Matt Harwood

*SOLD* Thank you!

Sadly, recovering "at least" what you paid for it is going to be an uphill battle, and getting more than you paid for it will probably take some demonstrable bodily injury, not just bent sheemetal. Is the car totaled or just bent? Was anyone hurt? Are they paying other claims against injuries? Have you gotten an estimate for the repairs? Even if the old lady had coverage, you'd probably be in the same situation, as any insurance company merely looks at replacement values, not future speculation and collectability. Unfortunately, the Mark VIII is trapped in that no-man's land between used car and collector car, and no insurance company will treat it properly. Collector insurance companies may not insure it, while your regular insurance company will simply look at book value, make a minor adjustment for the low mileage, and cut a check. However, there is always some room for negotiation with the insurance company, and if you can provide a bill of sale saying you paid $16,000 for it, you can probably get some traction there. However, that really is an abnormally HUGE number for one of these cars, and I bet that they'll balk at providing the whole sum. The goal is to make you whole (with a functional Mark VIII in your garage), and they're going to look at comparables. While few (if any) will have only 4000 miles, they'll have no trouble finding several extremely nice ones with, say, under 20,000 miles for $7500-9000. Find your bill of sale showing how much you paid and see what they say to that. You may also have to consider hiring a lawyer and suing the old lady personally as well as your own insurance company and present your argument to the court. But sadly, your car falls outside of the usual book values in both mileage and what you paid for it, and it's going to be up to you to somehow justify that price. Future value is irrelevant, all they're going to look at is replacement value, so keep that in mind when making your argument.

Finding 10 that everyone can agree on is impossible, yes, but if there's one car that belongs on every list, it's the E-Type Jag.

This is very sad news indeed. I spoke and corresponded with Dave quite a bit and was always impressed by not only his knowledge, but by his willingness to spend a great deal of his own time to help a total stranger. I never failed to get an answer from him, and if he didn't have the exact facts I needed, he had enough that the rest could be interpolated or deduced. A first-rate gentleman in every sense of the word. Rarely am I moved to write something when I learn of someone's passing, but this is one of those rare occasions. We've lost not just a great resource, but a fine person as well. Best wishes to his family, I will have a good thought for them today.

Go with an original-style setup, single or duals. I've personally used Classic Exhaust and have been pleased with the quality. They do seem to offer a single exhaust system for your car, single or dual (Stainless Steel, Aluminized Exhaust Systems, Domestic 1919 - 1970's - Classic Exhaust Inc.). I put one of their systems on my '29 and actually like the rumbly V8 idle it now has compared to the snuffle-snuffle-snuffle sound of the old muffler, but it's almost silent at speed. Don't be tempted by the Flowmaster or other aftermarket muffler system, even if they promise bolt on compatibility. One, they're not bolt-on, and two, Joe's 100% right about the sound. At 60-70 MPH in many cars, the drone will make it feel like your forehead is caving in, and Flowmasters are by far the worst offenders. I, for one, am pretty tired of seeing every single car out there with these crappy mufflers on them, and hate how they sound. They're loud and obnoxious, not badass. Stick with a stock-style setup that will have a nice V8 rumble without being a pain (literally) to live with.

As with most services involving old cars, there's an old saying that's very apt: Fast, cheap, or well-done... Pick two.

THAT is pure awesome, Lou!

Drove both Cadillacs ('29 and '41) to the AACA Patterson Fruit Farm car show on Sunday, me in the '29 and my lady friend driving the '41, which she enjoyed immensely. Her two young sons joined us, one in each car. Weather held out until the drive home, where it rained only enough to make the cars dirty. Bah. I'm gearing up to drive the '41 to Toronto (about 250 miles each way) this coming weekend. I figure if the '29 can routinely make it back and forth to Columbus, this much more modern, powerful machine should be able to do it no sweat. Hopefully no hassles at the border with YOM plates...

