Matt Harwood

Thanks for the update, Don! I'm thrilled that you're happy with the car, and you were truly a pleasure to work with--I actually enjoyed making that video quite a bit, although my skills are haphazard at best. As I said several times during our conversations, this is one car that I would have owned myself had I not purchased my '29 Cadillac a few years ago. While I tend to fall in love frequently with cars that come through the shop, this one was special. I'll look forward to updates. Happy motoring!

Hard to get an idea of scale, but perhaps a body shell from a Triumph TR2, a grille from a Morgan, plus a lot of fiberglass?

I'm glad you found those issues and corrected them before anything tragic happened, Barry. Sadly, there are an awful lot of old cars and trucks out there running around on sub-standard craftsmanship just like this and thanks only to good luck people aren't getting hurt. However, I don't know that I would assign to malice what can be explained by simple incompetence. Sure, it's obvious corners were cut, but I'm guessing that most of it was not done with a "screw the next guy, I've got my money" attitude, but rather from a position of ignorance. I bet the kid who turned those brake drums didn't look up a spec, he just took an .040" cut like he does with every other brake drum that comes in, and that the guy before him and the guy before him did it, too. And to expect the broker or inspector to notice things like that rusty, undersized screw (that was probably inside a sleeve, correct?) or that the bolts are merely flush with the castle nuts is perhaps asking a lot. Not that I'm making excuses for the blatantly obvious issues, but speaking from the other side, those are things that could easily go unnoticed by even experienced eyes without spending several hours dissecting what already looks like a very nice truck with quality workmanship everywhere else. It's not reasonable to expect someone who is not the owner to disassemble a car to verify its condition. I had a buyer who was interested in one of our cars but was hung up on whether the engine had insert bearings in it. Well, short of taking it apart, there was just no way to know. He said that if I was going to represent a car, I should know. Well, I suppose in an ideal world I would know that kind of thing, but with any old car, so much is lost to the sands of time and there's just no way to offer guarantees. As West said, assume the worst and hope for the best. I think the bigger lesson here is not only to do your due diligence prior to the sale, but also afterwards as Barry has here. No old car is perfect, nobody can be an expert on every aspect of any old car, and there are always items that will escape the notice of even the most experienced eyes. Basic safety is really the owner's responsibility, regardless of what he's been told by a third party. Being educated about your car's requirements and getting to know your car intimately is the surest way to stay safe on the road. That's a gorgeous little truck, Barry. Once the stink of having to do all this re-work wears off, you'll love it. I suspect you're the kind of guy who believes if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself, and when you're done, you'll have more confidence in this truck than ever before. You'll never worry about that stuff again, and that's a great feeling that will make you forget the headaches.

Well, there's probably not an "every man for himself" rule, but there's probably no rule stating that the faster cars have to go at the slower cars' pace, either. There are always "unwritten" rules and simple courtesy that most club members just instinctively observe, but you can't legislate behavior. I've experienced this quite a bit myself in my 1929 Cadillac. The AACA's unique position makes for the wide spread of years and models, which makes it a great club, but at the same time creates the problems you're experiencing. I try to participate in as many tours as possible because it's absolutely my favorite thing to do with an old car. However, with many local AACA tours, I'm typically the oldest car in the field by far, with the next oldest car being, perhaps, a late-40s Cadillac and everyone else running '60s, '70s and even '80s hardware. Sure, I understand why they do it--the cars are easy to drive--but I agree with Power Wagon Guy; I hate being an anchor on the group and showing up at each stop as everyone else is pulling out. That's why I typically won't go on tours without confirming with several friends that they are also attending in their old iron. I don't mind going even slower for my brass-era friends, but hammering the car to keep up with modern stuff just stinks. It's why I tend to prefer CCCA Caravans to big AACA tours. Granted, there are plenty of 1941-47 Cadillacs and Packards with which my car will not keep pace, but overall the performance spread of the cars is much closer in the CCCA (obviously). I've also found that on most CCCA tours that one of the organizers will bring up the rear to keep pace with stragglers rather than rushing ahead with the rest of the pack. Maybe they do that on bigger AACA tours, but on the local ones I've done it's pretty much every man for himself. On the other hand, it's kind of a safety and respect issue to not travel in one big pack, which just screws up traffic for everyone else. I'd recommend finding three or four other like-minded individuals or folks with cars with similar performance, and sticking with them. If possible, try to be the first cars off to get a head start. Sure, by the end of the day you might be at the rear again, but I don't think it's realistic to expect other folks to idle along behind you in their faster iron. Your enjoyment and theirs have equal merit, and it's important to remember that driving a faster car slowly isn't much fun, either. There aren't many AACA tours with strict age requirements for the cars, but plenty of specific clubs do tours that are geared for cars with similar performance. Brass tours, for example, ensure most of the cars are pretty compatible, and there are probably vintage truck clubs that do the same thing, and many others. There's surely a middle ground and conscientious tour participants WILL employ the "no man left behind" rule as a courtesy, but making a written rule for it will only cause more problems, I'm afraid.

