By: Tommy Parry
Lionel always appreciated the long overhangs and girth of GM A-body cars. Their presence turns heads, but their ability to carve through sweeping turns on a winding country road usually leave a little to be desired. That is, before they’re retrofitted with a fleet of pro-touring pieces that help his behemoth mask its heft.
Unfortunately, these cars are boxed in the front and the rear for the most part, but are just c-channeled in the middle. The twist that happens under hard cornering is pretty unsettling, so Lionel went with a Hellwig chassis to improve the rigidity. The resulting stiffness allowed him to better exploit the grip offered by the 265/40/17 and 295/35/18 Pilot Sport tires wrapping his C5 Z06 wheels.
Since the Skylark was meant to stagger people with unexpected incisiveness, the suspension was where Lionel put the majority of his time and money. SPC lower a-arms, SPC upper adjustable a-arms, front single adjustable VariShock coil overs, rear upper and lower adjustable control arms, and BMR 2” lowering springs give him an adjustable setup which works equally well at a trot and a gallop.
Fast direction changes are aided by the right brakes. Up front, Wilwood 6-pistons with 12.19” Wilwood rotors do the brunt of the stopping, though a vehicle of this size requires more than the aforementioned combo. So, Lionel finished the rear axle with a pair of Wilwood 4-pistons to distribute the braking load and add a level of adjustability he wanted in all areas with this Skylark.
Along with a wide footprint and a revised suspension setup, the powerplant was thoroughly modernized. Lionel likes his vehicles to be fairly powerful but can’t tolerate a motor which regularly malfunctions, and he wanted a safe and predictable platform he could safely put in the hands of friends in need of a quick shot of adrenaline. Of course, he went LS.
Not that this made his build overly complicated; he’s a fan of simplicity. The junkyard 5.3 served as the base. In addition to an agreeable price, it came with 6-bolt mains, aluminum heads that flow well, good economy, and an ability to take boost gleefully! Plus, with just a cam swap they make good power—enough to require a 12-bolt posi in the rear. This one, taken from a ‘72 Chevelle, turns its 450+ horsepower into propulsion.
The iron engine is kept cool with a collection of standard parts. A Ford Windstar fan, a Buick big block radiator, and Chevy Tahoe radiator hoses do the business now. When Lionel fits his motor with a turbocharger soon, he may have to revisit his cooling plan, but it’s more than enough for the normally aspirated arrangement.
The gearbox is the robust, lightweight 4l60. Lionel was drawn to the gear ratios in the 4l60 and knows a guy in Edmonton who exclusively builds this style of transmission. This particular example can handle 450-500 horsepower without issue, though he anticipates having to further strengthen it with future power adders.
Currently, Lionel’s working towards a little more confidence in his steering setup. The Grand Cherokee steering box was chosen for its ease of installation, though he hopes to get a little more reassurance from the front end with the upcoming addition of a bump steer kit, a standard center link, as well as idle and Pitman arms.
The icing on the cake will undoubtedly be the turbo setup he’s piecing together. Though unsure of whether he’ll stick with his 78mm or move to a more responsive 72mm turbo, he has the manifold, EFI tank, and Holley Terminator X Max ready for installation. With any luck, he’ll have his reliable, shocking, and very sleek Skylark ready come the end of the year.
To keep tabs on his progress, follow his thread here.
