Matt Harwood

The seller isn't the scammer. The guy saying he's a disabled Army Ranger helicopter pilot mechanic who wants this replica CDO to drive every day to church and the doctor is...

That's what a scam looks like when it's fishing for suckers. He's posted that exact same message twice under cars that are entirely inappropriate for his needs and seems to not even understand what it is--the lure is predicated on a cheap price, not anything else. He's just hoping to hook a foolish seller into one of the usual scams ("I'll send you too much [fake] money, you send me a [real] refund" or "let's use this safe, reliable escrow service that's actually a credit card number harvesting operation"). I'm not making fun of a real devout Christian retired handicapped veteran pilot Ranger mechanic, I promise.

I wonder if the guys who install Lloyd's overdrives would also install a Gear Vendors? They have the know-how to work with a torque tube, and that's the hurdle a lot of us face: finding a shop willing to tackle that somewhat complex job. Not impossible, but easy to mess up and ruin an irreplaceable part. For my stake in the matter, I have a Lloyd Young overdrive in my '29 Cadillac and will say that it makes a world of difference in cruising comfort. I love it. But mine has never been very reliable and I just converted it last winter to all mechanical operation. However, it's broken so often, that I have cut back on using the car because it has turned into such a hassle. When it fails, I have to pull over, stop the car, take it out of free-wheeling, and then continue on my way. Better to just not use it and it has curtailed my use of the car in any meaningful way. With that in mind, I recommend a Gear Vendors unit. Maybe a little more expensive up front, but those I have experienced have been bulletproof reliable and the installation is no more difficult. No free-wheeling, either, just click the button and it's in overdrive. I am contemplating installing Gear Vendors overdrives in both my '41 Buicks and perhaps even the '35 Lincoln if I can ever get it back together and running.

I'm sad to see you selling, Lebowski. I thought this car was something you'd wanted for a long time and you were really happy with it. I hope it goes to a good home, it looks like a great car. Good colors, good pedigree, nice restoration. More photos would really help it sell (I find that engine bays sell the car). I think it'll find a new home, I sell these pretty regularly for numbers like yours so you should have no problems.

That was my first thought but they're not threaded. In fact, they're angled outwards for some reason. However, I did see this online and thought I'd give it a try: I can probably fabricate something similar and while part of me is afraid that it might distort the flywheel, I looked at the thing and it's probably 1.5 inches thick--doubt it'll bend. Maybe that plus some heat, as Jack suggests, will wiggle it loose. Just more of the same nonsense with this stupid car. It just can't seem to stop fighting with me. On the plus side, I found an NOS pilot bearing that was just $10 and remarkably enough, the Aetna throw-out bearing is still available new from Summit Racing for $25. Nice!

Here are details on how I built an all-new fuel system from tank to carburetor on my 1935 Lincoln. I incorporated a Carter rotary-vane electric fuel pump and used 100% hard lines, no rubber, so it should last the life of the car. I also included a wiring diagram and details on how to wire it properly using a relay so you're not pulling power from the ignition system, which can cause all kinds of drivability bugaboos. Hope this helps.

I can't make the font on this site big enough to properly display the LOL that this comment demands.

OK, next step is removing the flywheel so I can get the clutch rebuilt (hey, as long as we're in there, right--it's just money). We've pulled all the bolts but it's not coming off. We've tried several pullers that were ineffective and I'm not interested in trying to pry it off from the sides. Is there something else that we should be trying? It does not appear to be secured by any fasteners at this point--those studs sticking out seem to be for orienting it on the crank and didn't even have nuts on them. We've been soaking it in penetrating oil and it's still not budging. No interest in breaking it, but maybe there's a puller I haven't thought of yet? My only other thought was to get a thick metal plate, bolt it across the flywheel using the outer clutch bolts and use that to pull it, but I have fears that it might bend the flywheel if we exert too much pressure. Any thoughts? Thanks!

Thanks for the feedback, guys. This is all good information. I'm kind of disinclined to take the shell of the car outside in 20-degree weather and have at it with a pressure washer, and since much of the wiring is going to stay in the car, Grimy's warning about using steam is well-taken. Obviously my first step is going to be using some kind of mechanical scraping to remove the heavy grease. My second step will be some kind of solvent to soak in and knock loose the little stuff. I think putting it on some kind of tarp and brushing on heavy coats of some kind of liquid degreaser is the best bet, then maybe use the hose inside the shop to clean it off. Maybe. Anyway, I'm mostly stalling so I don't have to start scraping that gunk off. Guess I'll get busy here shortly...