What does your heart say? At that price, if you're in love, you're certainly not getting ripped off. On the other hand, if you're looking at it for potential profits, the car can't be cheap enough to make you come out whole on the other side.

I'm sure this is something many hobbyists do: you buy a car, you ask the seller to fudge the numbers a bit so you don't have to pay full price on your taxes when you go to the DMV to put it in your name. Or worse, maybe you just throw the title (still in the old owner's name) into a file, slap on some YOM plates, and forget about it, keeping it on an open title for years until you sell it to some other poor schulb who will have a nightmare of a time registering the car with a dead guy's 12-year-old signature on it. I know this goes on in the hobby all the time and most folks look at it as a victimless crime. Maybe it is, I don't know. However, as a broker, it's VERY rare for me to close a deal where the buyer doesn't ask me to alter the numbers to his benefit. I try to let guys down easy when they ask, because there's just no way I'm risking my business to help them cheat on their taxes. Frankly, I'm more than a little tired of it, but I don't complain or give anyone attitude, I just explain that I could lose my license by doing such things and they usually understand. To date, I've only lost two deals because of it, and, honestly, I'm glad that I don't have to deal with those guys anymore. I've paid the taxes on all my personal cars even though I could technically register them in the dealership's name and skip taxes altogether. If you think I'm being unreasonable by asking you to do the same, well, I'd rather not sell you a car anyway. Anyway, my little rant is not the point. I have just learned that the authorities are taking a closer look at collector car values and transactions, most likely because of the exploding popularity of auctions. Without being too specific, I've had a notable uptick in requests for appraisals for tax purposes and several buyers AND sellers who have used our services have asked for letters justifying the cars' values, why they were sold at a loss (or gain), and other similar things that have nothing to do with HOW the car was sold, but the AMOUNT that was paid. This suggests to me that collectors are getting caught doing title skips or under-reporting sales prices and having to explain their way out of some tricky situations. While I don't know the penalties, I bet they're a lot more expensive and troublesome to fix than simply paying your taxes in the first place. The 15-watt bulbs at the DMV may not know EXACTLY what a 1931 Pierce-Arrow is worth, but they know it's more than $500 and they're going to report it. So just a friendly heads-up: PLEASE, PAY YOUR TAXES. Yes, I know it's a chunk of change that you'd rather not pay, but that's the cost of living in a civilized society where antique cars are a luxury, not a necessity (like, say, Cuba). If you can afford the car, you can afford the taxes. Or if you're savvy, create an LLC in Montana or get a dealer's license and exploit those loopholes until they're closed (the Montana loophole is already tenuous and on the IRS's radar). I'd sure hate to hear through the grapevine that someone that I knew from this message board had big trouble over something so obvious. You don't cheat on April 15 (do you?), don't cheat at title time, either. The alternative is so much worse. /Yes something happened to someone I know that scared me today. If you're doing this stuff, you should be scared, too.

