danleblanc

1953 Fleetwood. Dry solid Colorado desert car. Was taken apart by previous owner to figure out how to reassemble a 53 Eldorado and to harvest the correct bolts for under the hood. Needs one small patch in the drivers floor.1953 Series 62 Sedan. Good parts car for the Fleetwood. Very complete but suffered the ravages of improper storage since 1973. Pulled the oil pan and valve covers and engine has zero sludge. It's rusty where it shouldn't be and would take too much effort to make solid. That's why it's a good donor car.Both engines are stuck from sitting. Also have some extra parts laying around. Looking for $2500 USD for the package. Located 35 miles east of the Maine border. They've been in my garage since 2015 and have done nothing with them. Have paperwork for both in my name. Don't need to sell but would like to move in to a 70s Cadillac or Lincolnclosed car to work on instead. Already have a lead on a 77 Town Car. Wife says these have to go first or be prepared to live in the Lincoln. Not interested in parting out. If they don't sell, I may end up finally diving in. The pictures of rust damage and intact interior are from the parts car. The Fleetwood is all apart inside but have most of the interior parts.

I use Pinnacle Black Onyx tire dressing. It is water based and makes the rubber look clean and black without gloss. It dries and does not attract dust. If you want a glossy look apply a few coats and it will gloss up. I like the tires matte and black. A silicone base will leach out the oils in the rubber and cause cracking in rubber or vinyl. That's why water based dressings and protectants are important. On my interior parts, I use Pinnacle vinyl and rubber protectant. It's water based also with UV inhibitors but doesn't give that glossy greasy look either. Just natural deep matte colours on plastic as if they were fresh out of the mold.

Take a run up 39 to Giotti's in Linglestown. Food is good Italian fare at very reasonable prices. When I'm in the area I always go there at least once and have been doing so for the last 5 years. It's also BYOB so you're not at the mercy of someone else's wine list

I sold my 1961 Fleetwood to a chap in California. As part of the agreement, I would deliver the car to his shipping agent in Boston from my home in New Brunswick, Canada. He ended up hiring a customs broker to process the transaction. I showed up at the border with my car on the trailer, presented the paperwork to the border officials that the customs broker provided, and after waiting for them to check my shipment, I was on my way with zero hassles in about 15 minutes. The customs broker had an office local to the border crossing (in fact, you can see the border crossing from their front door). I'd suggest looking up the broker nearest to your point of entry back into the US and using that broker - not one of the online outfits. If the border agents see a broker processed the transaction, they get a better feel for it and usually make it fairly easy for you. Best money you'll spend. Oh, and yes, you'll need a passport.

It's a 1951 Series 62 Sedan. The eggcrates under the headlights and the 51-6219 on the data plate give it away.

Last thing I want to do is to have a customs record. I enjoy travel too much for that. So, it sounds like Joe's advice is the most sound. I'll ask the question of customs officials on both sides of the border and make the determination from there as to whether or not it's worth the hassle to bring it across for the car corral. I may end up just listing it in Hemmings and calling a day and letting a customs broker settle the transaction should the car sell.

Unfortunately, Bernie, it's one of those cars that's just so well preserved, it's too nice to drive. I'm sure there are other folks here that can relate. Can't drive it because I don't want to put the miles on it. Can't add A/C because it would alter the car. It's not truly my car because everyone has an opinion on it. You drive it to a show because someone makes you feel obligated to take it because of what it is. Then, on the way home, you hit a moose. Then everyone says he was so foolish for not taking it on a trailer. How could he let that happen? It's only original once, yadda, yadda, yadda. It gets to the point where the car owns you. Excellent, unrestored, low- mileage original "preservation class" and ultra high point restored concours vehicles are usually owned by the curator Class in the hobby. Members of this class universally commit substantial resources to provide an environment for the storage and maintenance of their vehicles. Often this is conveniently done as an accessory to their business or enterprise with similar facilities' requirements. Less frequently but more spectacularly, storage and maintenance of these cars occurs as part of an elaborate personal residence having outsized architecturally compatible garage space. The Curator Class is composed of just that: curators. They house, preserve and display their vehicles. They too grow tired of vehicles and rotate and exchange them among each other mostly away from the public eye. The significant characteristics here are that they do not "consume" the vehicle by any form of "use" and have major open ended investments in proper storage. Curators are personally divorced from the utility of vehicles. Sure, they enjoy them, but on a level completely different than someone who has had major wrenching time freeing a stuck engine, lungs full of filler dust and reducer fumes, and all the other enjoyables of "needy car" ministrations. They do not suffer "needy cars" or "needy people". This is an important critical distinction for both the curators and their cars. Most people in the hobby do not have the financial resources of curators and are not of the Curator Class. The irony is that the Curator Class holds items commonly coveted and aspired to by hobbyists and enthusiasts without the resources to attain and properly own them. Most of the hobby is dedicated to the eradication of this distinction by the notion of DIY to the desired end and this defines the hobby for the "Other-Than-Curator-Class". I am wise enough to know that I own a Curator Class car but have come to realize that I am presently not, nor do I want to be, a Curator anymore. That is great wisdom that many in the hobby never achieve. This hobby is a process of shared continuous self-discovery and shared ambition involving mental and manual labor. The only important "judging" is the judgment you make in your personal selection of vehicles and level of engagement with them. I would hope that someone would continue the preservation of the car when it changes hands. But. Their car. Their money. For me, I can't justify taking this car and driving into something that's worth half of what it currently is. I don't have those resources to take that kind of hit. Instead, I'll sell it, get a driver that maybe has had a repaint, more miles on it, with more miles to go. Something that is worth half of what this car is and always will be. Something like my Impala was. I bought it for $6000. Sold it for $6000, and with regular use and care, proper storage, and proper maintenance, will always be a $6000 car. Those folks seem to have more fun with their cars than I do with this one. Sure, winning national awards was nice, but, now that that's done, now what?

