I've been lusting for a 59 Chevy for quite some time now. I just got off the phone with a seller that's about an hour away from me that acts like he wants to trade for my 72 K10. I can't go tonight to check it out, but tomorrow is looking promising...So, Aside from obvious rust and anything that looks jury rigged, what are typical issues for a car like this? Thanks!
What body type? The main one for all of them is rust on the rockers and near the rear window corners.
The x frames were a bit of a bad design. They would rust out and break between the back of the car and above the rear axle. depending on the bodystyle this could make or break the car. I know 4door hardtop bodys got weak while a sedan will hold itself together. See if you can see on my old 60 chevy. lookn at the body /trim line running down the car. see how the door looks crooked?this car actually had the rear half ripping off. when I drove down the street youd see the fins bouncing up and down in the rear view mirror Good luck.
Sorry, It's a 2dr Biscayne. The guy who has it is a dealer who just took it in on trade. He doesn't really know anything about the car, mostly deals in Camaros/novas/chevelles. Anyone recognize it??
Just check that bad boy for rust. From the trunk pan to the floors. Outside of that, I like the sound of the trade....granted the '59 is a TWO door. Just saw your pics......be still my heart. I dig it "brother". I've had my biscuit for almost 20 years.
looks like a fairly clean car... be carefull. bring a fridge magnet and spend a lot of time underneath it
The seller claims he's had it up on a lift and will put it up so I can inspect it. Says he see no signs of rust or damage...Of course he is trying to sell a car.
It's OT...but you asked. Here's my trading stock. It's a factory shortbed 4x4. There were only 6069 of them built in 72. I've gotten to where I seldom drive it.
It has a two-piece driveshaft with a bearing support up in the X of the frame. Wiggle it to see if the bearing support has excess play in it. They are a bitch to change.
Looks like a Bel Air.. But I love the 2dr sedans all the same. I bought an El Camino 2.5 monthes ago. Parked next to it was a nice 2dr Bel Air, The owner planned on using it to resurrect a convertible in the future..
Behind the rear wheels-stuff (and water) would get in there fron the trunk and rot out the lower rears. Pretty good looking car. Looks like a good deal. You ought to be able to get some boot on this deal-them country boys looove those 4x4s. White is a nice color, but savvy folk will use it because it hides damage. Look close.
I like the truck AND the '59. Wish I had the cash, I'd solve your dilemma and buy your truck! That is sharp as hell!
That truck may be OT but it is NICE! I think it is worth more than the car so I hope the 59 is rock solid and the one you want.
Check the build on it. What I noticed is northern cars in the salt states will have more rust on one side than the other if they were single exhaust. The side with the pipe would melt away the worst of the snow from collecting under it, the other side it would build up and stick and as a result I remember a couple '60 Pontiacs in one yard you could stand inside the trunks on the right side where the frame rail was supposed to be. Really the X-frame cars the frame rusts worst the last flat section behind the axle, and sometimes around the trailing arm mounts. In '58 Chevys I've seen some rot under the cowl, too. If that car's always been in the south, I wouldn't worry too much about frame issues. But the floor tubs, rockers, lower fenders and up the side braces, the headlight eyebrows, sometimes the edge of the fender along the hood opening, and the lower quarters are what tend to rot first on them. I still have some vintage patch panels for the eyebrow area, it must have been a super common rot spot. I'd figure if it has an oddball build to check it closer, if it was built in Atlanta or a southern plant, not so much. And with a trade, you should look at it dollar for dollar - what's your truck worth on the market? What's a similar '59 Chevy sell for? I wouldn't even know without checking eBay and Hemmings and an Old Cars Price Guide, one of the ones that covers trucks too.
