Anyone have classic cars ready for Summer cruising?

[diesirae7]

Worked all winter on my '73 Eldorado, which I bought in a non running condition. rebuilt the suspension, wheel bearings, sandblasted the wheels, new tires, all new brakes, and engine tune, carb rebuild, and fuel pump, and it started! now just to get a few holes in the floor pans repaired and new carpet, hoping to be road ready next month.

 

[warmsecondrinse]

Very impressive! Congrats!

I'm afraid I can't really tell you how I feel when I see your project. An accurate description would require moving this discussion to the Dirty Laundry forum ;-)

Jim

 

[maytag85]

Very nice! I have to get my ‘86 Chevy Camaro Z28 up and going again, but it’s rust free since it’s a California car. I do have the engine, but I have to get a manual transmission, and a couple of other odds and ends to get it up and running again

 

[rp2813]

Great job!  Are those drum brakes for the rear, I hope?

 

We sold our '64 Continental convertible about a dozen years ago.  All we have now is the never-been-touched '50 GMC half-ton, a retiree from the Bell System fleet, that my dad bought in 1960.  I just got the seats re-upholstered a few months ago.  That's about as cruise-ready as that beast is going to get!

 

 

 

[robbinsandmyers]

I just dropped $300.00 on new injector nozzles for my 1960 Mercedes-Benz 180D I've had since 1983. Like any old diesel Benz its a rock solid tank that will prob out live me. Gonna put some serious miles on it this season.

 

[arbilab]

1986 Celica still holds freon.  That's as ready for summer as it needs to be.

 

[de409]

I had my fling with old cars in college. My '00 Mercury Grand Marquis with 187k miles is my daily driver and all I mess with besides a Jeep for winter use.

Nice Eldorado by the way. Caddys and Lincolns were my thing. My first car was a '68 Coupe deVille.

 

[combo52]

1994 5Speed Plymouth Voyager-Now Chrysler

Pulled it out of the garage Sunday for first time since repainting 3 years ago, I need to put the interior back together, but it stills runs fine including the A/C.

John L.

 

[oliger]

1972 Chrysler Newport
Completely original survivor car. Owned by an old lady who died, and then it sat for 30 years. Has some minor issues, mainly the parts made of rubber. Runs and drives really smooth. Most comfortable seats I have ever sat in, completely isolated from any road feeling whatsoever.

 

[e2l-arry]

1971 Chevelle Malibu Convertible

2nd owner! I bought it in 1995. Didn't look like this at the time! Original (rebuilt) 350 engine and TH350 transmission. Restored in 2013. Painted 1971 GM Cranberry Red. Used in Corvettes, Chevelles, Novas and ahem . . . Vegas!

 

[warmsecondrinse]

Reply #8

<Gushing>... So.Coooooooooool! Mid-60's to Mid-'70's Chryslers are my Orgasmatron!!!

Cadillacs and Lincolns vie for second place.

Jim

 

[twintubdexter]

Was 1965 really that long ago?

<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #008000;">I guess here where I live the time for "Summer cruising" is now when outside temps are in the 80's/low 90's. Air conditioning or not, driving around when it's 120+ is no fun and only done out of necessity. As I continue to battle illness, I try and find time for short trips around the block. Sitting in the front seat and playing with the controls like you did as a kid in your father's car provides me some enjoyment. I'm not at the point where I put my hands on the wheel and make engine noises...yet. Please keep posting pics of your wonderful cars.</span>

[this post was last edited: 5/2/2019-17:36]

 

[48bencix]

I know I'm cheating

I owned a 1969 Pontiac GTO convertible, 1961 Cadillac Coupe de Ville, and 1980 Cadillac El Dorado. I had a 2005 Ford Mustang Convertible that I re-upholstered and re-carpeted. Now I have my 2014 Ford Mustang Convertible that has classic style without the problems.

I really love all of your cars.

 

[oliger]

warmsecondrinse #10

Thank you, I get compliments almost every time I stop somewhere. The big Chryslers have been neglected over the years and are now rarer to see than the typical '57 chevy at car shows. I absolutely love the car. It has every single option that you could get back then, except the FM radio. Everything is in perfect condition, the interior looks brand spanking new.
I remember going to buy the car, it was parked on a side street. I turned the corner where it was parked and just thinking "WOW, this thing is a tank!" It drinks 8 gallons per mile... oops, I mean miles per gallon. No kidding this beast is 4,500 pounds and 20 feet long. The road feels just like a ship crashing on the waves, no road feel whatsoever. I'm a 6 foot tall person, and I can reach as far as possible into the trunk and still not touch the end without taking my feet off of the ground.

 

[wayupnorth]

Mine is not quite ready for summer. It needs the calipers rebuilt, valve cover gaskets and a new headlight switch. But being all original from the day it came out of the Bowling Green KY plant in 1981, one of the first, thats not bad after just 49000 miles.

 

[goatfarmer]

Our pair

My wife's 1970 Mustang Mach1, and my 68 GTO HT. We've had the GTO about 26 years, the Mustang not quite 2. Not pictured is another Mustang, a 2012 Mustang "Club of America" edition.

 

[2packs4sure]

Big Red is ready !

Just have to top off the R12,, still have 40 lbs,, so all is well, and chilled..

 

[diesirae7]

Nice!

you all got some sweet rides! I also got a Chrysler garage find sitting for 30 years! 1967 New Yorker, they really are rare today, never see them! That's a nice car.

 

[warmsecondrinse]

Re #16

I had a grand aunt who had a '67 Newport $-door sedan. Loved that car.

