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Jun 26, 2019 20:39:25 GMT
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With respect to the first car there are bound to be better cars out there. Then again I suppose it depends on what you want from it. If it's to make safe and usable whilst retaining its patina, then remember that the US is a BIG place - there will always be a better one in the next town. Personally I'd buy as structurally sound an example as I could  Totally agree with best car for cash. Personally don't mind 4 or 2 door. But of course 2 doors resell best. |
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Jun 26, 2019 20:40:32 GMT
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   Personally think I prefer this one. Still looking. |
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Jun 26, 2019 20:43:30 GMT
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If nothing else, at least there's a massive amount of parts support and knowledge available for these cars, from factory restorations to a lay-frame lowrider.
However, if you want to MoT and drive, you're probably looking in the 4 grand range- you figure my car was around that price and is also GM A-Body- looks nice but got some headache items to work through. No show-stoppers but still requiring a bit of wrench time.
You may do okay looking in the Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky areas- real car-nut states but the climate isn't quite so poor on cars up there. Still got rot to contend with but the daily temperatures and sun just isn't the same as way down south or out in the dessicated areas (TX, AZ, NM etc.), also there seems to be less of a drive-it-until-the-wheels-fall-off attitude up there, with more cars being parked in a garage at 15 years old and just sitting there, rather than being driven until they quit running any more and then being left in a field.
--Phil
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I like the last one much more than the first one. The first one has painted bumpers, silly wheels and rust. The second one looks
more solid.
However you are going to the land of these cars soon. Buy one when you there, drive it there during your holidays and ship it home after. This will give you the time to find out what is wrong etc. Parts are there cheaper then at home and easy to get.
Good luck
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retrolegends
Club Retro Rides Member
Winging it.....Since 1971.
Posts: 3,726
Club RR Member Number: 94
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1974 Hillman Avenger 1500DL1992 Volvo 240SE1975 Datsun Cherry 100a flying custard1965 Hillman SuperMinx Rock N Roller1974 Austin Allegrat Mk1 1.3SDL1980 Austin Allegro Mk3 1.3L1982 Austin Allegro Mk3 on banded steels2003 Saab 9-3 Convertible 220bhp TurboNutter1966 Morris Minor 1000 (Doris) 2019 Abarth 595C Turismo (not retro but awesome fun) www.facebook.com/DatsunCherry100a |
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Go with the Chebby. Big fan of the 53 & 54's!! Well I did have one of each.   Although they do attract the rust worm!!   But polish up ok.   |
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Jun 27, 2019 12:55:40 GMT
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You know what's funny- it must be a design thing but my floor pan has gone in the same place. The lower of the two body mounts (the one on the outrigger) is sound, but the one that bolts directly to the frame has turned to air... the bottom of the A pillars have gone in the same way too.
--Phil
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Jun 27, 2019 15:23:08 GMT
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Jun 27, 2019 15:34:04 GMT
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this.....  ......and drop it straight off at that nice mr grenades chassis swap emporium with the instruction..make it low! |
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'80 s1 924 turbo..hibernating
'80 golf gli cabriolet...doing impression of a skip
'97 pug 106 commuter...continuing cheapness making me smile!
firm believer in the k.i.s.s and f.i.s.h principles.
