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

oldfarmer50

ab348 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

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Today is the last day for my convertible. A 72 degree day and then 50s and downward.

Last day today for this local convertible too. Story was that it was being driven to its winter storage when it all went wrong.

And a Chrysler Sebring at that. Well, mine is safely ensconced in the barn until next spring so unless we get struck by lightning I think I’m safe.

stickguy

better on the road than in the storage place.

andres3

ab348 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

<

Today is the last day for my convertible. A 72 degree day and then 50s and downward.

Last day today for this local convertible too. Story was that it was being driven to its winter storage when it all went wrong.

50 degrees not a problem with that one.

andres3

stickguy said:

better on the road than in the storage place.

That reminds me of the dangers of EV's in regards to fires, burning longer, hotter, and tougher to put out (requires more water and fire fighting).

I work in construction management and it has come up a couple times recently:

1. For parking shade PV (solar panels) structures (outdoors), they are at times requiring expensive and labor-intensive fire-proof painting on "HCAI formerly OSHPD" projects. This is questionable massive expenditure for permitting as all you are saving is parked cars (assume humans would escape before the steel structure and PV panels are melted, destroyed, and fall on someone). Are the tiny chance of a parked car being damaged by the structure because the fire department takes too long to get there or put out the fire for an EV really worth spending more $$$?
   
2. For a parking garage structure, the question came up should we have our EV charging parking spaces all on the first level where we originally planned them, but a fire would mess "everything above" up! Or put them on the top level open to the sky so they don't damage other levels and vehicles above? Asked a high level Fire Dept . official and they said leave them on the ground floor, for the main reason that it's 5 to X many levels closer which makes the response faster to put the fire out. Fire trucks can't typically navigate a parking garage anyway; lower to the ground means easier and faster to put the fire out. All the electrical infrastructure would also cost more to put higher, especially since design was already complete, so was an easy decision to leave as-is.
   

xwesx

Agreed with both of those! If anything, just design the fire suppression with the plausible scenario of an EV fire in mind in the area of the chargers. I'm sure doing so for the entire garage would be astronomically expensive, at which point you are just getting into the realm of chasing that last bit of risk, which is never worth the cost involved.

fintail

Highline fintail on BaT:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1963-mercedes-benz-300se-sedan/

Previously bought and sold there in the past. These are very rare cars, and as the records show, can be high maintenance due to their complex suspension and engine - this was high tech. This has to be one of the best in the US anyway, and the owner lavished care on it to keep it up.

texases

@fintail said:
Highline fintail on BaT:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1963-mercedes-benz-300se-sedan/

Previously bought and sold there in the past. These are very rare cars, and as the records show, can be high maintenance due to their complex suspension and engine - this was high tech. This has to be one of the best in the US anyway, and the owner lavished care on it to keep it up.

$37,000 in work, more than it sold for a few years ago. I’d hate to explain that to my wife!

stickguy

I glanced at other listings for the heck of it. Saw one custom that was sitting at about $115k bid that had a note about build receipts totaling $425k

tjc78

fintail said:

Highline fintail on BaT:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1963-mercedes-benz-300se-sedan/

Previously bought and sold there in the past. These are very rare cars, and as the records show, can be high maintenance due to their complex suspension and engine - this was high tech. This has to be one of the best in the US anyway, and the owner lavished care on it to keep it up.

The exterior looks great, but can I be picky? I think the carpets are the wrong color and the interior could use a fine detail. The headliner is very dirty and the dash and controls all look like they need a go over and maybe some wood polish and leather/vinyl conditioner.

fintail

tjc78 said:

fintail said:

Highline fintail on BaT:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1963-mercedes-benz-300se-sedan/

Previously bought and sold there in the past. These are very rare cars, and as the records show, can be high maintenance due to their complex suspension and engine - this was high tech. This has to be one of the best in the US anyway, and the owner lavished care on it to keep it up.

The exterior looks great, but can I be picky? I think the carpets are the wrong color and the interior could use a fine detail. The headliner is very dirty and the dash and controls all look like they need a go over and maybe some wood polish and leather/vinyl conditioner.

