I've been tracking those mint old Mercedes folks have been posting from eBay---and they all failed to meet reserve. It does go to prove that neither dealers nor appraisers nor private sellers set the market----buyers set the market.
Not quite a project car but a project. I pulled the kids seats out of my wife's Sienna. Pretty frightening down there. What can I scrub the leather seats with that will get them clean without messing up the leather? This is some caked on goo there, Thanks
Mike, try saddle soap. I would pick off any dried on goo, maybe use some warm water and a sponge, to get down to "bare leather", then treat it with the soap.
They all had the window, what you are probably thinking of is seeing them with cloth/vinyl tops that covered that window up. My Grandfathers 93 was like that.
The 90-97 TCs were good looking, the 98-02 that followed wasn't nearly as nice. I also like the last generation 03-11.
@MrShift@Edmunds said:
300 Turbo Diesel are swell cars---as long as you don't expect it to run like a new one, or get the fuel mileage. I wouldn't mind having that car, but not at that price. If you don't run 'em too hard, they last a long long time.
That Mercedes has four days to go and it hasn't hit it's reserve at 20,000.
It seems to me that 20 grand would be ALL of the money but who knows?
One thing is for sure. a person would be very hard pressed to find a nicer one!
Even more than 90% I think. Having a 3-pointed star on a car doesn't suddenly make it something more than a "nice old used car". There's no reason why a run of the mill 1985 Benz should be worth $20,000 and a 1985 Cadillac worth $2000.
@uplanderguy said:
I think those were the last Town Cars I thought were good-looking. Am I remembering wrong (an absolute possibility), or did some years of that model not have the stationery 'vent'-style window in the rear doors?
I like that generation of Town Cars as well. They were much more elegant than the newer ones that came after
RE: Mercedes 300D on eBay. Wow , nice car but it might need a Benz freak or serious collector to pay that kind of money for it. Otherwise it's almost too nice to be used as a daily driver.
I thought those 1990-97 town cars were really classy, too. IIRC, the refresh where they got rid of the quarter windows in the trailing edge of the door was 1995-97. I didn't care for the 1998 restyle...too curvy, a bit pimpy, and somewhat buffoonish. At some point though, 2003 perhaps, they toned it down somewhat.
Even though I tend to root for Cadillac over Lincoln, I think the Town Car adapted much better to the aero look than Cadillac did with the 1993-96 Fleetwood. The Fleetwood does have some redeeming features, such as the LT-1 350 in 1994-96, and bragging rights of sheer bulk...something like 225" overall. But, I think the Town Car was more tasteful.
I think one of those stretched wheelbase Town Cars that they offered in the final generation would be kinda neat to have. Interestingly, even with the stretch, they were only 221.3-221.4" long. That final generation shrunk a few inches compared to previous years. For comparison, my '79 New Yorkers are 221.3" long, and I think Lemko's '89 Brougham is in that range.
Honestly, I prefer back doors of the 1990-94 style, because I'm a stickler for windows that roll all the way down. But I like the front-end of the '95-97...just seems a bit better balanced in the grille-to-headlights ratio.
I still remember my first experience with a '95-97 Town Car. It was when I was married, and we went to my wife's grandfather's funeral. I rode in one then. Odd thing to remember, I know!
Oh, on the subject of the ex-wife, her father said she would never buy a GMC truck, because that was the initials of his mother, and he couldn't stand his parents. Those initials...Gladys Marie Christian!
Oh, almost forgot...my buddy with the 2006 Xterra has an aunt and uncle who had a '95-97 era Town Car. They bought it used. It was a really nice car, I thought. I think it gave way to an Avalon. IIRC, it was a good car; it was just time for something newer.
I'd pay 10K for that 300D, but 20K++ is insane even in Europe.
Went to the kind of crappy auto auction again today. Biggest oddity was this 70 LTD:
Not in bad shape - zero apparent rust, but has been off the road for at least 10 years and needs a lot of renovation to simply be drivable. And in that lovely green that made up approximately 45% of 1969-73 domestic cars. Only a 351 - I opened the hood hoping for a 429. A teenager started crawling over it, falling in love, calling it a "beautiful car". I guess it is rare now. And it smelled just like my dad's 60 Ford inside.