Don't worry about it. The unleaded gas scare has turned out to be a complete non-event. Maybe if you're running at high speeds through the desert with a trailer you might get some valve seat recession, but for normal hobby car driving, regular gas will be fine. Now there are some issues with ethanol, and they are well documented on this site and elsewhere, but in terms of additives, don't waste your money. Lead was mostly an octane enhancer, with the "lubricating" properties only "discovered" later, but it was never part of the engine design team's working parameters. Some guys like things like Marvel Mystery Oil, and that's certainly OK, but I've never put any such things in any of my cars and have never had any issues with the valvetrain. If you ever have the engine apart for major surgery, putting in hardened valve seats can't hurt, but if your car runs well and you're just tooling around in it, fill 'er up and drive! Hope this helps.

My '29 Cadillac has clever little brackets that the previous owner made to keep the hood open. I'll take some photos and show them to you, but basically they bolt to the back of the grab handles and have a round cut-out with one side opened so it can simply hook onto the radiator support rods. There's enough of a "hook" on the round opening that it grabs pretty firmly, and while I wouldn't leave it up in the wind, it's plenty sturdy for shows. The bracket is ridiculously simple, and you will be able to make it yourself. It's so basic that I'm shocked the factory didn't think of it. I'll try to get photos later today and post them.

I just bought new tires, tubes, and flaps from Universal Tire in Hershey, PA for the 20-inch rims on my '29 Cadillac. They should have them in stock. I think they were around $25 each.

How much discharge are you showing? These cars (and their generators) were typically built for slower speeds, and full charge will be achieved between 25 and 35 MPH. Below and above that, it won't charge as well. I've noticed on my '29 Cadillac, which probably uses the same generator, that with an electric fuel pump and driving at night, the headlights and generator will pretty much fight to a standstill. I know the generator is adjustable, but to have it charge sufficiently to run the headlights, you will be over-charging during the day when not using the headlights, which is murder on batteries. I have a solid state voltage regulator, which should cure this particular malady, but I haven't installed it yet. Unfortunately, these generators only put out as much as they can put out, and it isn't much. This is the primary reason I want to get the vacuum tank working on my car (eliminate one electrical draw) and switch to LED taillights (reducing consumption there). Does this help? I think what you're seeing is normal, unless you're showing a major discharge with lights on at, say, 30 MPH. It should be pretty close to 0 at that point. Let us know what you find. Good luck!

There's been a 1929 Cadillac engine on eBay for months. I believe it's a marine application since a few of the cooling system details are different, but the blocks and crankcase should be the same. He wants a lot of money for it, but where are you going to find another? Good luck!

That happens an awful lot. I recently spoke with a gentleman who insisted that the 1954 Lincoln Capri we have coming up might be a special road race car built by Lincoln with a 5-speed automatic overdrive transmission. Only a few were built and since ours is yellow like the one he used to own (which was of course this very special prototype racer) it might be it. This gentleman also insisted that he owns a prototype 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix with a special experimental supercharged engine with 500 horsepower. Rather than argue with guys like this who seem to really, really need to think they have something special, I just listen, let them get it out, then thank them for sharing their knowledge. My father always said "A wise man smiles at the fool." In this business, it has served me well.