*SOLD* Thank you!

*SOLD* Thank you!

*SOLD* Thank you!

*SOLD* Thank you!

*SOLD* Thank you!

*SOLD* Thank you!

Jimmy Cagney's 1932 Auburn V12 Salon Cabriolet: And in 2010 with me at the helm:

PS: The paint is not nearly as "minty" as it looks in the engine photos. It's a nice medium green.

*SOLD* An older restoration that still looks good, this 1929 Packard 626 convertible coupe would make an awesome tour car. It doesn't look like it's had a major frame-off, but it's quite clean underneath so it was never a basket case that needed it, either. The paint is still quite good and the color combination is authentic, giving the tidy convertible a sporty look. Zero rust and no signs of body repair, wood framing is solid, and floors are good, including the cast aluminum Packard toe board. Chrome is good to very good, with the biggest issue being some light pitting on the hood ornament and radiator neck, but nothing that would warrant replacement. Also includes a brand new, never installed grille guard that's in excellent condition. The interior appears to be dark green vinyl, but it does an awfully good impersonation of the original stuff and is probably a lot more durable for touring. Hardly any wear since it was installed and the rumble seat upholstery looks like new. The gauges and instrument panel are likely original, although they're all functional except the gas gauge, which is typical of these capillary-type systems. The canvas on the convertible top is probably older than the rest of the work and shows some discoloration, but is completely usable as-is with no splits, rips, or tears in the material, and the top bows are excellent. The engine is a smooth-running 320 cubic inch straight-8 which idles with typical Packard smoothness. Still running the original vacuum tank and carburetor, the engine bay is highly authentic, and it's finished in Packard Green with a cast aluminum crankcase. No issues with leakage, no internal noises, good oil pressure and charging. The only reason we couldn't get it off the lift for photographs is because the yellow Thunderbird near it had some kind of ABS problem and all four wheels locked up, stranding the Packard on the lift. I'll try to get more photos eventually. A nice tour-grade Full Classic with a top that goes down and no major needs. Asking $59,900 and we're open to reasonable offers. Thanks!

*SOLD* An older restoration that still looks good, this 1929 Packard 626 convertible coupe would make an awesome Caravan candidate. It doesn't look like it's had a major frame-off, but it's quite clean underneath so it was never a basket case that needed it, either. The paint is still quite good and the color combination is authentic, giving the tidy convertible a sporty look. Zero rust and no signs of body repair, wood framing is solid, and floors are good, including the cast aluminum Packard toe board. Chrome is good to very good, with the biggest issue being some light pitting on the hood ornament and radiator neck, but nothing that would warrant replacement. Also includes a brand new, never installed grille guard that's in excellent condition, as well as a trunk for touring. The interior appears to be dark green vinyl, but it does an awfully good impersonation of the original stuff and is probably a lot more durable for touring. Hardly any wear since it was installed and the rumble seat upholstery looks like new. The gauges and instrument panel are likely original, although they're all functional except the gas gauge, which is typical of these capillary-type systems. The canvas on the convertible top is probably older than the rest of the work and shows some discoloration, but is completely usable as-is with no splits, rips, or tears in the material, and the top bows are excellent. The engine is a smooth-running 320 cubic inch straight-8 which idles with typical Packard smoothness. Still running the original vacuum tank and carburetor, the engine bay is highly authentic, and it's finished in Packard Green with a cast aluminum crankcase. No issues with leakage, no internal noises, good oil pressure and charging. The only reason we couldn't get it off the lift for photographs is because the yellow Thunderbird near it had some kind of ABS problem and all four wheels locked up, stranding the Packard on the lift. I'll try to get more photos eventually. A nice tour-grade Full Classic with a top that goes down and no major needs. Asking $59,900 and we're open to reasonable offers. Thanks!

