GLong

Photo image 5 looks like a horn mount for a '33. if you can send me a side image and front image and a measurement between some of the holes, I'll compare to mine. If it is a horn bracket I'm interested in buying it.. Thanks. LsFarm@earthlink.net GLong

I'd use a pump sprayer, like used for applying weed killer to the fence row or individual weeds in your lawn. Put a strong mixture of Clorox or other bleach and warm water, spray it down, make sure your door bottom drains are open and that any water and crud that collects in the rear quarters behind the doors can either be washed out, or scraped and vacuumed out later. The strong bleach will kill off any bugs, bacteria and viruses. Follow with a regular pressure washing. As long as you don't spray directly at the dashboard, or spray upwards under the dash at the back of the instruments, the wiring and instruments and switches will be fine, a few drops of water will do on harm. The wiring is rather impervious to water, think of the environment the same wires exist in on the engine side of the firewall, same wires but rain water spray, accelerated by the radiator fan, and the wires hold up fine. If you want to help preserve the metal, then a coating of Rust Bullet, POR 15, or even rustoleum will pretty much put and end to any further rust. GLong

Stu: that's a perfect reason to 'take on' the Pontiac project: spend some time with your grandfather. Mine passed when I was 10, and I cherish all the time I had with him, and while that was a LONG time ago, I still remember lots of conversations, lessons and trips we went on together. For the Pontiac, you have been given some good advice: FACTORY Shop Manual.. NOT one of the 'other' manuals. Chilton, Haynes etc are pretty worthless. Get it running FIRST, then see if you have a mechanical disaster on your hands or just a neglected car that needs a lot of TLC. First, get it inside, thawed, and lift up the old floor mats and carpeting and jute padding. This is probably all rotted away, inspect the floor pan. I have a slightly different agenda with cars like this: Get it running, and safe to drive; engine, brakes, transmission and tires. Lights, and charging system. Then, even without glass, take it out and drive it some and see if the engine has knocks, low oil pressure when warmed up, leaks etc. I'd even go so far as to say: install a temporary gas tank in the trunk for these first few test drives. My point is to spend as little money on items that will be wasted money if the engine has bad bearings, or valves or head gasket. or if the transmission is junk. I'd pull the spark plugs and put a cup or so of ATF/Acetone mix in each cylinder, a 50/50 mix is one of the least expensive and most effective rust penetrants available. Then put a properly fitting socket and long breaker bar on the front crankshaft bolt that holds the vibration dampener on the crank, and see if you can get the engine to turn over. If it moves even a little, STOP, let the ATF/acetone mix 'work' on the rusty cylinders, for a few days, then gently turn the engine by hand, with the spark plugs removed. If there is rust in the cylinders, the ATF and a gentle rotation of the engine might scrape the rust smooth enough that you can get it running, The ATF/Acetone will also serve to free up the inevitable stuck rings in their piston lands. Once the engine is turning over, drop the oil pan, clean out the sludge, clean the oil pump pickup screen and drop the oil pump if it's easy to access. Personally I'd look at the rod bearings too, but that's for another thread. If the engine runs, no knocks or cracks [was it parked with antifreeze in the cooling system? ]. or major leaks. then tackle the brakes, it will probably require either new or rebuilt master cylinder and wheel cylinders. I'd hold off on the brake lining until you KNOW the car has a salvageable drive train and you want to proceed with the car's repairs. Once you decide to move ahead with the repairs, which I hope does happen for you and your Grandfather's sake, then I'd find the glass, and some blankets or inexpensive seat covers over some seat padding and get the interior functional.. NOT PRETTY. Get the lights all functional, Doors latches functional and safe. Where I'm going is to not disassemble the car down to a pile of parts. Rather, in incremental steps, you and your Grandfather have shorter, easier miniature repairs and successes with an incremental restoration or repair of the car. I'd not even THINK about paint and rust repair until you have driven it for several months, sorting out the many inevitable issues that will show up. Like bad wheel bearings, or a noisy differential from rust on the ring gear, or a surprise of a rusted to nothing frame mount for a spring or part of the body. i'm thinking tackle one small or medium job at a time, make progress, have a 'win' and enjoy each one.. This whole idea is to keep the car as complete and in one piece as possible.. I'm going to say a majority of big projects like this car NEVER get finished because the whole task is so overwhelming when the car is all apart. But if you keep the car 'rolling' and can take it out occassionally, enjoy the short drive with your Grandpa, then this will be an enjoyable experience. And, I've found that the 'just removed from the Barn' look gathers a lot more attention and questions than a very pretty fully restored car. Best of luck, please keep us informed as you work on the Pontiac. GLong

