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

michaellno

It gets confusing trying to figure out which key belongs to which truck, we are forever locking each other's trucks!

Try it with 3 Saturns in the household. Each primary driver keeps their primary set of keys with them, and I've added labels to the "spare" set - ION, VUE, L300 - so we know which set of keys is for which vehicle. I also keep the spare sets together so they don't go missing.

xwesx

Wait, wait, wait. Now I am confused too.

A Ford and 2 Dodge trucks? With two drivers? What happened to the Titan and Zippy? Too much turnover! Sheesh, it's like employees at a fast food restaurant! :P

I guess I should not talk though about the # of vehicles. I technically have 4.... well, 5 until I find the title to the '96 Subaru, plus the '76 Ford later this Spring. My wife keeps me in check though, and I am usually gracious about her "guidance."

xwesx

Try it with 3 Saturns in the household. Each primary driver keeps their primary set of keys with them, and I've added labels to the "spare" set - ION, VUE, L300 - so we know which set of keys is for which vehicle. I also keep the spare sets together so they don't go missing.

With so many Saturns, it is only appropriate that you would have quite a few rings.

xwesx

Beautiful. I agree that the market on them is diminishing rapidly. Most buyers these days just do not appreciate them as they were. Folks will still chop them up and turn them into performance machines, but then they are little more than thinly veiled shells.

That looks like a real treasure there, though not in monetary terms.

akangl

Wait, wait, wait. Now I am confused too.

A Ford and 2 Dodge trucks? With two drivers? What happened to the Titan and Zippy? Too much turnover! Sheesh, it's like employees at a fast food restaurant

Well, now wouldn't you have been confuzzled when I pulled up in a 2006 Dodge Ram 3500 CTD to pick up the car, lol. You must have been expecting the Titan. We traded the Titan and hubby's 99 Dodge Ram V10 in on a 2006 Ram 3500 quad cab DRW CTD/6-spd for hubby back in July. The same day we picked up my special ordered 06 Ram 3500 quad cab SRW CTD/auto.

The Ford is the one we got more or less from the junkyard about 6 weeks after we bought the Rams. Zippy sadly went on to a new home in July as well, she was sold to Affordable used cars and has a new owner on Ft Wainwright.

The Sebring I still technically own, long story there, not sure what's going to happen with it. I see it on a regular basis so I know its ok.

So, to recap, we have 3 diesel trucks in the yard along with 5 trailers. Its a little crowded around here and on my keyring!! Oh yeah, and we have Kermit too, can't forget about her, she was our charity case/project from 2005. She's out in the woods though, so I don't see her much.

I think that's everybody, heck, even I can't keep up anymore!

fintail

Yeah...the original interest group is dying off...and the cars are really only practical for local lower speed use. Kills demand. It's a bit of history and potential fun for the money. Much more demand 20 years earlier and 20 years later.

Mr_Shiftright

I wonder if that car has a sleeve-valve engine. Those were very interesting motors.

yeah, the big problem is that these older cars are very hard to drive. Most don't have hydraulic brakes (cables or rods instead---yikes!), steering is incredibly heavy, and top speed is 50 mph if you dare.

But for putting around town, they're great and they are quite reliable as well.

Some of the older cars are freeway capable, but these are usually the very expensive "heavy iron" cars, such as the Pierce Arrow, Duesenberg, Cord, etc. The simpler little 4s and 6s have a hard time on modern roads, and the noise, smell and vibration require a trip back in time and some nostaglic tolerance.

isellhondas

I recently saw a Model A going down the freeway and I couldn't believe it! At first, I thought it was one of those Mickey Moused up replicas but it wasn't.

It was in the slow land going about 55. It HAD to have had different gears installed in the differental.

Even so, it didn't belong there!

Mr_Shiftright

You can just about get 55 mph out of a stock Model A...but it's straining.

Those cars are frightening over 40 mph. I mean, you CANNOT stop....just forget it...you gotta plan WAY in advance before you do anything. Actually the E-brake on a Model A is pretty good for some reason. Better leverage I think.

Best Model As are the 4-door town sedans. Plenty of room for the driver. The coupes and roadsters are sheer punishment for a 6-footer.

xwesx

We used to have an old horseless carriage in our quanset hut for years and years. We were storing for somebody. I always thought that was the most interesting car around. It had a crank handle on the front, the horn was akin to one of those squeeze-type bicycle horns, it had tiny little doors and no windows other than a thin piece of glass on the front. I cannot remember what make it was, but seems like maybe the year was 1911.