They also had some other oddballs - a fairly nice 1990 300E with a derailed sunroof, a minty 93 LeSabre no doubt out of an estate (and garaged - interior plastichrome was perfect) - 60K miles, kind of a dark blue green on grey leather, climate control and stereo - would make a nice car for someone. Also a Saab 900 non turbo in oxidized red, Volvo 24x coupe GT, nice later Cressida, etc.
Also took the fintail on a drive, down to the auction site and south to visit my sister who now lives near Puyallup. Introduced the car to my 3 year old car-loving niece, who was most interested in the fog lights. Longest highway drive I've taken in it since 2005, so I was a little concerned. I didn't need to be - car didn't miss a beat. Turn signals weren't 100%, but the engine was smooth and sweet, and I even spent some time in the left lane. Here it is with Mt. Rainier looming behind (looked bigger in person)
I'd forgotten about that driver's wraparound instrument panel section on some of the Ford's of that era. Yes, green was pretty popular during that time period for whatever reasons.
@andre1969 said:
Well, I think the Good Lord, or fate, or something was looking out for me today. Weather has been nice, so I figured I'd start exercising the old cars. I came home on my lunch break, and started up my '76 LeMans and drove it to work and back. I planned on taking my '79 5th Ave to work tomorrow. So, I went out the the garage this evening, to make sure it would start. It fired up after about 2 or 3 tries (been sitting about 3 weeks, so I guess that's not too bad). But then I realized hey, this thing is sitting funny! Well, sure enough, the back tire on the driver's side was flat.
I put an air pump on it to see if it would at least pump back up, because it was in a tight spot for changing a tire. It did pump up, but when I turned the pump off, I heard a hissing sound, so I knew it had a fast leak. So, I moved it forward to a better spot, jacked it up, and changed the tire. When I pulled the old tire off though, I nearly freaked. This is what I saw...
How this wasn't a blowout, and how it managed to hold any air at all is above and beyond my level of comprehension! Near as I can figure, this actually happened last year. I drove the car into DC back in July, and hit some pretty rough patches of road, and that probably did it. I remember driving it to work about a week later, but something didn't feel right...wobbly somehow. I got out and checked all the tires to make sure the lug nuts were on tight. Drove the car back home at lunch time, and figured I'd just let the mechanic look it when I had time. And then, it sat. And sat. I drove it out of the garage 3 weeks ago, when I did some spring cleaning, and took that pic with the two New Yorkers, LeMans, and Catalina all lined up. And then put it back that night.
Anyway, I guess it's a bit of a miracle that it didn't blow out when I hit whatever it was I hit in DC. Or on the way to work that one day. Or, that it mercifully went flat in the garage, rather than wait until tomorrow morning to blow out on the way to work!
Anyway, here's the poor old beast now, with the spare tire on...
Maybe this is Mother Nature's way of telling me to get off my butt, get some new tires mounted on those aluminum Mirada rims I bought a few years back, and put 'em on the car...
Oh, and on the subject of tires, does anybody know a good source these days, to find whitewalls? I want to find a 225/70/R15. I'm thinking about just cheaping out and going with blackwalls, if the whitewalls are too expensive. But, whitewalls would dress up the car SOOO nicely.
I'd first go to Coker Tire. That's where I got the set for my Brougham.
@fintail said:
I'd pay 10K for that 300D, but 20K++ is insane even in Europe.
Went to the kind of crappy auto auction again today. Biggest oddity was this 70 LTD:
Not in bad shape - zero apparent rust, but has been off the road for at least 10 years and needs a lot of renovation to simply be drivable. And in that lovely green that made up approximately 45% of 1969-73 domestic cars. Only a 351 - I opened the hood hoping for a 429. A teenager started crawling over it, falling in love, calling it a "beautiful car". I guess it is rare now. And it smelled just like my dad's 60 Ford inside.