Honestly, sometimes it's just hard to tell. We get all kinds of cars in the shop and while I usually know when they're supposed to have leather, maybe they don't anymore, and some vinyls are awfully convincing. Take a look at these: 1925 Bentley. Sure looks like vinyl to me, shiny and slippery with no "comfort marks" that leather gets after years of touring use. But it's a quarter-million dollar restored car with AACA and CCCA national first prize awards and numerous book and magazine appearances. I'm still not positive what it is, but I went with leather since the car has been vetted by people more experienced than I. 1940 LaSalle. Good color and a texture like rough-hewn leather. I ultimately decided it was vinyl, but only because they used the same stuff in the trunk and top well, and leather is just too expensive to waste like that. 1936 Ford phaeton. I'm pretty sure Ford was still using real leather on the open cars in 1936, but it looked shiny and just too smooth and perfect for leather. But I called it leather because that's what's supposed to be there and I couldn't say for certain without cutting a hole in it. 1948 Plymouth convertible. Not a correct interior by any stretch of the imagination, but nicely done and very supple and luxurious feeling. Brand new so you can't go by wrinkles. Ultimately I decided it was vinyl simply because of the car's price point. 1948 Studebaker. Still not sure on this one. Hard and stiff like older leather, but it's just a low-end Studebaker. Too nice and unblemished to be leather, but too rough to be vinyl--feels exactly like a saddle. Appropriately done with correct patterns throughout, and a nice older restoration that's correct in most ways. So while I really, really try to get it right, the stuff is so convincing these days that I can forgive an average guy for not knowing the difference. I'm in the industry, I do this every day, and sometimes I still get confused. Who can blame a guy who knows nothing for getting it wrong? Sure, you can do some homework and see how they were originally, and the non-original stuff is almost always vinyl, but who knows if someone actually put leather in the car where vinyl was originally or vice-versa? Heck, I'm still planning a red leather interior in my 1941 Century--not standard equipment, but possible. But leather in a Torino? Um, no.

Like many of you, I never really looked at the Avanti II as more than a curiosity. The Studebaker versions were a neat footnote in the company's history, but the Avanti II became such a caricature of itself in the '80s that it was easy to dismiss. But the truth is, after seeing this amazing 1969 Avanti II, I'm inclined to say that the original vision of a high-end luxury/performance car is actually what these early Avanti IIs were. This one, for example, features a gorgeous hand-made leather interior, impressive fit and finish, and the heart of a Corvette. Hard to argue against that. The story is interesting, too. Originally ordered in Camaro Hugger Orange by a major Cleveland Browns football fan, he took delivery in spring of 1969. Sometime during the summer of '69, he fell from a ladder and died, never having taken his beloved custom Avanti to a Browns game to show it off. Instead, it passed to his widow who kept it for many years until its second owner, who was a friend of the family, convinced her to let him have it. Since then, it has been in his care, getting only enough exercise to keep it healthy. The mileage is 8075, and the car is 100% original. The fiberglass is in excellent shape, without even signs of age, which Corvette fans will understand all too well. The Avanti II guys made their own fiberglass bodies, and the quality is quite high--beyond what GM was even doing with the Corvette. As a result, there are no stress cracks or delaminating areas, and the finish looks amazing for being 43 years old. Chrome is production-grade and in similar well-preserved condition. The original owner also specified a black and tan leather interior because it was as close as he could get to his beloved orange and brown football colors. Seats and carpets are in excellent condition, and I doubt the back seat has ever hosted a passenger. The original aircraft-inspired switchgear is intact, and the full compliment of gauges are fully functional The car is equipped with factory A/C, which would work with a recharge--the current owner says that for the first 10 years of his ownership he would get it recharged every 3-4 years, but since he never drove the car and it always eventually leaked out, he stopped bothering. Everything else works, including the alarm system with its own key in the rear quarter panel. The engine is a 300 horsepower Corvette 350 linked to a TH350 3-speed automatic. Corvette owners will find the engine bay familiar, and even the original emissions equipment is 100% intact. It seems that the larger radiator hoses have been replaced at some point, but everything else appears to be vintage 1969, including the plugs, wires, heater hoses, and exhaust system. It's not detailed, but a weekend of clean-up would pay big dividends. Even the tires are the original 205R15 Firestone narrow whitewalls from 1969, so I didn't drive very far or fast on them, but the car starts instantly, idles well, and moves without a squeak or rattle inside. A stunning survivor with an 8-inch thick stack of documentation behind it. An unusual car that still turns a lot of heads, exotic but with a Chevy's reliability and affordability. Asking $27,900 and we're always happy to listen to offers. Thanks for reading!

