"Non-Collectible" Old Cars

speedshift · February 2002

Yeah, but I think even customizers have to be held to a certain standard. The idea is to improve the car in some way, although of course that's subjective. But if it doesn't go faster or handle better or look better (or distinctive) then it crosses the line from creativity to vandalism.

This numbnuts was going to put the VW engine in the back--in the back--which means major surgery and suspension alterations. He hadn't done any of the things that take planning or engineering, like installing the engine or transaxle, but he had cut large holes in the sides for cooling. All that takes is a rip saw and some randomly firing synapses.

Even that customized Capri I linked to had a purpose. Someone had taken all those '50s "trans-Atlantic" styling cues and run with them. It wasn't elegant but at least it made sense.

Jeez I'm getting crusty in my old age.

Mr_Shiftright · February 2002

Well, I agree it is a nutcase engine replacement, but if it fails, that's just one less VW engine and one less Ford Escort, so it's not like a Bugatti has fallen off the rack or anything.

jrosasmc · February 2002

What exactly was a Buick Centurion of the early '70s?

andre1969 · February 2002

...was a mid-range full-size Buick built from '71-73. It was basically a LeSabre with an Electra engine. The LeSabres back then rode a 124" wb, and had 350's, while the Electras rode a 127" wb and had 455's. I'd imagine they had nicer interiors than the LeSabre, as well.

The Centurion was basically a replacement for the Wildcat of the '60's. In 1974, it was replaced by a model called the LeSabre Luxus The Luxus only ran about $100 more than the base LeSabre models though, while the Centurion ran more like $400 more, so I doubt the Luxus came standard with a bigger engine.

speedshift · February 2002

Here's a car that I think is underappreciated. Very clean lines, much more muscular than its competition. First low-priced car to have an overhead valve V8 (actually the first of the low-priced three to have any kind of V8). I always thought they looked fast, even though they're not (maybe I watched too much Highway Patrol). Fords of this era were known for their handling according to tests of the time, although of course this is relative. The later 390 and C-6 bolt right in for extra power. The Fordomatic was a two speed in normal use but could be turned into a three speed by shifting between Low and Drive as you wound out the engine. The Victoria has a very attractive interior.

http://members.aol.com/rdesch/54ford.gif

jrosasmc · February 2002

Guys: I really want to keep my '87 Chevy Nova with me, even though it's only worth $800 tops. It has 66k original miles, bought new by my dad. Only problem: I am no longer able to control the rust, as I don't think the steel was galvanized.

What should I do: keep or sell??

Mr_Shiftright · February 2002

Well, if you can't control the rust then instead of $800 you'll have nothing soon enough. Rust is a tough nut.

a_l_hubcaps · February 2002

jrosas-

I think Toyota galvanized their cars by '87. I'm surprised it's that bad. My friend drives an '86 Corolla with about the same mileage as your Nova, and it has almost no rust. Just try controlling the rust on a 1977 Toyota! That's what my brother drives. Anyway, I think it all depends on where the rust is. If structural parts of your unibody are rusting through, it might be best to get rid of the car before it breaks in half on the highway. But if it's just the usual quarter panels and door bottoms, you could always fix it yourself, at least well enough to keep it from getting worse. Bondo rust repair can work pretty well when done meticulously. Get a sander, a Dremel tool for cutting out rusted areas, a Bondo kit and some Rust-Oleum primer and you can fix moderate body rust if you're willing to put some time into it. If you're only concerned with function, you can just drive a primer-mobile, but if you want it to look presentable, you can get the car repainted afterwards, like I did with my Pontiac. Good luck.

-Andrew L

speedshift · February 2002

These are awkward-looking but interesting cars. You could get a Fairlane with the same 289/271 that powered the Cobra (although I think the Cobra got 306 hp with a Holley instead of the 480 cfm Autolite). Interesting that such a dorky looking car could have such a great engine. You couldn't get it in the better looking Fairlane 500 hardtop, just in a sedan like this one.

http://www.fairlaneclubofamerica.com/63fs2bk.htm

andre1969 · February 2002

I always thought the '63-64 Fairlane (and the '62-63 Mercury Meteor) were really attractive cars. I actually like their proportions...they look like scaled-down versions of the big cars. Back then, weren't 2-door sedans usually pretty popular car to hot-rod? I figured that since they're usually lighter than a 2-door hardtop, but more ridid, that they're a better choice. But then, I wouldn't expect that kind of thinking from an automobile manufacturer!

speedshift · February 2002

Yeah, except that no one thinks that way except the hardcore gearheads, and you'd go broke just selling to them. Most people want pretty to go with fast and that means hardtop or pony.

The first Ford intermediates do look a lot like the fullsizers but maybe one styling cycle back, hence the fins on a 1962 car. That's probably why they looked so unhip so quickly, at least to me. The '65 Fairlane also tries very hard to look grownup and ends up looking more like an eight-year-old wearing his father's suit. The '66-67 intermediates are very nicely styled.

GM also used fullsize styling cues on its intermediates in '64 but I think did a much better job, except for the '64 Le Mans.

andre1969 · February 2002

...I've never seen a 4-door hardtop version of the Fairlane/Meteor. Did they offer that body style? A few years back, I saw a 1970 Torino 4-door hardtop with a 429. It was green, and about as plain-Jane as they come. I guess that'd make a great sleeper!

Every once in awhile, I see a '65 Buick Special around town, driven by an old man. I think I've been seeing that car for a good 10 years or more now. At a quick glance, I'll mistake it for a full-size. Probably partly because B-O-P tacked a lot of length on their cars back then, to make 'em look bigger than the Chevelle.

speedshift · February 2002

I don't think so. They were pretty entry-level. The S-33 and 500 two-door hardtops with buckets were about as fancy as they got.

ghulet · February 2002

.....four door hardtops were built until 1970 (in the Torino series).

speedshift · February 2002

Speaking of Fairlane/Torino sleepers, in 1970 the base Torino two-door sedan was called Falcon and could be ordered with any of the 429s. Ford's answer to the Road Runner taxicab/musclecar concept but didn't quite have the same image. It was a great idea though. I think the quickest car I ever drove was a '68 RR, stock except the AFB had been replaced by a Holley. That Magnum 383 was a strong engine but no stronger than three or four others I can think of, but pulling around a little less weight made a big difference. That's about as light as big block musclecars got, except for aberations like the Dart 383.

lemko · February 2002

Remember the 1960s version of the TV show "Dragnet?" Jack Webb and Harry Morgan's characters drove a gold 1967 Ford Fairlane sedan in the series.

ab348 · February 2002

In '63 or '64 Ford built a number (500?) of factory-equipped 427 Fairlanes. Mostly for drag racing of course. They called them Thunderbolts and I can only imagine how fast those must have been. They were plain-jane 2-door post sedans with bottom-line trim, fiberglass hoods and bumpers, etc.

andre1969 · February 2002

There's a '64 Ford Fairlane that I see every day on the way to work, that's set up to look like a Thunderbolt. It has the inboard headlights removed, supposedly to give the impression of air intakes. But, it's a 4-door sedan! It's sat in the same spot for years, so I doubt if it even moves under its own power.

"Non-Collectible" Old Cars

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