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

explorerx4

The first picture does get your attention.
https://nh.craigslist.org/cto/d/1952-fully-restored-dodge/6662500192.html

ab348

Proof that just because you can do something, it doesn't mean you should.




https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1971-honda-n600-4/

Mr_Shiftright

Going where no man has gone before, so to speak?

Sometimes there's a reason why. Ask the inventor, say, of the concrete life preserver.

Mr_Shiftright

explorerx4 said:

The first picture does get your attention.
https://nh.craigslist.org/cto/d/1952-fully-restored-dodge/6662500192.html

Kingpins should be a lot easier with the truck in that position! Just get out your biggest hammer, welding torch, a 55 gallon drum of PB Blaster, a C-clamp press, a case of beer and a long weekend.

ab348

Mr_Shiftright said:

Going where no man has gone before, so to speak?

Sometimes there's a reason why. Ask the inventor, say, of the concrete life preserver.

I like the line in the stiff-upper-lip description: "Cracking is noted in the heavy filler used between the bed sides and the cabin". Not a testament to the structural engineering.

Mr_Shiftright

It almost looks like that entire pickup bed is made of wood, with body filler over it. I wonder.

I owned a Honda 600 years ago in Colorado and I must say it was fun, scary, noisy and ridiculous. Having had motorcycle experience, working on it wasn't too alien to me.

isellhondas

Mr_Shiftright said:

explorerx4 said:

The first picture does get your attention.
https://nh.craigslist.org/cto/d/1952-fully-restored-dodge/6662500192.html

Kingpins should be a lot easier with the truck in that position! Just get out your biggest hammer, welding torch, a 55 gallon drum of PB Blaster, a C-clamp press, a case of beer and a long weekend.

Who knows how to do kingpins anymore? Ream the bushings, drive the old pins out. Filhy job in most cases!

isellhondas

Mr_Shiftright said:

It almost looks like that entire pickup bed is made of wood, with body filler over it. I wonder.

I owned a Honda 600 years ago in Colorado and I must say it was fun, scary, noisy and ridiculous. Having had motorcycle experience, working on it wasn't too alien to me.

Ha! those old 600's were one step better than walking...maybe! Put your emphasis on scary! There used to be a shop in Berkeley that would work on them when the dealers wouldn't! Probably long gone now.

thecardoc3

isellhondas said:

Who knows how to do kingpins anymore? Ream the bushings, drive the old pins out. Filhy job in most cases!

Well......

Here are two of my reamers.

thecardoc3

Mr_Shiftright said:

Kingpins should be a lot easier with the truck in that position! Just get out your biggest hammer, welding torch, a 55 gallon drum of PB Blaster, a C-clamp press, a case of beer and a long weekend.

I would expect to do those in about three hours. That would of course leave the rest of the weekend to finish off the beer.

xwesx

explorerx4 said:

The first picture does get your attention.
https://nh.craigslist.org/cto/d/1952-fully-restored-dodge/6662500192.html

Makes me wonder why he could not come up with a photograph newer than ~18 years old! A lot can happen in that time...

Mr_Shiftright

Pride cometh before a fall, Doc.

qbrozen

thecardoc3 said:

Who knows how to do kingpins anymore? Ream the bushings, drive the old pins out. Filhy job in most cases!

Well...... Here are two of my reamers.

I have just one reamer at home, and I'm sure she would not appreciate me posting her pic here. 

[rim shot]

thecardoc3

Mr_Shiftright said:

Pride cometh before a fall, Doc.

Your right, I'd have to get help for that case of beer. There's no way that I'm going to tackle that by myself in a single weekend.

Mr_Shiftright

You could get lucky and finish it in 3 hours or you could battle 50 years of solid rust. I presume you have an air chisel and all that.

thecardoc3

I have a regular press (cage) for the king pins that uses a 30 ton bottle jack. I usually push them right out without heating. Only the worst ones slow me down a little. When dealing with one that is really seized I have the press installed and loaded and I only heat the axle until it pops free. As far as rusted/broken bolts go I don't waste any time with them at all. They get heated before the first attempt to remove them is made and replaced. The bushings are done by changing one, and ream it to size with the remaining original as a pilot, and then the second one is done and reamed to size.

omarman

I guess Proverbs covers kingpins. "Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."
Well kingpins and beer too.

gsemike

Craigs 3 grand challenge - What's out there for cheap

https://longisland.craigslist.org/cto/d/2007-mitsubishi-galant/6651666081.html Kind of forgot these ever existed, but this is probably about as nice as they got. Cool color

https://longisland.craigslist.org/cto/d/bmw-convertible-for-sale/6666488792.html BMW convertible

https://longisland.craigslist.org/cto/d/1997-toyota-4runner/6666487862.html Early 4runner

https://longisland.craigslist.org/cto/d/2006-honda-civic-coupe-lx/6649760644.html Civic coupe

https://longisland.craigslist.org/cto/d/nice-2000-mercedes-c230-sedan/6657228992.html C class. Looks like the paint shines up real nice

https://longisland.craigslist.org/cto/d/2007-nissan-muranoclean-title/6666204956.html Murano 'full auto trans'??

xwesx

I always thought the mid-90s Gallant was an attractive car. This one? Not so much! Color is nice, though.

stickguy

if the 4 runner really has no rot at all would be a miracle, but a good deal.

xwesx

I turned over 75,000 on my pickup this morning on the way to work. Sadly, my attempts to get a photo of it failed.