They also had some other oddballs - a fairly nice 1990 300E with a derailed sunroof, a minty 93 LeSabre no doubt out of an estate (and garaged - interior plastichrome was perfect) - 60K miles, kind of a dark blue green on grey leather, climate control and stereo - would make a nice car for someone. Also a Saab 900 non turbo in oxidized red, Volvo 24x coupe GT, nice later Cressida, etc.
Also took the fintail on a drive, down to the auction site and south to visit my sister who now lives near Puyallup. Introduced the car to my 3 year old car-loving niece, who was most interested in the fog lights. Longest highway drive I've taken in it since 2005, so I was a little concerned. I didn't need to be - car didn't miss a beat. Turn signals weren't 100%, but the engine was smooth and sweet, and I even spent some time in the left lane. Here it is with Mt. Rainier looming behind (looked bigger in person)
So, where around here do we have auctions open to the public?
I'd say the old Ford was worth scrap value, yeah. I told the kid fawning over it that it would take the value of the car when running just to get it roadworthy again, and to do any restoration work would be burning money, or a labor of love. Kind of a shame, but that's how it goes for big old tank like sedans.
Regarding the auction, it is in Auburn, isell. I can get the link if you can't find it. It isn't a typical auction, no nice classics or late model stuff. I think it is mostly abandoned vehicles, donations, stuff not good enough for BHPH lots, and there's always a non-runner section, too. It's pretty junky, but that makes it more interesting, in a way.
For the Volvo - I mis-spoke. It had a GT steering wheel, but I went to the site last night and looked it up, and it was just a DL coupe. I thought it was odd to be a GT automatic. Oh well.
Here's the Buick:
And Cressida:
Both seemed like nice old cars to me.
And another lower miles W126 - this one is imperfect, and is crying out for Euro lights - this might bring maybe 5-6K.
there are a couple of local open to the public auto auctions in my area. I assume it is a great way for the average poor person to make a huge mistake! Here's one:
That first one looks similar to the place here, but with newer cars (which might be due to the climate more than anything else). The place here seems to be stuck in the 90s.
I don't believe that second one is an actual auction though, is it? I mean, they have prices. Like a couple of other places I have found, they say auction in their name but it's a lie. I have even seen at least one that apparently does hold an auction but with reserves that aren't any better than you could do at any lot.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I hope someone at the very least snags that '76 as a parts car. Shame to let it go to waste. I actually prefer the front-end of that '76 to the '77-79 style that followed. One little detail that always bugged me on the '77-79 was that the headlights were not moved inward a bit, in relation to the narrower grille. They were placed perfectly for the wider '76 grille, but in '77-79, I thought the car had a slightly reverse-crosseyed look.
I saw a free local car rag with a lot called "Auction Auto" or something - not actually an auction, just a name to make people think they could get a deal. I hope whatever regulatory body that controls shady little dealers nixes that name.
I saw that TC on the "junkyard find" too - kind of a shame, as it looks full of good parts. The author of that junkyard series has the best part of TTAC - comes across some freaky and sad cases sometimes.
Unfortunately, it's a 4-door and not worth very much. You can buy them clean and running for $7500, so restoring one like this is totally out of the question. Good for parts, though!
Does being a 4-door really hurt value much, by this timeframe? I could see it taking a big hit compared to a Mark IV or Mark V, but what about just the regular Continental 2-door? By this era, I find that I often prefer the 4-doors to the coupe counterparts, at least with these big mammoths. Usually the proportions seem a bit better to my tastes, and there's more generous use of glass area.
I wonder if it would take much to get that junkyard '76 running again? While it would never be worth it to restore it, it might make a decent beater.
Yep. The 2D coupe would have 2.5X the value of the 4-door.
As for getting it running, I'd say $3,000 minimum. (carb rebuild, tires, brake overhaul, fluids, belts, hoses, tune-up, professional detail (check for spiders, rodents, etc).
Wow, interesting...I didn't know that the Continental 2-door was still offered as a hardtop as recent as 1974. I figured they had all gone to fixed opera windows by that time. I don't see many Continentals of that vintage at car shows anyway, though. Seems like it's either the Mark IV, or Mark V that pop up the most, or in Continentals, the more neoclassic, thin-grille '77-79 models.