*SOLD* An older restoration that still looks good, this 1929 Packard 626 convertible coupe would make an awesome tour car. It doesn't look like it's had a major frame-off, but it's quite clean underneath so it was never a basket case that needed it, either. The paint is still quite good and the color combination is authentic, giving the tidy convertible a sporty look. Zero rust and no signs of body repair, wood framing is solid, and floors are good, including the cast aluminum Packard toe board. Chrome is good to very good, with the biggest issue being some light pitting on the hood ornament and radiator neck, but nothing that would warrant replacement. Also includes a brand new, never installed grille guard that's in excellent condition. The interior appears to be dark green vinyl, but it does an awfully good impersonation of the original stuff and is probably a lot more durable for touring. Hardly any wear since it was installed and the rumble seat upholstery looks like new. The gauges and instrument panel are likely original, although they're all functional except the gas gauge, which is typical of these capillary-type systems. The canvas on the convertible top is probably older than the rest of the work and shows some discoloration, but is completely usable as-is with no splits, rips, or tears in the material, and the top bows are excellent. The engine is a smooth-running 320 cubic inch straight-8 which idles with typical Packard smoothness. Still running the original vacuum tank and carburetor, the engine bay is highly authentic, and it's finished in Packard Green with a cast aluminum crankcase. No issues with leakage, no internal noises, good oil pressure and charging. The only reason we couldn't get it off the lift for photographs is because the yellow Thunderbird near it had some kind of ABS problem and all four wheels locked up, stranding the Packard on the lift. I'll try to get more photos eventually. A nice tour-grade Full Classic with a top that goes down and no major needs. Asking $59,900 and we're open to reasonable offers. Thanks!

The '41 Buick should have a frame number stamped on the passenger's side down near the battery tray. YOu will more than likely have to dig through the crud and maybe even sand off the paint in that area. It will be on the top of the frame rail, but since the stamping process was haphazard at best, you may have to hunt for it. It will NOT match the engine or body number, nor the serial number tag on the firewall (if it's still there). Good luck, but being in this business, I think I'd do the right thing and refund the guy's money until you can get it straightened out. He's going to have a hell of a time importing it into Norway without all the numbers matching up. We are gearing up to send a rodded '50 Merc to Norway, and we had to make sure EVERYTHING was in order. Customs and European countries in particular seem to be picky. It also sounds like the buyer didn't do his homework about importing a car, and he's in for some headaches, too. But the right thing to do is to explain what happened and offer him his money back and see what he says. Hope this helps.

A great example of how NOT to do it. I took these photos on my way to Toronto this afternoon, somewhere outside of Buffalo, NY. Whiteout conditions, roads are a mess. It appears to be a 1930-ish Chevrolet roadster (a rather rare bird) and a Model A coupe strapped to an open car hauler and suffering the elements. I especially like the plywood tied to the sides of the Chevy, as well as the crushed front suspension--wonder where they tied it down, because it certainly wasn't on the axle. But at least he saved a few bucks doing it this way. PS: Yes, I was able to take the photos because we were grinding along at 8 MPH. I could barely see the truck in front of me in the snow. I'm shocked these photos came out as clearly as they did.

Looks a lot like a Facel Vega, one of my all-time favorite '50s designs.

I debated whether to post this one here because there are some folks who won't like the wheels. However, aside from those flashy Torque Thrusts and a pair of Flowmaster mufflers, this one is stock, so I thought it might have some merit, even for us purists. The body is shockingly straight, with nary a ripple on those massive flanks and even in black it looks amazing. The paint was done several years ago, so it's not perfect, but on top of that nearly flawless sheetmetal, it can hardly be criticized. Chrome is excellent all around with no notable issues, and the taillights molded into the rear fins are awfully cool. The interior offers some original and some restored bits. The carpets, door panels, and dash appear to be extremely nice original pieces, while the seats themselves have been reupholstered in steel blue leather that looks correct. Power windows, power seat, dual mirrors, and the factory signal-seeking radio with power antenna all included. Sorry, no A/C. Original steering wheel is excellent with no cracks or discoloration. The trunk has been fully reupholstered with the usual gray mouse fur, which may not be authentic but it fits well, looks good, and is not hiding any surprises underneath. The original 390 cubic inch V8 with a 4-barrel carburetor still lives up front. It runs quite well, and despite the snarl from the Flowmaster mufflers underneath, the idle is silky smooth. Big torque and impressive performance for such a behemoth. Started up instantly after several weeks of inactivity and doesn't complain. The transmission pan seeps a bit, but I don't think that's an issue, and everything else is dry. New fuel pump, rebuilt carburetor, tune-up, belts and hoses, etc. so its ready to drive and enjoy. Currently owned by a fellow whose name will be familiar to those who follow NHRA drag racing, and part of his very impressive collection. Good luck finding a straighter one! Asking $29,900 and we're always open to reasonable offers. Thanks for looking!

