I spotted an (insert obscure car name here) classic car today! (Archived)

euphonium

Another show I like is the Mecum Auction & I continue to wonder if the Buyers are financing their purchases or paying cash. I got on the RM auction website recently and was amazed at what brought how much, again wondering where all the $$$ is coming from these days and in this economy.

fintail

I saw the Dino on youtube.

I can't imagine a Mulsanne not being an unreclaimable money pit. That would be an interesting episode.

fintail

Mabye a bunch of people cashed out of the real estate market before it collapsed. Or, the rich are getting richer, that helps too.

I remember seeing ads for collector car financing a few years ago, I can't imagine lending being so free today.

boomchek

I actually sold the MR2 Turbo I picked up recently too. When I first went to look at it I didn't look close enough as it needed more work than I thought. The owner was straight up with me and told me about the suspension issues and leaks. But after buying it, I put it on a hoist at work and it indeed needed too much work to be done to it than I wanted to spend. Not any one particular thing but many little things that will nickel and dime you to death. Good thing I didn't pay more than $500 for it and didn't sink any more than another $300 into it (insurance, registration, gas, new battery, air in tires, and inspection).

I actually used Shifty's rule for old cars before I sank any serious $$$ into this one: Buy the best example you can afford otherwise the repairs on the cheapest one you find will end up costing you more than the best one you could have bought that needed nothing.

If I were to repair it (engine rebuild or swap, shocks, tires, front end, exhaust) for the money I'd put into it I could find a nicer example MR2. The only advantage to buying something like this is if you hav the spare parts laying around and can do the work yourself, and have all the time in the world to do it then it might become a fun project that would cost you very little. I neither had the time, the parts, or a place to keep it.

I advertised it as a parts/project car as it had some good body, interior, and glass. I wrote out in the ad exactly what was needed as not to waste anybody's time that this was a great example priced way below market value. Few people came and one guy was really excited about it and bought it for $1800 (I was asking $2200).

This was still the cheapest MR2 Turbo out there in my area for sale that was running. Mint examples of 2nd gen MR2 Turbos that I've seen for sale, their owners were asking crazy amounts like $10k-$18k. :surprise:

texases

You're right about Wheeler Dealers making money. Maybe I should have said 'significant profits'. Looks like about half either lose money, or clear less than about $1000. That's a lot of work to go through for that little $$. That said, it's my favorite car show out there, actual work being done on actual cars, as opposed to the nonsense on the 'pimp my ride' type shows.

Mr_Shiftright

Well they can ask whatever they will. This is a guarantee of the 1st Amendment.

Regarding Rules of Thumb, I can be rather strict about those, having developed these ideas through years of experience, but I am not so callous as to disavow the concept of "Garage Therapy", wherein one puts time and effort into a vehicle that might not be "worth it" but that offers some satisfaction and "down time". As long as the investment is not so great as to create stress, "garage therapy" is no more frivolous than spending money on other forms of entertainment or travel or whatever the distraction might be.

But Garage Therapy does require an honest view of what's going on here. Therapy is something that you MUST pay for, said Freud, otherwise you don't get better.

kyfdx

spotted another E28, got out to investigate (and wipe the snow off its nameplate), it was a really nice silver 535is....oooooh, I like.

I'm pretty sure that this is exactly what I said would happen, when you got the car...

But, noooooo.... you said it was just beater transportation..

You can look it up...

Mr_Shiftright

See we keep careful notes on you guys

hpmctorque

You made $30/hour on that Trooper ($2,500-$1,050=$450/15 hrs.). It would be less than that if you include the hours required to buy the car, the transfer of ownership for buying and selling, the time spent figuring out what work to do one it and how to do it, plus the time involved in the sale.

texases

...you might want to put new batteries in your calculator...2500-1050=1450/15 = about $100/hour...

oregonboy

Ow, Snap!

I hate it when that happens! :P

hpmctorque

Whoops!