I think that '74 demonstrates what I was talking about with proportioning. The passenger cabin just seems too small, in relation to the hood and decklid. And the tiny rear window, combined with that huge C-pillar, makes it seem a bit claustrophobic. I think the whole C-pillar/rear window area seems out of place anyway, a bit too rounded on a car that's otherwise been squared off. Still, kind of a handsome car, despite my nitpicking.
Think I finally solved the Benz's problem. It hibernated all winter in the garage until Monday when I was home with the kids. They wanted to play in the driveway so I took that chance to finally swap out the crank position sensor. After delaying so long, turned out it was a super simple 15-min job. And, sure enough, that seems to have done the trick. She purrs again. Didn't have time to do anything else so I have yet to drive it but will soon enough. Just gotta fix a coolant leak I caused and button it all back up. I'll drive it a few times and have a for sale sign on it by May.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
That 76 Electra is priced nice and would be nice to cruise around in. Too much green on that Thunderbird, I've seen Marks in those same colors and it's not as offensive for some reason.
Thanks fintail, but I'd not exactly lunge at either of those!
The Scotsman were very successful sales-wise, although margins were slim of course.
The '59 Lark resulted in the single most profitable year Studebaker ever had...my dealer friend told me he had a waiting list of people wanting the car.
I find that '76 Catalina interesting, since I haven't seen one in a long time. It's been painted, as the "Catalina" front fender nameplate is missing. I didn't study the ad; maybe it says that. I see that like other GM 'colonnade'-style roof/window treatments, the bright outline of the fixed window is missing.
Thanks for posting; always interesting!
2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
I'm really liking that '76 Electra as well. Interesting that the seller would go on a bit about the length. I remember reading, somewhere, that by this time the Electras were actually longer than the DeVilles, even though the DeVille was on a longer wheelbase, something like 129.5" I don't think it was a huge difference...maybe 1-2"?
As for that Thunderbird, I think it would look better if it had a white landau roof, or at least a lighter shade of green. And on the interior, that shade of green just has sort of a greasy look to it. It might be exacerbated a bit by the camera flash, but even in person, these greens just seem greasy. Unless the owners are just over-doing it with the Armor-All at car shows? And I agree, I think a Mark IV would wear that shade better than the T-bird. I think the Mark IV is more tasteful in general though, so that might help. It's almost like the T-bird tries too hard to be pimpy, while it just comes natural for the Mark!
Similarly, I think that Catalina would look nicer if its vinyl roof was white. I do like that shade of green better, though. The black interior is fairly tasteful, but I wonder how hot that car would get in the summer? On the plus side, it has a lot of glass area that rolls down, but on the minus side, it has a lot of glass area that doesn't! For some reason, that Grand Marquis really catches my eye. It's too far gone at this point to be of much use, but I think the white roof helps tone it down. Plus, that green seems more tasteful. Not as loud, and more of a greenish-blue.
The '53 Lincoln is cool. You don't see many of those.
The '76 Electra is the last of the tuna boats. That one is very nice and has nice colors. But I can't imagine driving something that huge. I remember driving dad's '74 Impala and thinking it was almost unmanageable day to day.
@ab348 said:
The '76 Electra is the last of the tuna boats. That one is very nice and has nice colors. But I can't imagine driving something that huge. I remember driving dad's '74 Impala and thinking it was almost unmanageable day to day.
It's doable, as long as you don't have to maneuver in tight spaces. My 2012 Ram has pretty much become my daily driver. It's 231" long, and on a 140.5" wheelbase. But, not all big vehicles are created equal, and I'd imagine that they've learned how to make them handle better in the past few decades. However, the biggest problem with my Ram is that it sits up so high that it's hard to judge in tight parking. It also has thick rear pillars and large headrests that block the view to the rear. A '76 Electra would probably be easier to parallel park!
