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Project Cars--You Get to Vote on "Hold 'em or Fold 'em"

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Comments

  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,759
    Yeah, I didn't catch it in the ad title, but then he listed the same amount in the body of the ad as well (even included the comma in the right place), and then I just started laughing. If he really wants that price, he'll be keeping the old girl for quite some time to come. :P
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    For the most part, I never really cared for those big '73-78 LTDs. I think part of the problem was that they dropped the true hardtops after just a couple years, and just went with that "pillared hardtop" look on the sedans. But then, as a kid, I was sort of taught to hate Fords, because my Dad hated them, and so did my Granddad (on my Mom's side...my other Granddad cherished the things!). So, I might have been biased, just a bit. :P

    I always liked the Marquis/Grand Marquis equivalents, though. I appreciated the fact that the coupe kept the hardtop look all the way up through the end, although I'm sure at some point they started charging you extra for roll down windows in back, and towards the end they might have made them all stationary.

    It's been ages since I've seen either, outside of a car show, but it seemed like the big Mercurys hung around longer than the big Fords did. Maybe they were bought by people with a bit more money, who took better care of them? Seems like dove gray or silver was a common color for the Marquis.

    There's a '76 or so LTD that shows up regularly at one of the car shows I attend, in Magungie PA. It's red, and quite luxurious looking.
  • ab348ab348 Member Posts: 19,029
    The full-size Fords of the mid-70s were not as bad for rusting as the '71-'73 models, which rusted almost instantly. I don't know what changes they made later on to protect them, but the later ones were better in that respect.

    The big Fords were just that - big. To me they seemed bigger than the Chevys of the era, though that may not be factually accurate. Being Fords of that time, though, they came with Novocaine steering and a super-soft suspension too, so they were not the easiest things to drive. But I liked them anyway because of their interiors and the styling.

    The Comet dashboard was exactly like the one in our '74 Maverick right down to the color. I always hated the "cane" parking brake on those - it seemed so primitive. The only difference for '75 is that the spokes of the steering wheel dipped downward at either end, whereas the '74 had 2 spokes that ran straight across. I'm sure the Comet was just as unsatisfying to drive as our Maverick was. I do remember the salesman at the Lincoln-Mercury dealer telling us when we were in buying mode that the Comet used a heavier gauge of steel than the Maverick in the body. That's gotta be sales talk, right?

    There WAS a difference that I detected once we bought our Meverick. Right behind the front bumper, the front fenders stopped at about bumper height and there was a small metal panel that filled the rest of the space downward. On the Maverick that flexed quite easily with mild pressure, but the Comets on the lot didn't do that. Of course, given our Maverick began rusting out the minute we took it home, maybe it was already weakened by corrosion.

    2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6

  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    The big Fords were just that - big. To me they seemed bigger than the Chevys of the era, though that may not be factually accurate.

    IIRC, the Fords rode a 121" wb and the Chevies a 121.5", so they were close enough there. Overall length probably varied a bit from year to year with bumpers and such, but I think the '76 Chevy topped out at around 221". I have an old Consumer Guide used car book that covers 1977-85 (except for cars that were in their last year in '77), and it lists the LTD at "only" 219 inches. That doesn't seem right to me, though.

    The Fords had more of a straight-edged, linear look to them, and seemed a bit lower overall. So maybe that made them look longer?

    Something about the rear of the Chevies seemed a bit shorter too, at least from 1974-76. Instead of taking on a 5 mph bumper that added about 5 or 6 inches to the overall length, it looks like they shortened the rear deck a bit, and then stuck on the 5 mph bumper, but still maintained roughly the same overall length.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    edited February 2013
    My Dad had a 1972 Ford LTD Country Squire and it was a dog! That car more than anything made me disdain most anything with the blue oval. When my Grand Marquis acts up, memories of that LTD come flooding back.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    The only story I can relate to those big Fords was a '73 LTD hardtop coupe that the mother of one of my friends had when he was a little kid. It refused to start on a fairly regular basis, and tended to stall out. He and his brothers called it "Mommy's Hunk O'Junk"

    It got replaced by a Volare wagon, a 1977 I think, which was actually a pretty good car but it got hit and totaled by a delivery truck.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,096
    edited February 2013
    I only have vague memories of my mother's gargantuan T-Bird, but I do remember it in the driveway with the hood up. It would have been under 10 years old, apparently developed starting and cold running issues from an early age. - emissions junk related, IIRC. And if I hint at it, I can get the story of when the cruise control stuck. It was sold to a friend of my dad's, and I know it was off the road by 1985.
  • toomanyfumestoomanyfumes Member Posts: 1,019
    I had a mid-70's Comet for a short period of time. My Brother-in law overheated it and blew out a freeze plug on the straight six block, I fixed it and sold it for a decent profit. I remember the cheesy cane parking brake handle, and the panel under the rear bumper, the side welds rusted, and it would just hang, they all seemed to do that.
    2012 Mustang Premium, 2013 Lincoln MKX Elite, 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander.
  • stkntrafficstkntraffic Member Posts: 172
    When I was a kid my Dad had a '76 Grand Marquis 4-door, in the most awful shade of powder-blue. I don't think he kept it that long. It was a tank.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    Well, if you want to re-live your childhood, here's a Powder Blue '78 for sale.

