Classic car guys, I’m thinking about buying this

[Peegoo]

This place is right down the road from me.

Classic and Muscle Cars Dealer in Maryland | Old Town Automobile

Family-owned dealership selling quality American Classic & Muscle cars. In Southern Maryland and across the USA. Call 301.855.9029.

oldtownautomobile.com

 

[mk_716]

I've nearly finished a restore of a '73 MGB, a smarter man would have walked away, but I have no regrets.

I learned a ton of stuff, drilled out a million welds, replaced both side rails, learned to weld (not well!), etc.

Worth the journey, for sure. But it will undoubtedly cost more and take longer than you can anticipate, just the way it works.

If you're down with that, go for it. I always like the sad ones - I can squint and see it done and looking so cool.

m.

 

[Twofingerlou]

Thanks for all the reply’s guys, some things to think about!

 

[posttoastie]

Impala parts supplier in Huntington Beach, Ca

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjE9qCihuP7AhXXMEQIHViiDNMQFnoECBYQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fshop.classicindustries.com%2Flp%2F1958-1996_chevrolet_impala_and_full_size_chevrolet_parts&usg=AOvVaw0DiFLWx3Xynx_w5n8hiRS1

 

[viking]

For some , the journey is the most important part....Welding , painting etc........I can do anything myself , but......have everything together with my sons , space , tools , sorry : ANY kind of automative tool imagineable........But , I dont have the time......Off course my sons could help me , but they are far too busy with racing , etc.......
Its far better to spend more money up front and get something that requires less work , for most people anyway.
BUT , if the journey of restoration is what your looking for ....

 

[jumpnblues]

I've owned classic cars for many years and my advice is to bite the financial bullet and buy a finished (or almost finished) car that you like. You'll likely save lots of money in the long run and have far fewer headaches. The original builder will take almost all the financial hits. I've seen estimates of the percentage of car projects actually finished. Most of the figures I've seen were well below 1%. I've seen this happen over and over and over again. Very, very, few cars actually get finished. Most restorations cost the original restorer far more than the subsequent buyer/s. My 2 cents.

 

[Hodgo88]

Old cars can be made to handle quite well. My buddies 68 GTO has full QA1 double adjustable coilovers and it's not at all the typical big boat experience you'd expect, nor was it seemingly that difficult or expensive to do.

Heck, with a big enough budget, even a 4 door Chevelle can be made into a G Machine https://www.motortrend.com/features...chevelle-will-sneak-up-on-you-in-the-corners/

 

[Toto'sDad]

If you want to see what it would be like to have the Impala, take a 16 oz framing hammer, hit one of your toes with the blunt end, then switch to the other foot, and use the claw end to bang your toe. Not a perfect example, but pretty close. I know some folks who have an MG B sitting in their garage, they were going to fix up any day now. It's been there a little over thirty years. It's amazing how much rot you get on a car that's covered up with a tarp!

 

[telleutelleme]

Watch Mecom or Barrett auctions on TV. You would be surprised in how little return there is on good restorations. Often less than the coast of parts let alone labor. May be cheaper to buy a restored one unless you have the time and went the enjoyment of bringing it back.

Neighbor just bought a 67 Ford Custom Cab F-100. He is going down the restomod route. To me not worth the time. Now if it was an old dirt bike, I'd be in.

 

[MarkieMark]

<Snip>

Strange... that car with all it's options doesnt appear to have power brakes....?

Not in '65
A year or two later it became more common.
Critical upgrade.

This place is right down the road from me.

Classic and Muscle Cars Dealer in Maryland | Old Town Automobile

Family-owned dealership selling quality American Classic & Muscle cars. In Southern Maryland and across the USA. Call 301.855.9029.

oldtownautomobile.com

Prince Frederick MD.
I dont think they are there any more. Unless they moved from the old building.
Used to be a shop, then a trader/dealer. They often had very nice street rod/hotrod examples on display.

Somewhere someone suggested Imaplas werent "Muscle cars"
Some would argue they were a significant part of the original muscle car movement.

The little 327 in that car didnt have a great deal of torque by later standards, but in the day they were a relatively lively option. I preferred them in a lighter package, but the Impala was indeed a muscle car option, soon to become popular with a 396 option.