I have the slightest soft spot for those T-Birds, as my mother had a similar car when I was a little kid - but it was white on white on white - maybe the pimpiest color combo. I am not sure what did it in, but I know it was off the road by 1985 - I seem to recall my dad saying timing chain or transmission, whatever it was, by that time, the land yacht had depreciated to nothing, had decayed a bit due to kids and my parents kind of "casual" car upkeep habits, and wasn't worth fixing. He gave it to a car hoarder friend of his. When I was really little, I remember it seeming very nice, smooth (I liked sleeping on the back seat), and I have a vague memory of playing around in it, experimenting with the power accessories - I've been told I drained the battery, but I don't recall. My mother loved the car. I also remember the cruise control, being a rocker switch on a steering wheel spoke.
Comments
I've been tracking those mint old Mercedes folks have been posting from eBay---and they all failed to meet reserve. It does go to prove that neither dealers nor appraisers nor private sellers set the market----buyers set the market.
Not quite a project car but a project. I pulled the kids seats out of my wife's Sienna. Pretty frightening down there. What can I scrub the leather seats with that will get them clean without messing up the leather? This is some caked on goo there, Thanks
Mike, try saddle soap. I would pick off any dried on goo, maybe use some warm water and a sponge, to get down to "bare leather", then treat it with the soap.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
They all had the window, what you are probably thinking of is seeing them with cloth/vinyl tops that covered that window up. My Grandfathers 93 was like that.
The 90-97 TCs were good looking, the 98-02 that followed wasn't nearly as nice. I also like the last generation 03-11.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
I didn't mean the extra window in the C pillar, I meant in the door itself. I may well be hallucinating though.
UPDATE: Here's a '97 without that extra vertical divider. Cleaner looking IMHO.
http://cloudlakes.com/gallery/2570864-lincoln-town-car.html
That Mercedes has four days to go and it hasn't hit it's reserve at 20,000.
It seems to me that 20 grand would be ALL of the money but who knows?
One thing is for sure. a person would be very hard pressed to find a nicer one!
Seems like every time when I look at 'completed listings' for old MBs on Ebay, 90% or more failed to meet their reserve.
Lots of 'fishing', not much 'catching'...
Even more than 90% I think. Having a 3-pointed star on a car doesn't suddenly make it something more than a "nice old used car". There's no reason why a run of the mill 1985 Benz should be worth $20,000 and a 1985 Cadillac worth $2000.
I don't look at Benzes on eBay, but in classic cars, bids often skyrocket the last three minutes or something.
I like that generation of Town Cars as well. They were much more elegant than the newer ones that came after
RE: Mercedes 300D on eBay. Wow , nice car but it might need a Benz freak or serious collector to pay that kind of money for it. Otherwise it's almost too nice to be used as a daily driver.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Well if you can use a brand new $80,000 Benz as a daily driver, why not that one? That's the reason Benz built it, large-car economy and comfort.
Well I meant too nice because there aren't many of them in such a nice shape.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
I thought those 1990-97 town cars were really classy, too. IIRC, the refresh where they got rid of the quarter windows in the trailing edge of the door was 1995-97. I didn't care for the 1998 restyle...too curvy, a bit pimpy, and somewhat buffoonish. At some point though, 2003 perhaps, they toned it down somewhat.
Even though I tend to root for Cadillac over Lincoln, I think the Town Car adapted much better to the aero look than Cadillac did with the 1993-96 Fleetwood. The Fleetwood does have some redeeming features, such as the LT-1 350 in 1994-96, and bragging rights of sheer bulk...something like 225" overall. But, I think the Town Car was more tasteful.
I think one of those stretched wheelbase Town Cars that they offered in the final generation would be kinda neat to have. Interestingly, even with the stretch, they were only 221.3-221.4" long. That final generation shrunk a few inches compared to previous years. For comparison, my '79 New Yorkers are 221.3" long, and I think Lemko's '89 Brougham is in that range.
Wow, I'm a Panther fan and never really noticed that detail. Andre is right most likely a 95-97 thing.
