I had to look over this car twice before deciding it was not worth the money. Im not looking for a new project, and I saw no profit in flipping it. For those with the will, and extra income, who knows. Dont let the photos fool you. This car is really a mess under the shinny paint. Owner is asking $25K. He is calling it a '33, but it's actually a '34. It was built locally in the late 60's, or early 70's, then "updated" in 80's with new paint, wire wheels, chain steering wheel, etc.. Channeled body, bobbed rear fenders, and good running (at idle) 350. Looks promising from 20 ft. In reality, its' a nightmare. The lower 12" of the body actually isn't, with riveted on tin and bondo taking it's shape. Floor, subrails. and firewall are history (replaced with plywood, steel plate, and tin sheeting). Anywhere metal was cut on the car, it was done with a torch. No clean up afterwards. Frame main rails are savable, as is front cross member. The chrome front end may have been a swap meet find at the time. The x-member is a real piece of work. The center was chopped out, the legs slit and folded out against the side rails to form primitive boxing. The rear axle is a crusty 10 bolt GM, with LONG radius arms welded onto the tubes and extending forward to pivot under the frame rails. Bolts act as pivot points, not allowing anything but pure vertical suspension travel. Coil springs top it off. No shocks front or rear. If youd seen it, you'd swear it belongs in a "Wrong way to do it" article. The seller quickly dropped his asking from $25K to $15K, but I finally had to say 'No thanks". That pissed him off. I'd say theres maybe $5K - $6k in savable body and trim parts there, and another $2K in misc parts. The SBC is a smogger with no value to me. If the car had a genuine period history, it might be worth preserving. It's such a piece of crud, it could never have been a show piece any ways. Nostalgia can only go so far. If you are brave, PM me and Ill pass along the sale info. I have no interest in this car, or any association with its owner. It is in the Lansing (Michigan) area. Steve
He's in the construction business. New construction in Michigan is on hold. He needs the money more, I guess. Steve
I could be wrong, but it looks like one a guy named Dan Kelly from Livonia had in the 70's (it would have been a running car when he got it) If it is, it was a little shaky back then. I know the market is depressed, but for 15K it wouldn't have lasted 10 minutes a year and a half ago.
It used to be painted yellow, sporting a tripower intake and different wheels. There are much better deals than this out there now, if you are looking for a builder. Cars with a heritage will always bring more. Steve
If the price gets down below 10 grand, someone will buy it and build it. It's about what my 34 5/w started as; a body shell that needed a floor, firewall, rockers, etc. and a set of frame rails barely held together by front and rear cross members-no X member. I'd assume that has a clear title which is a plus. Keep the rails and body shell and sell off/shitcan the rest. Take it down to the bare rails and build a chassis. Then start on the body; firewall, panel below deck lid, etc. I'm sure there will be plenty of crap work hiding under the paint. Not for the faint of heart, but IT IS A 34! and if the price was right and someone with talent and patience could have themselves a 34 coupe.
i mean, it's still a 34-it will bring some money. that car has so many things that turn me off to it personally that i can't even imagine paying $5k for it. it's a builder, and maybe it should be marketed that way, instead of try to get stupid money for it and have the potential buyer pick it apart until he's so turned off he doesn't want to pay squat for it-even if the owner drops 10K off the price. he'll find someone. lucky for you that you're smart enough to see it for what it really is rather than get caught up in the fact that you "got" him to drop the price so drastically.
Steve, Has this guy had this car very long? The reason I ask is in 2007 I drove over to Dundee Michigan to look at a 33 5 window that was for sale. I am going to look for the pics, because it looks identical to this car and sounds much like it. It was not painted blue, it was in black primer. The mustang tail lights are what got me...it had those, then you post the pics of the rear suspension and that is exactly like what was under the one I looked at. The panhard brackets were thick pieces of flatstock welded up and the coil springs at the top were under a crude built tube cross member. Even the description about the floors, firewall and lower body panels is right on. The one I looked at had tin patches riveted and screwed on most of the way around the lower part of the coupe. It had a 32 shell on it with a fibreglass 33/34 shell that would go with it. It also had another frame for it because the one under it was junk...like you described. It did not have an engine or trans in it, but he did have a mustang automatic floor shifter that went with it...he said it matched the tail lights!! I cannot believe there are two of them things in the same basic condition that close in location to one another in Michigan!!! I'll try and find the pics I had taken of the one I went to look at. At the time the one I looked at was being offered for sale for $10,000. I had only one pic of it sitting in the garage to go on when I first started dealing on it. We had been talking on the phone and I went to look at it with the intention of bringing it home with me because we had agreed on $7500.!! I took cash and my trailer with me, but when I got there and we rolled it outside so I could look at it close.....I had to pass. It was quite a mess.
Maybe they wont but i will thank you for giving an honest and complete description for anybody interested
The funny thing about a '33/'34 Ford coupe is that they don't make them anymore. I've seen a lesser '33 Ford coupe sell for $12K.
So you drop $15K to buy it and $15K to fix it. What's it worth done? Actually you're probably looking at even money, I researched '33-'34 Cabriolets a while back and found a couple that were claimed to be real steel cars that sold for around $35,000. As done hot rods, not high-buck billet machines, either, the one I remember in particular had steel wheels and wasn't running any hubcaps in the photos. On the other hand, suppose you want one a year from now? Will the price be down because the economy is slow, or go way up because of inflation? It seems like most of these deals end up looking a lot better months or years later than they did at the time.
Dennis, I looked at the car a couple years ago, it was listed in the Wheeler Dealer as a 32. It was 15K. Same seller.
The seller claims he had it 20 or 25 years (the story kept changing). It was painted about 10 years ago. The paint finish is actually quite good, smooth body work. But UNDER the paint, yikes. Weird things though. He had no idea that the grill on it wasn't a '33 part. He did not know what 'channeled' meant. And on the phone, he couldn't remember if it had a beam axle in front or not :| IF I was looking for a big project to build and keep, buying and building it would probably make some sense. Buying it to sell as is, no. So I walked. I just thought someone else might be interested. The seller thinks its worth a mint (which he says he has into it), and he's being ripped off at even $15K. Steve
WOW! Thats a nice traditional build you found there. I think its the Mustang tail lights Yikes!!!!!!!!!!
You are right. Dundee was what I remembered as that was the town where he was working. I think at a car dealership. Yes, it was rough!!!
Sad part is someone will end up buying it thinking he can make a hot rod and a few years (and dollars) later it will reappear again still a piece of shit and higher price. Frank
The Jalopy Journal