We also had a 193x Pierce Arrow in there that was originally owned by Sam Hill. That was a huge car and really plush.

isellhondas

I know. I had one.

I don't think I ever had mine over about 40 and they are frightening. Those mechanical brakes are worthless but it was geared so low it would slow right down as soon as I took my foot off the gas.

A neighborhood German Shepard just HATED that Model A. Every time he heard me coming he would run after me and run alongside barking his head off.

One day, I decided to end this folly. As he ran alongside the A, I threw up the spark advance and shut off the ignition. When I switched it back on, the resultant explosion made an M-80 sound like a cap pistol!

He took off, yelping with his tail between his legs.

After that day, he would cower on his front porch whenever he saw me.

Good thing they have sturdy mufflers!

xwesx

Hahahhahaha... maybe he just could not hear you any longer! :P

isellhondas

Just aren't any fun anymore. Can't make them do that now.

Hey Andre...I'll bet that De Soto of yours could let out a bang! I'll teach you!

fintail

I think that model would indeed have a sleeve valve engine. I saw one of those at a car show once, and the owner was explaining it. Now that I think of it, it very well could have been the car in the ad...I mean, how many of that marque could be around?

About the Model A, a 2 speed rear end can make them cruise at 55 can't it? Probably not much more though.

When I was 8 or 9 a friend of the family was selling a very nice Model A Tudor, and I wanted my dad to buy it. I loved the engine noise, and the old timey interior. I remember it had one of those marble-looking gearshift knobs. I think the guy wanted like $7500 for it...wouldn't be worth more now, 20+ years later.

andre1969

Hey Andre...I'll bet that De Soto of yours could let out a bang! I'll teach you!

My DeSoto needs a new exhaust system, so it's plenty loud as it is! :P

fintail

Kinda funny

oregonboy

Yah shoor, funny... standing idle :P
That's pure Camano island. (You have to live here to understand, right fin?)

james

fintail

Hah...sadly.

More amusing that someone would own *two* of those slow old beasts.

This should be worth it

isellhondas

Oh, I understand.

My mother was born in Stanwood and my father was a Ballard fisherman. Care to guess their nationality.

And, yeah, I've heard all of the jokes!

stickguy

now there is a perfect car for a newly driving teenager. Built like a tank, and about as fast. You would really have to work to get in trouble in one of those!

I also notice that Volvo owners seem to like to name their cars. Even my SIL who just leased (24 mos) an XC90, so no long term attachment, named hers (Sven, of course).

My old cars usually had more "colorful" names that would get me banned if I listed them!

Mr_Shiftright

That used to drive me nuts, people naming their cars, when I had a repair shop many years ago.

After they left, I'd kick the tires and say "Okay, Sven, your butt is all mine now!"

bumpy

Andre's new old truck (cheesy graphics package- no additional charge!)

the DSM, but do we know how to use the flash or take pictures during the day?

if you can't find a nice SC300

the ONE desirable GM sedan, but that interior says it all about the General's current predicament

7 cylinders is close enough

"Regal" in name only

the RVers in the CCBA thread should get one of these

it's a project all right

depreciation is the price you pay for domestic loyalty

this rat's nest is still a better Conti

Mr_Shiftright

2002 Continental-- $34,000 depreciation (not including sales tax) in 5 years....ouch, ouch, OUCH! With sales tax that's probably close to $7,000 a year.

Well my friends 1998 BMW 750iL is now worth $16,000, so that was even worse. (eight years with a total loss of $67,000).

fintail

LOL at the graphics on that Dodge truck

Here's an even more surefire way of losing money than buying a domestic luxury sedan

Mr_Shiftright

Well a targa top and an automatic in a Corvette--two death knells.

bumpy

So, what we've got here is an '86 C4 with $30k in dress-up crud to look like an '04 C5, when you could BUY a 2004 C5 for not much more than that. Uh-huh. :confuse:

boomchek

the wheels on that Legend are horrible. They it should read "downgraded wheels"

oregonboy

Yeah, I hate it when they replace nice factory alloys with "custom" oversized, after-market rims. One of the guys on the sales threads (I think maybe isellhondas) has said that it is a big hit to resale too.

james

british_rover

NON-factory rims on a car are HUGE HITS for resale come tradein time.

On some high end cars I won't even give someone a value on the car unless I can see the factory rims.

stickguy

I like the power wagon, and you can always get the decals off. That is what a Pick Up is supposed to be like!

I also wonder if you could jam a new crate Hemi in that Willys? Maybe get a modern Wrangler chassis or something to fit underneath it? Must be my Terry Thomas fetish coming out!