RE: leather cleaner..... Lexol. Its worth the price. Get the cleaner and conditioner.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
Honestly, I prefer back doors of the 1990-94 style, because I'm a stickler for windows that roll all the way down. But I like the front-end of the '95-97...just seems a bit better balanced in the grille-to-headlights ratio.
I still remember my first experience with a '95-97 Town Car. It was when I was married, and we went to my wife's grandfather's funeral. I rode in one then. Odd thing to remember, I know!
Oh, on the subject of the ex-wife, her father said she would never buy a GMC truck, because that was the initials of his mother, and he couldn't stand his parents. Those initials...Gladys Marie Christian!
Oh, almost forgot...my buddy with the 2006 Xterra has an aunt and uncle who had a '95-97 era Town Car. They bought it used. It was a really nice car, I thought. I think it gave way to an Avalon. IIRC, it was a good car; it was just time for something newer.
True enough--like most old German cars, they fall into the hands of people who cannot afford to take care of them.
I'd pay 10K for that 300D, but 20K++ is insane even in Europe.
Went to the kind of crappy auto auction again today. Biggest oddity was this 70 LTD:
Not in bad shape - zero apparent rust, but has been off the road for at least 10 years and needs a lot of renovation to simply be drivable. And in that lovely green that made up approximately 45% of 1969-73 domestic cars. Only a 351 - I opened the hood hoping for a 429. A teenager started crawling over it, falling in love, calling it a "beautiful car". I guess it is rare now. And it smelled just like my dad's 60 Ford inside.
They also had some other oddballs - a fairly nice 1990 300E with a derailed sunroof, a minty 93 LeSabre no doubt out of an estate (and garaged - interior plastichrome was perfect) - 60K miles, kind of a dark blue green on grey leather, climate control and stereo - would make a nice car for someone. Also a Saab 900 non turbo in oxidized red, Volvo 24x coupe GT, nice later Cressida, etc.
Also took the fintail on a drive, down to the auction site and south to visit my sister who now lives near Puyallup. Introduced the car to my 3 year old car-loving niece, who was most interested in the fog lights. Longest highway drive I've taken in it since 2005, so I was a little concerned. I didn't need to be - car didn't miss a beat. Turn signals weren't 100%, but the engine was smooth and sweet, and I even spent some time in the left lane. Here it is with Mt. Rainier looming behind (looked bigger in person)
I would love a 242 GT Volvo. Yes, I have strange taste.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Was about to ask "why don't I have auctions like that near me?!" But it's good that I don't or I'd have a yard of unloved cars instead of a wife.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I'd forgotten about that driver's wraparound instrument panel section on some of the Ford's of that era. Yes, green was pretty popular during that time period for whatever reasons.
$300 bucks for the LTD.
I'd first go to Coker Tire. That's where I got the set for my Brougham.
I'd say the old Ford was worth scrap value, yeah. I told the kid fawning over it that it would take the value of the car when running just to get it roadworthy again, and to do any restoration work would be burning money, or a labor of love. Kind of a shame, but that's how it goes for big old tank like sedans.
Regarding the auction, it is in Auburn, isell. I can get the link if you can't find it. It isn't a typical auction, no nice classics or late model stuff. I think it is mostly abandoned vehicles, donations, stuff not good enough for BHPH lots, and there's always a non-runner section, too. It's pretty junky, but that makes it more interesting, in a way.
For the Volvo - I mis-spoke. It had a GT steering wheel, but I went to the site last night and looked it up, and it was just a DL coupe. I thought it was odd to be a GT automatic. Oh well.
Here's the Buick:
And Cressida:
Both seemed like nice old cars to me.
And another lower miles W126 - this one is imperfect, and is crying out for Euro lights - this might bring maybe 5-6K.
there are a couple of local open to the public auto auctions in my area. I assume it is a great way for the average poor person to make a huge mistake! Here's one:
http://www.dpaa2.com/
or in Jersey:
http://www.autoshopper.com/dealers/?dealerid=9355
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
That first one looks similar to the place here, but with newer cars (which might be due to the climate more than anything else). The place here seems to be stuck in the 90s.
