Recommendations for a classic car

[zeitgeist57]

I normally agree with Doc about older metal but RockAuto has definitely leveled the field considerably with sourcing old parts for older cars cheaply. The Lincoln is dirty cheap to tune up and runs reliably, aside from air ride issues which are my fault and can be fixed.

 

Agreed that Non-working A/C be repaired - I had a shop in FL convert my '82 diesel Chevy from non-op to cold-blowing R-134 for $900...a lot of money, but made the truck truly daily-drivable with Florida heat while wearing a suit.

[zeitgeist57]

Cody, try for that '88 Brougham for $4500 and I'll help you install air-ride springs...

[Richard Cranium]

1996~ Impala SS

 

I know this doesn't fit your criteria. But it's a land yacht, parts are plentiful and they can be very reliable. Mine is a lazy boy recliner surrounded by a car.

[Geeto67]

I've been around old shitpiles...I mean..."classic cars" nearly my whole life. There are some basic skills which you need to be willing to learn if you don't have them already if you intend to own old unreliable cars. I'm sure others will add to this list but here is what sticks out of the top of my head:

 

- basic understanding of the major components of a carb and how it works. Old mechanical chokes sometimes stick, fuel lines vapor lock, floats sink, vacuum leaks can undermine the secondaries, etc. if you own an old carb'ed car you will need to fiddle with the carb at some point.

 

- set timing. Anyone who has ever owned an old Pontiac with their magical walking distributors and their dist hold downs made of old wrigley's gum wrappers can tell you how important this is. This skill includes setting the dwell and gap on points and also checking the mechanical advance to make sure it is functioning. You will need to buy tools: at the very least a timing light and a dwell meter.

 

- read plugs. Nowadays this skill is almost unnecessary because of FI and electronic timing where every plug you pull is a nice even tan. But back in the old days your plugs told you the story of your engine. O2 sensors and stoich gauges are virtually useless on carb'ed engines unless you like to see a light show.

 

- patience. Lots of it. It's old technology, plus it's just plain old and you can't fight entropy. Things weren't made "better" in the past, just simpler. Metallurgy, casting, and stamping wasn't as precise, plastics were not made for longevity, add in 40-50 years rust and oxidation and a string of cheap owners using shitty replacement parts and you get something that will test you often and unexpectedly.

 

Now I want you to think about what you really want out of an old car - is it comfort? Hat feeling of operating heavy machinery? Do you want to keep up with traffic or are you content to be stuck in the right lane?

 

Qualities you should look for in an old car:

- has a great aftermarket. GM really isn't making quarter panels for 1975 olds delta 88s anymore so a parking lot dent can ruin your year. Even cars that you might think have a great aftermarket don't always have something available (says the guy who spent 8 years looking for full quarter panels for a 1967 GTO because they didn't exist in the aftermarket till 2016). There are a lot of orphans out there.

 

- is the best specimen you can afford. Did you know something like a 1965 Cadillac can cost you $1000 in just replacing the weatherstripping? But if you buy a car where the PO already did it it added exactly $0 to the selling price. You buy all the PO's parts at a 75% discount and get all his labor for free.

 

- if you have to get something that needs work - mechanical is always cheaper than body.

 

Now personally, I prefer 1960's GM because everything but the nova and camaro/firebird are coil spring, 4 link rear, body on frame cars. They ride nicer and they handle better once you fix the front wheel camber problems (In hard cornering they camber out and push the tire onto its edge rather than hold the tread to the road - lots of companies make parts to fix this). Fords from that era do things I don't prefer like using the inner fenders as the upper shock mounts, and they are all leaf sprung so they ride like farm equipment. Chryslers are unusual because they are unibody, use torsion springs in the front suspension, and have lots of really space age far out options and styling (pre1965 they have pushbutton transmissions).

 

Once you get to the mid 1970's pretty much everything has coils and disc brakes if it is a luxury car. Clay's Lincoln would be an awesome old auto-x car if it didn't weigh as much as the queen Mary because of its coil rear, huge caliper disc brakes at all four corners, and giant wheel wells.

 

 

So as far as what you should look for? Top of my suggestion list are:

- 1965-1968 cadilllac. Stacked headlights and envelope fins, very sharp looking. You can find pillarless 4-doors and some 2 doors in your price range. Lots of neat options, great interiors, big big engines. The downside is the aftermarket is not as big as one would hope with these cars, and they are so long they don't fit inside modern garages.

 

- 1965-69 Chrysler full size (Newport, 300, and dodge and Plymouth clones like the fury III). Good looking cars, durable drivetrain (most are 383s or 440s with 727s). They are unibody so any rust on these cars is detrimental to the structure. Mechanically there is a great aftermarket, but there is almost nothing for body and interior. Of all these cars the 300s and the furys are my favorite (later 1970's grand furys were legendary cop cars in the movies and real life).

 

1968 and 1969 full size Chevrolet. Any 1966 and earlier chevy is going to be out of your price range for a nice one. But the 1968 and 69 impalas and caprices are just not as well loved. Esp the 1968. Should be no problem to find a small block powered coupe in your price range or close to it. Not a fan of the formal roof club coupes but they are more common than the standard roof cars.

 

- 1966-69 galaxie. I'm not a ford guy, but I love the styling of the big fords from this time period. I think lucore had a 1966 in your price range.

 

- if you are not married to American cars: 1971-1987 Jaguar XJ6. If you can try to find a pre 1974 one with the European bumpers. So pretty. It's basically a modern car: disc brakes independent suspension front and rear, power lots of stuff. It uses the jag inline 6 which is jokingly called the English small block chevy. These were from an era when jaguars were built from the literal finest materials money can buy - the interiors are the nicest places to be in any stock old car.

Edited January 3, 2017 by Geeto67

[Not Brian]

I know this doesn't fit your criteria. But it's a land yacht, parts are plentiful and they can be very reliable. Mine is a lazy boy recliner surrounded by a car.

 

Any transmission problems yet?

[The_buster]

Older bonneville, I think late 60's, wagon looks like the ghostbusters car. A friend has one. Also the Dodge Coronet and Plymouth Fury cars look nice.

[Geeto67]

http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/cto/5941208044.html

 

http://detroit.craigslist.org/mcb/cto/5913756765.html

 

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/5905759882.html

 

http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/5942433452.html

 

http://detroit.craigslist.org/okl/cto/5905302406.html

 

you usually can't touch a vert for under $10K so this is kind of nice:

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/5930188496.html

 

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/5928675605.html

[Richard Cranium]

Any transmission problems yet?

 

Nope. Nothing I know of. Just some of the standard things you would expect from a 23 year old car.