I think these cars had matte wood from new (as did my car - but the coupes had glossy wood, I am not sure if that carried on to the highline sedans), but the interior does seem like it would benefit from some detailing. I don't think the upholstery texture is correct either, but MB people seem to forgive some of these details. At the least the chrome could be polished, leather conditioned, and maybe steering wheel refinished. It seems prior owners were more concerned with mechanical bits, which might be good for the next owner as these days it may be hard to find someone to work on that car, where cosmetics are easier to deal with. At the current bid a huge bargain, but one must understand the purchase price on a complex model like this is just the first payment. The more simple cars are a little less rigorous.

tjc78

I'm curious what it goes for. If it was me, I just couldn't have put all that money in without going one step further and sprucing up the interior.

fintail

tjc78 said:

I'm curious what it goes for. If it was me, I just couldn't have put all that money in without going one step further and sprucing up the interior.

I have an eye on it just for kicks too - current owner isn't getting that investment back. Even in Europe where such cars have a wider fanbase, they seem to top out maybe in the 50s for concours cars. I suppose after putting 30K into mechanicals, spending a little inside might not be bad. Reupholstery or wood refinishing might be asking for a bit, but a heavy detail and some refurbishment might have an impact.

texases

It sold for $30,137. Not quite a money-maker!

xwesx

Wow. That's some serious money for a fintail, though!

fintail

Seller lost more than what he originally paid for the car. You have to be committed, absolutely loaded, or both.

That is big money for a fintail in the US.

xwesx

fintail said:

Seller lost more than what he originally paid for the car. You have to be committed, absolutely loaded, or both.

That is big money for a fintail in the US.

That's true, but he also chose to put a lot of money into it after purchase. I know that many of these cars on BaT are considered "investments," but it is a rare car, indeed, that actually makes the owner money. Still, for the time he owned it and amount he reinvested, he didn't do poorly on it at all.

fintail

xwesx said:

fintail said:

Seller lost more than what he originally paid for the car. You have to be committed, absolutely loaded, or both.

That is big money for a fintail in the US.

That's true, but he also chose to put a lot of money into it after purchase. I know that many of these cars on BaT are considered "investments," but it is a rare car, indeed, that actually makes the owner money. Still, for the time he owned it and amount he reinvested, he didn't do poorly on it at all.

Spent 70K, got 33K in return - I suppose it wouldn't be hard to do much worse.

Buyer did well, as is usual for buying someone's completed project - very few of these will be as sorted even if they might have brighter cosmetics.

andres3

Somewhere I once read that 0.25/mile was a good rule of thumb for the total cost of an economical car. This must have been in the 90's though. Probably back then I was with a company (early 2000's) that paid .38 cents a mile for driving you did on behalf of the company.

I don't want to do this calculation on my TTS that gets driven hard either canyon carving or track time. The tires, gasoline, and brakes alone probably exceed the cost above. The better calculation is smiles per gallon.

stickguy

I assume that counts depreciation?

andres3

stickguy said:

I assume that counts depreciation?

Was supposed to be a total all-in cost. Depreciation, gas, maintenance, oil, everything. In the days before Uber and Lyft, and likely for an economy car that isn't brand new. Also, people forget how relatively cheap gas was in the 90's as compared to today, even accounting for inflation.

oldfarmer50

andres3 said:

Somewhere I once read that 0.25/mile was a good rule of thumb for the total cost of an economical car. This must have been in the 90's though. Probably back then I was with a company (early 2000's) that paid .38 cents a mile for driving you did on behalf of the company.

I don't want to do this calculation on my TTS that gets driven hard either canyon carving or track time. The tires, gasoline, and brakes alone probably exceed the cost above. The better calculation is smiles per gallon.