PS: The myth that you can't switch to synthetic and go back to regular oil later is just that--a myth. You can mix the two in the same crankcase without worry, and switch back and forth without any issues. Oil is still oil, they're compatible with each other, it's just that one is slipperier and more stable than the other. This is why I am puzzled over "synthetic blends." What's the point except to extract more money from your pocket? It's expensive like a synthetic, but has regular oil in it so you lose the benefits of the synthetic. A total waste of money either way. Pick one or the other, but don't waste money on the synthetic blends which really only offer the disadvantages of both, not the advantages.

I use synthetic in all my cars, old and new. I don't get hung up on the zinc hysteria and its mostly anecdotal evidence, but the benefits of synthetic are well-proven and should serve any of these old, low-RPM engines very well. I'm of the contingent that believes in synthetic because it clings to metal better (more oil on moving parts at start-up), because it flows better cold, and because it is more stable at higher temperatures. I've noticed that my 1929 Cadillac gets oil pressure almost immediately at start-up, runs right about 30 PSI oil pressure even after a long, hot day of touring, idles at about 12 PSI hot (which is exactly where the manual says it should be) so it's working as it should. I've used it in my race cars without ever having a mechanical failure, and in my turbocharged cars, one of which has two turbos and is now over 100,000 miles with nothing more than oil changes and a timing belt replacement as [preventive] maintenance. The thing about leaks and synthetics isn't that they're causing old seals and gaskets to fail, it's that the synthetic oil molecule is different than the regular oil molecule. Instead of clusters of carbon atoms as in regular oil, synthetic has long chains of molecules that can fit into smaller openings and slide past each other more easily (hence the better lubrication properties). But those same molecules will find their way through holes through which regular oil molecules can't fit. So while some guys use their anecdotal experience with some synthetic oils as proof that it causes leaks, the real reason is that the holes are still there, it's just that one oil can fit through them and another one can't. For me, synthetic oil is cheap peace of mind. Well, at $7/quart it's not exactly cheap, but I only change the oil once a year in the old cars and about 4 times a year in my daily driver, so it's not a massive expenditure given the many proven benefits. If you have a fresh rebuild with modern gasket materials, I would think that you won't have issues with leakage. Rope seals and cork gaskets may see some seepage, however, but this is not evidence of failure. You might experiment with different brands and see if some leak more than others. Hope this helps.

Welcome back! Hard to go wrong with a '50s Ford. Great road manners, perfect '50s styling and colors, and a nice dose of practicality. Excellent find, may you enjoy many happy years with it. There's just nothing like a solid, original car.

