Nice, original, high-option car. I hate to sell it, and I had some wonderful plans to put a turbo v6 in it. For what it's worth, it's about 700lbs lighter than an 87 Regal. But, I'm tired of hearing my wife gripe about it, and so it goes...
The story- Car was originally purchased by an elderly female relative of a some employee of a dealership here in Kansas City. She ordered it with factory two-tone paint and leather. The paint is a light off-white on the body (I think it's called desert tan or something like that) and black on the top. The leather interior is black as is the carpet. Car was ordered with the optional 3.8L aluminum V8 and the optional two-speed automatic. Car also has power steering, and dealer-installed, under-dash air conditioning. (The a/c has been pulled, but all of the pieces are in the trunk, including the original compressor.) To this day, the original spare tire is with the car, along with the original hubcaps. The old lady drove the car for approximately 30k miles before she passed away, and then the car went into storage at the dealership.
Four or five years later, the car was purchased by the second owner for his daughter. She put almost all of the remaining mileage on the car. It stalled one day while she was driving it in the rain, and the front passenger fender got kissed hard when the car went into the ditch at about 20MPH. That's the only bodywork that needs to be done on this otherwise straight, rust free car. Her ex-husband tried to get the car started, to no avail, and then the car sat in a suburban Kansas City barn for approximately 18 years.
I purchased the car about two years ago, making me owner number three and meaning that this car has never left Kansas City. Not knowing the condition of things, I trailered it down to Ruge Automotive outside of Wichita, Kansas, and Eric went over the car completely to let me know everything that was wrong. Apparently a short was what caused the car to stall out. I had him do the following (and maybe a bit more, this is from memory, but I have reciepts):
- Rebuild the original carb
- Rebuild the distributor as needed so the car would run
- Convert the generator to a one-wire alternator, including fabricating a new bracket
- Rebuild the brakes on all four corners, this included sending the shoes out to be re-lined
- Install new stainless hard lines and new flex lines to all four corners of the brakes
- Install a known-good but used radiator out of a 63 Skylark
- Plugs, wires, vacuum lines, hoses, etc. As needed.
I put inexpensive new tires on it. The car starts and runs, doesn't drain the battery down when it sits, and drives as nicely as you could want.
This car needs about five things done to it, in my estimation:
- Driver's window has some problems with worn out hardware. This prevents the window from rolling all the way up to the top. This would need to be fixed.
- Sitting as it did, in a barn with the windows rolled up, caused the carpet to get a little modly. The mold has died off, but the carpets need to be steam cleaned.
- Likewise, 45 year old leather seats and some other interior bits need some care. The leather is old and dry, and a little faded, but not torn and the stitching is mostly in great shape. I think someone could do wonders with a bit of elbow grease if they knew what they were doing to get the leather back in top shape.
- As I said before, the front passenger fender is bent. Not so bent it can't be straightened, and it doesn't keep one from driving the car.
- The car needs paint. It was repainted in the original colors by the previous owner at some discount shop over top of the original paint, and it's not great. It's OK for a driver, but it's not showcar paint at all.
Oh, and the reason why I haven't driven it? No seatbelts. They were "optional equipment" in 62, and my wife thinks it's a deathtrap as a result. There's noplace I would go in that car that I want to go alone, with two young kids. Yes, I could install seatbelts in it, but it was that very conversation that led to the arguement that has me posting this ad.
I've got about $5200 or so in the car, maybe more. Like I said, I'm just tired of hearing my wife gripe about it. I'll entertain offers in the neighborhood of $3500. I'd also like for whomever buys it to keep my name handy if they ever sell it.
I'll get pictures up in a day or two if there's any interest. I'll answer any questions I can about it.
Thanks for your time and interest.
- Freed
The story- Car was originally purchased by an elderly female relative of a some employee of a dealership here in Kansas City. She ordered it with factory two-tone paint and leather. The paint is a light off-white on the body (I think it's called desert tan or something like that) and black on the top. The leather interior is black as is the carpet. Car was ordered with the optional 3.8L aluminum V8 and the optional two-speed automatic. Car also has power steering, and dealer-installed, under-dash air conditioning. (The a/c has been pulled, but all of the pieces are in the trunk, including the original compressor.) To this day, the original spare tire is with the car, along with the original hubcaps. The old lady drove the car for approximately 30k miles before she passed away, and then the car went into storage at the dealership.
Four or five years later, the car was purchased by the second owner for his daughter. She put almost all of the remaining mileage on the car. It stalled one day while she was driving it in the rain, and the front passenger fender got kissed hard when the car went into the ditch at about 20MPH. That's the only bodywork that needs to be done on this otherwise straight, rust free car. Her ex-husband tried to get the car started, to no avail, and then the car sat in a suburban Kansas City barn for approximately 18 years.
I purchased the car about two years ago, making me owner number three and meaning that this car has never left Kansas City. Not knowing the condition of things, I trailered it down to Ruge Automotive outside of Wichita, Kansas, and Eric went over the car completely to let me know everything that was wrong. Apparently a short was what caused the car to stall out. I had him do the following (and maybe a bit more, this is from memory, but I have reciepts):
- Rebuild the original carb
- Rebuild the distributor as needed so the car would run
- Convert the generator to a one-wire alternator, including fabricating a new bracket
- Rebuild the brakes on all four corners, this included sending the shoes out to be re-lined
- Install new stainless hard lines and new flex lines to all four corners of the brakes
- Install a known-good but used radiator out of a 63 Skylark
- Plugs, wires, vacuum lines, hoses, etc. As needed.
I put inexpensive new tires on it. The car starts and runs, doesn't drain the battery down when it sits, and drives as nicely as you could want.
This car needs about five things done to it, in my estimation:
- Driver's window has some problems with worn out hardware. This prevents the window from rolling all the way up to the top. This would need to be fixed.
- Sitting as it did, in a barn with the windows rolled up, caused the carpet to get a little modly. The mold has died off, but the carpets need to be steam cleaned.
- Likewise, 45 year old leather seats and some other interior bits need some care. The leather is old and dry, and a little faded, but not torn and the stitching is mostly in great shape. I think someone could do wonders with a bit of elbow grease if they knew what they were doing to get the leather back in top shape.
- As I said before, the front passenger fender is bent. Not so bent it can't be straightened, and it doesn't keep one from driving the car.
- The car needs paint. It was repainted in the original colors by the previous owner at some discount shop over top of the original paint, and it's not great. It's OK for a driver, but it's not showcar paint at all.
Oh, and the reason why I haven't driven it? No seatbelts. They were "optional equipment" in 62, and my wife thinks it's a deathtrap as a result. There's noplace I would go in that car that I want to go alone, with two young kids. Yes, I could install seatbelts in it, but it was that very conversation that led to the arguement that has me posting this ad.
I've got about $5200 or so in the car, maybe more. Like I said, I'm just tired of hearing my wife gripe about it. I'll entertain offers in the neighborhood of $3500. I'd also like for whomever buys it to keep my name handy if they ever sell it.
I'll get pictures up in a day or two if there's any interest. I'll answer any questions I can about it.
Thanks for your time and interest.
- Freed