But, I did get a shot of it a month ago after helping a group move their business...

xwesx

Oh! And, I forgot about this one.... Just a random commuter I saw a few weeks ago.

fintail

Old MB is MY 1974-76, surprised to see the rust patch while the rockers look solid - those cars can rust as much as older models.

gsemike

fintail said:

Old MB is MY 1974-76, surprised to see the rust patch while the rockers look solid - those cars can rust as much as older models.

that does look like a weird spot to rust

texases

I bet that rust was from something dropping/being poured on the trunk. A one-off problem.

omarman

Maybe parked under trees for a long time.

stickguy

Would love to know story behind that picture

Mr_Shiftright

I've heard of having to use jumper cables to start your car in the morning....but a weed whacker?

omarman

The car park in Chengdu, China, is home for at least two Bentleys, two Land Rovers and three Mercedes Benz.

fintail

The weird LWB Santana/Passat is a giveway to the location (link is down, too much traffic)/.

Probably like what happened on the Arabian Peninsula back in the day - when it breaks, just abandon it and get a new one, there's plenty of no-questions-asked money floating around, and it's easier to throw things away when you didn't work for them.

omarman

"Majority of the vehicles are involved in ongoing criminal case either directly or indirectly, which means they can’t be claimed by their owners. Others have been abandoned as they were ready to be scrapped or their owners lacked the correct paperwork.

The cars have become a headache for the local authorities, who struggle to decide what to do with them. While some have been cleared for auctions, others continue to arrive and be stacked up in the graveyard of cars."

Craigslist.

sda

xwesx said:

I turned over 75,000 on my pickup this morning on the way to work. Sadly, my attempts to get a photo of it failed.

But, I did get a shot of it a month ago after helping a group move their business...

Your '69 looks clean and solid. Front right bumper looks tweaked up a smidge. Does it run/drive well?

xwesx

Running/driving is what it does best! It is solid as a rock in that regard. Has all the original running gear, and the engine has never been cracked open.

The front bumper is amazingly perfect in nearly all respects, including the chrome. The only issue with it is a "pull" on the bottom of it just to the left (driver side) of the frame mounting point. I was driving through some tall grass about fifteen years ago when the front left tire fell into a massive (invisible) hole that had formed around a utility pipe. The pipe was sticking up from the ground about four inches, so when I backed the truck out of the hole, the bumper caught the pipe a little and stretched (bent) the metal. You can sort of see it in the photo, when zoomed in, but it is heavily shadowed (I have a bit of a cheat since I know what I'm seeing).

There is a little rust in a few of the usual spots (such as bottom of the driver door), but fixable stuff. Sitting in a yard, which became a forest, for 25 years didn't do it a lot of favors in that regard. Still, at 29,000 miles in 1997, it was a pretty good looking truck after a couple days of work and a lot of elbow grease.

omarman

Little Red 1967 Shelby GT 500 coupe.

isellhondas

sda said:

xwesx said:

I turned over 75,000 on my pickup this morning on the way to work. Sadly, my attempts to get a photo of it failed.

But, I did get a shot of it a month ago after helping a group move their business...

Your '69 looks clean and solid. Front right bumper looks tweaked up a smidge. Does it run/drive well?

Bumper tweaked? I don't see it.

You remind me of the guy who is examining a newly repainted car that his buddy just got back from the shop and is showing off. Guys like that will slowly walk around the car and lo and behold they will spot the one microscopic flaw in the paint job and MAKE SURE the proud owner is aware of it! From that time forward the owner will see it every time he walks up to his car!

isellhondas

xwesx said:

Running/driving is what it does best! It is solid as a rock in that regard. Has all the original running gear, and the engine has never been cracked open.

The front bumper is amazingly perfect in nearly all respects, including the chrome. The only issue with it is a "pull" on the bottom of it just to the left (driver side) of the frame mounting point. I was driving through some tall grass about fifteen years ago when the front left tire fell into a massive (invisible) hole that had formed around a utility pipe. The pipe was sticking up from the ground about four inches, so when I backed the truck out of the hole, the bumper caught the pipe a little and stretched (bent) the metal. You can sort of see it in the photo, when zoomed in, but it is heavily shadowed (I have a bit of a cheat since I know what I'm seeing).

There is a little rust in a few of the usual spots (such as bottom of the driver door), but fixable stuff. Sitting in a yard, which became a forest, for 25 years didn't do it a lot of favors in that regard. Still, at 29,000 miles in 1997, it was a pretty good looking truck after a couple days of work and a lot of elbow grease.

Life in Fairbanks is brutal on any car or truck!

andres3

isellhondas said:

sda said:

xwesx said:

I turned over 75,000 on my pickup this morning on the way to work. Sadly, my attempts to get a photo of it failed.