The VIN on the 59 starts with an "A" which means it was originaly a 6cyl Biscayne (if my sources are correct). I haven't seen it yet in person but he's already told me it's not "show". It's supposedly super solid and straight. As mentioned previously he took it in on a trade. This guy deals with a lot of cars but he said it's only the second 59 he's had. Everything sounds like it's unaltered....aside from the V8 conversion with the 2-4s and the 4 speed. Seller is fishing at about 20K... I realize he's a dealer and in the business to make money, not just to trade cars for the sake of trading them around. If he's wanting 20K I'm guessing it's a 17-18K car (or a puttied up shitbox that's not worth the paint that's sprayed on it.) The truck....I've owned it for close to 13 years. Every panel on it aside from the hood and roof has been repaired or replaced. The trip through the body shop ran me right at 10K but the truck reflects that. I've got receipts that total in the 30K range for the truck but realisticly it's a 20-25K pickup.(20K quick sale-25K sit on it and wait out the right buyer). I hardly ever drive it anymore, it's just taking up space. The seller already had someone heading in to check it out when I called. If they back out he's supposed to call me tomorrow. If this deal doesn't pan out it's not a total loss...at least you guys have given me some insight for the next one that shows up! Just went back and looked at another pic showing a Missouri decal on the glass...looks to be a good bit of overspray on the rubbers....might not be anywhere near a 20K car.
Well...One of the reasons I didn't get to check out this car yesterday was that the seller already had someone on his way to look at it. He was going to give me a shout if that deal didn't pan out. He removed his ad for the car last night....There'll be another show up sooner or later. Thanks guys!
X2 on the magnet thing, bottom of front fenders, rear lower quarters, rockers, under the headlights, etc. Get it up on a lift if possible. It does look like a clean car though, hope the deal works for you. Bob
Looks like it's a moot point now, if he sold the car. I'm always suspicious of mis-aligned trim. It looks like the driver's side quarter (or door) may have had some work at one time. A good time to check to see if that quarter has been replaced and if any frame damage is apparent. Usually the door trim will sit a little low if hinges are weak. In this case it looks like the door trim sits a little higher than the quarter trim. Just something to think about. Like you've already mentioned, the overspray on the rubber tells me it has received a less than professional paint job at some point. If that is the case, what else may have been done half-assed? Keep your truck and keep looking. I don't perceive this to be a $20K car. IMHO.
I've been piecing together a 59 chevy 2 door ht for a few years now, and what I've learned is that there's not a whole lot of parts cars still out there and very little is repopped. I keep telling myself that it'll all be worth it when its done, but man this thing is a money pit.
I think you are wise to be patient and calm. The time to get excited about a car is AFTER you get home. Don't jump head-first into a butt-kickin.
While it now might be moot, the trim on that 59 is definitely Bel Air. While it is possible someone changed everything (including adding drip rail chrome) if the VIN starts with "A" it would warrant further investigation.
I had a brand new '59 Impala, so new that it was still attracting attention. While pumping gas one night another customer came over and informed me that '59s weren't allowed on the Pennsylvania Turnpike because of the fins. "Above 60 mph the rear end comes off the ground." So watch out for those fins.....
Hah!!!! I've heard many stories about the rear ends of these cars lifting while racing, and always wondered if it were true, Well let me tell you.... I finally found out while on the expressway.... As heavy as these old chevys are, when I got passed by some tractor trailors, my 59 would start rocking from the air currents!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I remember street racing back in around '77 or so with me and my friend in his '59 Impala with a 348, running against a '69 Chevelle SS 396. I guarantee we got over 110 mph, and that car rode just fine! Plus, they ran in NA$CAR back in the day at 140+ mph, so the PA turnpike idiots knew zip about them!!! Too much fun! There are better '59 and '60 Chevys that you can trade for for that money. It's likely a good thing for you that the car in question sold. Patience has its rewards.
That's a Bel Air! Remember, this is a 1 year only car, so there aren't a lot of patch panel or replacement fenders available
The 60 Buick was worse because of the mini-fins on the front fenders. My gramps was a bit of a speed demon and riding in that car was interesting at speeds over 100.
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