Most drop-center wheels had a flat rubber band that wrapped around the lowest part of the drop-center, covering the ends of the spokes, and prevented the inner tube from getting holes abraded into the rubber, eventually causing a leak. This flat rubber strip had a hole in it for the valve stem to poke through. I was trying to buy some of these bands a year or two ago, and was told that they were being discontinued, that most people just used tape. I asked, do you mean like duct tape? He said that duct tape had way too low a melting point for the adhesive on the tape. They used and recommended to me to use PVC pipe wrap Tape, something I had never heard of. I was told it could be purchased at most Home Depots, Lowes, etc. I had to go to a plumbing and heating wholesaler to find it, but the PVC pipe wrap tape is much like a wide electrical tape with a high temperature adhesive. It comes in two thicknesses, 10mil and 20mil. When warm, at about 70-80* is quite flexible and can be pulled around the sides of the drop-center, which lines the sides of the drop as well as the bottom were the spokes end in shallow depressions that are never smooth. This tape works very well, better than any and all the rust prevention paints and treatments. It seems that even with talc, a smoothly sanded and painted wheel, an inner tube tends to stick, and bind against the wheel as it inflates. causing the tube to inflate to become very thin in places. I've always inflated a tube, and deflated several times, but never letting the tube go completely empty of pressure, then bounced the tire on several sides, to let the tube center and equalize in the space. This is getting to be a lot of work as I get older. With the PVC Tape on the drop-center, and talc in the tire and on the tube, I've noticed that when I deflate the tube, it actually slides around inside the tire, I can move the tube by manipulating the valve stem. I don't think I was ever able to do this before, The tube is certainly not sticking to or binding against any roughness in the drop-center or against the wire spoke ends and depressions. Here is a link to the product: http://www.amazon.com/100-Mil-Pipe-Wrap-Tape/dp/B000V4D3RM/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1418084935&sr=8-5&keywords=pvc+pipe+tape Another: http://www.amazon.com/Orbit-Sprinkler-System-50-Foot-53550/dp/B0013I71Q4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1418085280&sr=8-3&keywords=pvc+pipe+tape Knowing how to do your own tire repairs is part of the hobby, I take a lot of time and care with tube-type tires. Since I'm the guy on the side of the road changing the wheel and tire. Most tire shops are a bit too nonchalant with tube type tires for me. GLong

