The Craigslist/eBay/AutoTrader Thread

[Soup DeVille]

There's a difference between deep rust from salt and water and dry rust from the paint being baked off and metal being exposed to the air for decades: that stays on the surface.

This looks mostly like dry rust.

[FoMoJo]

It's in the roof and hood. Floorpans are intact. See a lot of this in California. Plus, it's complete. Engine and transmission are all there.

I was looking at this...



However, other than the bed and tailgate, the rest looks pretty solid.  A good project if you have the skill and space.

[shp4man]

I was looking at this...



However, other than the bed and tailgate, the rest looks pretty solid.  A good project if you have the skill and space.

Find another bare cab from the desert, cut out the section you need, give the farmer $100 for it, begin cutting and welding. Even the engine parts are available. There's a company in LA that specializes in rebuilding Chrysler flathead six engines.

[FoMoJo]

Find another bare cab from the desert, cut out the section you need, give the farmer $100 for it, begin cutting and welding. Even the engine parts are available. There's a company in LA that specializes in rebuilding Chrysler flathead six engines.

So once you finish this one...



You need to get one of these and fix it up...



You'll have the holy trinity of classic pickups and be the envy of every old car fart on the interwebs. 

[shp4man]

So once you finish this one...



You need to get one of these and fix it up...





You'll have the holy trinity of classic pickups and be the envy of every old car fart on the interwebs. 

40 Ford. Nice. I wish. $1800? No chance.

[AutobahnSHO]

I'm seriously seriously considering this.

https://augusta.craigslist.org/cto/d/north-augusta-2000-vw-passat-reliable/7385267227.html

It's old. It's high miles. It's cheap. Five speed. Sunroof. Cloth interior. Seems not too beat up.

I need a car to drive to work when it's not Miata weather. I don't like standard sedans, I've always liked wagons.

My number one choice would be a Bolt but it's much more money. 2nd is a Volt but that's middle more money.

Thoughts?

[Soup DeVille]

An inflammation of the badidea oblongatus

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/875243653410728/

[Payman]

This thing must be a unicorn; I've never seen one! And it has the 5.0 V8? Wow! 

https://www.facebook.com/commerce/listing/1055892268555011/?media_id=0&ref=share_attachment

[FoMoJo]

This thing must be a unicorn; I've never seen one! And it has the 5.0 V8? Wow! 

https://www.facebook.com/commerce/listing/1055892268555011/?media_id=0&ref=share_attachment

It looks really clean.  A slightly upscale Explorer.

[RomanChariot]

This thing must be a unicorn; I've never seen one! And it has the 5.0 V8? Wow! 

https://www.facebook.com/commerce/listing/1055892268555011/?media_id=0&ref=share_attachment

I can't imagine many people bought one with 2WD.

[Submariner]

I'm seriously seriously considering this.

https://augusta.craigslist.org/cto/d/north-augusta-2000-vw-passat-reliable/7385267227.html

It's old. It's high miles. It's cheap. Five speed. Sunroof. Cloth interior. Seems not too beat up.

I need a car to drive to work when it's not Miata weather. I don't like standard sedans, I've always liked wagons.

My number one choice would be a Bolt but it's much more money. 2nd is a Volt but that's middle more money.

Thoughts?

My heart says yes.  My wallet says "run".

[GoCougs]

Have been looking for cars. Have called on a few CL interests, but usually it quickly devolves into one party telling the other to "go f*ck yourself," and I am not innocent here.

I'm kinda over muscle and pony cars. Really, they were cheap cars in their day, and not great to live with. I'm not looking for a daily driver but don't want to be punished, either.

I've called on a few '60s Buick Rivieras - probably the best cars of the heyday, up there with the Toronado. Muscle car power but with luxury car ride, comfort and touches.

Also have a big thing for "fuselage" Mopars ('69-'73" slab sided battleships):

Chrysler Town and Country station wagon w/440: https://portland.craigslist.org/yam/cto/d/mcminnville-1973-chrysler-towncountry/7387412082.html



Chrysler New Yorker w/335 hp 440: https://spokane.craigslist.org/cto/d/spokane-new-yorker/7380501763.html



Chrysler Newport w/2 bbl 400: https://pullman.craigslist.org/cto/d/pullman-1973-chrysler-newport/7383260729.html



Love full-size GM sedans. Here's a rare 2dr hardtop (i.e., no b pillar) with leather. Has the enviable 455 Buick. Thing is these cars are not as good as their predecessors (built through '70): https://skagit.craigslist.org/ctd/d/mount-vernon-1972-buick-lesabre/7379918423.html

[GoCougs]

What would you guys choose? That wagon is sweet, but if the New Yorker (mid range model) was a Lebaron (top range, with the more powerful 440 and other touches) I'd be all over that.

[Soup DeVille]

Wagons are cool, that one would be hard to pass up.

