One thing you don't see too often in Alameda is cars with horrible rust. Another rare sight is a big old Detroit bomb being used as a serious bicycle transporter. Today we're going to look at a car that offers both! This '70 Skylark lives just down the street from the '69 Ambassador wagon and around the corner from the '76 Skyhawk, and it is one mean-looking Buick.
This car has been in its neighborhood for a long time, but I've never been able to find out whether the owner (who's clearly a fan of Bianchi bicycles) chooses such a beautifully wretched car in order to express contempt or admiration for the very concept of the automobile. You never know with bike freaks- they tend to appreciate machinery more than most, but they can be touchy on the subject of motor vehicles.
Very clever homemade bike racks here- looks like you strap the rear wheels into these channels and then attach the front forks to the pipe running across the rear edge of the roof. Perhaps the trio of Bianchi cars would be a good addition to the stable of bike haulers.
Here's a classic example of what we in California call "Living Near The Ocean Rust." If you park a car within a block or so of the Pacific (e.g., 48th Avenue in San Francisco), the constant salt spray makes your car rust from the top down. While this car now lives within a block of San Francisco Bay, the 6" waves you get from that body of water don't get salt into the air; clearly, this Skylark spent a few years living near the big waves.
I've never heard this car run, but I hope it's good and loud.