Stuuuuuart.. welcome to the old car hobby. As you can see we all have opinions and experiences to share. My opinion: get it looked over by a competent mechanic. This should include lifting the floor mats and or carpeting/padding. If you see daylight, well, maybe best if you keep looking. BUT. sometimes there is just one hole and the rest of the floor you could drop an anvil on and not dent it. A rusty floor will NOT significantly weaken the body such that the car is dangerous in a crash. These cars had a rather heavy REAL frame that supports the body. It is not a uni-body frame/body design like later cars. A good inspection will include: A compression test on the engine A look at the ATF in the transmission for being burnt [the powerglide trans is pretty strong] A look at the differential gear lube to make sure it's not full of water and rust. A look at all 4 brake assemblies with the wheels off. This is a single master cylinder system it must not have leaks or rusty lines. A look at the generator for output voltage above idle speeds, A look into the radiator and wobble the waterpump shaft to see if it's on it's way out.. pumps are cheap and easy to change. A look into the fuel filter [just put a new on on it, cut open the old one] to look for lots of rust which will mean gas tank work. A close look at the frame for poorly repaired damage from accidents or rust. From the standpoint of safety, you said the car has new tires.. Take a look at them, are they radials?? 95% of the driving characteristics we [older drivers] remember about the early cars are the result of bias ply tires. Radial tires do NOT chase worn dips and grooves in the road like bias-ply tires do. Another safety item that is not stock, but in my opinion a very good thing to add is a 3rd stoplight at the bottom of the rear window, and BRIGHT brakelight bulbs. The drivers today expect to be distracted away from their cell phone by the bright red glow of brake lights in front of them. The added 3rd brake light can be tastefully done. As for the '57 you are considering and '57's in general. Personally I like the blue, much better than the 'canyon coral' '57 I had. The 6 cylinder is a good engine, just keep oil and water in it. The fuel mileage will be around 12 to 16mpg. Depending on your right foot, and the type of driving. My '57 was a 4door Belair sedan, with the 265 v8 with powerglide. it had manual brakes and manual steering. It had radial tires, and new brake lines and brake cylinders. The interior had decent slip on seat covers over the cracked and worn original seat covers. It had very worn chrome. Over the 10 years I owned the car, it got driven a LOT. It was the car of choice to take friends out to dinner, remember the 4 doors ! It drove at modern car speeds, had good lights for night driving, and it was VERY reliable. Over the 10 years I only changed the oil, and took a look at the points each year, and checked the dwell, [pretty much the same as checking the point's gap] for wear. In the 10 years and roughly 15,000 miles I put on the car, I never had to replace points or condenser or spark plugs, I did develop an oil leak on one valve cover gasket.. What a refreshingly easy repair. I was in and out of the engine bay in less time than it would take to just get to the valve cover bolts in a late 70's V8 car. !! As for driving in all weather, a set of radial tires with an open tread pattern will be about 80% as effective as 'snow tires', and they will last a long time, and be MUCH better on wet or slightly slushy roads than 'snow tires'. I think it's wonderful that you not only are interested to buy a 'cool' old car for your first car, but are researching the idea first, and not just impulsively buying it, then realizing that it's not what you thought it would be. As for the Pontiacs.. My big concern would be finding replacement glass and window seals, and the damage done from the car being out in the weather with broken windows.. Usually this means rusted out door bottoms and rusted out floors. You need to look into those areas on your Grandfather's cars. Also, if there are rusted out floors, rocker panels and doors, they will most likely need to be repaired by a person who can work with sheet metal, since I doubt there are aftermarket sheet metal parts for that vintage Pontiacs. But, maybe they are the same basic body as the '57 Chevy?? I don't know if GM was sharing body parts back in '57, I rather doubt it. BUT, I will 100% agree that doing anything you can with your Grandfather is a good thing. He won't be around forever, and when he's gone, he's gone. I learned tons from both my father and grandfather, and would love to still have them around to confer with on many projects. So, providing the car is OK mechanically and you have a backup car to borrow, or back up transportation to ? school, job or whatever, I'd say go buy the car, and love it and learn from it.. There is really not a better car to learn on. as mentioned above: easy to work on, simple as they come, lots of parts available, and not so old that it will be difficult to find knowledgable people and manuals to help you along. Go For It !! Keep us informed with what you find when you look closely at the car. GLong

Please show us a photo or two of the one you still have. I'm sure someone has one in a box of connectors. GLong

I yearn for the days when a person was hung for stealing a horse. Swift and sure punishment for your illegal or immoral deed. I'll bet that guy who was caught stealing the door handle off that camper didn't do it again! I think all the fingers of his hand broken with the words 'Failed Thief' in bright red on his cast for a month or so would be a significant deterrent to any future theft. I've always wished I could catch someone running their keys down the side of a car or truck.. lets just say that I'd probably be in jail afterwards. But that person would never 'key' a car again. The lack of respect for other people's property from some of the people in our country is amazing. Thankfully I live in a fairly rural area where this type of behavior is rare. And I rarely go to big public events. GLong