Thanks Roger! This is what I needed to know. Now, I wonder if the car didn't sell, if he would have to re-import the car back into Canada.

I went through the new import process into Canada recently and it wasn't that bad. Everything else is the same as before. The only new requirement is the AES filing with the US Census bureau to give you a SED (Shipper's Export Declaration). A customs broker has to do it, however, I found a company online that does it for $75.00. Filled out the online form, paid my fee, and had my SED within 48 hours. Dropped off all the documents at my local border crossing 72 hours before export, went and got the car, stopped in at US Customs on the way back, they checked the VIN and then over to Canadian Customs. They charged me the GST and I was on my way. The whole thing at the border took about 20 minutes going through both customs offices. Of course, I had proof of value (a copy of my bank draft), and a bill of sale, so there were no questions.

I know I can call. Heck, I can even drive there as it's only 25 minutes away. What I would like is to hear from someone who has actually done it.

I got to live vicariously through all the Facebook posts from friends who were able to attend Hershey this year (missed it this year because my wife booked a cruise for December - only have so much time off, you know). In some of the posts, I did notice some cars for sale with Canadian license plates. I'm interested in hearing from Canadians who have brought and sold cars at the car corral. What did you do at US customs when entering the US and how did you handle the transaction? The transaction part should be the easy part - I'm assuming cash, wire transfer, or some sort of other guaranteed funds. It's bringing the car across the border for sale that I'm more curious about. I'm thinking of bringing my 24,500mi 1961 Fleetwood Sixty Special to the car corral next year. Unrestored survivor, 90% original paint, 100% original interior and chrome. First Junior 2013, First Senior 2015, both won at Hershey. I'm hoping to go down with one car and come back with something different. Something a little less garage/trailer queen and something more driver quality to enjoy.

I'll see what I can find in my Cadillac stuff (should be the same transmission), but, once you get in there, it should all make sense.

You may pick up a residual weak signal from Hershey Park or Chocolate World.

What kind of car? If it's a GM, the seat transmission should come out, get disassembled, and the solenoids cleaned and regreased. Old hardened grease will cause a whole host of problems.

1965-?? Cadillac C note horn. Parts book I have access to ends at 1965 so I don't know the final year for this horn.

In 2012, I was looking for a correct #945 or 947 trumpet horn for my 61 Fleetwood. I was walking past and my wife said, that could be one. We were in a hurry and I passed it off as not it (couldn't find the number). Guy was asking $25 for it. Got a text from a friend of mine about 5 minutes later saying he found a #945 trumpet horn for $10. I asked where. Met him there and it was the trumpet horn I passed on 5 minutes earlier. Well, 4 years later, his car still has a trumpet horn and mine doesn't.

When I went from Linglestown to Archbald in July while on vacation, it took me 1 1/2 hours (on a Friday afternoon leaving at 1:15) to get from the 78/81 split to just above Pine Grove. There was a few small construction areas from there to Scranton, but nothing as bad as that. Left Linglestown at 1:15, arrived in Archbald at 4:55. It's going to be that way for a while as I understand it.

Yesterday, I decided to pull the clock from my 53 so I can say I finally did something with the car. It actually cleaned up nicely and runs right now (if wound up by hand). When I put power to it, I can't get it to wind up on its own. I've also got a 1961 Westclox clock that is VERY similar and does the same thing. I'm more familiar with the later Amphenol Borg units - much simpler movement than the Westclox. Contact points come together, kickback causes winding to occur. Can't seem to figure out how the Westclox rewinds. I did notice the two coils in there, but no contact points like a Borg. Any pointers on how I can go a little further?

What a fantastic car, Matt. Too bad my same unrestored condition 90% original paint 24,000mi 61 Fleetwood wouldn't fetch this money, otherwise I'd be all over this.

Linglestown and Colonial Park are also good areas to look in for accommodations with easy access to Hershey either via Rte 39 or 22.

I just Googled it. They're even still available. http://www.ampcolubes.com

The parts look like exactly what's left in the car! Thanks so much. Did they actually do anything beneficial or were they a snake oil conversation piece?

I think washer is out as it had washers from factory. Initial thoughts here are some kind of lubrication device but 50s stuff is new to me so I figured I'd ask.

So this thing is attached to the radiator support of the 53 Fleetwood I dragged home. The straw part goes into some sort of cannister (missing but the attached bit on the car is threaded to accept one). There's a fitting for a line in and the two round bits on the top come off. Also appears to be some sort of sight glass tube where whatever line goes into it connects. The magic question is, does anyone know what it is?

If I recall correctly, there should be a return line fitting on the top of the glass bowl fuel filter housing.