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

andre1969

I kinda like the '61 Caddy. I can live with the wheels, even. But, I think that's my least favorite of the 4-door hardtops. On the '61 I think the 6W design looks better. Or better yet, a 4W 1962, which would have had a thicker C-pillar.

I think that wraparound rear window is fine on something like a Chevy or maybe a Pontiac Catalina, but I don't think it looks quite right on the Caddy.

fintail

I'll even underbid Shifty on the SLC, 6-7K is probably a realistic actual sale price. Not much demand for those, which is unfortunate, as they do have their own style. 5 years ago here, a beautiful green 73 model (small bumpers, less emissions) with 55K on it brought 6K at auction. Wagon is high priced and should be no more than 10K, but they have a cult behind them, and it might sell above that. Killer is that it is a non-turbo.

Those wraparound window Caddys are odd ducks to me, too. Rare, anyway.

gsemike said:

fintail

Something like that is already into sunny day or Sunday driver status for me - 33 years old now, and driving it in the daily grind will ruin the value it has. If it sells, it will be to an enthusiast, not as a commuter.

Mr_Shiftright said:

$5K is all it's worth to me, is what I meant, because I've owned quite a few older Mercedes and I know what it costs per month to keep them in top shape.

fintail

I remember one of those odd limos as Roy Wally's ride in "National Lampoon's Vacation":

andre1969 said:

i

Interestingly, in the "V: The Final Battle" miniseries, the Visitors were parading around in '77-79 era stretch Lincoln limos.
I guess these were still too pricey by 1984, to sacrifice.

uplanderguy

I never liked how on that era Town Car sedan, the rear-door window was virtually a perfect square (or at least, rectangle). That always bugged me about '61-64 GM full-size wagons too, although I know those bodies were provided by an outside supplier (Ionia).

stickguy

I really like those TR6s. Always wanted one.

that Ford PU? Hideous.

gsemike

stickguy said:

I really like those TR6s. Always wanted one.

that Ford PU? Hideous.

Notice that it's missing the accessory belts? Suffice to say someone watched a little too much Fast & Loud and got in over their heads. Part it out. That's all

uplanderguy

Since craigslist has been brought up, this car is on eBay now. I'm a Studebaker guy, but this person is out of their cotton-pickin' mind!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Studebaker-Golden-Hawk-Golden-Hawk-57-studebaker-coupe-289-supercharger-automatic-restored-/221633275118?forcerrptr=true&hash=item339a5f64ee&item=221633275118&pt=US_Cars_Trucks

qbrozen

hahahahahah.

I can't imagine that's a serious listing. Either a joke or a typo.

uplanderguy

Even at the big auctions, I think only one has broken $100K and several have been in the $60-80K range the past several years. I'm really not even crazy about them...I'd much rather have a later Gran Turismo Hawk or even a '56 SkyHawk, without the fins and supercharger. One-hundred thirty folks have it on their 'watch list', but most are probably like me--wishing we could see what it really goes for when it does, which we most-likely will not be able to.

Mr_Shiftright

I'd say $60K for the best one in the world is about Fair Market. So he's only 190,000 overpriced. Certainly room for bargaining.

here's one for $69K asking price and it looks just as nice:

http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/studebaker/golden_hawk/1693604.html

uplanderguy

On first-impression stuff, I'd say that $70K one is nicer than the eBay one.

Although, now that I look closer, I don't believe the white with gold insert interior is correct, and the foglights don't belong. There's an extra, non-factory gauge cut into the dash too. That's not $180K difference though.

Mr_Shiftright

Yeah, you could probably correct those deficiences for less than $180,000, if you were careful. You could in fact, probably gold-plate the entire car for less than that.

gsemike

More so a completed project, but I've never seen anything like this

http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/ctd/4783962041.html

uplanderguy

One thing that I can't stand on the "$250,000" one, is the dented glovebox door. Sheesh, they used that same engine-turned door on every single '56-61 Hawk; one would think he'd easily find another door to replace it with.

uplanderguy

Re.: the Pacer---I clearly remember looking around our Chrysler/Plymouth/AMC dealer with a teenaged buddy of mine, and a salesman came out and said, "Do you guys want to see the new car?". I knew AMC had a new one coming out and he led us into a corner of the Service Dept. The only thing I can think of was, he wanted to see what young people thought. It was a yellow, low-line model with dog-dish caps. I was stunned. I remember saying, "It looks like a bug squatting to....(expletive deleted)." The salesman wasn't amused. I will say I appreciated the cars later for lack of a blind spot and generally roomy interior.

stever

1975 Fiat X1-9 - $3900



Somehow the paint doesn't look right on this one:

1965 MGB - Classic British Sports car - $6500

qbrozen

the MGB doesn't look too bad, but that Fiat is a god-awful mess.

xwesx

gsemike said:

More so a completed project, but I've never seen anything like this

http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/ctd/4783962041.html

Wow! LOL I actually like this car, and the price seems pretty reasonable (especially compared to everything else posted over the last few days!). LOVE the look-alike radio-controlled unit; I wonder if that comes with it? Hahahha.

