or am I missing something? Maybe it’s really stout?
You mean the extension from the block to the oil pressure sender in the engine compartment? There’s no way that’s breaking.
Check the VIN #’s and you might find many muscle cars from the 1960s-1970s came from the factory with whitewall tires.
You’ll never tell by looking at the VIN, and calling my car a muscle car is a stretch, but it did indeed come with whitewall tires. This is the original spare and wheel cover.
Had to work in the door and under dash of the Chevy pickup.
Replacing the outside door handle and lock cylinder was a real pain, lots of hard to reach clips in the rod linkage. Someone tried to break in by drilling out the lock cylinder, which also damaged the handle assembly. They failed to gain entry.
Adding an electric brake controller for towing required getting under the dash, easier on a full size truck than a smaller vehicle, still a pain.
At 66, under dash work is a real PITA – and other regions for me. While I love hardtops and frameless door glass, the many adjustments to get it half way decent on my ’69 Skylark were time consuming.
Framed windows on the Holdens I did my apprenticeship were way easier. Adjustments for height only.
I haven’t installed an oil pressure gauge in mine. It did get a temp gauge.