I don't believe that second one is an actual auction though, is it? I mean, they have prices. Like a couple of other places I have found, they say auction in their name but it's a lie. I have even seen at least one that apparently does hold an auction but with reserves that aren't any better than you could do at any lot.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Somebody save this one! It looks way too nice to be rotting away in a junkyard!
thetruthaboutcars.com/2014/04/junkyard-find-1976-lincoln-continental-town-car/
I hope someone at the very least snags that '76 as a parts car. Shame to let it go to waste. I actually prefer the front-end of that '76 to the '77-79 style that followed. One little detail that always bugged me on the '77-79 was that the headlights were not moved inward a bit, in relation to the narrower grille. They were placed perfectly for the wider '76 grille, but in '77-79, I thought the car had a slightly reverse-crosseyed look.
I saw a free local car rag with a lot called "Auction Auto" or something - not actually an auction, just a name to make people think they could get a deal. I hope whatever regulatory body that controls shady little dealers nixes that name.
I saw that TC on the "junkyard find" too - kind of a shame, as it looks full of good parts. The author of that junkyard series has the best part of TTAC - comes across some freaky and sad cases sometimes.
There are some near here that are true auctions. Nit sure if they also sell retail too.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Unfortunately, it's a 4-door and not worth very much. You can buy them clean and running for $7500, so restoring one like this is totally out of the question. Good for parts, though!
Does being a 4-door really hurt value much, by this timeframe? I could see it taking a big hit compared to a Mark IV or Mark V, but what about just the regular Continental 2-door? By this era, I find that I often prefer the 4-doors to the coupe counterparts, at least with these big mammoths. Usually the proportions seem a bit better to my tastes, and there's more generous use of glass area.
I wonder if it would take much to get that junkyard '76 running again? While it would never be worth it to restore it, it might make a decent beater.
Yep. The 2D coupe would have 2.5X the value of the 4-door.
As for getting it running, I'd say $3,000 minimum. (carb rebuild, tires, brake overhaul, fluids, belts, hoses, tune-up, professional detail (check for spiders, rodents, etc).
Just do THIS: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/cto/4417207410.html
Or This: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/cto/4393128226.html
Or if 4-doors are your thing: http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/4422377758.html
Wow, interesting...I didn't know that the Continental 2-door was still offered as a hardtop as recent as 1974. I figured they had all gone to fixed opera windows by that time. I don't see many Continentals of that vintage at car shows anyway, though. Seems like it's either the Mark IV, or Mark V that pop up the most, or in Continentals, the more neoclassic, thin-grille '77-79 models.
I think that '74 demonstrates what I was talking about with proportioning. The passenger cabin just seems too small, in relation to the hood and decklid. And the tiny rear window, combined with that huge C-pillar, makes it seem a bit claustrophobic. I think the whole C-pillar/rear window area seems out of place anyway, a bit too rounded on a car that's otherwise been squared off. Still, kind of a handsome car, despite my nitpicking.
Think I finally solved the Benz's problem. It hibernated all winter in the garage until Monday when I was home with the kids. They wanted to play in the driveway so I took that chance to finally swap out the crank position sensor. After delaying so long, turned out it was a super simple 15-min job. And, sure enough, that seems to have done the trick. She purrs again. Didn't have time to do anything else so I have yet to drive it but will soon enough. Just gotta fix a coolant leak I caused and button it all back up. I'll drive it a few times and have a for sale sign on it by May.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Don't see many of THESE!
http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/cto/4431191937.html
The drivetrain may be "all there" but judging from the size of that chain it doesn't run!
Neat pickup - maybe a project for someone.
Some more craigslist treasures:
Should have some life left in it
Rarity for uplanderguy
Classic money pit
Be just a little freaky
Accessories
Early 50s class
Another one for uplanderguy
Parts found at any Pep Boys or your local dealer
For the Francophile
For a member of a big hair metal band
Typical western WA car
Pretend you're Uncle Buck
Preservation
Honeycomb
Green on green on green on green on green
Not many of these around
Something for Andre
Something for Lemko
its baaack
Hit $9600 last time out and still under reserve. Seller is nuts, IMHO.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
That 76 Electra is priced nice and would be nice to cruise around in. Too much green on that Thunderbird, I've seen Marks in those same colors and it's not as offensive for some reason.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
I dig the studes.
