Vintage Car Thread - Discussion and Parts Requests

[jamespowers]

Don't know if it was mentioned but any search for parts should start with a copy of hemmings Motor News
http://www.hemmings.com/ There are suppiers and clubs listed that can help direct you to stuff. My friends at Egge machine can help with stuff that is pre 1980.

Egge is very good for rebuild kits for motors and they know their stuff about what went into what cars and trucks.

 

[vitanola]

But you would have taken the other one for 5 grand though. I know I would have.

Good gracious yes!

 

[jamespowers]

Good gracious yes!

:rofl: Just checking.

 

[Talbot]

Big man, don't forget to slide over to chevytalk at some stage.

There is a pretty helpful specialist forum for cars of this age there.

http://www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/showforum.php?fid/36/keyword/1961-1964_Fullsize_Chevys/

They could give you a heads up on things to look for.

 

[Stanley Doble]

Most parts for American cars back to the thirties can be bought at your local NAPA store. Parts that wear out like brakes, fan belts, steering parts, spark plugs etc.

Things like chrome trim, fenders, upholstery are harder to get.

An old dusty shop on a back street with old gray haired or bald headed countermen will be more likely to have what you need than a shiny new place.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Our local Weaver's has helped me out many times. I've went in for parts for a 40 year old Ford tractor, a 52 Ford F-2, 63 Impala, 58 Delray, and a 79 Buick and they had all the parts in stock. NAPA laughed me out of the store when I asked for wheel cylinders for a 63 Impala....

 

[jamespowers]

Our local Weaver's has helped me out many times. I've went in for parts for a 40 year old Ford tractor, a 52 Ford F-2, 63 Impala, 58 Delray, and a 79 Buick and they had all the parts in stock. NAPA laughed me out of the store when I asked for wheel cylinders for a 63 Impala....

What is a Weaver's? We don't have those out here--that I know of anyway.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I don't know how popular they are. We have a chain of them in Wisconsin, I know. Their slogan "Leave it to Weaver" lol

What is a Weaver's? We don't have those out here--that I know of anyway.

 

[jamespowers]

I don't know how popular they are. We have a chain of them in Wisconsin, I know. Their slogan "Leave it to Weaver" lol

Leave it to Weaver? Hahahahahahahah!

 

[Warbaby]

In case someone might be interested, there's a Model T Touring for sale on Craig's List for what seems like a reasonable price. I haven't seen it and don't know anything about it - just wanted to pass it along.

Model T Ford - $3500 (royston)
Date: 2012-01-30, 4:41PM PST
Reply to: sale-h5cww-2826590799@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
1922 model T touring car all original. partial restored . eng. rebuilt/running cond.

* Location: royston
* it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests



PostingID: 2826590799

 

[BigFitz]

Thanks for all the good information.

The car belongs to my sister (would rather try trading with a total stranger than her, but that's another story ...). My sister says the car will run if you pore gas into the carburetor (carb and/or fuel pump problems???). I haven't talked to her about selling the car to me, as I wanted to get an idea of what it may be worth before even talking about a price. Here's a little background on the car:

My aunt Hazel bought the car new in 1961. My aunt was a school teacher who never married and always lived at home with my grandmother. From a very early age, I used to spend a lot of time with my grandmother and aunt. After I started to school, my aunt would come to my parent's house on Friday afternoon and take me back to her and my grandmother's house (the house I now have, by the way). I would ride in that '61 Chevy every weekend.

My aunt Sara had a '65 Ford, and when she passed away in 1983 that car was left to me (still have the car and still drive it regularly). When my aunt Hazel decided to stop driving around 1993, she gave her '61 Chevy to my sister. My sister drove the car for several years, but eventually parked it for good in 2007.

My sister and her husband are always "looking for the big buck" kind of people, and several years ago they got the idea that the car would be worth "$8,000 or more." Needless to say, they haven't sold it yet.

I hadn't seen the car for several years, but have always wanted to get it back "home" where it belonged. I'm at a place now where I could devote a couple thousand dollars for something like this. I'd like to get the car back to driving shape and give it a paint job. I can't afford to "restore" the car, but just "stabilize" it so it will not deteriorate further.

