Technical Scrap yard car, need it like a extra hole in my head

Well I am not a big fan of more doors, but the kid is from the more door generation and he obviously likes the old boat.

I look at it this way, my daughter started driving in the '80s. Her first car was a Chevy Citation. In my eyes a Chevy Citation had about as much value as a rubber with a hole in it (I believe that most will agree) on the other hand the smile on her face when she drove that worthless piece of crap home was priceless.

 

I'm not the right person to offer advice here as I can usually find a way to justify any car purchase. I can only find good reasons not to do it after I get them home...

 

I'd apply my great grand pa's advice..... "Son , sometimes the best deals are the ones you don't make." But I personally if cheap enough i'd drag it home & at least pull the entire drivetrain. Seeing how much time & $ it takes it'd best to see what kinda ol cars he really likes & start hunting the right one down. Nothing like a kid who shows interest in an old ride! This weekend I overseen my 11 year old while he replaced master cyl , brake lines & bleed brakes on our old ih scout. If he truly likes the ol car bring her home! It would make some cool repurposed furniture!

 

I understand your dilema well. I found a 57 Olds four door in my local junk yard. The guy said he'd take 250 bucks for it...the 371 was complete but tight. I figured between the engine and the rearend that wasnt too bad so I bought it. Even got a title with it,. the floors and rockers were really weak. So, it sat for a year and then a local kid had a 78 cadillac for sale with no title, but it ran excellent with a 425, turbo 400 and a posi. I did some horsetrading for the caddy and drove it home. I did some measuring and come to find out it was a real close match to the Olds. So, lo and behold i cut the complete floor outta the caddy and Olds and rolled the caddy chassis and floor pan under the Olds. it fit beautiful, I ordered some cheesy rockers off ebay figuring I would have to modify them but they ended up ftting nice too. Long story short, I drove it outta the shop saturday. I got a lot of detail work left but I got a 57 Olds nobody wanted that handles like a Caddy, with power steering, power disc brakes, air ride rear and electric seats. Still gotta steal the electric windows and door locks. Not saying this is the route to go but it worked nice and now i have a Olds rear for my 55 Chev and a 371 for a model A project, plus a nice cheap beater Olds...good luck

 

As I type, my wife and daughter are doing something with all the photo files on the laptop. As soon as that's done I'll have some pics of the OLDs .....Fellows, it's going to worth it. Lets just say we were shocked when we saw the car up close.

 

I remember my 58 buick .I loved the way the speedometer just rolled not like others with a pointer.Heres a picture way back when.Bruce.

 

I dont know where in Al. you are, but if its the green one, it needed a fuel/vaccume pump. if its blue, it was running last summer. those were the two in my area......just trying to help. As for the reason its there, it's so someone can save it.

 

I always thought those were ugly until I saw one in person. They are oddly lovely cars and I'd be thrilled to find a nice one for the right price.
And porknbeaners story rings true: I had a mint '54 Pontiac 4-door in high school. Car guys all scoffed at it but many, many girls asked for rides. You're setting your son up to be Mack daddy of his sophomore class.


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Ya don't need a back seat. My pickups never had back seats. If the weather is nice get out on the hood or in the bed with a quilt & a pillow. inside she can put one leg on the back of the seat and the other on the steering wheel.

 

I am certainly glad you went back for a closer look. And I'm sure you son is to. Congratulations on your new project.

 

42 thousand and change, the brake pedal. looks good like the mileage could be correct. If it was 10042 thousand, the pedal would well worn, if it hast been replaced

 

58 Olds is cool, 58 dang near anything is cool. If it's worth saving, save it. Screw the number of doors, and its investment value. Save it.

 

Wow, that's in great shape. I thought it would've been more picked over. That'll make a cool project

 

Wow! Ya done good! Look at the Chrome!

 

So didja huys get it? Was it a good deal??

