58L-Y8

Andrew: The folding top mechanisms and ancillary parts were the Ford factory components utilized on the full-sized 1969-'72 Fords and 1969-'70 Mercury convertibles. Andy Hotton Associates began converting small numbers of Lincoln Continental two-door hardtops in 1972-'73, continued throughout the decade. Other aftermarket convertible conversion coachbuilders sprang up in Florida and California as the auto industry abandoned the factory builds after 1976. It was something of a cottage industry for meet the remaining demand, always at a healthy price premium on top of the initial cost of the car. The 1971-'76 Cadillac Eldorado plus the other full-sized GM convertibles on the B-Body platform all shared the inward-folding 'scissor' mechanism which allowed a full-width rear seat. Steve

A.J.: It's a matter of taste, though the consensus seems to weigh toward the 1963 with its elegant grille textures and squared-off trunk lid. The 1963 models finally got the 4-barrel carburetor again after that absurd foray into 'economy' 1960-'62 430's beset with 2-barrel carburetors. The '61 'potted headlights' front grille is more visually interesting but a bit heavy-looking for such a clean design. Yes, these are among the most expensive, complicated 1960's cars to work on and restore. Worst, in my view, Ford skimped on many aspects of these cars for their initially high prices: poor rust protection and body drainage, an electrical system no better than any of their other products, interior materials that did not wear or age well, needlessly complicated features such as the hydraulic-powered windshield wiper system. The unibody was very solid but excessively heavy and even minor collision damage condemned many of these early to the junkyard because the cost to repair that all-welded front clip. I followed these as new and used cars in the 1960's-1970's, loved them from the first 1961's I saw pre-introduction in November 1960. The survival rate for the convertibles is high for such a low production car. They were beginning to be collected in the early 1970's even as worn out, rusty, rundown used cars. The causes for their popularity now are as cultural nostalgia touchstones of the JFK "Camelot" era. Steve

A.J.: You might, make contact to find out. These little Studebaker Champion business coupes have the most extreme proportions since the firewall-to-front-axle plane is so short, something like only 13 inches. They look even more extreme than the Mopar business coupes. Steve

For Sale: 1941 Cadillac Series 61 4dr Sedan, manual shift - $19,500 - Laconia, NH 1941 Cadillac Series 61 for sale by owner - Laconia, NH - craigslist Seller's Description: 1941 Cadillac 4 door sedan. Many new parts. Original interior, four new tires, new radiator. Car is rock solid. Selling because of vision deterioration. Car comes with at least $2,500 worth of spare parts. Goes down the road really good. Contact: Steve, no phone listed Copy and paste in your email: c7c1f88f0cf13e39900bb8cda0700380@sale.craigslist.org I have no personal interest or stake in the eventual sale of this 1941 Cadillac Series 61 4dr Sedan.

For Sale: 1949 Studebaker Champion 3-pass. Businessman Coupe - Project - $6,200 - Shrewsbury, MA 1949 Studebaker Champion. for sale by owner - Shrewsbury, MA - craigslist Seller's Description: 1949 Studebaker Champion. 2 Door Businessman Coupe. 3 passenger-NO back seat! Only 1642 of these were made. Very solid car. Always garaged. Have from visor for windshield. Great addition for the antique car collector. Contact: No phone listed Copy and paste in your email: e56cbebf9b1a3346b015b5dfea11ddb7@sale.craigslist.org I have no personal interest or stake in the eventual sale of this 1949 Studebaker Champion 3-pass. Businessman Coupe - Project.

For Sale: 1963 Lincoln Continental Convertible - Project - $12,000 - Oakham, MA 1963 lincoln continental for sale by owner - Oakham, MA - craigslist Seller's Description: 1963 Lincoln Convertible. Great car for restoration, rare with suicide doors. All original, interior in good shape, could be driven with a little work or good candidate for a full restoration. Asking 12k or best offer can deliver if needed. Contact: Call or text (774) twenty-0-ten-6-2. Copy and paste in your email: a6dbfdeea18334eb9c64d4633e7bcfa4@sale.craigslist.org I have no personal interest or stake in the eventual sale of this 1963 Lincoln Continental Convertible - Project. The Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1946-1975, edited by John Gunnell states 3,138 1963 Lincoln Continental Convertibles built.