[GoCougs]

3.55:1 posi + warm up the 440 in that wagon and that would be an even more interesting vehicle.

[Rich]

The New Yorker.

[CaminoRacer]

I like the Buick the most.

But I like the big Ford coupes the most. 1969 Ford Torino or a mid-60s Galaxie 500

[shp4man]

I'd go look at and drive the New Yorker. If it was acceptable,  offer $2500 and see what happens.

[AutobahnSHO]

This is pretty close to my "spend too much" dream car:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/124918134257

It's the same color with most of the features of my 91 SHO I bought (and died) in Germany. Missing the rear trunk spoiler, rod shifter instead of cable, black parts painted the body color (like the gen2 Taurus SHO), and 10disc CD changer in the trunk. It has the proper wheels and hood. I don't care for the intake color.  I'm ok with the interior, though mine was tan.

This would be a serious money pit and make me smile every time I turn the key...

[GoCougs]

Trying to put together a plan. Thing is these cars, and many, are usually a 3-4 hour drive a way, and I'm not sure I'd trust a 50+ year old car on the drive home, especially since there are mountain passes. So, that means coordinating a tow, which is a PITA if I get there, and turns out I don't want the car. Working on it...

Anyway, in doing more research, though most all of the major mechanical parts seem to be available (brakes, suspension, engine stuff of course), a lot isn't. For example, these old Chryslers had auto temp control (yes, really) but the module is not available as a new part. There are hobbyists that will refurbish them, or one might get lucky at a junk yard. Wash, rinse, repeat for a bunch of stuff, esp. the unexciting, like interior carpet, trim and dash components. Even something like a window might be sketch. That's at least the advantage with a Charger, Camaro or Mustang or w/e - at this point I'm convinced once could probably build an entire such car down to every last relay and bolt from purchased parts.

[JWC]

Try it. Road adventure!!!

I drove a $50 1960 Dodge wagon from Livermore CA to Menlo Park Ca. It had a blown head gasket and spewed white smoke continuously from the tailpipe. I found out on the freeway that the car's brakes were metal-to-metal. It had not had an oil change in ten years. SOB's slant six made it though. I parked at the apartment's lot and never drove it again. My uncle came and got the car and the title and drove it onto the scales at the salvage yard in Belmont---two months later. Didn't even have to jump start it. The salvage yard gave him $75 bucks for the car.

[CaminoRacer]

I borrowed a truck and rented a U-haul trailer to bring my El Camino home (Dayton to Cincinnati)

[Laconian]

Chimp brought his Miata from Seattle to Ohio.

[shp4man]

Trying to put together a plan. Thing is these cars, and many, are usually a 3-4 hour drive a way, and I'm not sure I'd trust a 50+ year old car on the drive home, especially since there are mountain passes. So, that means coordinating a tow, which is a PITA if I get there, and turns out I don't want the car. Working on it...

Anyway, in doing more research, though most all of the major mechanical parts seem to be available (brakes, suspension, engine stuff of course), a lot isn't. For example, these old Chryslers had auto temp control (yes, really) but the module is not available as a new part. There are hobbyists that will refurbish them, or one might get lucky at a junk yard. Wash, rinse, repeat for a bunch of stuff, esp. the unexciting, like interior carpet, trim and dash components. Even something like a window might be sketch. That's at least the advantage with a Charger, Camaro or Mustang or w/e - at this point I'm convinced once could probably build an entire such car down to every last relay and bolt from purchased parts.

It's true about the auto temp control and actuators. The Newport is less likely to have it, but it's not as cool as the New Yorker. That's one reason I like trucks, the interior is sheet metal and no fancy, obsolete options.

[CaminoRacer]

Chimp brought his Miata from Seattle to Ohio.

I've driven the El Camino across the country multiple times, but only after I had a chance to work on it and make it reliable.

[GoCougs]

I've had many adventures in many old/shitty cars. Hard pass .

The wagon has the temp module. New Yorker can't quite tell. Newport not sure. That's just an example of potential fiddly bits. Might be manageable though - lots of Mopar weirdos out there. Also not really looking to restore a museum piece. Something to tinker with, if needed fix stuff that doesn't work or is ugly/worn out, maybe light mods, the latter of which of course centered on better burnouts (steeper gears, posi, light engine mods (cam, maybe head work)).

[JWC]

I'll never worry about paint and dents on an old VW again. I redid them with the intent of them being pristine as well as driveable. I think it is more useful to make them safe and mechanically sound, driver the heck out of it.

[veeman]

I love the brown Buick sedan. 

[GoCougs]

The Buick's brown leather interior is sweet - much more inviting than the typical Chrysler of the time. A bit of work on that 455 and some 3.23:1 gears and she would scoot on down the road real nice like. That car is much closer - maybe an hour a way w/out traffic.

[JWC]

The Buick's nice, but I would still prefer the wagon.  I've always had a thing for "station wagons".