Mr_Shiftright

I've owned both, and the MGB is the far superior, even if the more primitive in engineering. I don't know what they hell they did to the ride height on the MGB, but it's all wrong. It must also be a roach because it's priced way too cheap. Don't see the lever for the overdrive trans either.

qbrozen

The parachute puts that Pacer over the top in silliness.

Mr_Shiftright

I sure hope the floorboards are armored.

lemko

andre1969 said:

Oh, on the subject of that Caddy on "CHiPs", it was a regular Sedan DeVille, and not a Fleetwood.

I'm guessing it was a '73?


Yes, I'll confess, I have "CHiPs" on the DVR. It's set to hold the last five episodes, and I just looked...that one was recent enough that I still had it.

Oh, how's this for a continuity error? In the establishing shot, all the windows are up. But then Ponch goes up to the car, and all windows are down. He even reaches in the car to pull up the lock button! But then just as he's about to press the button on the door handle to open it, he stops and thinks the better of it.

Oh, nice looking '73 LeSabre 4-door hardtop that the lady's driving, who leads them to the trap!

NOOOOOOO!!!

ab348

You guys love some really awful old TV shows.

stickguy

well, I actually kind of like that pacer, in a sick kind of way. Even though I am sure the engine could snap the car in half, but that is part of the fun!

replace the silly blower engine with a nice small block chevy, and maybe you could even drive it.

stickguy

that Fiat is scary. though sadly, it looks better with just the inner bumper bars instead of the actual bumpers. paint and interior, ouch.

but, it is worth the money if it really is 100% rust free, since that would make it 1 of 1 in the world!

gsemike

That Pacer or This?

https://longisland.craigslist.org/cto/4812502643.html Fiero V8 conversion

stever

The seller really should replace that spacesaver tire up front....

Mr_Shiftright

Always wondered why people would put all that effort into a crap car. You'd THINK they'd want it to not only run well, but look nice.

gsemike

Mr_Shiftright said:

Always wondered why people would put all that effort into a crap car. You'd THINK they'd want it to not only run well, but look nice.

I think that practically ever car ever made has some following. One man's garbage....

fintail

Had the project car out on a chilly New Year's Day - I think a good 4 weeks + since it was driven last. First turn of the key, it started, ran for 3 seconds, stalled. Second turn, started like nothing happened, ran like a new car. That's not too bad, I guess. Turn signals are working better, AM radio reception seems better than I remember. Weird thing - when I rev it, or when it idles high and slows, I hear a little pop like a misfire - but I only seem to hear it inside the car, not if I am outside with the hood up. I wonder if something is loose, and the right frequency of vibration sets it off.



Looking decent enough too - a driver's side view, as many seem to be from the other side.

stickguy

still looks good. at 1K a year miles max that you seem to put on, it will probably outlast you.

uplanderguy

Looking good.

Mr_Shiftright

I'm starting to work on the old Dodge Dakota truck I bought. First up, front end work. Needs ball joints and tie rods.

My first concerns when I buy an older vehicle is safety---before cosmetics or convenience or even reliability. A truck overheating is inconvenient--a truck busting loose a ball joint is scary.

uplanderguy

I know ball joints were considered an improvement, but I've often heard over the years about ball joints breaking, but haven't heard about king pins doing the same thing in older cars, or trucks. Might be just because generally they're before my time, I don't know.

fintail

Thanks for the compliments Of course, I post a pic now and then to show off, as the car is photogenic. Up close, not so perfect, but probably not too bad for its age.

The fintail has kingpins, they were worn when I bought the car, and I had them replaced several years after. Not a small job, and not cheap parts - but I found a full set on ebay for some crazy low price like $60 back in the late 90s, and put it in motion. The worst problem was bad camber creating excess front tire wear - I was able to get maybe 3000-4000 miles out of the front tires, until they were shot.

isellhondas

It takes a lot for a ball joint to actually break but this can happen. Usually you'll get some warning like Mr. S is experiencing now.

uplanderguy

Studes had kingpins right up to the end. Corvettes did up through the '62--I'm told they're the same part no. as the '49 Chevy. When I first bought my Lark, it needed a front-end rebuild. The western OH Stude club sold remachined/refurbished king pins so I bought from them, and all the other front parts were available from Stude vendors. I had been getting a shimmy at highway speeds, but the parts fixed that. BTW, I had the repairs done at a former Stude dealer in Wooster, OH. Someone suggested him at a multi-make car show I was walking around. I called him and he said he still had a couple of the old guys working. I said "I can bring the Shop Manual" and he says, "Oh, we have that already". I wish he and his guys were still around.

It seems that trucks stuck with kingpins for a good while.

Fintail, that was a great price you got on kingpins. Stude stuff was always pretty cheap, but I'm almost sure I paid more than that for refurbished ones.

ab348

isellhondas said:

It takes a lot for a ball joint to actually break but this can happen. Usually you'll get some warning like Mr. S is experiencing now.