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Jun 27, 2019 15:46:07 GMT
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First one.. will be beaten to bits and everything mechanical on it will need repair or replacement. The interior will be trash, too. Second one for the money is a rotbox.. I would dump that into "walk away" Third one- the $1500 more than the bummed out surfwagon is what you'd pour into it just trying to tidy it up- v8 conversion in one of these doesn't hurt it, guarantee it'll be small block chevy so whatever they did to it that it doesn't run can be rectified. LA is also pretty dry so everything should be moderately well preserved. Third one is dull, plain and moderately uninspiring but gets my vote from those three choices as the most sound base. It's been outside in the sun, you can see that by the light lenses- the reversing lights are gone as are the turn signals (the red pmma seems to fare better than the clear). Hood badge is new, don't let that fool you. Windscreen is newer than the rest of the glass and the wrong color- it's blue and the rest is clear glass but eh, at least it's not cracked. Headlining's gone (it IS L.A., after all) and that's not the original paint by any money.. but the fact it's been painted looks to have helped. It's definitely been bad at some point because the bumpers tell that story... It's also at a major port city so shipping is not bad. Keep looking though, that one's "modified" by someone who might know one end of a spanner from the other... |
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Last Edit: Jun 27, 2019 15:53:41 GMT by PhilA
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Jun 27, 2019 15:47:51 GMT
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Jun 27, 2019 16:34:05 GMT
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First one.. will be beaten to bits and everything mechanical on it will need repair or replacement. The interior will be trash, too. Second one for the money is a rotbox.. I would dump that into "walk away" Third one- the $1500 more than the bummed out surfwagon is what you'd pour into it just trying to tidy it up- v8 conversion in one of these doesn't hurt it, guarantee it'll be small block chevy so whatever they did to it that it doesn't run can be rectified. LA is also pretty dry so everything should be moderately well preserved. Third one is dull, plain and moderately uninspiring but gets my vote from those three choices as the most sound base. It's been outside in the sun, you can see that by the light lenses- the reversing lights are gone as are the turn signals (the red pmma seems to fare better than the clear). Hood badge is new, don't let that fool you. Windscreen is newer than the rest of the glass and the wrong color- it's blue and the rest is clear glass but eh, at least it's not cracked. Headlining's gone (it IS L.A., after all) and that's not the original paint by any money.. but the fact it's been painted looks to have helped. It's definitely been bad at some point because the bumpers tell that story... It's also at a major port city so shipping is not bad. Keep looking though, that one's "modified" by someone who might know one end of a spanner from the other... Excellent review Phil. Thank you I doubt any of these would fit my budget. Lust list yes. |
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Jun 27, 2019 16:36:44 GMT
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Thank you for your posting I love the Fleetlines. But thats way away from what I would have I love chrome. |
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Jun 27, 2019 17:22:16 GMT
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Excellent review Phil. Thank you I doubt any of these would fit my budget. Lust list yes. Nothing wrong with that! |
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Jun 27, 2019 20:55:18 GMT
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Some more pics from Oklahoma. The other side now.  There are some disturbing photos, but I still feel that this car has appeal to me. Polishing turds makes me happy. Power Glide badging on the rear.   Motorvation.  Floors, or at least what’s left of them Weirdly, doors, fenders etc are good.   Yup, you can see the past down there, or is it the floor?? Spare wheel well..  And chassis.  Rust look a bit scary?? By the way, the seats are only the spring structures now. Mate Andy has offered to weld in the replacement floor panels for me at no charge. Does it still look as bad ??  |
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Last Edit: Jun 27, 2019 20:59:57 GMT by grizz
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Jun 27, 2019 20:58:02 GMT
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Excellent review Phil. Thank you I doubt any of these would fit my budget. Lust list yes. Nothing wrong with that! Wrote you a long PM Phil, then the iPad deleted it all. So decided to just post it all up on here. |
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Jun 27, 2019 21:00:39 GMT
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Jun 27, 2019 21:00:40 GMT
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pics not working grizz...
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'80 s1 924 turbo..hibernating
'80 golf gli cabriolet...doing impression of a skip
'97 pug 106 commuter...continuing cheapness making me smile!
firm believer in the k.i.s.s and f.i.s.h principles.
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Jun 27, 2019 21:02:38 GMT
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Same here mate.
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Jun 27, 2019 21:09:34 GMT
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I think it's good open to debate actually.
Looks like it's been parked with a side to the rain with the carpet still in; it's gone on all the low spots which means the chassis should be sound- there's nothing under there for it to drip on, the chassis is further inboard.
There really isn't anything complicated about the structure of the floor pan, pretty standard Fisher stuff. What's left looks to be pretty thin but where it's not been wet still has a fair bit of the original paint on.
Expect it to leak worse than a series Landy. Just because it runs doesn't mean it's knocking it's bottom end off harder than a five dollar hooker, though. That's often overlooked. I forget if the '54 6 was full pressure lubrication?
If it were closer I would go have a poke at it for you..
Phil
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