Back to the trans, Upon further thought- Someone mentioned the M22 "Rock Crusher" which as I pointed out wouldnt be applicable here. It would have come with a far lighter duty M20 or M21, I dont recall the break in model years.
Also the M22 was I believe described as having "straight cut gears" which also isnt quite correct. While its noisy reputation was due to "straighter" cut gears than the normal Muncies, used for strength, they were not "straight cut" by any means. And the noteable increase in shifting effort had nothing to do with the straighter cut gears either.
Sorry to nitpick details, but this is my bread and butter...

The '65 body design may not be in some tastes. I kind of like it. An example with suspension, steering and brake upgrades would be a nice ride.
My previous assessment stands however. There is too little to work with there to meet the described intent of the OP.

Parts availability is pretty good, and pretty high quality is out there. Far better than for many other makes/models of the period.

FWIW, in '65, the features exclusive to the SS option would be the instrument cluster, console and bucket seats. If any of that were in good/restorable condition it would have some value to the right individual.

I am going to venture a guess- IF you could round up the right individual, desperate for a 65 title, vin plate and cylinder block to complete a full scale resto project, you might shake up to as much as $5k out of them. If the aformentioned seats, console and instrument cluster were in good/restorable condition, maybe tack on about 1 or 2K.
Which, sorry, sounds ludicrous for me to even say, looking at those pics...

Bottom line, as others have said, 25k plus to make it safely and reliably a (Honestly) patina'd driver, minimum. 75-100k plus for a full restoration (as it needs.... everything)
For a car that might get $30k if you sold it.
Forget value. Its not gonna happen.

Potential fun? Sure!
I am more retirement oriented at this point. Can't see it, done to many rusty old cars.
For me a STRONG no without regrets.

 

[Peegoo]

Prince Frederick MD.

They are in Huntingtown, about five miles north of Prince Frederick.

They sell full restos, and they'll also do your resto. They can even update your classic, e.g., four-wheel disc brakes, power steering, etc. How much money ya got?

 

[MarkieMark]

They are in Huntingtown, about five miles north of Prince Frederick.

They sell full restos, and they'll also do your resto. They can even update your classic, e.g., four-wheel disc brakes, power steering, etc. How much money ya got?

Yeah, I know the spot well.
Last time I drove through the area I hoped to swing by there for old times sake- but Like I said, looked like they were no longer there.
But I could be wrong. It happens.

 

[Happy Enchilada]

One more thing.
My hotrodder poker buddy had one big piece of advice for me.
He said it's much smarter to buy a car that some other fool has already "fixed up."
They endure the headaches and pay the big bills.
They take it in the neck and sell it for thousands less than they have in it.
You haggle 'em down and drive off in a shiny new ride.
Sounds like a good idea to me.
But it also sounds like a busload of really bad karma ...

I'll just stick with my pickup and drive it until they say I can't.

 

[getbent]

Flippers are what's killed the car hobby.

If the frame isn't rusted away, it would be a fun car to restore the mechanicals and drive. Reminds me of the Crusher Impala that they did on Roadkill

The car hobby has been killed? I didn't even know it was sick! There are more parts, more cars, more restorers, a bigger market for old cars now than ever. Shoot, there is a guy who runs a team in the northern provinces of Canada who searches for cars (no car crushers up there) to flip and he is feeding a TON of demand down south.

The car hobby is alive and well in our area, sorry it has been killed by guys finding cars in barns and selling them on rather than just leaving them there.

 

[getbent]

One more thing.
My hotrodder poker buddy had one big piece of advice for me.
He said it's much smarter to buy a car that some other fool has already "fixed up."
They endure the headaches and pay the big bills.
They take it in the neck and sell it for thousands less than they have in it.
You haggle 'em down and drive off in a shiny new ride.
Sounds like a good idea to me.
But it also sounds like a busload of really bad karma ...

I'll just stick with my pickup and drive it until they say I can't.

the enjoyment continuum is long.

Some guys ONLY enjoy going to show and shines and cars and coffee and just love the social aspect of having a cool old car.

Some guys love the work, slow and steady, sourcing parts, fixing stuff.

Some guys love the hunt of the rare bird.

Some guys have a HUGE list of cars they want to own (like guitars, eh?)
and once they have them, they pass them on.

Everything I've restored, I've hunted for vehicles that were uncut or if they were messed with, it was easily undone. I'd be nervous about having something half done or stuff that drove me crazy.