The '02 Conti looks like a good deal if you are into that kind of car. Seems clean enough.

The Legend would be a steal if it had the 6 speed stick.

And finally, the Monte with 7 cylinders live? Cars from that era ran so poorly, how would you tell the difference?

isellhondas

Custom wheels scare people away. People want used cars to be original. Same applies to window tint! Nothing turns off people more than that.

fintail

As someone who has looked at many used MB, I will agree with that. Nothing makes me look away faster than non-stock wheels.

Just this morning I saw an 03+ E-class with maybe 20" wheels. Blinged out junk on such a car is just dumb. There's also a 560SEL that lives near me with 20" wheels, makes the car look sad in a way.

I also dislike aftermarket stereos in MB.

au1994

Window tint? Even if is a nicely done job and is not super dark? When I lived in texas window tint was amost a necessity, not a luxury.

isellhondas

I'm sure this is true in hot,sunny climates unlike where I am. Tint doesn't seem to last forever either. When it bubbles and turns purple, it's REALLY bad. Almost impossible to remove from the rear windows too.

gsemike

I think that the bubbling and turning people is a thing of the past unless you go really cheap. My BIL has a 4 year old tint job on his Galant that looks as good as the day that it was done.

I may get it on my Alt just because on sunny days I can get a serious greenhouse effect and the side of my face roasts.

isellhondas

I'm sure the quality can vary. Another reason I don't like the stuff is because it really cuts down on night vision out the side windows especially in the rain.

I had an RX-7 that had the stuff and I hated it even though it had been a quality job.

Of course, a hot summer day here is 85 degrees!

gsemike

This camaro comes with tons of parts two motors (both not installed) Why do people try to sell cars like this???

man... these cars have dropped like a rock Besides the wheels, this looks like a nice car

Based on what I've seen here, this sounds like too much

If you've been looking for a really original 79 regal, this is it Don't see any that haven't been modified any more

qbrozen

I love that Willys. No way I'd spend that kind of money on one that needs that much work, though. I guess it depends on what is underneath. If it was limited to surface rust only .... maybe.

i think that '02 caddy is STILL priced too high.

fintail

This sounds nice, no pic

bumpy

A manual SC300 is worth more than a 400 these days, since you can drop a Supra or Soarer TT motor into the 3 but there's not much of anything worth doing to the V8.

fintail

Looks pretty good, maybe steep

Mr_Shiftright

Try $4,500--$5,000.

qbrozen

I think the '67-'68 cougars were the best looking car ever.

oh yeah. who could argue that? i mean, ferrari? porsche? aston martin? those guys got NOTHIN' on mercury!

au1994

That's his opinion and you know what they say about opinions....

hpmctorque

Well, best looking car is a stretch, for sure, but to me those model years were the best Cougars ever. I can't think of one that came after that I prefer. In fact, I'd love to see Mercury reintroduce the spiritual successor to the '67 Cougar.

andre1969

Well, best looking car is a stretch, for sure, but to me those model years were the best Cougars ever.

I definitely agree there. I always liked the style of the first-gen Cougar. In fact, I think I prefer it to the Mustang, mainly because I like the uplevel interior, hidden headlights, and longer wheelbase which give the car a fuller look, IMO.

I never liked those porky little '71-73 models though, or the porky big '74-76 models. The re-skinned '77-79 wasn't bad looking IMO though, and for some reason I kinda like the '80-82. But the first-gen always seemed what a Cougar "should" be.

But yeah, there are better looking cars than a '67-68 Cougar out there.

210delray

...in junkyard.

See this!

I'm sure there's a lot of neat stuff in there somewhere! But can you imagine buying the whole shootin' match, as he's asking? Of course, there's a "get rich quick" scheme, I mean "business plan," in there too.

Mr_Shiftright

Good lord....the man has to INVENTORY this stuff if he wants to sell it, especially the VIN #s and data plates---if there's any money to be made, it's there, in restorable valuable cars, not in parts. If he doesn't have a handful of potential 100K+ cars, all he has is a nice junkyard of rusty stuff.

xwesx

Wait, did we not already discuss this one a few weeks back? Whew, that sheer volume of parts is just overwhelming. I would take the dogs, though. :P

lilelvis

My second car (after a '71 Datsun 510) was a '68 Cougar XR7. It had a 390 2bbl which I rebuilt and ended up with too much car for a stupid 17 year old. I got the Cougar because I wanted a Mustang but couldn't afford one (this was the mid 80s). I still want a Mustang, but when I see cars like this one it makes me long for that old Cougar.

But for $6500, no chance.