Mr_Shiftright

True, $30 an hour, which is why I stopped doing it long ago. To make MORE money per hour, you have to take greater risks with money and less risks with time. If you flip a $20000 car, you have a better chance of making money on it.

This is not to say I won't flip a car, but NO MORE heavy mechanical or bodywork. A hose, some soap, a little electrical work perhaps----fine.

texases

Shifty, I saw in your answer to the '65 Caprice question that the Caprice option had a stiffer frame.. Anyone know if this was done for many cars?

lemko

...olive green metallic 1970 Chevrolet Impala convertible with a white top travelling east on Levick Street near Martins Mill Road in NE Philly.

ghulet

yes, the Caprice was essentially a four-door Super Sport, as far as suspension is concerned (and usually had the engine to go with it), at least for '65 (the first year).

Mr_Shiftright

of course "stiffer frame" is to be viewed in 1965 domestic car terms, or as John Stewart would say "that's like being the thinnest kid at fat boy summer camp".

ghulet

I never said I didn't want a 535is, I just didn't/don't want to pay for one. Plus, that particular E28 535is wasn't for sale, at least as far as I know. At the time, I was just looking for a beater, and so far so good....I paid $800 for the 528e, and other than gas, I've spent $150 on the car, in slightly over six months (trans fluid, gasket, filter and oil change). I'm sure it needs some 'things', but brakes, tires and engine are all OK, so it's doing its job. Plus, it's not an Escort, Neon or Cavalier, which is about what I expected to afford at under $1000. :P

texases

That's what got me curious - this would mean someone actually cared about the chassis stiffness on these... :confuse:

I expect engine options, axle ratios, stiffer springs and shocks...just the first time I saw an option that talked about the frame.

andre1969

I expect engine options, axle ratios, stiffer springs and shocks...just the first time I saw an option that talked about the frame.

It could just be misleading the way it's worded. For example, the V-8's probably had stiffer frames than the 6-cyl model, and, well, the Caprice came standard with a V-8 whereas the Impala had a 6-cyl, so it could be as simple as that.

Considering the Caprice was billed as something of a luxury car though, I'm surprised that they'd give it stiffer springs. Seems to me they'd try to soften it up, since that's what luxury car buyers wanted back then. Or at least, what Detroit thought they wanted?

However, if the frame really is stiffened up, I'd be curious as to how they did it? Additional crossmembers, maybe? I have heard that the 1965 models with their perimeter frames weren't near as solid-feeling as the 1964 cars with the X-frame. It seems logical to me that the X-frame would be more prone to twisting, but maybe they beefed the body up enough to compensate for that?

Mr_Shiftright

My impression from the research is that they did the stiffening the old fashioned Detroit 1960s way-- "if it sticks out, chrome it, and if it breaks, make it heavier".

andre1969

How did they stiffen convertible frames by that time? I was always under the impression that they put a big X-member under the passenger compartment, but my '67 Catalina doesn't have that. And it's not like I'm checking out '67 Catailnas on a regular basis to see how the fixed-roof models compare to my convertible.

Or maybe they didn't stiffen the frame at all? I guess it's possible that all the attempts at beefing up were in the body itself?

explorerx4

get yourself a little underpowered grocery getter and just add one of these.
you probably get a lot more for it when you sell it. :shades:

texases

That looks like a lot of fun. However, it kind of reminds me of a sci-fi short story I read years ago, 'The Marching Morons'. Guy wakes up 100 years in the future and all the cars only go 20 mph, but put out all kinds of 'zoom-zoom' noises...uh-oh... :surprise:

bhill2

I remember when I first heard about the stiffer frame I thought "it must be something they have on the shelf anyway". I figured it was the frame they normally put into heavy-duty service versions (police or taxi), or maybe something they use on convertibles or station wagons. In summary, good selling point with no extra money spent.

fintail

Today's oddities - obviously restored ca. 1965 Beetle, a pristine E32 735i, and a decent looking 77-79 Caprice sedan.

hpmctorque

Neat! I've got to get one of these for my '47 Pobeda.

oregonboy

a pristine E32 735i

Fin, thanks for including the "735i" part of that description, when you could have just said "E32".

