Larry W

You should join the vintage microcar club or at least visit their website at www.microcar.org. This would be a good place to start your search.

Ask the seller on what criteria is he basing his asking price?

And, as the old saying goes, "If the top goes down, the price goes up!"

When my DeSoto was delivered to my shop, there was no way to remove it from the flat bed trailer it arrived on. So I appealed to the lumber yard a block away to send over their large forklift to raise it from the side and set it on the ground in front of the entrance, where I then dragged it inside.

I've gone there almost every year for the past fifteen years. I don't think it's as good as it used to be, and prices have really skyrocketed. They say it's due to insurance costs, yet I'm expected to sign a waiver of responsibility. This may be the last year I attend.

Mr. Wudsy, I don't mind it when someone takes a derelict and replaces the drivetrain, wheels, and interior. It's been done in Cuba since 1959. But when someone takes an otherwise easily restorable car and hacks it up, well, that really hurts to see.

FWIW, I once had neighbor who had a '61 or'62 Cadilac with the same problem you're having. What he found was that the mercury switch for the trunk light somehow got bent to a position that never allowed the light to turn off, thus causing constant drain on the battery. Does the light in the refrigerator really turn off when you close the door?

I guess that's were the term "resale red" came from. I only hope that the parts that were removed were included in the sale of the vehicle and didn't end up on eBay, a true sign of a classless desperato.

Great suggestions, however these are uni-body cars so beware of rust buckets. Get it inspected and a second opinion from a restoration professional before buying anything.

FYI.... a factory accessory electric wiper conversion was not available for Oldsmobile until 1957.

That F150 looks like a good possibility, unless, as you've mentioned, it's been overheated once too many times and the engine is now severely damaged. I wouldn't give up on the Pontiac either, as readily obtainable replacement floor pans from a '57 Chevy MAY POSSIBLY fit right in (investigate). It's somewhat of a rare car and should be saved, and if impossible to save, at least parted out to help save a similar vehicle. If you acquire the truck, either Ford or Toyota, let us know what you end up with as there are plenty of arm-chair advisors here to steer you in the right (?) direction.

Buckster, FWIW (for what it's worth) here's my story. My '57 Ford was in the same condition as Chrissy when I got it, and it still is...except that now it runs and I can drive it! What I did was hone the rusty cylinders with the pistons still in place. Then, with the aid of a lot of penetrating oil, a propane torch and a pry bar cautiously used on the ring gear, I got the engine to turn slightly. Then with additional honing and oil, the engine broke free and I was able to assemble it and get it to run. Sure, there a little bit of blow by, and the compression isn't quite what it used to be but it runs good and I can drive it. Total financial outlay was the cost of gaskets, penetrating oil, and a couple propane bottles. There is a huge amount of knowledge and experience on this forum, and many people anxiously willing (myself included) to help see you through to getting this vehicle roadworthy again. I suggest that you peruse some of the other posts on this forum and see what we're all about! Good Luck

Does that screwdriver have a wooden handle? What is approximate length?

Createing laws is the easy part. Enforcement of those laws is more difficult because it requires funding. Too many laws and not enough funding leads to selective enforcement, which there seems to be a lot of these days.

Last summer I pulled my '75 Olds out of a long storage of about ten or fifteen years. When I parked it, I filled the tank with regular non-ethanol gas and the recommended amount of Stable. I remember that I paid less than a dollar per gallon for the gas at that time. Upon retrieving the car, the first thing I did was remove all the old gas into several large gas cans. In order to dispose of the old gas, I figured that I would mix small amounts with new gas, and burn it in my lawn mower. The lawn mower ran fine, and as time went on I started mixing a lower ratio of old gas to new gas until I was running on old gas completely. The lawn mower never new the difference and ran perfectly all the while. Although the gas had somewhat of an amber tint to it, it didn't smell too bad so I'm guessing it remained fairly we'll preserved due to the fact that it was kept in a vehicle with a "closed" fuel system.

I agree. It doesn't look automotive related. To me it looks like more of a handle from something like a cane or walking stick or possibly a door knocker.

Do you know for certain that the pump failed? Perhaps it's just a faulty gauge. Even if the pump did fail, todays lubricants are quite superior to those of yesteryear. I can recall television ads that show draining oil from engines while running with no adverse effects. Don't panic until you've done a thorough investigation, and then probably count your blessings! Best of luck!

Looks like the first restoration was done on a TV reality show.

FWIW, if you soak rubber in oil long enough, it tends to expand. I dunno, you might try it as a last resort. Let us if it works.

I would measure the existing wire diameter with a micrometer or vernier gauge in several places and take the average to compare with a wire gauge table found online.

Thanks guys, learned something new.

Others may correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe mAh translates to milli ampere hours, or 8 ampere hours. Compare that to the rating of your car battery. Maybe there's a reason they're so cheap. I dunno.

I always look for the episode with Wally's first car. 1953 Chevrolet convertible.

Check to make sure your road draft tube is clear.

Submit your information to The National DeSoto Club at desotoadventures@gmail.com.