Damned shame what he has done to that Henry J.
505 is interesting till you look under that hood. YIKES! Need a French diesel mechanic with a map to help me navigate that mess.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Thanks fintail, but I'd not exactly lunge at either of those!
The Scotsman were very successful sales-wise, although margins were slim of course.
The '59 Lark resulted in the single most profitable year Studebaker ever had...my dealer friend told me he had a waiting list of people wanting the car.
I find that '76 Catalina interesting, since I haven't seen one in a long time. It's been painted, as the "Catalina" front fender nameplate is missing. I didn't study the ad; maybe it says that. I see that like other GM 'colonnade'-style roof/window treatments, the bright outline of the fixed window is missing.
Thanks for posting; always interesting!
I'm really liking that '76 Electra as well. Interesting that the seller would go on a bit about the length. I remember reading, somewhere, that by this time the Electras were actually longer than the DeVilles, even though the DeVille was on a longer wheelbase, something like 129.5" I don't think it was a huge difference...maybe 1-2"?
As for that Thunderbird, I think it would look better if it had a white landau roof, or at least a lighter shade of green. And on the interior, that shade of green just has sort of a greasy look to it. It might be exacerbated a bit by the camera flash, but even in person, these greens just seem greasy. Unless the owners are just over-doing it with the Armor-All at car shows? And I agree, I think a Mark IV would wear that shade better than the T-bird. I think the Mark IV is more tasteful in general though, so that might help. It's almost like the T-bird tries too hard to be pimpy, while it just comes natural for the Mark!
Similarly, I think that Catalina would look nicer if its vinyl roof was white. I do like that shade of green better, though. The black interior is fairly tasteful, but I wonder how hot that car would get in the summer? On the plus side, it has a lot of glass area that rolls down, but on the minus side, it has a lot of glass area that doesn't! For some reason, that Grand Marquis really catches my eye. It's too far gone at this point to be of much use, but I think the white roof helps tone it down. Plus, that green seems more tasteful. Not as loud, and more of a greenish-blue.
The '53 Lincoln is cool. You don't see many of those.
The '76 Electra is the last of the tuna boats. That one is very nice and has nice colors. But I can't imagine driving something that huge. I remember driving dad's '74 Impala and thinking it was almost unmanageable day to day.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
That poor VW.
The Henry J is, er, different.
The Morris would be worth buying just to keep around as "furniture".
It's doable, as long as you don't have to maneuver in tight spaces. My 2012 Ram has pretty much become my daily driver. It's 231" long, and on a 140.5" wheelbase. But, not all big vehicles are created equal, and I'd imagine that they've learned how to make them handle better in the past few decades. However, the biggest problem with my Ram is that it sits up so high that it's hard to judge in tight parking. It also has thick rear pillars and large headrests that block the view to the rear. A '76 Electra would probably be easier to parallel park!
Well he's getting a cheap appraisal. Maybe it'll sober him up. Also, he needs to put in photos of the underside.
Do you REALLY think that 786 Electra is "priced nice"?
I was thinking 2500.00 tops!
But...I've been surprised before!
I have the slightest soft spot for those T-Birds, as my mother had a similar car when I was a little kid - but it was white on white on white - maybe the pimpiest color combo. I am not sure what did it in, but I know it was off the road by 1985 - I seem to recall my dad saying timing chain or transmission, whatever it was, by that time, the land yacht had depreciated to nothing, had decayed a bit due to kids and my parents kind of "casual" car upkeep habits, and wasn't worth fixing. He gave it to a car hoarder friend of his. When I was really little, I remember it seeming very nice, smooth (I liked sleeping on the back seat), and I have a vague memory of playing around in it, experimenting with the power accessories - I've been told I drained the battery, but I don't recall. My mother loved the car. I also remember the cruise control, being a rocker switch on a steering wheel spoke.
White ain't pimp - white is Elvis