Take a closer look before you buy This week I have received several calls about hauling classic cars from areas along the Mississippi flood plain to points west as far away as California ... Yesterday I stopped to fuel along I-24 outside Chattanooga, TN and had an enlightening conversation with a driver hauling (5) flood vehicles headed westbound - all to (1) drop off in California It seems classics are being trucked west & resold from southeastern states along the Mississippi that flooded Barge traffic has just resumed - flood waters are receding People are getting back to their properties Classic cars that were not insured & flooded are being sold for scrap value - then trucked west for resale BE AWARE Jim
I seen a 65 rivi I'n keokuk Iowa last week! Had about 6 different flood lines on it! Told my son I'd bet it came from the south!!!!!
Water lines ....not flood lines! Actually water marks, as there called! Ahh shit, u know what I'm sayin!!!!!!
They never take off the headlamp doors or taillamp lenses so you can always look there for sand and gravel, mud and leaves, evidence of flood damage and exposure.
Dam, I would like to score a good one on this..but as the case is, the dishonest seem to float up, If you are looking at cars to buy, check well under the carpet, in the trunk..tail lights,they like to fill up with water, and leave behind moisture that can be seen for weeks or months later , good indication of a flooded car. if the car is all smelled up with air freshners..(cover for the moldy smell) rusty guage needles and humidity on the back side of the lense. water stains on the head liner..the list goes on also a past title search to see where the car came from, and when
Pretty much sums up most old cars I've come across! I don't think a good soak hurts an old car like it does a new car. Send those flooders this way!
A good friend of mine bought a '63 Corvette flood car, very inexpensively. He completely disassembled it, cleaned everything, and reassembled it. He had a nice, fast Corvette for a little cash and a lot of elbow grease.
Most folks check for flood evidence by reaching up under the dash looking for silt. DON'T DO THIS! Easy infection if you slice your finger open. Remember Katrina? Floodwaters are full of nasty bacteria.
My uncle's '62 biscayne more door will probably be one of those. Real nice little car, he'd just had the interior done. One of the sweetest running little 235's ever. Missouri flood took care of that- thankfully he had insurance, but they wanted 2 grand for him to buy it back, after it sat in floodwaters up to the window glass for two weeks. Heck, he didn't give but $3 grand for it before the flood. Personally, if I'd had the spare cash, I'd have bought it in a heartbeat. Good straight body, I'd want to rewire it anyway, and it'd been miles ahead of a field car conditionwise.
Let me see, A nice 30s body that has been in the Mississippi flood water, or a rotted 30s body that has spent the last 60 years sitting out in a clump of trees where critters have made a home every year of those 60 years, for the same money? Yep, sign me up for that flood car. Now, if we were talking about a 5 year old econo box with computers and hundreds of miles of wiring that has been under water, that is a different story. Gene
Send 'em to the pacific north west. It's wet almost 365 days here anyways, they'll probably be fine. Shawn
Uh, a glove would reduce that risk unless maybe there were lots of razor blades stashed up under there.
Time is a big factor on flood salvage but as stated above if its a clean vintage body thats a good start. Classic wiring and electrical is minimal so it wouldnt be much of a factor and motors can always be pulled down and over hauled so its also a matter of purchase price.
Our old company truck came from the Fargo flood back in '97. It was a '96 Dodge 1 ton DRW 4x4. It needed the seat replaced ASAP. Everything else was gone through, and it still went through 3 transmissions, and a full front axle rebuild. The smell in the cab never really went away. Fresh water or not, the dead animals that pollute the water will make you think twice.
Almost bought a 99 Kawasaki Drifter dirt cheap that was flooded during Katrina. Still kicking myself for passing on it.
I used to buy flood stuff at the salvage sale and always did good. There are flood cars then there are FLOOD cars. If the water was only a few inched up the door sill and not into the drive train it was good. Over the seats and engine and I would leave it. I would pull the rugs and take them to the laundramat with the big tumble washer and give them a few min of wash and then air dry them. They were just fine. I had a friend who bought a Tauras SW from me. the only wireing under water was under the rugh for the Eletric seat. He cout out the plug and it was a great car for many years. You just heve to shop wisely. GEORGE!!
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