My hooptie rule of thumb was to get 10k miles worth of use for each $1k spent on purchase not counting repairs. I’m afraid that formula is terribly outdated these days.

fintail

Went out for a drive today, filled up the car near the end and put in some sta-bil as I am not 100% sure I will be driving it again this year, depending on weather and schedule (in 3 weeks my winter weekend recreation starts which consumes a bit of time, and weekend dry periods can't be guaranteed). Car ran and drove smooth as normal and got a compliment, some turned heads, and a thumbs up.

stickguy

Here’s one I bet Andre wants. Quite the time capsule. Still looks nicer than a modern unit.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1976-gmc-26-palm-beach-motorhome/?fbclid=IwZnRzaAN507lleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEe8KUuC1sBV0vVfI-wG7iu8KtMx6Ojfz3yc3Wzic3OfZpRdJJJecKu52oGOY0_aem_yQEn8sGM3yZ5xiJaektuGw

xwesx

Almost too much 1970s in that one! I want the one from Stripes.

fintail

Motorhomes seem to have notoriously bad build quality, I wonder if the GMCs were better, maybe due to the platform and construction materials. They seem to have a decent survival rate and many have weathered the past nearly 50 years in nice enough condition.

fintail

Probably the last drive of the season - slightly warmer than normal and dry weather had me out again earlier today. The car ran and drove fine and got the usual looks. I close to filled the tank and put in a little more sta-bil before the drive was over, so this is probably it til March as next weekend looks cool and wet and beyond that I suspect our first snow is approaching.



I only drove maybe 600 miles since the oil change in May. The oil level doesn't appear to have really changed, so it isn't using much in mostly in-town driving anyway, which is nice.

stickguy

not a project, but a real time capsule. Tom might appreciate this one. I guess if you want a reference example for a restoration (though unlikely anyone ever would do that on one of these) this would be the one to use!

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1979-lincoln-continental-mark-v-92/

and here is a fun little buggy to run around town in. I could see my wife driving this! I had one of these back in the old days, though not quite as peppy.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1970-amc-gremlin-7-2/

bhill2

Yeah; those 4.11 gears would really help at stoplights.

tjc78

I saw that 79 CS Mark V the other day. What a car - perfectly preserved.

I've probably mentioned it, but in the early 2000s I had a chance to buy one identical to the one listed. It was sub 100K miles, mechanic owned and aside from needing the hood repainted it was ready to go and over maintained by the owner. He only wanted 5K for it. I was saving for a house and already had the 89 Town Car, 00 Solara and just got rid of my beater 79 so felt it wasn't smart going back to three cars.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

not a project, but a real time capsule. Tom might appreciate this one. I guess if you want a reference example for a restoration (though unlikely anyone ever would do that on one of these) this would be the one to use!

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1979-lincoln-continental-mark-v-92/

and here is a fun little buggy to run around town in. I could see my wife driving this! I had one of these back in the old days, though not quite as peppy.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1970-amc-gremlin-7-2/

That Lincoln has 159 horsepower, less than my Kia.😩

fintail

I think I have seen that Mark V in a YT short with period music in the background.

kyfdx

My uncle had a Mark VII LSC and had 165 HP (I think). (1985?) Basically, a Mustang GT 5.0 engine.

Fast, relatively.

qbrozen

@stickguy said:
not a project, but a real time capsule. Tom might appreciate this one. I guess if you want a reference example for a restoration (though unlikely anyone ever would do that on one of these) this would be the one to use!

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1979-lincoln-continental-mark-v-92/

and here is a fun little buggy to run around town in. I could see my wife driving this! I had one of these back in the old days, though not quite as peppy.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1970-amc-gremlin-7-2/

$140k for a mark v?! That’s gotta be a mistake or money laundering.

benjaminh

A lot of car for the money. Original msrp was over $90,000 with M sport, executive, and other options.