 

Right on Beaner. We have a '58 Biscayne more-door and it was cheap, the kids at my son's high school like it too, it's old and funky and the 235 runs like a top. We are having a blast, he and I, working on it together - and really that is what it is all about for us.

 

It would all depend on what they wanted. It would certainly make a nice driver.

 

Buy it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The drive train is worth a ton Don in In.

 

Firstly, I was teaching my son today. I told him whenever you look at a car, no matter where, if you know where the owner or caretaker is....ask permission to look at. We parked and I asked permission to photo and look at the car. I also inquired if it was for sale. The yard office said the car was not for sale.
As we walked back to the Jeep I told my son that that car can be bought. OK son second lesson....Money talks and Bullshit walks.... We don't know what kind of condition it is in yet, we don't know if we even want it yet....What are we doing now?...walking....that's right,.... There's no need to pester these folks until we know for sure if we even want it and when we we do to come back with some kind of cash in hand.
We took the photos and it is a Creme Puff. So we confirmed it's worth getting.
We would like to make a legit offer but it's going to take some time to gather it up. Nice car though, good floors good frame, she'd be nice.

 

Get it. I don't see rust in the car, and for anything 50's rust is usually there.

 

To be honest, that car is the first 58 Olds of any type I have seen and I've fooled with old cars all of my life....been to shows...yards ect ect and that's the first 58 I have ever seen....I would have remembered those tail lights.

 

Man , that things far better than I'd imagined, exact car is about 8 blocks from my house, one owner family. Good luck guys!

 

$1200-$1500 would be a good deal on that car. If nothing else, they part out well, but I'd hate to see this one parted out. I've got 3 '58 Olds 4 door sedans if you need any parts for it.

Good luck!

 

That thing is cool as it sits. I'd have loved that when I was a kid, even with extra doors. It's probably better to start him with something that isn't worth a ton anyway. Teenagers are hard on things. If he passes the 4dr test, help him move up to a 2dr or ragtop when he's a little older.

 

I really hope you can get it, looks like it would be a great car.

Being about as young and inexperienced as anyone on this board, please feel free to take whatever I say with a rock of salt. On the other hand, please take it into consideration, for not long ago being close to standing in the same shoes as your son.

I can tell you first-hand, that even if a "car-guy" poo-hoos it, and your parents think it's ugly, old is cool. Remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
My first car was a '73 el camino. It ran, it drove, but it was rusting right along, and the original paint had about as much shine left in it as dirt. But it was old, it was different from what everyone else had, and it turned heads. It was great. I was always that kid at school with the old car. People always wanted rides, and lord knows they wanted to drive it.

But, I always liked the bigger, and/or quirky cars though. Having another set of doors and seats is great for a kid in high school. As mentioned before, macdaddy status with the ladies. Also, it would be great for cruising with a few buddies. If they want to head out to lunch, go into town, or even a roadtrip, they can split the gas money and have a blast. Being in a more door rather than a two door may deter some trouble as well. There may or may not have been some incidents that could be construed as dangerous and reckless driving at my school in an early 70's el camino. Not pointing any fingers, but just as much fun could have been cruising at safer speeds in a car that says cruising, and not Starsky & Hutch.

 

A friend in high school had a 58 olds 4 door. Two tone pink and dusty rose and enough chrome to choke an elephant. It was memorable for sure. Hope it works out for you.


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That car was a daily two years ago........Wonder how it got there. Damn Shame.

 

Ok so one guy has apprased the car at $1200 to $1500. If that car was a rough two door it could command more than that. I get a kick out of the OP. He is out tire kicking lookie loo,ing taking pictures ect. And a by his own admission. He hasn't got the money to make a offer on a car that isn't for sale anyway! I never look at anything I want to buy unless I have a pocket full of cash.

 

When i was a young man you could not give a station wagon away unless it was to a person, with a bunch of kids . Now they are rare because most of them were junked. They are selling for rather high prices now also. Your Son may know how the guy that got the station wagon also got all the kids.Those back seats are big.