suchan

Parts car? Pretty well-concealed buckets and console. Looks like a bench seat to me. When you can buy a nice example for $15-20K, you'd have to have a good reason to tackle this project.

Go for the new rings. Spend more time driving your jewel rather than on your hands and knees polishing. You won't notice the shininess of the rings as much as you will how much better the wheels look.

I think there's a difference. Unless the seller in the Hemmings ad is withholding information, that seems to be an unrestored car, while the OP's car was restored to some extent many years ago, removing the cachet of originality and significant value. And, asking $47.5K doesn't mean getting it.

We just moved to the Seattle area from Dayton, where we lived for six years. About 400 miles from Dave in Vegas, but the speed limits are high there, and Nevadans tend to think of distances in hours traveled. I recognize the terrain in the previous owner's photos, but never saw the car around town, or at any show. A beautiful car, and a great buy. Congrats!

Looks like the body may have some issues.

With all the water staining in the interior, you wonder how it was stored, and the effect on the wood framing in the body. Certainly an expensive restoration, maybe very expensive.

Forgive me for stating the obvious, but it's got a 1931 radiator shell. One of those early '31's first registered in 1930? Good luck with the sale.

A nice car at a price some ask for yard art. It can't last long!

OP should check mafca.org, the Model A club forum. I'm not sure I agree about Model A's being fast; some of the fastest driving I've done was doing 55 mph in a '30 roadster I owned! The cars w/o adjustable seats are definitely snug for above average-sized folks.

If you re-did the brightwork and interior, then you'd have a $7500 car. Of course, it'd cost maybe $15K to get it there. Imperial62's got the right idea, get it for half the asking price, make it driveable, have some fun. A new set of Hirsch hubcaps would make a big difference.

I had a 38-41 that came with a set of 215-85/16 radials, the rough equivalent of 7.00-16's. They looked and worked great, the only problem being the tires would rub on the front fenders in sharp turns. 7.50's would be about an inch taller, so you may experience the same.

Beautiful car at a great price. Makes me wish I was six inches shorter!

The '38 Specials with the semi-automatic transmissions had 3.6 gears. Scarce as hen's teeth, though. I'm surprised no one's repro'd them.

Wash it and get it running. Originality is valued, but not dirt and raccoon crap. "Barn find" is sometime used as a euphemism for yard art, and I always assume that to be so unless pictures show otherwise. No notion of the value restored, but I'm guessing it's south of $100K. Auction results are easy to google. Good luck with the sale.

I had a 38-41 I bought from a mechanic who was noted for taking the car on long trips, and driving it at 60-65 MPH, including a meandering 6000 mile trip to the St Louis BCA national in the '90's. Those are definitely slow-lane speeds on the freeway, but I can't see the point of driving an old car on the freeway if you can avoid it. Some Buicks sound like they're about to fly apart at those speeds, but this one seemed to settle into a groove at around 60, and actually got quieter. But as mentioned above, it's not just the engine that's stressed by high speeds (the engine might be your least concern), so let common sense determine your cruising speed.

Looks like the perfect car for the OP. The owner can decide exactly how each nut and bolt will be treated, and anything less wouldn't do. Then all that's to be done is find a restorer who works for free.

My '38 Special has the same problem. The previous owner, a mechanic, told me the motor was fine, something done in the rebuild (bearings set a little loose, whatever, I can't recall the exact wording) was the reason for the oil pressure. Not satisfied, I took it to another mechanic, who told me to stop stressing, that as long as the pressure increases with rpm, it's OK.

Sounds like a great topic for another thread, "pimped" straight 8! Multiple carbs, hot cam, high compression head, it shouldn't be that tough getting to 141 HP (or more).

Gorgeous car at a fair price. A great alternative to the '56 T-Bird for those blessed with a family and/or above-average height. Good luck with the sale.

Your car isn't necessarily overpriced. This, frankly, can be a tough place to sell a car. You might have a better chance at getting your investment back with craigslist, or spend a bit and advertise on Autotrader, Cars Online, etc. Placing the car on eBay with a reserve will tell you what the market will bear. Good luck.

She might ask $5K and should be willing to take $3500 or so. Hard to say if she'll get offers. Restoration would cost far more than the car would ever be worth, and it's not the most desirable body style.

Sorry, no leads, but I hope you post photos of the project when it's finished. A hot-rodded Ford flathead six would definitely stand out in a crowd!

It's best to negotiate by personal message, especially if making an offer that could well be considered a lowball.

320 won't fit in a Special. The Century is basically a Special with 4" added to the engine compartment and a longer hood to cover it. Not sure what is entailed with a rear end swap. Maybe someone can chime in? A friend has a 38-46c with the post-war rear end. If no one comments, I'll ask him.

Good call on the sedan. If I recall correctly, the 320's have a head 34" 1/2 long, the 248 heads 3" shorter.