I might have access to a 1930 CD8 roadster. Would you be interested?

Any interest in an outrageously clean '62 hardtop? It looks modified, but the wheels and mufflers are the only non-original parts. The black paint is older but spectacular and the body underneath, as well as the chassis, is astoundingly straight. Never any rust and it runs extremely well. Asking $29,900. Let me know!

Please, do not use private owner names in public forums. The reason people use us to sell their cars is because they value their privacy, and for security reasons we prefer that people don't know where some of these valuable cars might be located. My primary concern is to not inconvenience or disturb my clients or to create security risks for them. This is important. So please, DO NOT name names when you recognize a car. Contact me privately and I'm happy to discuss the current owner (who is indeed a Town & Country expert of note) and his reasons for selling the cars, but naming names is inappropriate. Thanks.

No Full Classic controversy here, just a gorgeous 1949 Chrysler convertible. The Town & Country had a new body in 1949, although the mechanicals were still pretty much the same as 1948. The new body was longer, lower, and wider than the earlier cars with a very different wood pattern. No longer structural, the wood was simply decorative and used Dynoc simulated wood decals in place of the original mahogany panels. But never fear, the owner of this particular convertible understands the appeal of real wood and since today's wood decals don't look particularly convincing, he had real Mahogany panels installed on the body a few years ago. Park this Town & Country next to a standard one, and the difference is shocking. Experts might note that both the deck lid and rear panel should also have woodgrained decals on them, however the owner points to a period T&C ad in the trunk that shows a car in this very color combination without wood on either of those areas, so it's technically correct (which is the best kind of correct). The paint was done a few years ago and still shows well, with great chrome throughout. That's the original yellow leather interior, which should tell you how well preserved this ragtop really is. The hides have been re-dyed to freshen them a bit, but their condition is remarkable for their age. They remain supple and there are no cracks or dry areas, with the back seat looking almost like new. The dash was all-new in 1949, with a central instrument cluster ahead of the driver and a wide band of matching leather that foreshadows the padded dashboards of the future. Everything works, including the radio and power top, and there are new carpets on the floor in the correct material. The trunk is original, with great side panels and original brown sisal carpet. Experts will note that the black canvas top should have a large plastic rear window, but the owner prefers the look of the smaller window and therefore had it made like this. It also originally featured a yellow boot, but he had a black one made at the same time the top was done, which looks fantastic against the black paint. The engine is Chrysler's 323 cubic inch flathead straight-8 connected to a Fluid Drive transmission. With a large collection, including several Town & Country models, the owner admits that this is by far his favorite simply because the controls are light, the engine is powerful, and it's a pleasure to drive. The engine bay is highly original and I'm guessing that it's never been apart. It starts quickly, idles smoothly, and pulls with big torque even in high range. Cruising is effortless at highway speeds, and the suspension soaks up road imperfections without complaint. Newer wide whitewall radials have been fitted to the original wheels, which only improves the handling. It's original underneath, so there's some crustiness, but it's solid and rust-free, perfect for touring without worries. While some may argue that the non-Classic status hurts values, I'd argue that this car is far more handsome than the earlier cars and drives superbly. It's also less expensive, yet ready to tour this summer. Asking $99,900 and we'll happily entertain reasonable offers. Thanks for reading!