    Y'know, for $1900, this one looks pretty nice. Unless it's hiding something.

    I actually like those pale blues and greens from the 70's, but sometimes it seems like just the slightest variance in hue can make a world of difference. For instance, there's a powder blue that GM used in '75, that seemed extra common on Buicks, that I really love. But on that '78 Grand Marquis, I just don't like its hue quite as much.

    On a Grand Marquis, I think a deeper, metallic blue would probably work better with its ritzy, upscale style.
  • ab348ab348 Member Posts: 19,029
    There's been a powder blue 2-door '78 (I think) Marquis for sale up here for at least a couple of years. I think the price is something ridiculous, like $8K or thereabouts.The 2-door version is kind of odd-looking. The relatively small greenhouse compared to the huge body makes it look like a really overweight house cat.

    2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I can buy a '53 GMC 3/4 ton pickup for $500. It is 100% all there, and it hasn't run in 30 years. It's dirty, it's dented, there are parts piled in the bed. No broken glass however. It's really a mess.

    Before you say "you're crazy", these early 50s Pickups are doing some serious escalation in value the last two years.

    Upside: Classic styling, big GMC 260 (??) engine, 4-speed.

    Downside: 3/4 ton, needs everything done to it. May or may not run. Big question mark.
  • texasestexases Member Posts: 10,685
    Rust?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Not a speck of rust anywhere! But some of the fenders have decent dents.
  • tjc78tjc78 Member Posts: 15,852
    What would you do to it? Full resto or just do enough to get it running/driving and flip for a small profit.

    2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve

  • texasestexases Member Posts: 10,685
    edited February 2013
    Sounds like a great project, if that's your kind of thing. Friend restored a '40, let me drive it, scared me half to death until I figured out the steering only had an incidental impact on the truck's direction, and that the springs were strictly decorative!

    Just getting cleaned up and running would net you quite a bit, I'd think. No body work or interior work, just the mechanicals. ("Just" being wildly inappropriate, I know).

    Edit - looks like tic and I have the same idea!
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,889
    I wouldn't say you are crazy. Its $500 for 50s metal. Have you every watched Counting Cars? He pays crazy money for vehicles in worse shape, IMHO.

    I'd buy it. I've been wanting a pickup rat rod for a while now. ;)

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,096
    Probably worth that in scrap. Worst case scenario, it becomes too much of a project, and you part it out for a profit.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,759
    I took that gamble back in 1997 on a truck that had sat for 23 years (paid $500). It has paid off in spades for me! The big difference is that the interior was spotless (under that 1/2" of dust), so everything I needed to do was either exterior or mechanical, and it turned out that it needed very little of either.

    S-C-O-R-E for me, but still a gamble.
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I'd just get it safe and running tcj, and use it for hauling stuff to the dump, or garden work, etc. Of course, "safe and running" could be a big deal in itself!

    But I've found that once an old heap actually runs, and can be driven around the block, however badly, that this greatly improves its value to a "dreamer".

    50s pickups, to their credit, are generally much easier to restore than equivalent era cars.
  • stkntrafficstkntraffic Member Posts: 172
    Wow, funny how a picture can bring back a rush of childhood memories, thanks for that. I remember many a Saturday afternoon washing that thing. As a little kid next to such a big car, I felt like I was cleaning a battleship.
  • hpmctorquehpmctorque Member Posts: 4,600
    edited February 2013
    It doesn't sound as though it would be worth buying it for its utility, since you could rent a truck for the occasional times you need to haul something to the dump, etc. If you would enjoy owning it, or see profit potential in restoring it, or just bringing it back to life, then it could well be worth the investment.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Yeah, it would be kind of a hobby car. I have no interest whatsoever in an authentic or correct restoration, but I wouldn't chop anything or discard anything original on it. Maybe I'll just drive it through a Starbuck's some night on my way to the nursing home. :P
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    I always thought GMC's were good looking trucks back in that era. Even though trucks were viewed as mainly utilitarian things back then, with very little prestige, I always thought the GMC looked like a nice step up from a Chevy.

    When I was a kid, one of my grandparents' neighbors had a '53 GMC, but it was a fairly large, medium duty truck. By the time I can remember it, it was junk. Just a cab and chassis, with the rear axle pulled off so the rear of it was resting on the ground. It might have been a flatbed truck or something similar at one time, but whatever bed it had was stripped off.

    I used to like sitting up in it as a little kid and playing truck driver.
  • hpmctorquehpmctorque Member Posts: 4,600
    edited February 2013
    Well, if that's the ride that turns you on for transportation to the nursing home, by all means go for it. Just go light on the caffeine at Starbucks, though.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,096
    edited February 2013
    Project car fintail brought surprising bids, given the condition

    Irks me that the dash pad looks great, where mine is cracked :mad:
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Seems like about $1000 over market for the condition but being an SE, and kept original, and an automatic, and with zero rust (if that is to be believed) then I can see this bid being "reasonable".

