looking at trading a 1954 case tractor for a 1951 Chevrolet, I haven't looked at it yet but wondering if the trade sounds good or not, I have my tractor for sale at $1500 and he has car listed at $1950 and has two pictures and the following description on ad: 1951 Chevy, ready for Symco or the PBR run. Made in Janesville, WI Runs and drives well, clean new WI title. new brakes, fresh carb sonic clean and rebuild. Just set the valve lash. 6volt straight 6 with column manual 3 speed. Interior is made of serape blankets, floors are bare, body was rough. Bodywork 95% complete. Finishing slowly as work schedule allows. Asking $1950, possible trades He also sent me this message: The Chevy has a good frame and very good running gear, the body has a lot of bondo, very much a 'rat rod' don't know if you'd still be interested. Now forgetting the rat-rod comment, I am not too worried about alot of bondo yet, as if it is drivable and I can work on the body while still putting miles on the car, is this a good trade possibility or am I wasting my time even going to look at the car. I think if I get the car, keeping it mostly stock would be my preferred option. I really don't use the tractor at all, just got it in a trade for a motorcycle that I could not get to run right. So any thoughts on what to look for or if I should just pass? The more doors does not bother me in the slightest, I have grandkids that I would like to cruise with and the extra doors would come in handy.
Yep: if it is dependable transportation I'd say it was a good trade. If it was a two door it would be even more tempting. Tim
PASS 4dr..Rough Body...Lots of Bondo...Blanket seats...Bare? Floors... You can find a much more desirable car for that $$$ if you look around. IMHO the tractor is sooo much better than the car.
lots of bondo and wisconsin kinda go hand-in-hand when it comes to old cars, and bare floors just mean you can see holes from top instead of having to crawl under, and for $1500 around here you don't get anywhere close to a non-rusted bondo-free running older car here in northern Wisconsin, as they say its location, location, location!
yes the two-door vs four-door is always a value factor, but I think it is not as much as it once was, see a lot of four-doors that look really cool, especially in stock form.
If the cars local to you, then I'd go look at it. If it's a running and driving car I don't think you would have any trouble getting $1,500 out of it.
Myself ,I would keep searching.If you can find a car that hasnt been bonded at least you know whats there.The email about the frame being good means to me the body is real bad.Redoing the body piecemeal wouldnt justify its value.
Trade, use it for a parts car and find a decent 2 door. Or sell the tractor and then put more money towards a better car. I bet he is a lot more anxious to not own the car than you are to sell big red. Not much you can do with a tractor, and a ton of work in that not-so-desirable 4 door.
Yeah...pass on that. Just have the naysayers here find you that really good running, good bodied Chevy two door, and then just go get it for the $1500. But, by then, Hell will have frozen over, and your grandkids will be all grown up. Ray
I'd say it's worth going to look at. Any 50's car that is truly road-worthy is worth $1500 today, everything else can be fixed. But if the floors are totally shot, body mounts rotted off, mud filling up huge rust holes or rocker panels full of foam, I'd be tempted to hold out for something better. Only seeing it in person will tell the tale.
If the hood is welded, it would be a plus. (Chevys had two piece hoods,.) I suspect this one is just Bondo'ed, however, since the trim holes remain unfilled. No biggie, but something to check for if you look at the car.
I may not buy the car for cash, but I would certainly trade the tractor for it......If you can do the metal work on the Chevy, all the better
I would pass on the car and look for something better. Just my opinion after looking at the photo's. Jimbo
"bodywork 90% complete"... well if that is true then I say go for it, thought I highly doubt it, since one mans bodywork 90% complete is another mans body needs to be stripped to bare metal and redone. either way a running driving 49 - 52 with current registration in any body style is worth $1500.00 where I live. people ask more than that for field cars full of dead cats and poop.
Trade if you like it, they may be worth the same moneywise but I wouldnt expect the car to be as good of a car as the tractor is a good tractor, although it may be, or not...
You said You don't use the tractor, so I would swap and cruz the grand kids around, now that would be fun, then maybe later trade it for something else, sounds like You don't have much tied up in the tractor anyway, so I don't think You can go to far wrong. Von Doc
I need a tractor, I def would not trade it for that car, but thats just me. I'd use the tractor, have no use for the car
lets see; [1], you don't need or want the tractor. [2] you could have fun with the grandkids with the 4dr. [3] if you don't trade, you still have to find a buyer for the tractor. [4] may be an even value or may not...but the trade will solve #1&3 [5] not a big deal to go and look.
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