Superior1980 made the most accurate comment: 'They are [the cars] I grew up with. I'm a collector of many antiquities: 1800's Clocks, Federal Period formal furniture, antique firearms, early tools as well as [mostly] pre-WWII cars. When I used to do antique shows I watched the interest in the old, 'real' antiques wane, while interest in more modern early 1900's Oak furniture, 99% machine made rose and along with interest, so did the prices. 90% of ALL collecting and collections are driven by NOSTALGIA. The remaining 10% is split amongst technical interest, investment value [perceived, but often not realized] and an interest in preserving history. The cars I grew up with STILL catch my attention, and even though they are pretty lousy cars, I still have interest in them. But for me, I'm collecting the cars I do because of their place in history, their technological status and mechanical and quality standards. I doubt that I'll sell my cars for much, if any profit, but I'll have a lot of fun in the mean time. We all could be collecting baseball cards, furbys, or cabbage patch kids or some other silly nonsense. [ I know I'll get a few comments about that]. So as the car collectors who grew up with model T's, age, the main collecting population keeps getting younger. Witness the huge surge in buying and prices of the late 50's cars, and the interest and prices in the 60s muscle cars. It's all because the buyers grew up with those cars, or alway coveted them. As the baby boomers age, the muscle cars will slowly drop in value, along with the earlier cars. The only thing that supports the prices of the very high-end cars is the deep pockets of the high-end collector.. What is happening with the more mundane, run of the mill sedans, business coupes etc. ? We've seen several threads about the decline in prices and decline in any form of interest in so many very good cars.. but fairly standard cars. I do believe that we DO have to try to interest the younger crowd in the older cars. I had the pleasure of finding two such guys at the Auburn Labor day auction a few weeks ago. I was working on a car I had just purchased the night before, and two guys came by to look at the car, and I struck up a conversation with them. Soon I was showing them some of the interesting bits of late '20's technology, and refering to 'modern' technology. The conversation showed that they had interest. So after I finished with the newly aquired car, I invited them to take a ride 'around the block' in my 'driver' car I brought to Auburn: a 1925 Pierce Arrow 7pass touring. The 'block' is about one mile on a side next to the auction park. The young guys were quite amazed at the way the Piece just exuded quality, strong construction and power [relative to it's age of construction]. We talked about how so many people were only interested in how fast it could go, or if it could 'spin it's wheels', or what gas mileage it got. These guys understood during the short few miles that none of that was important, that the quality, style and engineering were what was interesting about the car. To say the least, I was quite impressed with these two guys, and told them so. I hope they get to continue their education in older cars. They were not impressed with laptop tuner cars and the modern computerized stuff at all. Anyway, if we hope to keep our cars from becoming cubes of steel, aluminum and burnt up wood, we MUST interest the new potential members who wander around the cruise nights, local car shows etc.. or you might as well sell 'em now, 'cause your heirs will just have to scrap 'em in 30 years or less. GLong

