I need help on a1958 Yeoman 2dr wagon

I was very forunate today to acidently stumble across a 1958 chevy yeoman wagon. I hope I spelled it right. The cat is originally from utah and is very sold in the outside, but needs some floor pans replaced. One side glass, back seat, motor and trany are missing. All chrome and bumpers are in very good shape. What is a fair offer and what are thes worth? How rare are they cause I have never seen one. the original paint was on the door and had writing that said US GOVERNMENT somthin. I will try to post pics later. I wrote the numbers down and got the following info
Body# CL4464
Trim -801
Paint -SPL
ACC-SPL FWS
Thanks

 

They are pretty rare but dont normaly sell for alot compared to a 58 impala. Ive had one and it was cool. Value on anything is what some one else or you will think is fair to pay.

 

Can you send some pics? Are you buying it or plan on flipping it?

 

They were damn rare--I was told they came from Ca. plants only.I had one for about 5 years back in the early 70's--never seen another one .

 

I think they are in the category of "rare but not particularly valuable". Govt. vehicles were often no-option "strippers" with no options, sometimes not even AM radio. The 'SPL' paint might be US Govt. Grey, a cheap flat gray. Just guessing here, but motor was probably a 6 speed, with 3 on the tree.

1958s are worth considerably less than 1955-57s. I'd think that if you wanted to build it, $500 - $1500 in that condition would be about right, it's a ton of work and replacement panels you would probably need to make, not buy. Is the missing glass flat or curved?

 

Wagons are popular. All wagons are popular. Even '58's. This adds a bit of value even to a plain-jane kind of car. And like any station wagon wagon, wagon specific parts will be very hard to find.

 

It'd make a very cool parts hauler...build it.

 

pic's will help narrow things but any 2dr wgn. is usually worth purchasing.

 

ANY two-door wagon is going to worth something as a builder to a resto candidate. That government '58 you have could've been nearly anything - USAF (blue or blue/white roof)), USN (gray or white), USA (OD green or a lighter green), or US Forestry Dept (FS turquoise green/white), or any of a number of other SPL colors. Not all government-ordered cars/trucks were painted in a "cheap, flat gray" or other flats, as what was implied above. They were delivered as any other customer car was - in a gloss paint job (unless otherwisse specified). Even OD on an Army pickup or staff car was probably a glossy OD green (dark green). I sure as hell drove a LOT of glossy blue and OD green vehicles while I was in the AF. Only "flat" painted vehicles I ever drove were 6x6 and 6x4 Deuce-and-a-halfs and five-ton trucks!

You say it came from Utah originally. It might have been a US Atomic Energy Commission car. Other possibilities are from the Tooele Army Depot, south of Bonneville; or Hill AFB. It would be neat to find out the actual history of the car.

I'd say if it's in any kind of shape at all, BUILD IT!

My '56 Plymouth wagon, pictured below:

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/album.php?albumid=1188&pictureid=147594

 

Front and rear floor panels are the same as any other 58 chevy car, and are available repro, however everything from the rear seat back will need to be fabricated I believe. Not sure how easy it would be to find a back seat. In today's market, it would have to be pretty nice for me to offer any more than 1000. from the way you describe it. And that would be with a good title, and a solid rear gate.
Gotta agree with a previous remark, rare doesn't always translate into valuable.

 

If it is a govt. car it could be a window delivery. Check the VIN and maybe post it on www.chevytalk.com in thier 58 section and I am sure someone will know what it is.

Forgot to add. One way to know if it is a Delivery is to check the tailgate. If it is a 1 piece door that opens upward then its a delivery.

 

if it has windows and is a goverment car good chanc its a old forest service vehicle that was used for fire watch. keep us posted and lets see it.

 

Sounds like a good find. I paid $600 for mine way back in the 80's, and it needed everything, but was complete. 283 powerglide with a/c and an am radio. Vinyl everywhere inside (gone). All the side glass is flat, w/s is same as sedans, different than Impala's. Of course, rear liftgate glass is curved. I bought a new w/s for mine in the 90's when I cracked mine on installation.

The tail light housings look the same as Impala, but they are different; much deeper. The upper trim on the rear quarter may be the same as any 2 door, but the trim around the tail lights is wagon only. The front doors aren't the same as a 2door sedan, either, plus the inside window trim is different. Finding a rear seat shouldn't be too hard, as all the wagons should be the same.

True, they won't be as valuable as a tri-five, but mine sure attracts alot of attention when I used to take it to the shows. People like to see something different, not rows and rows of the same thing.

