Interesting Classic Car Links on the Internet

Mr_Shiftright · January 1999

Have you found some interesting websites that you
think other classic car enthusiasts would like to
see? Please post here.

I'll start it off with a very good comprehensive
link directory to collector car clubs, accessory
manufacturers, books, videos, etc.

Useful Links to Clubs and Vendors

Karen_S · January 1999

If you love classic wagons, this site is a must see!

The Online Home of the Station Wagon

Mr_Shiftright · January 1999

For those who would like to know the true "classics", as defined by the Classic Car Club of America, here's the site:

http://www.classiccarclub.org/CarList.htm

C13 · January 1999

http://www.coys-of-kensington.co.uk/

Authentic (or reproduced - I forget.) posters from Grands Prix of antiquity. Other automotive art too.

goosebuster · February 1999

Interested in a 62 or early 63 Thunderbird "M" car/roadster? Prices-where to find?

Mr_Shiftright · February 1999

http://www.hemmings.com/hemmings/htm/home.htm

is THE place! (but you may have to subscribe to get it).

As you may know goosebuster, these cars are easily counterfeited! Please be very careful when you buy a T-Bird roadster, and be certain there's documentation and a factory build sheet. The difference between real and bogus is an easy $10K or more.

911man · February 1999

I am looking at buying a '73 Mercedes 450SLC, 137,000 miles in good condition, but certainly not restored or excellent. 8 cyl hard-top coupe with auto trans. What would be a fair market value. I live in central Illinois.

Mr_Shiftright · February 1999

The SLC, by which I presume you mean a fixed head coupe, not a convertible, is not a highly prized car so they come pretty cheap and they made tons of them (over 66,000 between 73-77)...around $6K-$7K for a very decent daily driver should be plenty...deduct accordingly for body damage and mechanical needs. If the car looks shabby, don't buy it, since repair costs can be high. This is a car that can serve you well, but needs to be thoroughly examined before purchase.

chevyland55 · February 1999

64 oldsmobile hard top, model 98 for sale

greencar · February 1999

SCCCC- http:/Chevelles.net/scccc/
southern california chevelle camino club is the newest and fastest growing car club. All A Body makes and years.web site has all the info you need for membership.
need code breakdowns-contact ACarson979@aol.com
thanks for listening.........

Mr_Shiftright · March 1999

Here's a great site for jaguar lovers:

http://home.sol.no/~nick/monster/

Has lots of information on history, mechanicals and specifications.

Your host

Mr_Shiftright · March 1999

Anyone interested in purchasing an Alfa GTV6, which is a fun and very inexpensive sports sedan, check out this site for tips and treats:

http://www.gtv6.org/

Your Host

dirtman · April 1999

I have found a 1967 Ford Mustang Hatchback. This car has a 289 V-8, auto trans, and radio. This mustang was restored in 1988 and has 50,000 original miles. Since the restoration this car has been driven very little. Have only seen picures of the car but car looks to be in excellent condition inside and out. The exterior is black and the interior is black. The car has the original overhead and floor consoles. the owner is asking $12,500. My question is: Is this car worth the money? If not what would a fair offer be? Your help and assistance is appreciated.

Mr_Shiftright · April 1999

Dear Dirtman,

Hard to say without seeing the quality of the "restoration", but it sounds overpriced, unless it is a GT or GTA fastback (I assume you meant fastback and not hatchback)...if it's a nice GT or GTA, $12.5 would be a good price...if it's just a "normal" very nice #2 fastback (see Topic 5 for descriptions of condition #s 1 thrugh 5), then more like $8,000 to $10,000 seems to be the going rate. Of course, an exceptional 100-put trophy winning car could bring more money, and usually buying the best, even if the price is over "book", pays off in the long run. So if this car is a real jewel, you might consider it at $12.5, because it will be worth more as time goes on...it's a solid collectible car, although I don't think it will ever outreach the price of the GTs and convertibles.

