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The dilemma of the inherited car?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Stovebolt37, Sep 6, 2011.

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  1. Stovebolt37
    Joined: May 1, 2009
    Posts: 23

    Stovebolt37
    Member
    from Idaho

    Mom has to move dad's 40 Buick from its free storage location. She's talking about selling it for scrap before paying for storage. The car is a monster 1940 Buick Limited, this is the HUGE 90 series. Only something like 1700 were built.

    I could have it but I already have 2 other projects going ( 37 chevy coupe & OT caddy) and no place to put it either. I spent many memorable hours in my youth cruising in the "gangster car" so a lot of sentimental value here. It's got to be in rough shape, it hasn't been on the road for a very long time (30 years?). I haven't seen it in awhile because it's 1800 miles away. I have no interest in a pristine restore but it would be a really unique hot rod.

    Any discussion or thoughts on what to do with this beast?
     
  2. chevsotolac
    Joined: Aug 14, 2005
    Posts: 2,002

    chevsotolac
    Member

    POST IT FOR SALE....too many good parts are on that to just junk it....a lot of guys would kill for that.....stan
     
  3. pasadenahotrod
    Joined: Feb 13, 2007
    Posts: 11,775

    pasadenahotrod
    Member
    from Texas

    Either a Buick or Caddy V8, 700R4 OD auto, A/C, and you've got a road machine that eats up the miles in style without eating you up but does take a nice bite out of your wallet. A fabulous project worthy of seriously considering.
     
  4. Builtforsin
    Joined: Feb 2, 2007
    Posts: 181

    Builtforsin
    Member

    Dissuade her from selling it for scrap at the very least.

    Might be worth considering finding another place to store the car, even if you have to pay for it. Whatever you decide, selling it off to be crushed would be a sad end to an old (and I presume fairly complete) car.
     

  5. If you can't store it, you should at least list it for sale. I agree with the other poster...there's way too many good parts to just scrap it. Or if it mean that much to you...ditch the O/T caddy :)
     
  6. Nik
    Joined: Nov 12, 2005
    Posts: 584

    Nik
    Member

    When you say rough, are you talking about rusted out, or just in need of TLC? Can you find a storage facility and negotiate a long term rate, say maybe a year or so till you can finish up one of your current rides? Even if it costs you 600 bux or so, that's a cheap price for fond memories. Then next time you go home for a visit, rent a uhaul for the trip back.
     
  7. RichFox
    Joined: Dec 3, 2006
    Posts: 10,020

    RichFox
    Member Emeritus

    You must know someone near your mother who could put the thing on Craigs List and do better than the scrapper. Save the BU
     
  8. 49ratfink
    Joined: Feb 8, 2004
    Posts: 18,828

    49ratfink
    Member
    from California

    I find it hard to believe someone would even have to ask a question like this.
     
  9. Stovebolt37
    Joined: May 1, 2009
    Posts: 23

    Stovebolt37
    Member
    from Idaho

    I'm sure it has rust issues. It may need a fender or two as well. Anybody know if parts for such a thing are around? Would anything from a Special possibly be interchangeable?

    Would you post it here or go to some place like Hemmings?
     
  10. Where is it located? It might be worthwhile to post it here or on AACA.org
     
  11. Stovebolt37
    Joined: May 1, 2009
    Posts: 23

    Stovebolt37
    Member
    from Idaho

    Car is in North Central Illinois.
     
  12. Motornoggin1
    Joined: May 24, 2011
    Posts: 168

    Motornoggin1
    Member

    Don't let it be scrapped!

    I had a similar situation several years ago. I aquired my great grandfather's 36' Pontiac Delux Six sedan. I had a back yard resto years before that, but it was drivable. I enjoyed it for a while and even cleaned up the original resto with a quality paint job and quite a bit of detailing. It got to the point though, that it wasn't safe to drive. Old and slow doesn't even begin to describe it. Knee actions were worn out, brakes were bad, steering worn out and it topped out at 35 mph (40 was pushing it with the 4.80:1 "Mountain Gear"), tires were checked and the tubes couldn't have been reliable, wood coach was dry rotted, etc... I didn't have the time or money to do it up right and I wasn't going to hot rod it, too much sentimental value. I got lucky and was able to sell it to a cousin who had the time and space to keep it.
     
  13. X2 !!


    Don't let the steel eater have another meal - save it from the crusher.

    AT LEAST post it up for sale - mention you need it sold ASAP to hopefully get people not to sleep on it and buy it quickly.
     
  14. 1955 LEDSLED
    Joined: Jun 25, 2009
    Posts: 151

    1955 LEDSLED
    Member
    from LONG BEACH

    put it up for sale. someone on here will want it.
     
  15. Boeing Bomber
    Joined: Aug 5, 2010
    Posts: 1,079

    Boeing Bomber
    Member

    Sell your OT Caddy, and bring that thing home. Or better yet, take the goodies from your Caddy, and adapt 'em to the Buick, then scrap the Caddy left overs. Hey, you asked...
     
  16. partsdawg
    Joined: Feb 12, 2006
    Posts: 3,503

    partsdawg
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Minnesota

  17. THE_DUDE
    Joined: Aug 22, 2009
    Posts: 2,601

    THE_DUDE
    Member


    Money for projects you care about.
     