Now $16,600

2015 BMW 7 Series 750Li Dark Graphite Metallic, Odometer is 84,000 miles, carfax 1-owner

4.4L V8 32V Twin Turbocharged, Black w/Perforated Nappa Leather Upholstery, ACC Stop & Go + Active Driving Assistant, Active Blind Spot Detection, Active Driving Assistant, Aerodynamic Kit, Alloy wheels, Anthracite Alcantara Headliner, Ceramic Controls, Driver Assistance Plus, Executive Package, Front Ventilated Seats, Increased Top Speed Limiter, M Sport Edition, M Steering Wheel, Navigation System, Power Rear Sunshade, Power Rear Sunshade & Rear Side Windowshades, Shadowline Exterior Trim, Side & Top View Cameras, Speed Limit Info, Sport Package, Steering Wheel Gearshift Paddles, Wheels: 19" x 8.5" Fr/19" x 9.5" Rr (Style 302M)

https://www.louisvillebmw.com/used/BMW/2015-BMW-7-Series-45fbfa4dac182f1efa61fe50dd9e2bc6.htm

fintail

11 year old BMW V8 getting somewhat close to 100K scares me just a bit.

stickguy

Is that a year where that was still a very problematic motor? Samcrac has done a few of them on his channel but not sure which year. Picks them up (a 5 series) for something like $1,300 not sure if the engine is any good but rest of car nice.

benjaminh

Benevolent mechanic donates his labor to help his elderly neighbor whose wife's 2005 Pontiac Grand Am was going to the junkyard. She liked driving that Pontiac, and it didn't seem like they could afford another car. The elderly guy covered the $630 in parts + $250 for a very cheap set of new tires. Now the car is reasonably safe and running again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIsBXWN47TE

explorerx4

Something for almost everyone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2US9dHxzY7k

oldfarmer50

explorerx4 said:

Something for almost everyone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2US9dHxzY7k

Boy, that’s tempting. $20k is nothing compared to a new car.

oldfarmer50

Ok, off topic question. What is the effect on your credit score if you cancel a 40 year old credit card? I’m currently considering canceling a Visa card I have with Chase but never use.

kyfdx

oldfarmer50 said:

Ok, off topic question. What is the effect on your credit score if you cancel a 40 year old credit card? I’m currently considering canceling a Visa card I have with Chase but never use.

If you're typically 800-850 score, like I'm guessing.. It might drop 15-30 points.. for a little while.

But, it won't have any real effect in your credit score.

Alternatively, you don't have to close the credit card.

tjc78

I think it would depend on the credit limit and how that affects your utilization. If it has a monster credit line compared to your other cards it could drop it 15-30 but if it represents a small percentage it's probably nothing.

I had a 10K line on Paypal Credit from something I bought years ago on a zero percent deal. They closed the account and I never noticed a drop considering it was a small percentage of my total open credit lines.

Personally I would keep it open and put a text alert for any activity just in case. Use it once every six months.

texases

Here's what Experian has to say:
https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/is-it-better-to-cancel-unused-credit-cards-or-keep-them/?msockid=2719397f3be26c9528822d973a976da6
If there is no fee involved, I guess I'd keep it open. You definitely want a couple available in case one is compromised, just happened to me.

ab348

I had an no-fee Amex card with a reward spiff that they dropped. When the old card expired they sent me a new one with no rewards which I never used. They kept sending me promos for months which I ignored. Finally it all stopped. No idea of the impact but I do not care.

stickguy

I could probably spare a few. I think last time I looked I was using less than 1% of my available credit. Which makes sense since the only debt we have is current charges where the statement has not come yet.

andres3

Another main factor is if you have other cards with longevity too (5 years or more at least), the impact will be much less from canceling one line of credit. If that's your only long term credit card and your others are new, the impact could be much greater.

oldfarmer50

Thanks for that info, especially the credit age factor. The card I want to drop is over 44 years old but I never use it out of protest over various Chase policies and actions. It’s the lower limit of my two cards by half. My main card is only 14 years old so I was a little concerned about dropping the older one.

texases

Like I said, if you only have two cards I'd keep them both. One of mine was scammed and it was good to have a backup for the time it took to get a replacement.

oldfarmer50

texases said:

Like I said, if you only have two cards I'd keep them both. One of mine was scammed and it was good to have a backup for the time it took to get a replacement.

That happened to me too and I was glad to have the despised card handy. Perhaps what I’ll do is get a new Visa card before I drop the old one.

stickguy

not even sure how many regular cards I have. 6 I can think of including discover, and I had a couple more which may have been cancelled at some point. Plus a couple more like a Target card which is also a visa you can use anywhere.