Define 'safe'. Safe speed to not damage the engine? First, is the engine in very good shape, by that I mean does it have normal clearances, clean oil passageways, a clean oil pan, and good oil pump? If so, we need the rear axle ratio to be more specific. But the suggestions to drive it like it would have been driven back in it's day assume a strong, good condition engine. And back in it's day, if you burnt up a rod bearing or an exhaust valve, every town had a shop that could and would repair the car. Today, smoke the engine and you will take months to find a shop and get the engine repaired. Based on how nice the car appears. I'd deduct a few mph just to keep the car preserved. Next, 'Safe' should really refer to the rest of the car, and the environment you will drive the car in. If you try to participate in a rush-hour chicanery-demolishion derby around most major cities, I'd park any nice old car and have an early dinner. If you are going to just cruise along the interstates, 60mph will not label you as too slow, many trucks are running at 62-65mph with the cost of diesel so high. Make sure the tires are less than 10 years old, the brakes don't pull, or have any leaks, and have good brake lines. especially the flex lines between the frame and the moving axles and wheels. Old flex lines are often ignored, until they leave you with a brake pedal on the floor. No dual braking systems in '41. As for Rusty's comment, when I read his comment the first time, I took it as a helpful suggestion, not to be intended as criticism. Since you are here asking for advise, that implies you are a bit on the 'newb' side. If I went to a forum for your corvair club, and asked a similar question, wouldn't that imply I'm a bit of a 'newb' too? "Newb' is not to me in any way a put-down. Ask a 'newby' type question, then at least for that question, or subject you are inexperienced, need advice, and therefore appear to be 'new' on that subject. I'm a 'newby' on many, many subjects, and would proudly proclaim myself to be one when asking for helpful advise. I'd buy, borrow or steal a tachometer and take the car for a drive. Most of the big inline 6 and 8 cylinder engine in the late 30's and early 40's would run all day long at 2500-3000 rpm.. But if, as suggested in an above message, the car feels like you are pushing it, then back off. My '33 Pierce 836 in direct is comfortable at 50-55, but with the overdrive [aftermarket, installed by myself] the car is quite comfortable at 65mph. But the 30 year old tires tend to make me drive it a bit slower most of the time. I hope this post is helpful, not taken as criticism, and is useful for you to take your nice Desoto out on the highways. GLong

Providing the engine is complete, and either runs or turns over, [not rusted stuck], then this car should be put back on the road as a preservation car. I'd clean the exterior and clear coat the flaking paint and bare steel to stop further rust. As Rusty asked: Do you have the interior door panel? If so, the rest of the interior looks pretty good. The costs to bring it back to dealer-showroom condition far exceed the retail value of the car. And anybody can have a car restored. But to find and have a car that is nearly 100% intact and original is not something someone can just 'buy'. I'd keep the car, get it running, get the drivetrain and brakes reliable and use the car and have fun with it. GLong

The Chandler is rather peppy I think. It has a 268cuin 6cylinder, rated at 28hp, has 4.0:1 rear gears, and only weighs 2900#, so it runs pretty good. This will be my first tour with it, So I'll be carrying a lot of tools, spare stuff and keeping my fingers crossed. I'll take it on several 30-40 mile runs around home this and next week. If it survives those, then I'll bring it to Defiance. Defiance is only about 2.5 hours from home, so IF the Chandler lets me down, I'll trailer it home and bring back a Pierce Arrow [tour proven] and finish the Glidden in that. I bought the Chandler because it was complete, a true 1915-built car, and it isn't in bad shape, it's had some good restoration done on it, I did some mechanical work, engine, electrical and brakes. But the paint is pretty poor. If it tours well, it will probably get a paint job. On my short runs around home, it accelerates quick, steers stiff but precise and requires more brake pedal pressure than I'd like, but it will stop. 40mph is easy and comfortable, I've had it up to near 50, but the top is like pulling a parachute. I'm still learning about it, and figuring out it's personality. So far I like it. GLong

As mentioned above, once cleaned the aluminum crankcase will likely leak like a sponge. I've had the experience of a weeping crankcase. I just couldn't understand HOW the starter was leaking oil. Removed the starter and the area of the crankcase hidden behind the starter was soaked with oil. I tried several cleanings and it still soaked through and dripped oil with each trip I took the car on. I ended up dropping the oil pan, and using an aviation gas tank sealer on the inside of the crankcase to seal the porous area. The aviation sealer is meant to be used on aluminum that cannot be completely cleaned of oils, like the inside of a 'wet wing' fuel tank. The #5 connecting rod was tossing oil against the porous spot on this engine, causing it to leak through. I've used Glyptol on fresh rebuilt engines since. With a freshly hot-washed crankcase, the glyptol works well. GLong

I'm going, probably in my '15 Chandler. Or one of the '25 Pierce Arrow Tourings. This will be my first Glidden Tour. I'm looking forward to it. GLong

This is the best product I've ever used: http://www.furnitureclinic.com/Professional_Leather_Products.php Turned a cracked, split, frayed leather seats into very usable, nice looking leather seats. It took only a day and half to refinish the interior of this touring car. GLong

If it's a fresh overhaul, why use non detergent oil ?? if the engine is fresh, and therefor clean, I'd use detergent oil, and change the oil often, just like you do with non-detergent. GLong

Look at some old bearings that were doing fine, not worn, and still measure at original oil clearance to the crank. You will be appalled at what the bearings look like. Scotch bright as long as you don't grind it into the surface works fine. so does fine sandpaper, like 600 wet or dry. Just use some sense and clean off the bearing's surface afterwards. GLong.

