Hot Rods What's a 52 fleetline worth

We will be waiting with bated breath until you get home tomorrow evening and let us know what transpired. Hope you get it!

 

Being once from Pa. That sucker could be rust from one end to the other. I worked for the Park service up there and we maintained about a hundred miles of road and I know how much salt they use.
We had 3 year old trucks that I had to weld floors in.
I hope when he puts it on a lift it doesn't break in half. There are some really good mud slingers up there.
I bought my Avatar Morris Minor from S.C. and after digging around in the car found some old registrations from Mo. and everything inside of the rockers from the front to the back was rusted out, but I didn't care because I was replacing everything anyway. Even the original suspension mounting points were rusted out.

 

Well just got home from looking at the car. Car was originally blue at one point now black, upholstery was in really nice shape front floor pans were the worst and inner rockers rest of car was very solid, underneath was pretty clean as well a couple body mounts needed attention but nothing that would scare me. I stepped away because the original vin plate in the door jam is missing and below that is a NC sticker with a vin along with another on the fire wall, title matches that vin but still unsettling with me, car definitely would run tho I'm guessing a condenser because it wasnt getting a spark, trunk pan was solid for the most part 2 small quarter size holes, really torn with the whole vin deal tho

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Sounds to me like you did the right thing.
If you have any reservations now is the time to address them not after you hand over the $$.
Keep looking one will pop up just when you least suspect it

 

I'm with Moriarity about the state issued ID plate. As I am always looking for the bad in people I would check with the nice folks at the DMV in your state and see what they require for registration before you buy it with what the seller has--your state may not like it.

Price? I would like to be at about 3K because of the rust. I hate rust repair as it is expensive, time consuming and the fact that there is always more than you can see.

My dad had a strange idea of buying cars. He figured that if a car was still for sale it must be too much money. He didn't buy a lot of cars but what he did buy was cheap.

 

He was dead set firm on 4250 so another reason I stepped away

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Maybe I’m crazy but $4250 sounds like a decent price for a 2 dr fleet in that kind of shape. I am in California and I’m sure it’d get snatched up pretty quick out here for that price.

 

OP is looking at it the right way, I have a feeling (may be wrong) but this isn't his "Dream Car". No reason to buy it unless completely comfortable with everything, including the price.

 

Man im in the good deal if the title isnt bullshit mindset. It would sell quick here in North Texas at that price.

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I can understand a buyer having second thoughts. But, also understand that the plate on the door jamb is not the VIN plate. It is a serial number that describes the car and where it was built. The original numbers used for the VIN on the 50s Chevys were the numbers on the engine block. I do also know that the door jamb plate is used more often than not to register these Chevys. If the NC Carolina DMV or other official State authority searched the car and found it safe to retag VIN numbers on it, well that should be fine with any other state authority. You can bet the majority of the 49 to 54 Chevys out there don't still have their original engines anymore. I have two registered and currently on the road in Ct. My Hard Top has the door jamb used as the VIN as the original engine was swapped long before it came from New York. It was registered there with a totally different number. New York had placed a decal on the windshield with their issued number. My local DMV chose to use the door jamb plate. My Convertible has a Ct DMV issued VIN number. That car gave the inspector pause as he did not like the way the original door jamb plate was mounted. Those plates have been found to be either riveted, spot welded or actually screwed with the early torque type screws found on these cars. So they decided to charge me an extra fee and took nearly a month to search that car. They found nothing suspect and issued the new number. That Fleetline sounds like a pretty solid car with nothing more than the usual rust issues found on them. The floor pans and braces are available today. If there are any second thoughts about the VIN being the only issue, as has been suggested, check with your DMV to see if the new VIN is accepted. Just in case, and after a little time you may still have an interest in it.

 

5 to 7K in the mid-west , 10 to 15K on the west coast.

 

You think I should go fourth with the car, I didn't realize the state issue vin was such a common thing that's what my main concern was. Hate to put money into something that wasnt legit, also didnt realize it's not really the "vin" but a serial number

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There is lots of confusion with the VIN terminology. The actual "vehicle identification number" is a 17 digit sequence comprised of letters and numbers. That numbering system started in 1981.

Prior to 1981 there were varying forms of identification all referred to as VINs but, by definition, were not. They can be correctly referred to as an ID number, body number, serial number, engine number, etc. The upshot is that no pre-1981 vehicle has a VIN unless it has been issued by a state for various reasons. If it is issued by a state it will have 17 characters in the form of a VIN.

Older vehicles were often titled by the engine number. The problem arises when someone has changed engines and has not done the proper paperwork with the state DMV. So if you buy a vehicle with a title for an engine that is no longer there then you have bought a parts car and a piece of paper. Sometimes older vehicles have a number on the frame or firewall or door jamb or even the glove box but it is not a true VIN. The paperwork should match one of the numbers or you are in the same boat. Be especially aware of the ads that offer vehicles for sale with only a bill of sale. As I understand it it is possible to obtain a title in some states. Personally, I always avoid these. Some states are not "title" states due to the age or other reasons to add to the confusion.

If your state likes the paperwork on your proposed vehicle AND it matches some number on the vehicle you are probably OK. It is always a crap shoot but you can minimize your problems if you know what to look for.

 

To be sure, I would see what my local DMV has to say about it. That car seems to have some history so it shouldn't be hard to have someone in authority search it. If it was good to register in the last state I would think that alone should be fine for the next state. Now a days, all the states are always on the lookout for more revenue. That car is probably a safe bet to be registered again. I am guessing the original engine is gone? That must be why NC issued a new VIN?

 

I am in favor of doing things that stand up to the ‘legal requirements’......for the most part.

That said, I clearly recall the late ‘50s when I was an adolescent hanging around a repair garage. They often overhauled engines in place in one day in some cases, and in others they replaced the original engine with an exchange remanufactured unit. In the latter case, they ground off the original engine number on the reman and stamped in the number of the engine just removed. Thereby keeping the numbers consistent with the registration.

Not saying that was entirely kosher from a legal point of view, but then again, neither was there any criminal intent. It was merely an expedient to eliminate an unnecessary potential problem. Can’t have been the only shop in America that utilized that procedure.

Ray

 

Couldn’t you take a copy of the title with some digital pictures of the car and of what is supposed to be the vin code and ask your local DMV office if you could potentially gain registration?
Here in Canada we have Provinces instead of States. When a old car in our Province for whatever reason no longer has a viable vin- either the car no longer has a tag or the paperwork is long gone. You can apply to the province for a new vin and registration.

The problem is the Province does a thorough search of the vehicles past owners and they can contact the previous owner or family and ask them if they have any interest in the car - they can therefore have more legal right to the car than you.
But if a car already has a Province assigned vin tag affixed to the car and the tag numbers match the registration papers you can go ahead and transfer the car into your name.

 

guess im digging up the dead , but for 5k that would have been mine !! in ca. if its not on file ,and after 10 yrs of inactive .they drop off ,file a statement of facts and get a title !! i just paid 15k for a 52 fleetline - not running . perfect body, paint, interior. fleetlines are sooooo cool !!