So often people (mostly you ) will refer to a Mercedes as a "Wxyz" and MOST of the readership will be pretty clueless about what model you are referring to. Sure, you and Shifty and a few others know without a moment's consideration exactly what you mean. But for that rest of us, you might as well be speaking Swahili. :P

I'm a long time fan of BMWs, but even so, I have a hard time keeping the model designations straight.

fintail

For a lot of BMWs, I will do a quick google to make sure I remember the platform name right...I can't keep them straight either. Nowadays the search works so good, images are brought up automatically.

For MB on the other hand, I will admit I am OCD enough to know 90% of the designations from memory.

There are two distinct 735i styles, so I wanted to be specific. I suppose I could use date ranges, but it doesn't look as cool :shades:

Mr_Shiftright

I refer to my friends BMW as the 750 aye aye aye :shades:

fintail

An early 750 must have a value now in the negative thousands. I can't recall the last time I saw one that was roadworthy.

Mr_Shiftright

I think about 70K--100K they pretty much self-destruct electronically.

british_rover

I could be really dorky and refer to some Land Rovers by their chassis codes but no one would know what I was talking about but me.

andys120

On one short drive i saw the following

-a '62 Dodge 4-door in very good shape with good paint, no dents. It was completely stock looking down to the wheel covers and whitewall tires. It looked like this except it was white over metallic tan.>



I was astonished by the shape of this car. It isn't uncommon to see cars of this vintage still being used as daily drivers but this one either had a repaint or has been kept under cover for it's whole life. It's hard to believe someone would pay to restore such an ugly car but then I saw a concours 1960 Plymouth Savoy 2-door at a Scottsdale auction this year.

-1966 Ford Glaxie 2-door, this one was light metallic blue, in good #3 shape except for the faded paint typical of old cars in the Southwest. Obviously a DD, it was spotted in a supermarket parking lot.

texases

Eye of the beholder and all that...we had a '62 when I was growing up, replaced it with a '68 Valiant that ran for years. Here's a 2007 article about someone spending $20k to restore a '62.

hpmctorque

I'm one of the very few people who actually likes the '62 Plymouths and Dodges. I don't care for the '60 and '61s, though.

fintail

I guess most makers have their own platform/body codes...I know a few GM and Mopar ones...the only Japanese one that comes to mind is "AE86". I couldn't begin to name a Rover code.

andre1969

I'm one of the very few people who actually likes the '62 Plymouths and Dodges. I don't care for the '60 and '61s, though.

While I LOVE the '62 Dodge, I'm not so crazy about the '62 Plymouth. I think the difference, to me at least, is the Dodge is really wild and offbeat looking, whereas the Plymouth is just kinda ugly. I like the '63 Dodge too, although I think I still prefer the '62. The '63 is a bit more handsome, but at the same time, less wild.

On the '60 and '61 Plymouth, I don't like either one because they're just TOO ugly for my tastes. I do like the '60 Dodges though, especially the big Matadors and Polaras.

british_rover

Rovers have changed over the years as ownership changed.

New Body Range Rovers from MY 2003 to now have been called Mark IIIs as they are third generation Range Rovers but officially they are LR322.

The LR2, LR3, LR4 and Range Rover Sport all have similar LRxxx codes.

Older Land Rovers used a totally different set of codes. Second Gen Range Rovers are internally P38As.

berri

I'm one of the very few people who actually likes the '62 Plymouths and Dodges. I don't care for the '60 and '61s, though.

I pretty much agree with you. The 62's were unfortunately misguided by bad info at the time, but they laid the groundwork for a very durable, well selling entry into intermediate sized cars later in the decade. I also liked the unique looks of the 62 Polara and Fury.