But, I did get a shot of it a month ago after helping a group move their business...

Your '69 looks clean and solid. Front right bumper looks tweaked up a smidge. Does it run/drive well?

Bumper tweaked? I don't see it.

You remind me of the guy who is examining a newly repainted car that his buddy just got back from the shop and is showing off. Guys like that will slowly walk around the car and lo and behold they will spot the one microscopic flaw in the paint job and MAKE SURE the proud owner is aware of it! From that time forward the owner will see it every time he walks up to his car!

I'd change the word "microscopic" to "noticeable by anyone not legally blind" LOL!

It's amazing to me what passes as "good" body shop work by an average citizen. Crappy is apparently accepted as industry standard IMHO.

xwesx

andres3 said:

It's amazing to me what passes as "good" body shop work by an average citizen. Crappy is apparently accepted as industry standard IMHO.

I dunno about that! Your luck just seems to be on par with that of one of my employees. Things go well enough for a time, but when they go sideways.... they go SIDEWAYS!

I just received our Forester back from the shop a few days ago after a nearly month-long repair stint. They only issue with it is the passenger front window. They were told to use an aftermarket piece by the insurance company, which saved $30 from factory glass, and it was not cut properly. As a result, they could not get it to fit the space properly. So, they have a factory glass on order to replace the aftermarket, it is going to cost about $300 more than it would have, and I have wind noise in the meantime.

sda

isellhondas said:

sda said:

xwesx said:

I turned over 75,000 on my pickup this morning on the way to work. Sadly, my attempts to get a photo of it failed.

But, I did get a shot of it a month ago after helping a group move their business...

Your '69 looks clean and solid. Front right bumper looks tweaked up a smidge. Does it run/drive well?

Bumper tweaked? I don't see it.

You remind me of the guy who is examining a newly repainted car that his buddy just got back from the shop and is showing off. Guys like that will slowly walk around the car and lo and behold they will spot the one microscopic flaw in the paint job and MAKE SURE the proud owner is aware of it! From that time forward the owner will see it every time he walks up to his car!

Isell--that wasn't my intent at all. Rereading my post I understand your perspective, and apologize if it was taken as being critical or nit picking. I love talking and finding out details about cars/trucks and was only trying to find out more about the truck and perhaps have a conversation about it.

fintail

The local auto auction with many "project cars" has something interesting in the upcoming sale:



350SLC, 1973, Euro car with original lights and gauges. And something even more unsual:



Velour interior, which is really rare even on Euro cars. Also note manual windows.

I don't need it, but I kind of like this.

fintail

They also have this final run 280SEL 4.5, 1972:



Typical light rust in the rocker/wheelarch area, and it appears the rear compensator has failed, a common issue.

But looks good inside, with what appears to be leather, nice dash pad, AC, heated rear window (not sure if this was standard or optional), original radio:

Mr_Shiftright

The 350SLC coupe is the most valuable of the SLC model range---but that's not saying much--they are still not able to arouse much interest in the auction market. An entire SLC is worth less than the cost to even paint it. I find it kind of puzzling that this car gets such a low level of respect, while people go ga-ga over AMC Pacers.

fintail

I think the most valuable SLC is the 5.0 homologation special - all Euro model, 1979-1980:



The telltale sign is the unique spoiler, and 5.0 badging (I think some were also badged 500SLC late in the run). These had some aluminum body panels, too:



But a 350 is probably easier to find, and as it will lack emissions issues compared to a US spec car, easier to live with.

As Shifty knows, SLCs have high running costs and are a heavy cruiser, which holds values down.

stickguy

And no headrests. Wow. Unless someone just took them off.

fintail

I suspect headrests were optional on an early Euro model. Rare car in this spec.

Mr_Shiftright

fintail said:

I think the most valuable SLC is the 5.0 homologation special - all Euro model, 1979-1980:



The telltale sign is the unique spoiler, and 5.0 badging (I think some were also badged 500SLC late in the run). These had some aluminum body panels, too:


But a 350 is probably easier to find, and as it will lack emissions issues compared to a US spec car, easier to live with.

As Shifty knows, SLCs have high running costs and are a heavy cruiser, which holds values down.

The 450SLC 5.0 is pretty rare these days. I haven't seen one in years! They only made 1,470 of them, and they are a good example of the rare case where the coupe version of a car exceeds the value of the drop-top version.

Even so, they aren't worth all that much for all their rarity. One of those with a 5-speed Tremec would be nice indeed, as the ultimate GT car/gentleman's express. Well we could beef up the handling, too.

ab348

Is that factory sheepskin on the front seats?

Hopefully that is just a leftover remnant of a fad and not a symptom that the velour in front is shredded. Interesting car.

Mr_Shiftright

If you wanted an SLC, that would be the one to have. Might cost you $20K though.

fintail

That's a worry with those seats - the velour is an old fashioned woolcloth type material, and expensive to replace.

A fun thing to do with an SLC would be to make a period rally car tribute:

omarman

That would be cool. Second time today that I've seen very unusual off road racers wearing #6.