If there is room to the left of the clutch, add a left-foot brake to augment the normal brake pedal. I'm thinking like the 'driver's training' brake pedal on the right side of the car, or the Mail-delivery right side brake and gas pedal. The left side brake pedal would connect via a pivoting shaft that allows the left pedal to help pull down the right pedal. The driver would slide the gearshift into neutral, and use both feet to apply the brakes, once stopped, then use the left foot on the clutch to get into gear again. GLong

Bypass filters bleed off engine oil pressure. I think of a bypass filter as a loose or worn main bearing. In order to get a 15 minute 'full filtration' of the engine's oil, I believe you would see a slight drop in indicated oil pressure. If an engine has worn bearings, and excessive oil clearances, then a bypass filter might create a noticeable pressure drop. As mentioned above, the best setup would be full filtration for 'the big stuff' and bypass for the smaller contaminants. Providing the engine has plenty of oil supply, that is a healthy oil pump, the amount of pressure drop should be minimal. I certainly like the idea of all the oil being filtered, all the time. As opposed to some of the oil an any one time. The additional fine filtration from a bypass system will result in very clean oil, I had a bypass system [NOT toilet paper] in a Cummins-powered truck, and it had clean oil instead of black oil at 10,000 mile change intervals. On so many old engines without full flow filtration, I see scored bearings, and see some rather amazing accumulations of grit and abrasive crud in the oil journals of the crankshafts. Engines that are full filtered usually don't have scored, damaged bearings, they have smoothly worn out bearings. GLong

Your biggest problem will be attaching the OD to the rear differential. You will have to figure out a connector from the output from the OD to the input of the pinion shaft of the differential. You will also have to make some kind of adapter to connect the OD case to the differential housing. The 26% ratio will most likely work very well for your car. I have a Mitchell in my 1933 Pierce Arrow 836 Club sedan. It has the original 4.28:1 differential. The Mitchell brings it down to 3.17:1. I do not have any problems with power here in the Midwest. With my setup, it is a simple operation to shift the OD back to Direct, so for parades or slow touring I run direct. The Pierce's 366 cubic inch inline 8 cylinder has peak torque around 1600-1800, so the 'tall' gearing is not an issue. I run 65mph on the freeways. In my installation, the OD is mounted to the chassis, and a short 8" driveshaft connects the trans to the OD, then a new rear driveshaft is used to connect the OD to the input of the rear differential. I have no geometry issues with this setup. You will probably have to figure out the venting of the OD case, unless you end up with a threaded plug at the top of the OD's case when installed. You must vent the OD, it gets warm, and if sealed would push out it's gear lube. I'm not sure if it would mingle lubrication in an installation where it is replacing an enclosed torque-tube drive system. You will enjoy the 'new car' you create when you have the OD installed. GLong

If this is only when the engine has been run long enough to be hot, fully up to temp, then part of the problem is the fast evaporation rate that the modern fuel has. The fuel in the float bowl will boil away, and the remaining evaporate away, leaving a dry carb. I'm experiencing this on many cars. If you don't experience what appears to be 'drain-back' when you just start the engine, then shut it off, it's evaporation. Think about the way a needle and seat work on the float in the carburetor, it's virtually impossible to have fuel be sucked back or drain back into the fuel lines and tank. GLong

Carefully remove the cover over the brushes. I'm betting the brushes are worn, and no longer touching the commutator. I think there are 4 or 6 brushes in that starter. I had a similar issue with what looks to be the same starter in a '37 Bentley. Starter worked on day, next day it wouldn't turn the engine. I found worn down brushes. What I was able to do was to carefully bend the end of the spring that pushes on each brush, so that the spring was resting on the end of the brush, instead of the brush holder that guides the brush. This gave me another year to look for and buy brushes for the starter. Good luck with the repairs. GLong