A related problem with older vehicles is having the A-arm fracture where the ball joint is mounted. Lots of stress at that spot.

andre1969

fintail said:

Thanks for the compliments Of course, I post a pic now and then to show off, as the car is photogenic. Up close, not so perfect, but probably not too bad for its age.

Yeah, photos do tend to hide a lot of flaws. Another trick I learned, is that everything's better when wet...


BTW, yesterday, I spotted these two relics while out and about. First, my '85 Silverado's cousin at the gas station...


And then, on the way home, this W126...


That's about the extent of the automotive excitement around here, lately.

stickguy

I bet that Chevy can be found in that spot quite often.

fintail

Oh yeah, the fintail looks amazing when wet, or in the snow. Been a long time since I've had it out in either, though - they aren't exactly rust-repellers, and I like to keep it as dry as possible.

That W126 is a 300SE, late run car, sold in the US from 1988-91 - so at a minimum, it is 24 years old now. Probably has 200K++ on it. It's either loaded up, or the rear suspension is going, looks like it is dragging its butt. I had one of that model years ago, good car, insane build quality and material quality. A few quirks, I6 mated to a 4-speed auto in a heavy car means 3500rpm or so at 70mph, so 20mpg on the highway. Dual firewall and smooth engine makes it seem fine though, mine felt like an electric car on some roads, the engine was so balanced, NVH was zero. The engines can leak or eat a headgasket as the miles pile on, and if not maintained, the transmissions will go, which I guess is like any other car. They also aren't rust-averse.

Maybe in harsher climates, 126s are finally starting to dwindle, but on the west coast, they are still everywhere, as I am sure Shifty can attest to. I still see 116s here and there.

andre1969 said:

Yeah, photos do tend to hide a lot of flaws. Another trick I learned, is that everything's better when wet...

fintail

I think MB must have used kingpins on larger sedans at least until the beginning of the 70s, as the line that replaced the fintail (W108) shares a lot of suspension pieces.

I was happy with my deal, I am pretty sure mine were brand new too, not refurbished. They also came with a bunch of new little fittings. A decent sized labor job to have installed, but once done, and with a few other suspension renovations, it tracks pretty well for something of its age and unrestored status, and doesn't chew up tires now (I wasn't going to get wide whites until I knew they wouldn't be ruined).

uplanderguy said:

Fintail, that was a great price you got on kingpins. Stude stuff was always pretty cheap, but I'm almost sure I paid more than that for refurbished ones.

Mr_Shiftright

"Maybe in harsher climates, 126s are finally starting to dwindle, but on the west coast, they are still everywhere, as I am sure Shifty can attest to. I still see 116s here and there."

Yep, still as thick as flies around here (no offense intended). I think the rather benign climate and the relative affluence of the owners accounts for this---as well as the pool of skilled repair talent in the metro areas.

hpmctorque

Judging by the article below, Cuba won't yield many project cars. The few low mileage, unmolested 1950s U.S. models squirreled away in government garages or owned by privileged cronies should bring good money, when they're eventually sold.

http://autoweek.com/article/classic-cars/ten-cars-youre-likely-see-cuba

gsemike

Deluxe

http://longisland.craigslist.org/cto/4790802913.html

Interesting that the Deluxe name was affixed to such a low end car, like Chevy was doing a jedi mind trick on the buyer. I would be curious to see how the car would look with a good detailing but.... meh

uplanderguy

...and that car has the Exterior Decor Group, optional, which got you the wheel opening moldings and roof drip moldings. It also has the optional full wheel covers. Picture this car without all that stuff! I do remember this era of Chevelle being a nice-driving car, by the standards of the day.

ab348

Probably if you visited the dealer around introduction time in the fall of 1972 and drove this back to back with a '72 model similarly equipped, you would have thought this was better - quieter, smoother, roomier. But man, those bumpers were bad.

Mr_Shiftright

Well I hope it doesn't have "all original parts" because if it does, you've got some money to spend--tires, brakes, belts, hoses, fluids, engine and transmission seals, etc.

uplanderguy

I like '73 Chevelles, simple grille, etc., but the fact is I can hardly think of a '73 car that had more of a railroad-tie front bumper than the Chevelle that year. I can remember our new Nova was sitting next to a Chevelle when we bought it and my Dad commented on that. Our salesman, whom Dad bought several new cars over the years from, said, "Lot more car to stop over there". He was probably right, but they could've sculpted the bumper better, which they did in '74, although I didn't like the grille or taillights of the '74 nearly as well.

For the '73 model year, the Torino became the best-selling intermediate, followed by the Olds Cutlass. That was a real slap in the face at that point in time, to Chevy. I believe the '74 Chevelle regained the number one position, although it's a little fuzzy as the Monte Carlo was not part of the Chevelle line and the Cutlass Supreme was, which clouded things up a bit.