I love cars and trucks, but like guitars, I'm not a big 'karma' believer. If I can get something for a great deal, as long as the seller knows the scoop and is willing... it is just an object.

 

[boris bubbanov]

If you want to see what it would be like to have the Impala, take a 16 oz framing hammer, hit one of your toes with the blunt end, then switch to the other foot, and use the claw end to bang your toe. Not a perfect example, but pretty close. I know some folks who have an MG B sitting in their garage, they were going to fix up any day now. It's been there a little over thirty years. It's amazing how much rot you get on a car that's covered up with a tarp!

I abruptly went into college (no planning whatsoever!) after my junior year of HS, and the Kaiser Manhattan I was restoring ended up in a barn I have never been to, in Wellsville, New York. My brother and my high school friends (I think) know where the barn is, but they won't tell me. Maybe they suspect I would fall down that rabbit hole forever. And remember, when you're working on the car, your guitar playing is not getting better.

Those "just barely restorable" cars are a meaningful learning experience - but not much more.

 

[drlucky]

Full disclosure: I love 60's Impala Super Sports with the factory four speed option...I think it's so cool, allows dad to think he's got a "sports car" but still have room for the family. Plus, a couple of my neighbors when I was a kid in the 60's had Impala SS with four speeds.

All that being said, yeah, it would be a project. Paint and body work is definitely super expensive, and the rust issues everyone else has mentioned can be tough and $$$ to fix. Factory brakes are crap compared to what's available on the cheapest KIA today. I drove a '56 Chevy 210 2 door hot rod (327, Turbo 350) almost daily for 20 years. It was a lot of fun, but a lot of work. Brakes were inadequate, manual steering would give you a real workout, handling was not great. But, parts were cheap, easy to work on. Hidden rust issues/bad previous body work was what made me sell (that and I needed $$ to go back to school).

It all comes down to how much work you can do/want to do yourself. I will say, if the frame is good and it's a numbers matching 4 speed SS, the lowrider guys out here in Cali would be falling all over themselves to grab it if it was selling for 5k or under.

 

[Fiesta Red]

When my dad retired, he wanted to make a re-creation of the first good car he ever owned, a 1956 Ford Fairlane. He wasn’t trying to restore one to factory specs; he wanted more power, better (disc) brakes, power steering, etc., But have it reminiscent of that old car he had back then (early 60’s).

He spent his entire severance package on it, then quite a bit more…halfway through, as I was helping him torque on the heads of the engine, he looked at me and said, “You know, I’m spending your inheritance on this thing!”

I didn’t care.
It was making him happy and keeping him busy.

He finally got it about as finished as a project like this ever is, and enjoys driving it around.

The final thing he wants to do is drag race his old high school buddy, who has a similarly-built 1956 Chevy.

Two old 80-year-old men acting like teenagers.

 

[Rustbucket]

I’m in my mid 30’s and have/do have newer vehicles and older stuff with a 77 chevy pickup currently in my fleet of vehicles.

I’m not really a car guy, so this is more of a candid comment on priorities. You say you are in your 30’s and already own a “fleet” of vehicles, including a classic Chevy. Do you really need another project car or could that money be better invested in your future self?

I know nothing else about your personal situation, so take this with a grain of salt. Maybe you financially independent already and on track for a fully funded retirement, fine go for it. Or maybe you have some debts to pay or more net worth tied up in vehicles than retirement accounts. If closer to the latter, I would consider reallocating this money, time and effort into something that’s going to pay you back more than “cool factor”.

 

[Toto'sDad]

I abruptly went into college (no planning whatsoever!) after my junior year of HS, and the Kaiser Manhattan I was restoring ended up in a barn in Wellsville, New York. My brother and my high school friends (I think) know where it is, but they won't tell me. Maybe they suspect I would fall down that rabbit hole forever. And remember, when you're working on the car, your guitar playing is not getting better.

Those "just barely restorable" cars are a meaningful learning experience - but not much more.

My ex-wife bought me a Buick project car. I put it in the garage and would go out there and look at it once in a while, then just shut the door on it. One day I was talking to a scrap iron junkie about the car, and he offered me thirty five dollars for it. He said he'd come and haul it away, that closed the deal right there. I timed it pretty good; the ex didn't even know it was gone for quite a while. One day she was out in the garage, and came in and asked me: Where's your Buick? I didn't even stop what I was doing, just said I sold it. She said "oh." I was relieved beyond most people's ability to imagine.