AtlasMan: try to get to Auburn Indiana on Labor Day weekend. August 29, 30, 31st. The big auction/sale/swap meet/ and CAR CORAL is there that weekend. There are almost always some good basic driver's vehicles for sale. You and your grandfather would enjoy a day or two at the event. I've gone for over 25 years. Usually in the car corral the owners are with their cars. So you can ask questions and get opinions. It's a great learning experience. As for the first car you mentioned: the 60's TBird: personally I'd stay away from it. I had a '64 TBird for about 10 years. It was a hog for work. It was a low miles car from Georgia, no rust, never wrecked. It was 99% original, but it had one thing after another: exhaust manifold gaskets. A common issue with the 390. And the manifold bolts almost always want to break off in the head. And THAT is a small war to repair. The electric stuff is a nightmare. Voltage stabilizers in the dash for the gas gauge, took over 5 hours to get to the item, and several brittle plastic part fought me along the way. Electric windows always needed help. one thing always lead to three. The simpler Fairlane might be an 'OK' car, but if you can get one of the AACA guys who KNOWS the model of car to look it over for you. This could save you a lot of grief. All the other cars mentioned except for the no title Tbird would be great cars for a first car. That big Boat would be very popular at High School for runs to the DQ, or hang out in,, it will hold 6 people easily ! [and legally]. The little Falcon is a money maker, it would sell for more money with a new seat cushion. And, If you can save the money, the best deal would be that '70 mouse-tang, with the I-6 Looks great, would be a ball to drive, and not eat you alive for gas or parts. And like Matt said: you'll never lose money on it as long as you don't wreck it, or let it deteriorate. My first car? a '61 VW beetle rag-sunroof. with a lot of ground showing through the floors and inner fenders. I had to wear knee-high boots when I drove it in the rain: the tires pushed water into the car, then the floor flooded. Stop for a light and a tidal wave of water came forward, soaking my feet up to my calves. Had a ball with the car, it survived about 2 years. the rust eventually got so bad that if both doors were opened at the same time, the dash and cowl would drop about 4". It then took two people, one lifting on each door, or one on a door and the other lifting the dashboard to get the doors closed. Good luck with your hunt for a car. I think you and your grandfather would enjoy at day at the Auburn Indiana event. GLong.

Just because an item is from Harbor Freight does not mean it is junk. A winch, used occasionally for say 1/2 or 1/4 it's rated capacity will last for years. I too have used multiple 'come-along' cable winches. I have a very 'serious' one, uses 5/16" cable, is made of heavy cast aluminum. But as mentioned, a 90* day, sunshine and 90% humidity can actually be DANGEROUS to some of us. So think about your health. Very few of us are in our 20's or even 40's anymore. Working too hard under arduous conditions can be very bad for our health. I use the cheap Harbor Freight tools for some of the 'one time' jobs that require some odd tool that I don't already have. For example, I have a set of 30*/60* open end wrenches that start at 1" and go up to 2.5", this is a $5-600 set from Snap on, Matco etc. The set was $50 or so from HF. I used these to change some hydraulic hoses on an old Hough Payloader. Saved me weeks of labor/time and Hundreds of dollars. Obviously if I worked on heavy equipment all the time, I'd invest in a very good set. GLong

Harbor Freight, ATV winch. 2500#, or 5000# if you use a snatch block. PULLING a rolling car requires a fraction of the weight of the car. You do not need a winch with enough pull to lift the car off the ground. Make a plate to bolt to the bottom of the winch, put a hook on it, you'll have what you describe. GLong

Unless you have a radio in the car, and don't want any spark-induced noise in the radio, I'll recommend using copper-wire core wires. You can make them yourself, just buy a roll or the ~30 feet of wire you need and solder on the connectors. I make my own, since I like to use original nickel'd wire ends. GLong