  18. Find it a good home.
     
  19. Can I just say you'd have to be a goddamn moron to scrap that car? Even if you paid for a car-sized spot in a storage unit and spent two months parting it out, you'd make a fuck of a lot more money and make a lot of people happy. But if it's a complete car, and they only made 1700 of them, how many are left? I have a '40 Roadmaster coupe, they made 3600 of those, and I've never seen another one - and only even heard of only about two others for sale.

    Now my value guide says for #5 condition - a complete car in need of total restoration - the three 90 series models are worth $4600, $4800, and $5500 respectively. Even as a parts car they show at $1700-$2000. What's it going to bring over the scale? $900 tops?


    So you post it for sale EVERYWHERE. Here, AACA forum, Hemmings, local paper, eBay, etc. etc. etc.. A big Buick like that is just a step down from the last true official Classics, it should not be that difficult to sell. Be forewarned, there are some real assholes in the early Buick community, I've had them telling me mine isn't worth shit - mostly because they want me to give up and part it out, that's part of the game they play, and you may have to take some time to doll it up to get these assholes to look past a little surface rust, but that goes for any old car, a lot of people aren't smart enough to know the difference between a decent car with the paint baked off and an actual piece of junk. But I'm sure you can sell it.

    And when it does sell, that's more money you can give to your mom, or use on whatever it is you're working on.
     
  20. 58 Yeoman
    Joined: Aug 7, 2009
    Posts: 482

    58 Yeoman
    Member
    from Lacon, IL

    I live in north central Illinois...let me know if I can be of help, either finding a place to store it, or whatever...
     
  21. johnboy13
    Joined: May 1, 2007
    Posts: 1,072

    johnboy13
    Member

    What he said. I'm smack dab in the middle of North Central Illinois. Hell, I'd be stoked to go take pictures and post it on Craigslist for you, just to see what it looks like. PM me if you want.
     
  22. Ratroddude
    Joined: May 15, 2009
    Posts: 1,027

    Ratroddude
    BANNED

    #21
    johnboy13
    Member




    Join Date: May 2007
    Location: Rockford, Il
    Posts: 797 Re: The dilemma of the inherited car?

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 58 Yeoman
    "I live in north central Illinois...let me know if I can be of help, either finding a place to store it, or whatever... "

    "What he said. I'm smack dab in the middle of North Central Illinois. Hell, I'd be stoked to go take pictures and post it on Craigslist for you, just to see what it looks like. PM me if you want.".....................
    There ya go , another problem solved here on the HAMB.....
     
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2011
  23. S.F.
    Joined: Oct 19, 2006
    Posts: 2,895

    S.F.
    Member


    I know! wtf.... sell the damn thing. why is the term scrap even mentioned.
     
  24. Special fenders won't work on the front end, they'd have to be Roadmaster. The Buick Club of America would be a good resource for parts or a buyer.
     
  25. farmergal
    Joined: Nov 28, 2010
    Posts: 2,074

    farmergal
    Member
    from somewhere

    i'm also finding it hard to believe that someone would actually ask if they should save it from the scrapper. Its obviously a big car, and obviously a rare one too. It's obviously a family heirloom that has survived this many years. This is how vintage tin ends up in china being made into toyota's, etc....owners die and whatnot and the family members want nothing to do with them. do the right thing and save the car. if it's been in storage; i find it hard to believe that its in horrible shape to the point that it has been reduced to a parts vehicle. Our entirely original car (paint falling off of it) sat in cheap storage since 1965 and it wasnt half bad. It needed lots of loving to make it nice but it was definately saveable.

    If you want the car to stay intact and restored i'd suggest putting it in Hemmings. The people who shop in Hemmings are after cars just like this and they will pay good money for it; especially if its complete. Pay the money to keep it in storage until you find it a suitable home. Let the buyers know its a family heirloom and you'd like to see it restored. You will find it a new home that is a lot better than being crushed and sent to China.
     
  26. "I spent many memorable hours in my youth cruising in the "gangster car" so a lot of sentimental value here."

    Must not be a LOT of sentimental value :cool:
     
  27. Lild
    Joined: Feb 22, 2010
    Posts: 260

    Lild
    Member

    Put me in line to help out also. Theres alot of avenues to take to get it sold instead of scrapped and alternatives for storage.
     
  28. 59bones
    Joined: Dec 13, 2010
    Posts: 354

    59bones
    Member
    from Illinois

    Like others have said, do the right thing and sell it to someone. Whether it gets restored or rodded, it is still a million times better than SCRAP!

    I know there are lots of guys in Illinois that will help you out. Please PM them or me.

    DO NOT SCRAP THIS THING.
     
  29. GassersGarage
    Joined: Jul 1, 2007
    Posts: 4,727

    GassersGarage
    Member

    Best idea yet..........
     
  30. stainlesssteelrat
    Joined: Nov 23, 2010
    Posts: 583

    stainlesssteelrat
    Member
    from ms

    here's the thing, if cars are just transportation to you then let her scrap it, but if you
    are one of us then there is no way in hell you'd ever let that happen, and that's a fact
    that everyone here will agree on.
     
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