Collectability is in the eye of the beholder. Certainly, AMC enthusiasts are the only folks who can legitimately answer these questions. Personally, I'd opine the interest and demand for 1970's Matadors and Ambassadors is scant. Just the same, its old enough to be of interest to someone, what little that can be done to bring it to the attention of those few AMC enthusiasts is worthwhile. As a used car dealer, I knew like to say, "There is a butt for every seat."

For Sale: 1965 Lincoln Continental Convertible, A/C, 80K miles - Project - $25,000 - Roseland, NJ 1965 Lincoln Continental for sale by owner - Roseland, NJ - craigslist Seller's Description: 1965 Lincoln Convertible barn find two owner car first owner from 1965-1989 second owner from 1989-2024 always garage kept. This is a running and driving car that is needing restoration or perfect starter for a suicide slab. 80K original miles. Repeat, this is a drivable project, if you are looking for a show car, this one isn’t for you. $25,000 or BO if interested call or text: Contact: Greg (973) two-2-three-zero-8-7-seven Copy and paste in your email: 7149381e49ba356e8fbdbd160c1be332@sale.craigslist.org I have no personal interest or stake in the eventual sale of this 1965 Lincoln Continental Convertible, A/C, 80K miles - Project. The Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1946-1975, edited by John Gunnell states 3,356 1965 Lincoln Continental Convertibles built.

For Sale: 1956 Studebaker Champion Pelham 2dr station wagon, 6-cyl. 3-speed w/OD, 50K miles - $15,000 - Alden, NY (Buffalo) 1956 studebaker champion for sale by owner - Marilla, NY - craigslist Seller's Description: Very nice 56 Studebaker Pelham 2 door station wagon, from Kansas. 6-cylinder 3 speed manual with overdrive. Just over 50K on the odometer. Runs great, new tires, brakes work great. Recently painted, new interior, newer exhaust. Needs a little TLC. $15k or best offer. Contact: Bob, Chat available through Reply. Copy and paste in your email: 4eb3fe3206aa3c6f88636d40fd5aa193@sale.craigslist.org I have no personal interest or stake in the eventual sale of this 1956 Studebaker Champion Pelham 2dr station wagon. The Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1946-1975, edited by John Gunnell states 2,236 1956 Studebaker Champion Pelham 2dr station wagons built.

For Sale: 1974 AMC Matador Station Wagon, 58K miles - $14,000 - Pittsburgh, PA 1974 AMC, Matador station wagon for sale by owner - Pittsburgh, PA - craigslist Seller's Description: Fast 360 V8, AC, Front disc brakes, New rear brakes, low 58K miles, Interior in great shape. 3 rows of seats could seat 9 but 6 comfortably. Runs well. Have service logs. Extra parts include extra hubcaps and stock rims and tires and an extra grill. Very nice, rare car. Numbers matching. Contact: (415) 7-thirteen-eleven-3-5 Copy and paste in your email: 72471e40018537eba5b126675db22cee@sale.craigslist.org I have no personal interest or stake in the eventual sale of this 1974 AMC Matador Station Wagon.

For Sale: 1939 Dodge Deluxe Six 4dr Sedan - $15,995 - New Ringgold, PA 1939 Dodge Sedan for sale by owner - New Ringgold, PA - craigslist Seller's Description: 1939 Dodge Sedan - Good Condition 3 speed, recently replaced timing chain, water pump, rebuilt carburetor, lubricated, brakes check and adjusted (August 2023, Spring 2024) runs great. Contact: (570) 7-seven-8-9-9-9-four Copy and paste in your email: 07c7088112f43128b145b3ead98ad9d9@sale.craigslist.org I have no personal interest or stake in the eventual sale of this 1939 Dodge Deluxe Six 4dr Sedan.