Also, check all ID numbers carefully to make sure engines and chassis match and that the car is what the owner says it is. There's a lot of shifty business going on with Mustangs, Corvettes, etc...you have to do your homework before you buy.

C13 · April 1999

Here's where a bunch of crazy Fiat-philes [Fiatofili, suppongo] hang out. They have a bunch of cool links, including a bulletin board and classified ads. People even create links to ads that they find elsewhere, that they can't afford at the moment ("Saw this ad for a nice-lookin ____. If I didn't already have 3, I'd go have a look at it."

They seem to be having a lot of fun.

http://www.mirafiori.com/

Mr_Shiftright · April 1999

Thanks for the post...time to look for that Topolino!

Mr_Shiftright · May 1999

Site for Fiat Lovers:

for Jaguar

Mustang GT

<<A HREF="http://www.etconnect.com/gt/">www.etconnect.com/gt/>

Mustang parts

Shiftright

cernst1 · July 1999

I've heard of a shop (in Indiana I think) that will take an older car, say a '72 Chevelle for example, gut it, and install a late model drive train and electronics. Does anybody know of such a place?

jpstax · August 1999

Here is a great site for classic musclecars:

http://www.cars-on-line.com/musclecarsmenu.html

Mr_Shiftright · August 1999

Got it, jp, thank you---good site indeed!

Dear Cernst---I've heard of such places, but haven't actually tracked one down yet...the old car hobby has mixed emotions about shops like this, but I personally have no problem with upgrading drivetrains unless the car is some type of irreplacable one-off or classic coachbuilt car (It would be a shame to install a Buick V-8 in a Duesenberg, for instance).

But for high volume serial-production cars (mass-produced cars, that is) I personally don't find well-done powertrain and safety modifications objectionable...it's no more "destructive" than what people do with hot rods.

Ultimately, this may be the only way old cars will be allowed to stay on the road. I can see the day when old gas-guzzlers will be banned from the public highway, in much the same way that you can't take a horse and buggy on the freeway, raise pigs in Manhattan, or lead a cow down public streets without a permit. (No, I'm not calling old cars "pigs"....just an analogy, sorry).

ekellyga1 · August 1999

I would like to buy a Buick Reatta convertible. I have no idea of price ranges, good and bad years, common problems, etc. Got any good info?

Mr_Shiftright · August 1999

The Reatta came out first in coupe form in 1988, and was based on the Riviera platform. It is a transverse V-6 (front engine)RWD car with about 165 hp, with a 0-60 time of just under 10 seconds.

Originally, the car was heavily criticized for not offering a stickshift and for a rather tacky interior and bland styling. The convertible is an improvement on the interior and the styling, but the car still remained more of a comfortable GT car than a real sports car.

Some people like 'em, some people hate 'em. A nice convertible should be available for around $15,000.

As for good/bad years, I would suggest that the Reatta followed the general development trends of its GM stablemate, the Cadillac Allante, which was basically that the newer the year the better your chances of getting a decent car with most of the bugs worked out.

As for collector/investment status, the car does have a small but devoted following, but not enough to suggest that the cars will increase in value. Their prices are probably stabilized right now and will remain so for the foreseeable future.

hughes13 · November 1999

I have found a 1978 Mercedes 450SL in fair condition with 161,000 miles. The owner has the original hard top with an aftermarket rack, and the only addition to the car that I could find was a Cellular phone antenna on the rear deck. The top was dropped on it during a wash job, effecting two noticeable scratches that are offset to the left as the top dropped. Those are the only noticeable scratches, and are easily repaired. The badges about the automobile are a little loose, but I can easily fix it. What concerns me is the asking price. He wants $9500, and his son slipped up and told me he is selling it because there were several shop visits made and the owner wanted to divest himself of it before the major bills mounted. I know this car will be expensive to maintain, but I intend for it to be a weekend driver only. What do you think would be a fair price to pay for this car?