    Any good restoration is off to a great start if the project has "good bones". If you don't have "good bones" on which to build, you got all kinda problems facing you.

    I could make that car look 2X as good in a week with soap, water, some varnish, upholstery cleaner and new carpets via UPS.

    The seats are problematic, but that's the next stage.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,096
    Yeah, a 100% rust free fintail, I'd like to see that. Maybe if the dents could be popped out, it would be less hard on the eyes.

    Sometimes bones don't matter too much when you're going to sink 40K into something and get 15K back, as this car could manage.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I was thinking more of a "sympathetic restoration" as we call it in the appraisal biz---that is, body filler, steam clean under and in engine bay, cheap paint job, safety check and incorrect re-upholstering. We also call these a "30-30 car" ---From 30 feet away at 30 mph, nobody would know. :P
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,096
    Or just buy one already like that for 5-6K - unless fintails have started taking off in value (fingers crossed).
  • texasestexases Member Posts: 10,685
    re: the "6.9" - no badge on the trunk, is he sure?

    And I like that E cab, remember them being $$$$ when new.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,096
    edited February 2013
    I have some doubts about the "6.9". It also appears to have a Euro cloth (?) seat. No engine pics. Doesn't look like a grey market car as it has DOT bumpers/lights and a NA style HVAC unit. Could be debadged, or just a goofball who thinks every 450 is a 6.9. It's a hopeless mess either way.

    The 124 cabrios were around 80K, IIRC - in early 90s dollars.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,759
    I love and hate the color. If I had one, would definitely have to be period correct like this

    Hmmm, that make me nostalgic. I changed many a diaper that looked like that car. :P

    That Pontiac ambulance.... WTF?! "Runs" Yeah, I bet. Was he talking about the car or potential buyers?

    I love that SR22 pickup. I wonder if those are current photos - they look like they were scanned from hard copies, and the truck looks practically new in them. If that's what it looks like today then its not a bad price, honestly.

    Overall, you have some real freak shows in western Washington, fin!
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,096
    I saw an S-10 Blazer today that probably matched some diapers you've seen, too :shades:

    The Toyota appears to have a relatively modern stereo head unit, so the pics shouldn't be too old.

    Now if it was just something like this...

    image
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,435
    funny, but when I saw the link, this is exactly what I thought of.

    throw it in reverse and pop the clutch!!

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • steine13steine13 Member Posts: 2,818
    edited February 2013
    Sorry, I don't get the reference.
    Is the black 4x4 from a TV series...?
    A movie?
    Enlighten the culturally challenged, please!
    -m

    EDIT: Back to the future. Never mind.
    The Googles, they know.
  • tjc78tjc78 Member Posts: 15,852
    Looks like the truck from Back to the Future.

    2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    edited February 2013
    '79 Mercedes 6.9 --- "hey kids, count up the number of mistakes in this ad!" :P

    PS: The first mass-produced EFI car was the '68 Volkswagon square back.

    '84 Cadillac Eldo -- "Will trade for gold ....guns.... Or pot." (That about says it all, doesn't it?)

    50 Pontiac Ambulance -- somebody put in an extra "0" on the price.

    85 Toyo 4X4 --it's nice but not THAT nice. You can buy a pretty nice, very modern, used pickup for $7500.

    '71 Buick "El Grande" ---"only 16 produced!" (And we all know why, too) :P

    '77 Blazer Chalet---Aw, we didn't get to see the avocado & mustard interior and orange shag carpeting and the floral seat patterns, with fake walnut appliance trim, aluminum sliding windows and compressed foul-smelling foam padding.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    I like that '65 Bonneville limo, just for the weird factor. I wonder why anyone would go through that much effort, though? I have a feeling that, being custom-built like that, it was probably more expensive than the factory-built Caddy Fleetwood 75 limo!

    And yet, it still has crank windows. That must have been a real selling feature for a limo back then.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,096
    The seller claims the 6.9 was simply the first FI car - many others would beg to disagree - my fintail is 15 years older and it is far from the first. I know the 300SL was the first with direct injection.

    I could see the Toyota eventually selling to an 80s freak, although maybe not near that price.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,096
    I wonder who would have commissioned that Pontiac. Maybe an airport or some weirdo corporation?
  • tjc78tjc78 Member Posts: 15,852
    Maybe a hotel courtesy shuttle or something like that. Odd duck, for sure.

    2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve

  • boomchekboomchek Member Posts: 5,516
    I think any limo with 3 forward rows of seats is a weirdo. Saw an 01 Deville limo like that at the auction here. Seems more of a stylish shuttle car than a "party" limo.

    But yeah that one on CL is an oddball. With the long wheelbase these cars had in the 70s it seems you can almost squeeze an extra bench seat into the back without having to stretch the car.

    2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX

  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,254
    Maybe this will help you decide :)
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,889
    Damn, that's hilarious.
    And I love they used a pic of Squints from The Sandlot.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    WOW! I'll take it! :) Not only that, Amy Grant's cousin once owned it, so that'll boost the value.
  • boomchekboomchek Member Posts: 5,516
    $30k is a tad steep though.

    2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    More than a tad---limos are always the hardest sell of all body styles.
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