"Torpedo" was just a marketing term GM used to differentiate the new C-Body styles from their other cars, elevate it as 'the latest and greatest'. With the world events unfolding at the time, a certain amount of military imagery was considered patriotic and good for business. On the "fairly slim" door window frames, Fisher Body engineers were the best in the business, capable of tooling for volume production features which Styling developed that added to their sales appeal. Stamped, full-door construction was the most efficient configuration for volume production which they achieved on the C-Bodies although the design inspiration drew on the 60 Special's thin chromed window frames. That style was attached to the stamped, half-door construction, a bit too costly for high volume production in price sensitive markets. Harley Earl's stylists had been sketching design concepts with the fenders stretching into the doors, hinging functions had to be worked out before they could be brought to production, which they did for 1942. It was simply the evolutionary step toward the fully envelope body. Personally, I think you would be very pleased with this LaSalle if you buy it.

For Sale: 1954 Chevrolet 210 4dr Sedan, 54K miles - $7,500 - Windsor Mill, MD 1954 chevy 210 sedan for sale by owner - Windsor Mill, MD - craigslist Seller's Description: -Electronic ignition-new spark plugs-blue interior/exterior-Seatbelts-New battery-Radio in glove box-Dual exhaust-odometer: 54572 Contact: Ray (410) 7-three-3-3-seventry-3 Copy and paste in your email: 3cbe35a377993ad3a40f0de7d54cf39e@sale.craigslist.org I have no personal interest or stake in the eventual sale of this 1954 Chevrolet 210 4dr Sedan.

No, but the 60 Special 3-box body architecture provided the design inspiration for the 1940 GM/Fisher Torpedo C-Body sedans and for the C-Body series in general. When Bill Mitchell developed the 60 Special design, Harley Earl immediately recognized the potential it held for a smaller, more youthful Cadillac that would appeal to a younger demographic than their tradition 2 1/2-box touring sedans. His instincts were confirmed when 1938 60 Specials accounted for 40.5% of total Cadillac sales that first year. The 60 Special was also the styling sensation of that year, created considerable "buzz" in the current parlance. A succinct definition of "3-box body architecture": Box-1: all the mass ahead of the cowl including the front fenders and engine doghouse. Box-2: All the body mass rearward below the window beltline including a full-integrated 'coupe-style' trunk. Box-3: The 'greenhouse' top which sets on Box 2, is treated as a separate entity as it would for a convertible. Misterl was always attuned to what would keep GM cars in the forefront of buyer fascination, the 60 Special was a gift from the design gods, so to speak. The studios quickly set to work developing a mass-market design version with somewhat softer, sportier features which would be granted for top-line series for each GM nameplate except Chevrolet (which needed no high-image model to boost sales). In addition to the four-door sedan, two-door 5-passenger club coupe and convertible coupe plus four door convertible sedan all were developed on the same design architecture. The GM/Fisher Torpedo C-Body models were the sensation of the 1940 industry, upstaging everything other than perhaps the Lincoln Continentals and Packard Darrins. But unlike the latter two, folks with some degree of prosperity could readily avail themselves of the latest in automotive styling at their Pontiac dealership for approximately $1,050 or up to $1,750 for a Cadillac 62. The industry took note of how popular these were, Studebaker, Hudson, Nash and even Chrysler developed similar versions for 1941. Packard went into a panic, hurriedly developed the Clipper in hopes of catching up. Ask a simple question, get a dissertation... Steve

For Sale: 1955 Studebaker President State 4dr Sedan, 31K Miles - $17,500 - Lancaster, PA 1955 studebaker president for sale by owner - Lancaster, PA - craigslist Seller's Description: 1955 Studebaker President 4 Door Sedan, Exquisite Paint, Chrome, Interior, Mechanicals, Runs Great with original V-8 engine, transmission with only 31,112 Original Documented miles; Owner's Manual, recently serviced and drives great! Located at 2195 (A) Old Philadelphia Pike, Lancaster, Pa 17602 Contact: Please call Rob Kaufhold, my cell number at (717) 9-five-1-forty-1-9 Anytime Copy and paste in your email: c6f502d925e43e70b04570a5eecf7266@sale.craigslist.org I have no personal interest or stake in the eventual sale of this 1955 Studebaker President State 4dr Sedan. The Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1946-1975, edited by John Gunnell states 14,634 1955 Studebaker President State 4dr Sedans built. Note: This was Studebaker's top-of-the-line President sedan on the 120.5" wb chassis, powered by the 259 ci V8, the successor to the Commander Land Cruiser.