As for 60/61, the only Mopars I thought came out decent were the Valiant and the full sized Chryslers. The 60 DeSoto was nice, but the short lived 61 wasn't.

fintail

Of all the things to "clone"

Must be a joy to drive

I am shocked this has bids

Period colors

If you want to be different

Reminds me of a piece of Fiestaware, somehow

Pricey fins

Andre-mobile

Cute little thing

Odd thing to fake

Maybe for Lemko

Unusual ragtop

Be an undercover cop

Or a more obvious cop

Not many of these survived, especially in this condition

Deco

Handsome high priced hauler

Odd name, odd location for it

Be the only one on your block/city/county/state/time zone

Mr_Shiftright

1916 Marmon --- a Marmon won the first Indy 500 in 1911. It was also the first car, as far as we know, to sport a rear view mirror.

euphonium

1949 AUSTIN ATLANTIC - $23000
Right side driver

Body type » 2 door hard top
Engine » 4 Cylinder In-Line
Trans » 3 speed manual + overdrive
Km »
Miles »
Color » Dark blue
Interior » Black leather
Options » Power brake
Power window
Radio AM/FM

Comments
This amazing car has just arrived from New Zealand, where it has lived for the past 60 years in a warm, sunny climate. This model is extremely rare as very few were produced. The engine and transmission are the same as were used in the early Austin Healey 100-4 BN1, with twin SU's. With the Healey 3-speed plus over drive, this car is a real performer. The drive train has been upgraded with many performance features, including Jaguar disc brakes, radial tires and twin fuel tank fillers. Vanden Plas trim and power windows provide a luxury finishing touch. This is a most unique and interesting car.

stickguy

flameme, but I like it. Hate the wheels on it, but fix that and put in a manual tranny, and we are talking!

probably his best idea is to put that engine (nice and shiny!) into one of his other projects, like the el camino in the garage, and cut some of his losses.

fintail

Austin A90/Atlantics are cool cars in their own weird postwar British-trying-to-emulate-American-styling way...which also reminds me of early postwar German designs. Price is way high, but a unique car anyway.

Looks cooler in the ad:



Than in person (the people in that ad must all be about 4'10") :

Mr_Shiftright

Give me the Austin Healey BN-1 anytime.

boomchek

The E420 AMG clone sounds like trouble. If you look closely the driver's and passenger door color don't exactly match up (maybe it's the light) and the rear trunk lid is out of alignment too, even visible on the video. Might have a clean carfax but I have a feeling it might have been a rebuild that just didn't show up on records.

Plus why would he sink $40k+ into it? Doesn't make sense. With all the other issues present I wonder if he'll find someone to buy it.

The Saab has tons of bids, lots of Saab fans I bet.

lemko

Yeesh! Who BUTCHERED that red 1959 Cadillac Sedan DeVille 4-window flat top sedan? I bet that thing twists life a pipe cleaner and the has cowl shake that'll rattle your teeth out of your head. I'd have preferred he'd have kept it in its original form, though the original flat roof looked awkward on this car. Only somebody reckless and self-destructive would bid on that wreck! :sick:

ghulet

agreed, the seller has done every little stupid cosmetic thing, and put in ridiculous amounts of cash, to make that car look 'blingy' but completely cheaps-out and ignores any warning light or mechanical malady (how many times in that ad does it say "but it doesn't effect how it runs" or some such thing, to ignore the CELs)? Ad should read "If you want a completely fake, pimped-out, fourteen year-old Mercedes that I've wasted copious amounts of time and money on (except for mechanical repairs), please bid." Sounds awesome. It's at $7500, though, so I guess it's A-OK.

I love that Saab 99GLE, though the automatic sucks. I'd never own another of those, though, they're like an alien spaceship as far as repairs go (at least the 900s were, and I can't imagine as predecessors, the 99s aren't worse). I never understood why the (82-93) 900s weren't offered as 5-doors in NA. The four-door sedan was not functional, and super-ugly.

ghulet

oh, the Cadillac.....fin says he's surprised it has bids. Why? Bad taste and flash are always in fashion.