I stopped by this afternoon to look at the car (she has it parked in a field behind an abandoned service station). I almost wish I hadn't seen it, as it's in worse shape than I knew. There is no "major" rust, but it really needs paint bad. The interior is not too bad, except that it has been closed up and is moldy (and is probably home to a couple families of field mice). My poor old aunt would rollover in her grave if she saw the condition of her old car.

Here are a couple pictures taken this afternoon.

And one more of the car, my aunt, and me back when the car was new.

If nothing else, I'd like to get the car and take it back home to let it die a natural death where my aunt always had it parked. The old car deserves more than to be abandoned to rot away in a field.

Would be a nice ride. I don't know, if it runs I might offer $2500.

 

[jamespowers]

Would be a nice ride. I don't know, if it runs I might offer $2500.

It doesn't run and hasn't run in a few years---that might be a problem.

 

[Big Man]

Big man, don't forget to slide over to chevytalk at some stage. There is a pretty helpful specialist forum for cars of this age there.http://www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/showforum.php?fid/36/keyword/1961-1964_Fullsize_Chevys/They could give you a heads up on things to look for.

Thanks for the link. I'll give it a look.

 

[Carl Miller]

It is a nice car, but a 4 door flatroof bel air isnt going to fetch anywhere NEAR 8 grand in that condition. Wishing you luck and I hope she will sell it to you.

edit: try here for parts. http://fillingstation.com/

 

[Big Man]

It is a nice car, but a 4 door flatroof bel air isnt going to fetch anywhere NEAR 8 grand in that condition. Wishing you luck and I hope she will sell it to you. ...

Well, I'm one step closer to owning the car! :eusa_clap

I spoke with my sister today and told her I wanted to buy the car. Her eyes lit up (good sign) when I said I'd give her $1,000 cash right now. She said that she had been trying to sell it for a while (gee, thanks for letting me know that ) and "some guy had shown interest" at the $3,000 she was asking a while back but he never called back. She said she needed to check back with him. I told her not to sell the car till at least I had the option to make an offer at leasequalil to whatever he offered.

So, maybe I can get it for a thousand, or maybe for three. I think I could go three (but one sure sounds better).

Oh yeah, some good news about the car. She said that it would run, just that they had to "pour gas into the carb to get it started". The last time they drove the car was just over a year ago, but that was just a short distance. She said I would "need to get it checked" before I drove it any distance.

I'm going to give her a day or two, then hit her up again. I feel good about this now.

 

[jamespowers]

Well, I'm one step closer to owning the car! :eusa_clap

I spoke with my sister today and told her I wanted to buy the car. Her eyes lit up (good sign) when I said I'd give her $1,000 cash right now. She said that she had been trying to sell it for a while (gee, thanks for letting me know that ) and "some guy had shown interest" at the $3,000 she was asking a while back but he never called back. She said she needed to check back with him. I told her not to sell the car till at least I had the option to make an offer at lease equal to whatever he offered.

So, maybe I can get it for a thousand, or maybe for three. I think I could go three (but one sure sounds better).

Oh yeah, some good news about the car. She said that it would run, just that they had to "pour gas into the carb to get it started". The last time they drove the car was just over a year ago, but that was just a short distance. She said I would "need to get it checked" before I drove it any distance.

I'm going to give her a day or two, then hit her up again. I feel good about this now.

:eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap I am glad to hear it. Sounds good actually. If it will run but the carburetor loses its prime when it sits for a while---that is more or less normal. I would use starting fluid if I were you. You can easily spill gas on places it shouldn't be. The spray can will nail it right in where it needs to be and it gives it a much stronger kick to get it going.
If the guy didn't come back at $3,000, it is likely he never will. I think you are in good standing.

 

[Big Man]

... If the guy didn't come back at $3,000, it is likely he never will. I think you are in good standing.

"It ain't over till it's over" but I feel good about it.

 

[jamespowers]

"It ain't over till it's over" but I feel good about it.

Don't jinx it now. Think good thoughts.