BTW, there were almost 17,000 built for '58.

 

A guy had a nice black one in Wayzata mn. in the 70's . Small block with a four speed. Really a nice car. Would love to find one.

 

A friend sent me a heads-up about this thread so I could chime in. Of 'course I got to it thinking, okay I'll straighten these boys out... I know about these cars.... well, I guess you guys do to! Nothing inaccurate above. As for Chevy's 2 door "Forest Service wagons" (sold to many branches of the government): full glass like the Yeoman, but sedan delivery one piece rear (lift)gates. If I remember correctly about 7000 were built in 58. Some had back seats, some not. Built in Oakland(?) as I recall.
Side glass is all flat. Windshields (shared with all 58 cars) always on eBay...backseats occassionally...got one there, and saw one not too long ago. Many mechanical and most all suspension parts are the same '58 thru late 60s & early 70s....so that's a plus.
As for value...as others have also mentioned...'58's aren't that loved...unless you can afford a pristine Impala convertible. You oughta be able to get what you're describing for less than 1500.
In my seldom-to-be-humble opinion, '58 was the ugliest model year ever for Chevy, and come to think of it every other mfg too! Hey wait... I'm a '58 model....damn! It was an ugly year.

 

I do believe that the windshields from Impala hardtops/converts will be different; lower roofline. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

 

You are correct the Impala windshield is different.

 

I love '58 Chevys! AND '58 Chryslers, and Dodges, and Plymouths...! Who says the '58s are ugly?

 

No shit!? I'll be damned. Thanks!

 

I had one about 20 years ago that a friend gave me. (Very easy to work on. It had been dead in his driveway for years. I fooled with it for a few hours and drove it home.)

It was in descent shape with 283, 3-on-the-tree, two-tone ivory over bronze, whitewalls, radio and heater. Got it for nothing and later sold it too cheap. Neat car although they handle like crap. Sorry, I never got pictures of that one.

I like that it's a former government vehicle. I've got a thing for ex-agency rolling stock. Perhaps an Atomic Energy Commission, USAF from Dugway Proving Grounds or Strategic Air Command. The possibilities are fascinating if you like cold war history.

 

A good pal of mine has one. Cool car, his is white, low with a nice rake, 348 and about 500 louvers on the hood.

 

Here are some pics...It was dark and I didnt want to seem too excited snappin shots:^) It does have a 1 pc tail gate. It reads US GOVERNMENT INTERAGENCY MOTOR POOL. I'll proly start at 2500 and go to 3 after talking to the owner today. He's gotta 4dr wagon and a LT1 mtr and tranny, forgot to ask what kind hearing him tell what all he had.

 

That's a windowed sedan delivery you have there. Neat car! I'd pick that little puppy up!

 

I've got this one

And I saw a yeoman @ swap meet last year for $3500 with a louvered hood and needed no floors, that was a good deal, should have picked it up.

 

SPL (more than likely simply means special) for the paint code probably refers to any non standard for the year paint, and this would include the specific paints used by various government agencies.

With the possible exception of the four door hardtop Buick and Oldsmobile wagons, GM wagons almost always used windshields from the two and four door sedan bodies they were based on. This even includes 55 through 57 Nomad/Safaris which used windshields and doors from the two door sedan although the doors did have the window frames chopped off at the beltline, and used a hardtop style door glass, ventipane frame, and special moulding to cover the base of the sedan door window frame left after the posts were chopped off.

Ugly duckling or not, the damn thing's still 62 years old. It still uses a modern style chassis, and it sounds like everything you need for it should be fairly easy to find, and not all that expensive. If you can get it for anything close to reasonable, go for it!

 

VERY cool car, IMHO. Wagons are always good, 2 doors are always MUCH better, and sedan deliveries are the best!

 

The one thing I learned early in this game is to Never, Ever, Ever make the first offer. Ask him what he thinks it's worth. He'll throw the ball back at you and say something like "You tell me". Then you say "Well, it needs alot of work and time and money to put it back on the road...And I really don't have alot of money..."What do you think is Fair ?"

When you use the word "Fair" sometimes it will bring a person with a conscience back to reality, and that will help to bring the price into a more realistic area. As far as pricing, I'm a dinosaur that is stuck in the 70's.. my bid is $800.

 

I asked a guy once how much he wanted for a car, and he came back with "How much will you give me?" I told him he was the seller, not me. Can't remember if I bought the car or not.