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Classic Cars Project Cars--You Get to Vote on "Hold 'em or Fold 'em"
19417 messages, Last post on Dec 04, 2009 at 2:47 PM
You are in the Classic Cars Forum. Your Host is mr_shiftright
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Feb 29, 2008 9:10 am)  But I still have to be envious of andre and his love of $3k-$5k boats from the '70s.
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Replying to: qbrozen (Feb 29, 2008 10:49 am) Nothing WRONG with Grandma...she has dignity and wisdom and all that... 
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Feb 29, 2008 2:30 pm) Same point a writer once made about finally driving his dream car, a '55 Chevy. Something to the effect that 'all that great styling wasn't visible once inside the car, and the driving experience was no great shakes.' |
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Replying to: qbrozen (Feb 29, 2008 10:49 am) Yeah, I wish I could rationalize my unhealthy attraction to those big pimpy loveboats, but it's hard to put it into words. When it comes to stuff like that '51 Packard though, I guess I go against the tide because I think it's kinda cool. If I saw one at a car show, it would probably catch my attention quicker than a '57 Chevy or 1964.5 Mustang would. Even if those others are more desireable cars, they've just been done to death at this point. Where at least the Packard is something unique, that you don't see all the time. Plus, I like the fact that Packard is sort of a time capsule, a look into how cars really were back then, drab color, sedan body style, and all. Often when you go to car shows or watch a movie that takes place in the past, they give the impression that all people drove back in the day was flashy red fully loaded convertibles and hardtops.
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Replying to: texases (Feb 29, 2008 2:48 pm) I actually had a bit of that experience with my '76 LeMans. I've always had a thing for the '76-77 LeMans ever since my Dad took me to see "Smokey and the Bandit". I know most normal kids would've been infatuated with the black Trans Am with the screaming chicken on its hood, but for some reason those LeMans police cars intrigued me. We had a '75 LeMans at the time, which I thought was an ugly looking thing, but I really liked the models with the quad rectangular headlights. Still, it was something I always admired for the style, and not necessarily the substance behind that style. Back in early 2001, a '76 coupe showed up for sale at a local park and sell lot up the street from me. I forget how much they wanted for it; I want to say $1200 but can't remember for sure. It looked good from a distance, but up close was kinda rusty, had holes in the trunk floor, and had issues with the trunk lock. When I started it up my first thought was "that don't sound like a V-8!" And sure enough, it just had a Chevy 250 inline 6 under the hood. I remember sitting behind the wheel thinking that it wasn't as comfortable as I thought it would be. For as big as it was, it wasn't exactly commodious inside. In fact, I think my '68 Dart actually had more legroom, but the seats were a bit better in this car. Oh, and I found some paperwork in the glovebox. Turns out this "park and sell" lot actually owned this LeMans, and had only paid $200 for it! Anyway, I passed, mainly because of the rust and the fact that I didn't want to drive a roughly 3800 pound car that only had a 105-110 hp straight six to move it. Oh, and it was brown, not exactly my favorite color in a car. Well, 4 years later, I found this nice '76 Grand LeMans coupe on eBay and bought it. It has a power seat, which helps immensely with comfort. Whereas the manual seat is sort of low and doesn't go back that far, the power seat can be tilted, to an almost obscene angle. If I wanted to, I could tilt it to where I couldn't even reach the pedals! This car also has a 350-4bbl, which you think would eliminate any acceleration problems the 6-cyl might have had. Still, once I actually drove this car, it just didn't wow me like I thought it would. I mean, I liked it enough to go through with the deal, and I'm still glad I bought the car, but I guess after roughly 28 years of idolizing it, the car just couldn't live up to my expectations. But then on the flip side of that, when I first slipped behind the wheel of my '79 5th Ave, it just felt...well...right, somehow. Like that car and me belonged together. And almost as if to seal that bond, the power seat failed, exactly where I needed it to be! I got the same feeling when I bought that blue $500 base New Yorker last May. Even though I've cussed that car out when its left me stranded, it just feels so right behind the wheel. Maybe there's just a perfect fit for everybody out there, and, for better or worse, Mopar's R-body is my perfect fit? 
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Replying to: andre1969 (Feb 29, 2008 4:29 pm) On the other hand, if you love a car, you will endure any number of indignities and humiliations so as to experience the "magic moment" when you and the car are "right" together. Of course, a car can't push its luck. I've had a few cars I loved but they got so bad and so unruly and so preposterously unreliable that my love turned to scorn. Any reference to Saab Turbos is purely co-incidental. |
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| Almost restrained, for 1958 | |
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Decent starting point for a hot rod? The price is probably optimistic Wildly optimistic price True project Vette I can't see how you'd come out right on this This T Bird looks good Cheesey paint job included This Chevelle looks good Project in progress This Dart looks good too it needs rod bearings which i a very cheap easy job He's dreaming trying to get 2500 for his 12 year old dead Talon
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Replying to: gsemike (Mar 01, 2008 6:53 pm) 1958 T-Bird -- only re-affirmes my vote as 1958 being the Waterloo of the American car industry. 71 Chevelle -- looks very decent indeed. However, you'll be one of ten thousand at an auto show. '50 Chevy -- Hmmm......reminds me of MacBeth, when he says he's in the middle of a lake of blood and whether he goes forward or retreats, it's going to be just as bad. Talon -- another "easy" bearing job? Don't these guys study Engine Rebuilding 101? You can't put a new bearing on a crankshaft throw that has just eaten a bearing. Must be removed, and either polished expertly or turned. Which means entire engine disassembly. Which means "not easy".
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Mar 02, 2008 9:19 am) I think I actually like the '66, with its taller, more finely detailed grille the best. But unfortunately in '66, they started making a lot of them with a huge rear pillar that totally eliminated the roll-down window, creating a huge blind spot. I know a true hardtop was still available, but it seems like that style wasn't too popular that year.
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