Vintage Car Thread - Discussion and Parts Requests

[SteveAS]

That's what matters - whether or not this is a good buy. Everything else, I'm comfortable with.

The guys in the Pre-War Buick sub-forum at AACA are a knowledgeable and friendly bunch. I'd ask them if I were you.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

That sounds fair to me, especially for a clean car in the northern midwest. For the members here who don't know, we usually gotta pay more than southern/western folks for a nice one.

Worst case scenario, budget wise, you could always drop in a 350/700R4 or some similar configuration. They can be found on the cheap and are easy to get parts for. I bought a 327 and a TH400 for $485 a couple years ago. Both had under 60,000 miles on them. Took them apart and they were immaculate inside. I dropped them in my '58 Chevy and sold it for a good profit.

Small block/auto isn't everybody's cup of tea, but it's usually cheap and easy. Personally, I think the original engine and tranny would be a lot more fun in that old Buick. It's a really, really cool car.

I was thinking $1200 if he'd deliver - or re-install the Fireball and Dynaflow for transportation.

 

[David Conwill]

I have a running '66 327 and a rebuilt, never-run Turbo 350, but I couldn't do it. At most, I see a 700R4 replacing the Dynaflow and losing the torque tube. Lots of fab there, though.

 

[David Conwill]

Well, it's not as rust free as the seller would have had me believe at first - there are door and rocker issues. And the distinctive "mallet" front bumper overriders are missing. That's the bad news.

The good news is that it was last on the road in 2005, which suggests mechanically things are probably close to spec. I'm not in a rush, if this one is no good, I'll keep looking.

 

[John in Covina]

The thing is you don't know what it will really need until you start the work. So for us it is a matter of remote sensing, here the age and the time not running gives no assurances. We ahve all heard great stories of a fine car with little or no work being nudged back to a worhty road life but here their are some unsettling questions of how it came to be in this condition. My friends at Egge have a lot of the engine parts and can help point you to other part sources. http://www.egge.com I'd also suggest picking up a copy of Hemmings, they will have listings for a lot of parts places to get what you need.

 

[Stanley Doble]

Frankly you would be better off from a dollars and cents standpoint to buy the best car you can find. Also, save a lot of time and work. Also, end up with a better car, a real good original not a patch up job.

If you want an early fifties Buick sedan you should be able to find one in near showroom condition for $10,000. There is no way in the world you could fix one up that cheap. A rebuilt engine and a paint job would cost more than $10,000.

 

[David Conwill]

I can't I good conscience turn a $10k original or resto into a daily driver.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I think you're right, Dave. The one in the ad has 'driver' written all over it. It's a good fate for such a car, to be loved by someone who appreciates a classic, but not have to be a trailer queen, or sit in a shed all its life.

 

[Stanley Doble]

I can't I good conscience turn a $10k original or resto into a daily driver.

So, buy a good $5000 or $3500 car. Ironically, people buy brand new $35000 cars and use them as daily drivers.

You couldn't make a decent car out of that pail for less than $10,000. So buy one that is not so far gone and save your time, money and sanity.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I don't see a 10,000 cost to make that car into a daily driver, unless you have a shop do all the work. If you're a shade tree mechanic, it wouldn't take more than 2,500-3,500 to have a good driver.

 

[Rathdown]

I can't I good conscience turn a $10k original or resto into a daily driver.

Why?

 

[jamespowers]

Why?

I would but I live in California where they won't be exposed to nasty snow.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Exactly!

I would but I live in California where they won't be exposed to nasty snow.

 

[David Conwill]

Snow, I can handle, it's that crap they put down to melt it I detest. You want to talk about conspiracies involving automakers? I'm pretty certain road salt is the biggest one of them all.

 

[jamespowers]

Snow, I can handle, it's that crap they put down to melt it I detest. You want to talk about conspiracies involving automakers? I'm pretty certain road salt is the biggest one of them all.

That can be a problem that is for sure. In the rust belt out there, old cars have to stay off the road in winter because of Evil Snow.

 

[LizzieMaine]

We use calcium chloride here, which is a million times worse than rock salt. It even makes *plastic* rust.

 

[Rathdown]

Snow, I can handle, it's that crap they put down to melt it I detest. You want to talk about conspiracies involving automakers? I'm pretty certain road salt is the biggest one of them all.

Snow really is the stock answer. However, there are lots of places where the roads are salted/gritted and cars don't immediately rust out. I am of the opinion that one of the reasons so many cars in the USA have rusted can be laid down to poor or nonexistant undercoating.
Living in Ireland for 22 years I quickly found out that I could avoid rust on my daily drivers by doing two things: (1) I Waxoiled my car every winter; (2) depending on how much salt/grit I'd been exposed to during the week I'd hose off the underside of my car with lukewarm water. This seemed to do the trick on everything from my wife's modern Fiat 126 to my Morgan 4/4, Mk VI Bentley, and 20/25 hp Rolls-Royce.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

"Hello Rusty Jones, goodbye rusty cars."

I am of the opinion that one of the reasons so many cars in the USA have rusted can be laid down to poor or nonexistant undercoating.

 

[Carl Miller]

http://www.petrolicious.com/articles/an-unlikely-pair

 

[Maguire]

I know it may seem a Sacrilege to post this along with all these pristine, golden age cars, but my (first) bought car is this 1988 Lincoln Towncar. I really liked the big land yachts from the 70s and 80s, the ones that were very shoebox shaped, and was committed to getting either a cadillac or lincoln from this era. this one had 63,000 miles on it, and cost me 800 dollars. It drives very well, i had to put a bit of work into it and its body has some rust of course, but its my pride and joy.. maybe one day i'll have a car like one of the beauties i've seen here but for now, i'll cling to this town car as long as i can.