Neighbours across the street came home one day in '73 or '74 with a '69 that looked brand new. From my perspective it was an awesome new Chrysler but was so jarringly different from the previous series that it should've had a different name, not "Newport".

 

[circlew]

Nice cars!

My neighbors the Wilson's had a 1972 Chrysler Newport in Sherwood Green. Talk about a long car, I used to tell them that when the front bumper arrived in Goshen, the back one was just leaving Blanchester! I rode in it a few times on short trips. Another neighbor, the Ledfords, had a 1967 Ford Country Sedan (Galaxies 500) that was yellow.

 

[twintubdexter]

<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">I love two-tone cars. That red & black Ford is really beautiful. The neighborhood runs a close second. Very nice.</span>

 

[justjunque]

You all have some beautiful cars!
I always thought of myself as a "car guy", but I never had the budget to really get into it.
Plus, I don't work on them myself, so maintaining an older vehicle would be expensive.
I still have a couple of poor man's "special interest" vehicles, but I've left them sitting for so long that they probably would need complete rebuilds at this point.
I have an all black 1973 Chevrolet Impala four-door sedan that I bought to try to bring back my childhood. It didn't work. So that car sat and rotted for around ten years.
Now, I gave it to a guy who got it running. We figured, in exchange for the car, he would work on my other car for me.
The other one is a 1986 Pontiac Grand Prix with the 2+2 package.
That one has been sitting in a garage for around twenty years.
I've just lost my passion for it.
I still admire beautiful cars when I see them, but I think my health issues, financial issues, and depression have taken all of the enjoyment out of owning them.
I really admire you all for keeping your vehicles up so well.
Good work, everyone!

Barry

 

[warmsecondrinse]

Re: Reply #21

"I still admire beautiful cars when I see them, but I think my health issues, financial issues, and depression have taken all of the enjoyment out of owning them.
I really admire you all for keeping your vehicles up so well.
Good work, everyone!"

That's pretty much my situation except that I kind of DID think of myself as a car guy. Never say never as lord knows I've had my life turn around on a dime with no warning whatsoever, but I can't imagine how I'd ever get the time, energy, money, and workspace together at the same time.

Best case scenario for me would be to have my daily driver and a mid-'70's Imperial, New Yorker, Newport, or Town & Country for fun.

Jim

 

[twintubdexter]

Barry,

<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #008000;">I think the type of classic car owner who does any restoration, major or minor, deserves a little more credit for their vehicle than someone like me who purchased a "finished" product. About 15 years ago I bought my neighbor's 57' Thunderbird, a car he purchased new and a model I never liked but was talked into. A car that's very easy to get new parts for, I ordered about $1,500 worth of stuff and then had the engine pulled and rebuilt. The cost was, for me, astronomical, especially for a car I hated. When I complained to the mechanic his wife said "didn't anyone ever tell you a classic car is a money pit?" The car sat in my garage for 12 years along those new parts. I gave it an occasional start. I finally had it loaded on a flatbed and sent to a "car" friend in Phoenix so he could sell it. I just didn't want to deal with it.</span>

 

<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #008000;">That Buick Wildcat in my photo was purchased just as you see it. The previous owner went to an incredible amount of work and effort especially since parts for that thing can be difficult to find. His bank account obviously was much larger than mine. The car sort of fell into my lap. I never spoke with him. I don't take credit for anything except for the car being clean. Like you I have issues...a back that needs major surgery, a left shoulder that needs replacing (left handed too) and a recent serious illness diagnosis all severely limit what I can now do. Please try and not let depression get the best of you. I always liked the 1986 Grand Prix and the similar Monte Carlo. Be happy to own one. Everyday it becomes more rare.</span>

 

<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #008000;">My very first car, a 62' Buick Electra Coupe, had the same Nailhead V8 as the Wildcat. When I open the hood (getting difficult for me) it's like seeing an old friend. We all love our first cars.</span>

 

[kevin313]

So many beautiful cars!!

I didn't realize we had so many car collectors here - how wonderful to see! I hope you all get a chance to get those beauties out on the road this summer!

Here's mine - a 1964 Dodge 440 4-door sedan. Not a particular special car, although 1964 was Dodge's 50th anniversary and there is a gold ring around the center of the steering wheel that marks this occasion. But it is a good, reliable original survivor (56,000 miles). It has the 318 V-8, push button automatic Torque Flite transmission, heater, AM radio, power steering and power brakes.

One of the reasons I've kept this car so long is that it was made here in Detroit in June of 1964...just like me ;-)

 

[warmsecondrinse]

Dodge 440

Push Button gear selector! ))

I'd love a car that had this kind of interior design yet still met today's safety standards. I'm sure that'd violate some laws of physics but it's a nice idea.

Jim

 

[combo52]

1990 Chrysler Maserati TC five speed

A very comfortable fast car, with only 5000 miles on it.

Unfortunately I’m going to lose two garage spaces this year so this one is available if someone’s interested contact me.

I also have a 1981 Chrysler imperial that needs to be sold this year I’ll try to find pictures of it

 

[cfz2882]

'81 imperial

Do you still have the original fuel injection on the imperial or was it retrofitted to carb like most were?

 

[combo52]

1981 imperial

It’s still fuel injected and it still runs fine, it had some problems with electronic fuel injection 15-20 years ago but never since.

I’ll try to find some pictures including pictures of under the hood.

John

 

[deltablu]

The convertible has been out but not with the top down yet.

The 442 hasn't snuck out of the garage quite yet. It's still been pretty chilly here.