I didn't realize they didn't build any Hurst/Olds cars in '70, I don't really know much about them. Typically for most muscle cars, the '70s are worth more than the '69s, and that's certainly true with 442s. But since the '69 Hurst/Olds was a one-year-only thing, then my comment is worthless. The car is what it is. I still think you should know whether the number you're going to offer will be in the ballpark of what the seller will accept before you waste a trip. It's also worth investigating finished cars rather than spending $40K on a rusty car, even if the finished cars are more expensive. I guess once you see the car you'll know whether it's right. Just watch out for that feeling of "gotta have it" while you're there. It's easy to talk yourself into a mistake. After all, you drove all that way, you have the money, it's not that much worse than you thought, the seller seems like a decent guy, I can have this thing together by spring, whatever. It sounds like you really want this specific car but you need to have some sense of detachment so you can walk away without hesitating if it's not right. Like I said, I'd be looking pretty hard at the finished $59,000 car long before I'd make a trip to see a fixer upper that's listed for 10% more and which I only THINK I can get for 20% less.

Because scammers don't know the difference and they're hoping you don't, either.

So the first step of putting this Lincoln back together will be cleaning everything forward of the firewall. The engine is out, the front clip is gone, it's the perfect time to get everything cleaned up. The frame is in good shape, but it's obviously caked with decades of dirt and grease. Ordinarily I'd hit it with the pressure washer after some scraping, but since it's winter I don't really have that option. Any recommendations for getting all that goop out of all the nooks and crannies? Brake cleaner is usually my solvent of choice, but this job would take about 10 cases of the stuff, so that's not really cost-effective. What would you use? Solvents and brushes? Dawn dishwashing liquid? Let me know your favorite tricks for getting old parts clean. Thanks!

Don't be afraid to drive it, just drive it within its limits. You don't need a top speed run to evaluate the condition of the internals, the way it drives will tell you a lot and there are simple tests (compression test, leakdown test) that can tell you more about the condition of the internals than trying to evaluate it based on how fast it will go. If it's healthy, there should be decent oil pressure, no blue smoke, and no strange sounds. That's your most basic guide. On the road, the car will tell you what's comfortable, just listen to it. It should have no problems with mountains as long as you maintain some momentum. Lugging the engine is as hard on it as over-speed, so try to keep it in its comfort zone--momentum is your best friend. It'll tell you what it likes and doesn't like. On flat ground, it should happily trundle along in high gear at idle and accelerate cleanly if it's tuned properly, and when you're going too fast, you'll know it. Nevertheless, it'll take some time to familiarize yourself with the car and learn what it likes. The important thing to remember is that it isn't modern in anything it does, so give it lots of room on the road and pay extra attention to the people around you--you will suddenly discover that everyone drives incredibly foolishly. It will accelerate more slowly, it won't stop as well, and it won't slash through traffic. Side roads are always preferable to highways just so you don't become a rolling road block. Just be aware of what's going on around you and listen to the car and you'll be fine. If you can find places where 50 MPH is common, I bet you find that the car is delightful to drive. That's really the sweet spot for cars of this era. They'll go faster but they start to sound busy and that's stressful. Take some time around your house to get to know it before embarking on a long trip and make sure the mechanicals are solid. You might find that taking your time is more enjoyable than getting there fast. I love driving but I don't much like arriving. That's when you know the car is right for you.

Top speed would be about the same. The 80 series isn't significantly lighter and frontal area is the same, so wind resistance would be similar to a 90 series. When it was new, it probably ran close to the advertised 80 MPH. Today it might do somewhere in the high 70s... for a little while, anyway. My '32 Model 97 would cruise pretty happily at 55-60 MPH. Too much more than that for an extended period and I would worry about at least one of those long rods ventilating the side of the block. Taking an ancient long-stroke engine and running it flat-out for any period of time seems like a catastrophe waiting to happen (never mind the brakes, suspension, and tires at those speeds). You have to remember that driving conditions in 1932 were vastly different than they are today. There were no highways and even paved roads were not necessarily the norm. Big cars like these were designed to be easy to drive by just leaving them in high gear and letting them creep through town at modest speeds without a lot of shifting. In 1932, if you could find enough pavement to get up to 60 MPH, it was probably considered like going 150 MPH on our highways today--unreasonable and reckless. Flat-out speed was never the point with any manufacturer, it was just bragging rights in advertising more than a recommendation for reasonable cruising speed. I'm going to politely ask you not to try to go 80 MPH in your old Buick. It's not as thrilling as you might think, it proves nothing, and it could end up outrageously expensive. That said, if you bought a car like this and are interested in going fast, you've made a crucial error...