There are two ways to look at it. Coming from what many call a "modern" car such as your T-Bird or later muscle cars, a big Classic is going to be astoundingly slow, clumsy, heavy, with awful brakes and spooky handling. However, if you embrace that this is how the cars drove at the time and get a feel for comparisons between the models, it changes your perspective considerably. For example, my 1929 Cadillac is A LOT more polished, powerful, comfortable, and capable than a 1929 Ford. But it's no match for the 1941 Cadillac sitting next to it, which feels more like my 2005 Audi than it does the 1929. During the 1930s, technology improved by leaps and bounds, and I'd wager that the differences between my '29 and my '41 are more vast than the differences between my '41 and a new car today. Sure, computers changed everything, but in the 1930s, suspensions, brakes, engines, and other systems improved dramatically each year, making my '41 essentially a modern car in many respects. Now, with that said, it's really hard for me to resist a sunny day and my '29. I put perhaps 2000-3000 miles per year on it touring and just driving it around. I often drive it to visit local clients, out to dinner, to visit friends, go to the grocery store, whatever, just as I would with any normal car. However, your driving style has to adapt, and hopefully the motorists around you will accommodate you, because even gunning it at full throttle, acceleration is leisurely. Brakes are not like modern brakes (often mechanical until the mid-30s), so you'll find yourself slowing down early for stops which is not like our modern cars, either. I just assume EVERY light is going to turn red before I get to it and drive accordingly, which surely irritates people in traffic, which is why old car tours are usually out in the middle of nowhere. Steering will be heavy at parking speeds (you absolutely cannot turn the wheel on the '29 unless it is rolling, I don't care if you have arms like Schwarzenegger), but on the road, I find it accurate enough and quite pleasant. What I'm getting at is that it's all a mind set. I enjoy nothing more than driving my '29, and if you look at it from the perspective of enjoying the car for the way it was when it was new, then you'll find, like most of us have, that it's truly a pleasure. On the other hand, you get guys who think that any car can be made better with the addition of a Camaro sub-frame, a crate motor, an automatic transmission, and some radials, and, well, that kind of defeats the point. The cars as they were built are quite road-worthy (with an aftermarket overdrive, the '29 cruises happily at 55 MPH on the highway for hours on end, and the '41 will do 65 effortlessly), but you have to appreciate why they're unique and realize that they're different by design. I love the sound of the engine, the feel of the big tires rolling down the road, the monstrous momentum that it seems to build up as you accelerate, and, as West says, the view just can't be beat. I can't take my eyes off the naked lady out there defiantly standing up to the wind as we glide down the road. So go in with the appropriate expectations, learn to drive the cars within their limits, and don't force them to be modern cars, and you'll surely find they're a true pleasure. Fully sorted, any Full Classic is a spectacular machine on the road and on the show field, but even a nice little Model A can be a wonderful introduction to the period and the driving characteristics of an old car without a big investment. And I will say that you can't truly experience a car on a test drive--it was weeks and hundreds of miles before I stopped driving the '29 like it was made of glass and learned its limits and preferences; even two otherwise identical cars will have quite different "personalities." Jumping into the hobby with something like a V12 Cadillac, while a spectacular, very drivable car, might be a bit of a culture shock for you coming out of a muscle car. Even bearing in mind that a 12-cyinder Classic is one of the fastest cars of the period, it will still be like molasses compared to what you're used to and there will be some cognitive dissonance. I might suggest that you join the AACA and CCCA and attend some events. Ask for rides--people will be delighted to take you for a drive--and get a feel for what these cars are like from the owners and from the passenger's seat. Attend a tour and ride in a different car each day, which is what I did for years as a kid when we didn't have a Full Classic for Caravans. People will be happy to oblige and it will give you great insight into the way the cars are on the road. This is a big investment, and a wise one, but go in with your eyes open. As a dealer I've seen too many guys buy an old car with unrealistic expectations and be disappointed in a car operating as intended, simply because their basis of comparison was, say, a 1965 Mustang not a 1930s automobile. They are VASTLY different in every imaginable way. Welcome to the hobby, be careful not to fall in love with every single car!

Gorgeous!