 

[Auld Edwardian]

Ahoy Gentlemen,

I do hope Big Man gets to bring his late Aunt’s Chevy home where it belongs. I can tell you that once a car sits for any period of time things can, and do, start going to seed. Here is a snap of my 1965 Lincoln Continental Convertible. A family member gave her to me as a Christmas present several years ago. She had been left sleeping in a barn under a car cover for better than 20 years. It took me a fair amount of time and effort to get her on the road under her own steam. It was surprising to see her start with little effort after cranking her for several minutes with the distributer wire off so as to move the oil around first to avoid a “dry start” with no lubrication. After several minutes she quieted right down, and once she is warmed up you have to be right next to her to even hear the car run! The heads had been done before the car went in mothballs, and it only has 94,000 original miles! I have a punch list of electrical gremlins to evict, but at least I can take her out for a pleasant drive in good weather. I will warn anyone getting a car that has set sometime, beware of brakes and fuel lines! I had to replace the entire fuel line, fuel pump, all the brake lines, wheel cylinders, and master cylinder. After all, leaking fuel all over the place is never a prudent idea, and it is helpful being able to stop a car weighing 5,720 lbs. without having to think about it. That being said, even with good breaks it would not be wise for a Smart car to run a stop sign or light in front of me unless they value the experience of feeling like a que ball. I have found with my car the mechanical items are the easiest to find, it is the decorative items that have proved the most elusive. As an example, one of the Lincoln stars for an interior door panel had a broken point, and it was a real challenge to find as the design was specific to the year of my car, and on top of that I found out that Lincoln only made a total of 40,180 cars that year, that was for both convertibles and sedans, and how many are left 47 years later? (By comparison VW made more than 1,090,000 cars, albeit to a slightly different market sector.) After six months I did find one on eBay and snagged it. It has proved the same for other small decorative items; patience and constant vigilance pays off in the end. But in the end it is satisfying to find needed items, and even more satisfying being able to drive and share a true American car with others. They don’t make them like this anymore.

 

[jamespowers]

Ahoy Gentlemen,

I do hope Big Man gets to bring his late Aunt’s Chevy home where it belongs. I can tell you that once a car sits for any period of time things can, and do, start going to seed. Here is a snap of my 1965 Lincoln Continental Convertible. A family member gave her to me as a Christmas present several years ago. She had been left sleeping in a barn under a car cover for better than 20 years. It took me a fair amount of time and effort to get her on the road under her own steam. It was surprising to see her start with little effort after cranking her for several minutes with the distributer wire off so as to move the oil around first to avoid a “dry start” with no lubrication. After several minutes she quieted right down, and once she is warmed up you have to be right next to her to even hear the car run! The heads had been done before the car went in mothballs, and it only has 94,000 original miles! I have a punch list of electrical gremlins to evict, but at least I can take her out for a pleasant drive in good weather. I will warn anyone getting a car that has set sometime, beware of brakes and fuel lines! I had to replace the entire fuel line, fuel pump, all the brake lines, wheel cylinders, and master cylinder. After all, leaking fuel all over the place is never a prudent idea, and it is helpful being able to stop a car weighing 5,720 lbs. without having to think about it. That being said, even with good breaks it would not be wise for a Smart car to run a stop sign or light in front of me unless they value the experience of feeling like a que ball. I have found with my car the mechanical items are the easiest to find, it is the decorative items that have proved the most elusive. As an example, one of the Lincoln stars for an interior door panel had a broken point, and it was a real challenge to find as the design was specific to the year of my car, and on top of that I found out that Lincoln only made a total of 40,180 cars that year, that was for both convertibles and sedans, and how many are left 47 years later? (By comparison VW made more than 1,090,000 cars, albeit to a slightly different market sector.) After six months I did find one on eBay and snagged it. It has proved the same for other small decorative items; patience and constant vigilance pays off in the end. But in the end it is satisfying to find needed items, and even more satisfying being able to drive and share a true American car with others. They don’t make them like this anymore.

They definitely don't.
I can add that you are definitely going to have to replace just about every rubber part on it as well. Tires, hoses, belts etc. All of those things go at the worst possible times if you don't replace them all at once.
Off now to jump into the 73 Mach 1 and jet home.