Asking for pricing advice here will get you lots of opinions but probably not any closer to a deal or a real number. In my opinion, the buyer is the sole arbiter of what constitutes a "good deal." That is, if you feel like you got your money's worth, then that is all that matters. If you're going to pour through price guides and ask opinions, well, the numbers are going to be all over the map and you'll have a hard time recognizing a good deal or a bad deal when it presents itself. It's good to have a frame of reference and at least a range in which these cars can live, but without seeing a car in person and evaluating it personally, there's just no way to say what you should or shouldn't pay for a car. $67,500 seems like an awful lot for a rusty Hurst Olds, '69s aren't as valuable as '70s, and you do want to make sure that it is not only numbers-matching but also a real Hurst, which probably wasn't coded into the VIN since it was built by an outside vendor (I'm not positive, but I'm sure an Olds expert will be able to confirm or deny this). Bear in mind that while you seem to think $40-45,000 is a reasonable offer, the seller might not. That's 1/3 less than he's asking and even if he's way off base, that can be offensive. I don't suffer fools lightly in my showroom and I know that I won't be able to make a deal with a guy who's that far away so I don't even try. HE obviously thinks it's worth that much--even if he's wrong, it will be hard for the two of you to find a common ground if you're that far apart. Don't waste a trip if you don't think he's going to be receptive to your numbers. You should probably negotiate price before you go visit to determine whether it's even worth your time. If you negotiate $45,000 and show up and it's worse than you thought, then you can walk away. I'd recommend settling on a price with him before you go, not while you're there. That will tell you if it's going to be a wasted trip or not. Also, if you're seeing restored cars running through auctions for $50-75,000, perhaps you should buy one of those instead of this rusty fixer-upper. A little rust inevitably turns into a lot of rust and you'll be into that range long before the paint is dry on a project. With just a quick look, I can find two for sale right now, one with a dealer known for egregiously high prices @$89,900 and one in Oklahoma for $59,995. If you want one of these and have $45,000 to burn, I'd be looking VERY hard at that $59,995 car. Maybe it's more than you want to spend right this moment, but you won't be able to take any car with rust that you purchased for $40,000 and restore it into a car that nice for $20,000. Does that make sense? Go see it, evaluate it, and decide if it's worth your time to restore it. It will cost you twice what you expect to restore it, maybe 3-4 times more. If you're not ready for that, then a finished car with a slightly higher price tag is where I'd be shopping instead. Good luck!

That's my attitude exactly. All these guys who spend a fortune restoring a car and then refuse to drive it "to preserve the value" so the next guy can have a really nice car for pennies on the dollar. With most cars, you're never getting your money back on the restoration; you may as well enjoy it yourself rather than just handing it all to the next guy for free. Nothing better than buying someone else's 100-point car for 50% of what he spent restoring it, then driving it down to 80 points.

Can you imagine the people losing their minds at a show today if you asked them to drive it on the tilting device or over the sandbags? It seems that the only contest most owners will agree to these days is "how gently can you touch it with a duster?"

Here's how I did it on my 1935 Lincoln using the upper radiator hose.

The frame number and engine number will not match and do not correspond to each other in any way. Some factory records may show the range of engine numbers built each year, so you can at least narrow down the year in which the engine was built, sometimes even the month. That is as close as you'll get to "matching numbers" on a car of this vintage. It's all academic anyway--as long as the engine is the correct type for the car, it should not have an effect on value. There are several members on this site who will be able to tell you about when your engine was built based on the engine number, hopefully they (or West) will supply an answer.

"This is how the car looked in 1973. Ran when parked. Do you feel lucky?"

The '52 Roadmaster had a 320 straight-8 with a 4-barrel carburetor. I actually have a 4-barrel manifold on the shelf. I'm not sure if the '51s also had a 4-barrel, but I'm pretty sure it was one-year-only with the new Nailhead V8 taking over in '53 in all models but the Special.

My 1932 Buick model 97 was a wonderful car to drive. Considerably more powerful than my '29 Cadillac (on paper it was 9 horsepower stronger but it felt like 50). Better suspension and brakes, lighter steering. It was amazing how much better cars got year by year in the early 1930s. Very tangible when driven back to back. That '32 Buick felt STRONG but a friend who collects 1932 Buick 90 Series cars exclusively (he has almost every model) says it felt about like any of the others, so they must be pretty muscular cars in general. Mine could cruise at 60 MPH pretty effortlessly and I didn't mind taking it out on the highway with traffic without a second thought. Very competent, roadworthy car. For driving, I would have kept it over my Cadillac, but my Cadillac is a better car overall in terms of condition and we're sentimental about it. I couldn't justify having two 1930-ish full-sized GM sedans, so the Buick had to go. Sold for full asking price to the first guy who saw it. These are very good (and very under-rated) cars.

Unfortunately, here's what the Lincoln looks like as of today, so I don't think it's worth anywhere near what that Buick might be.

The overdrive is a Borg-Warner unit from something like a '50s Ford. It incorporates free-wheeling and an electric solenoid for operation. People sometimes have a hard time conceptualizing how it works because it's not an on/off switch or another gear. The short version is that you have to put it in free-wheeling mode, then accelerate to more than 29 MPH, push the actuation button on the steering column, then abruptly lift off the throttle, at which point it will shift into overdrive automatically. Pushing in the clutch disengages the overdrive. It's not difficult to master, but that understanding of its operation is sometimes tough for non-mechanical types or first-timers to figure out. No big deal, but thought it was worth mentioning so that there are no problems later with a new owner who calls unhappy that it doesn't shift the minute he hits the button and therefore I owe him money.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1932-Buick-Other/273644868340?hash=item3fb68152f4:g:mWEAAOSwtYZcM8kL:rk:2:pf:0&vxp=mtr Sure wish I'd bought this Buick instead of this stupid Lincoln...