*SOLD* Having grown up with these cars, I'm having difficulty wrapping my head around them being more than 30 years old, but by all measures these massive '70s luxury yachts are awesome collectables today. This '79 Town Car is quite likely the most original and beautifully preserved example on the planet. The mileage is 4699, and it is a veritable time capsule--I'm willing to wager that's even 1979 air in the original Michelin tires. From a collection of low-mileage '70s cruisers (just wait until you see the lavender Mark V with 2900 miles!), this Town Car is wonderfully well-preserved. Every single original component is intact and it has been in heated, protected storage since it was about six months old. We have recently serviced and detailed the car, so it runs and drives like a brand new car in every way. The paint is what you got in 1979, with an OEM shine and mass-produced paint application, but nobody was complaining then and I doubt they will today. The chrome and trim are completely unmarked and as new, and the padded top is supple and undamaged. Inside, tan leather was an optional upgrade, and this car features every power option save for a glass moon roof. Everything works, from the power seats to the cool power vent windows in the doors. Someone added an oddball anti-theft device called the Auto Paralyzer, which seems to require a combination to start the car. Fortunately, we know the combination and the car starts and runs as it should. Carpets, seats, door panels, and headliner are completely unmarked, and even the rear seatbelts are still wrapped in their original plastic. The trunk is likewise unused, and complete down to the original spare and jack assembly. Lincoln used a 402 cubic inch V8 in 1979, and while it isn't tire-smoking powerful, it is a smooth, unobtrusive torque factory that moves the big car with appropriate grace. It starts instantly and idles so smoothly you might be tempted to hit the starter twice. The engine bay is as-delivered, warts and all. If you think everything was shiny and bright on the showroom floor, guess again: there's overspray from the factory firewall coating, crooked decals on the engine parts, and uneven finishes everywhere. With the hobby being so accustomed to restored cars, it's kind of refreshing to see how they really were back then. The transmission shifts perfectly and it hovers down the road with the effortless ease of the QEII. I'm trying to find a more correct battery, as the bright green one really is an eyesore, but otherwise the engine bay is 100% OEM. And as I mentioned, the tires are the original Michelins, so I don't think I'd plan a cross-country trip on them, but for show purposes they're invaluable. The owner is admittedly looking to set the market with the $24,900 asking price, but I defy you to find a better, more original example anywhere. If your Lincoln collection is incomplete, or you're a fan of these wonderful old cruisers, you just won't be able to do better than this. We are, of course, open to offers, and it really is an impressive car. Thanks for looking!

*SOLD* Having grown up with these cars, I'm having difficulty wrapping my head around them being more than 30 years old, but by all measures these massive '70s luxury yachts are awesome collectables today. This '79 Town Car is quite likely the most original and beautifully preserved example on the planet. The mileage is 4699, and it is a veritable time capsule--I'm willing to wager that's even 1979 air in the original Michelin tires. From a collection of low-mileage '70s cruisers (just wait until you see the lavender Mark V with 2900 miles!), this Town Car is wonderfully well-preserved. Every single original component is intact and it has been in heated, protected storage since it was about six months old. We have recently serviced and detailed the car, so it runs and drives like a brand new car in every way. The paint is what you got in 1979, with an OEM shine and mass-produced paint application, but nobody was complaining then and I doubt they will today. The chrome and trim are completely unmarked and as new, and the padded top is supple and undamaged. Inside, tan leather was an optional upgrade, and this car features every power option save for a glass moon roof. Everything works, from the power seats to the cool power vent windows in the doors. Someone added an oddball anti-theft device called the Auto Paralyzer, which seems to require a combination to start the car. Fortunately, we know the combination and the car starts and runs as it should. Carpets, seats, door panels, and headliner are completely unmarked, and even the rear seatbelts are still wrapped in their original plastic. The trunk is likewise unused, and complete down to the original spare and jack assembly. Lincoln used a 402 cubic inch V8 in 1979, and while it isn't tire-smoking powerful, it is a smooth, unobtrusive torque factory that moves the big car with appropriate grace. It starts instantly and idles so smoothly you might be tempted to hit the starter twice. The engine bay is as-delivered, warts and all. If you think everything was shiny and bright on the showroom floor, guess again: there's overspray from the factory firewall coating, crooked decals on the engine parts, and uneven finishes everywhere. With the hobby being so accustomed to restored cars, it's kind of refreshing to see how they really were back then. The transmission shifts perfectly and it hovers down the road with the effortless ease of the QEII. I'm trying to find a more correct battery, as the bright green one really is an eyesore, but otherwise the engine bay is 100% OEM. And as I mentioned, the tires are the original Michelins, so I don't think I'd plan a cross-country trip on them, but for show purposes they're invaluable. The owner is admittedly looking to set the market with the $24,900 asking price, but I defy you to find a better, more original example anywhere. If your Lincoln collection is incomplete, or you're a fan of these wonderful old cruisers, you just won't be able to do better than this. We are, of course, open to offers, and it really is an impressive car. Thanks for looking!

*SOLD* Thank you!

*SOLD* Thank you!