Mr_Shiftright · November 1999

About $5,000, because you'll have another $5K in it before you can say "161,000 miles and somewhat neglected? What was I thinking?" (slap forehead once at this point).

This car has got to be risky...while sturdily built, and with an engine of excellent reputation (I don't ever remember one losing the bottom end), still at 160K it is possible that top end (valve) work is coming up, and that can be devastatingly expensive. Also, the 450SL has very poor a/c, handling which is definitely not of "sports car" caliber, and is a known gas hog in the 12-13 mpg category. No sense putting up with those things AND nursing a sick car too!

Might I suggest that you find the best and cleanest and lowest mileage example you can (they are not scarce nor are they a top drawer collectible--which is good news for you), and pay the $12,5K market price for a nice, nice car. This way you can enjoy the car's excellent built quality and its attributes of leisurely cruising in the GT style, without biting your nails every time you hear a noise. If you can't find a low mileage car, I would only consider a 160K mile car that had a fully documented service history. If the car has not had oil changes every 3,000 miles, you might inherit the problems that come from careless service on this car.

And if you want the best of the old V-8 SLs, see if you can find a 560SL--it's a much improved car over it's older brothers.

purpley · November 1999

You can find a good classic car classified site at http://www.findsales.com . It is easily navigated and has lots of cars and pictures.

Mr_Shiftright · December 1999

Well, the cabs will set you back a bundle, but you can still buy the coupe for a very reasonable price, as older MB coupes generally don't bring high dollars...with sharp shopping you could land a nice one for around $20,000, a third the price of a restored cabriolet.

This model is a very pleasant ride and a good-looking car. If you'r willling to settle for an older 6-cylinder 250SE coupe, you could get something for $10,000 in nice shape, and it doesn't look much different than the 3.5 coupe.

jbradb · December 1999

Thanks for the info. I think, at this time in my life, that the coupe will be the ticket. I actually think it's prettier than the cab, but the idea of a convertible is cool. I've heard the small V-8 is quite a reliable engine. Again, thanks.

Mr_Shiftright · January 2000

Hi,

Let's switch this question to the appropriate topic and I'll be glad to advise you. It very much depends on what your present investment is in the car, which you can relay to me in private if you wish via e-mail. Unless you bought it cheap I think you should bail on this car right away.

Here's the link to the "Is It Worth Restoring?" Topic

Worth Restoring?

Thanks,

Your Host

mlevan · October 2000

It's unfortunate that you didn't have a qualified appraiser look it over before your bought. I'm not sure what you paid, but 280 SL's are in $25 to 35 K range for exc ellent cars with 2 tops, automatic and a/c (aftermarket). Average cars are $15,000 to $20,000 with decent mechanicals and straight bodies. A rework of a badly rusted body and good paint can easily run up to $10,00 plus. If you paid $10-12K you might be OK if the engine, trans and rear end are healthy.
.Martin LeVan,
Certified Auto Appraisal
www.carvalue.net

ststraight rust free bodies

kelf · January 2001

One of my freiends has a 58 Chevy Nomad 4 door station wagon. Due to major illness they have to sell her. What is best way or best site to get the best price for this. She has new two tone green exterior paint, and new green interior. Was in a movie recently and she is in the Universal City area.
kelfg@aol.com

Mr_Shiftright · January 2001

As for advertising, I think

www.hemmings.com

is a good place both for print and Internet ads.

For internet alone, you might try

www.traderonline.com

AND

www.classifieds2000.com

As for price, you should probably have the car appraised so that you don't price it too high or too low. You can visit my website for more advice on appraisals at:

www.oldcarpricing.com

Mr. Shiftright your Host

tdugovic · March 2001

[url]http://www.gmforums.com[/url]

Great stuff on anything GM makes . . . CARS, TRUCKS, CLASSICS, NEW MODELS, ETC. great place for questions, answers, info, production #s.

[url]http://www.chevelles.com[/url]
The name says it all. Great source for used parts, info on chevelles.

Interesting Classic Car Links on the Internet

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