Paul Dobbin

What ever happened to the idea that you shouldn't drive into places you can't see. Smoke, Fog, Steam, Dust, Dark. What's to investigate? To fast for conditions for the Jeep Cherokee.

Keep in mind that appraiser and price guides are based only on reported sales. In this hobby as well as you father's past deals, most sales are private and not reported to any record keepers. In my 42 years in the hobby I've witnessed more sales between collectors than from dealers or auctions to hobbyists. I think all my vehicles would sell for prices better than any price guides I've seen, when properly condition rated. (Most cars are #2, #3 or #4 in running condition) With this in mind, you should contact your fathers acquaintances & car friends as well as his suppliers and club members who probably know more about his cars than you do. This web Forum is a good start, but people who know him and his cars are a better source. Unless he was a real loner, these folks could be of great help in information, mechanical help, establishing values and even as possible buyers. A common story in the hobby is that we hear "if you ever want to sell that car, call me first". He can't provide you with that information but it's a good bet that the people who know him can. Examples of this are common in the hobby and seeking those contacts could make your task much easier while meeting your father's piers. Remember we all will face the position you are in at some time, at least the survivors among us. A lack of planning is something we all should be working in our hobby. A question for all the Forum members: Do you have a set of instructions for your collection liquidator? It does not have to be part of your will, it can be a separate changeable set of instructions called "Separate Writings" as long as the will says you have Separate Writings for personal property" (Like your collection) (Check your State laws)

This has been an argument forever andforever never ends. The problem becomes more acute when when carshows have judging. The tendency is for people who get there carsjudged, to judge every other car they see. Solution, don't judge,just enjoy. It's been my experience that even a “Do Not Judge”notations on the car does not deter the judgment of many purists . I've seen one of the prettiest 1953Cadillac El Dorado's ever, restored to perfection (with the hoodclosed) and underneath was a late model Cadillac engine andtransmission, a few cars away was a 1950 Pontiac convertible in thesame condition. There was also a 1929 Model a Ford with a 1932 ModelB engine and A/C. This was a free, non judged, charity show in thecounty's historical park that drew 160 pre-1960 “antique”vehicles and 6000 spectators, raising $4000 for the historical park. The modified cars were requested to keep their hoods closed for thejudgmental folks in the crowd and the historical nature of thegathering. At the Turkey Run in Daytona, Iregularly see a 1936 Packard convertible with a GMC in line overhead6 cylinder engine and a 1930 Nash with a newer engine too. Both carsappear totally stock and they drive to Daytona each year from faraway states. My point is, while not 1000 point carsfor judges, they are still antique cars to me. I agree they are notfor judging by AACA standards, but they are not melted down inToyota's either. Welcome them into their own non-judged classes. You might be surprised how many members have modified cars that don't show them because they aremodified and enjoyed outside of car shows. They are still antiquecars that are not perfect either, just like the Corvair with radialtires.

Ran great when parked, but what is it?

Huskeyfan, The short answer in NO, No, No. The longer answer is based on what you like. You said "restore" which means to the group that you want to try to put it back to t's original like new condition as a stock 1952 Chevrolet. This group knows the cost of doing that and has expressed all no's to your questions. If you just want to get in the old street rod hobby and want to make a interesting driver for custom and hot rod events, it is possibly a good candidate. It could be a lot of fun, but an investment it's not. Most car guys spend more than the car is worth on a project like this, but they do it for the fun of doing it and the pride in creating a car they love. Like most hobbies, it will cost you money (NOT AN INVESTMENT)

I don'r know about post WWII Ford pickups, but they had 3 on the floor through 1941.

Thanks for the pictures. Sorry, but to restore that thing will result in you leaving the hobby long before it's done. The costs involved will far exceed the value of the car before you see any real progress. Your previous question had great advice given that you should spend you money by buying a better car to start with. I'm sorry to be negative but it's a fact of life in this hobby that looses many potential happy participants. I wonder if Wendal is actually a 13 year old just playing with us?

Thanks for the pictures. Sorry, but to restore that thing will result in you leaving the hobby long before it's done. The costs involved will far exceed the value of the car before you see any real progress. Your previous question had great advice given that you should spend you money by buying a better car to start with. I'm sorry to be negative but it's a fact of life in this hobby that looses many potential happy participants.

If you like touring with guys who fix as they go, Model A's & Ts are the cars to get. We've been at it forover 40 years and the dominent car in numbers is always the Model A Ford. We see Model A's all over the country, just enjoying the ride. They are relativly cheap to buy and the appreciation is in the ownership and driving. While I wouldn't go 80 MPH in a Model A either, I did follow them two weeks ago on the Sentimental Tour in New Hampshire at 55 MPH on really rough roads. Amazing 85 year old cars! 1928-1931

Good point about the distance between the wheel wells. Once I carried a 53 Cadillac in my Horton Hauler and had to put 3 2X8s on the floor on each side to get the low Coupe DeVille body in the trailer above the wheel well boxes. Know your demensions.

Remember that when the ceiling is lower, so is the door opening (The door spring rewind mechanism) Measure the door opening height. My mid 30's cars are all 5'8" high and when I bought my lift I had to buy a higher lift just to get another car under it. (I'm glad I measured) Same applies to trailers. The 6'2" ceiling will have about 5'10" of door opening. This is another reason an inside beavertail is a good idea. Other than a extra storage garage, there is nothing I miss about my enclosed trailer. Our aluminum open trailer tows like nothing is there. The wind dam effect of an enclosed trailer really adds a lot of work for the towing vehicle, the quick detail when we get where we're going is worth the effort to shed the wind dam.

Dumb Car Laws Recently while on the AACA Sentimental Tour in New Hampshire in our stock 1934 Ford, we had a flat tire on one of my 16” Kelsey Hayes wheels. (Tube were the only choice 80 years ago) I took my flat to two automotive shops, Pep Boys and a local tire dealer. Both told me it was illegal to put a tube in a tire in New Hampshire, “it's the law.” They wouldn't help me. I found a sympathetic guy driving a1961 Harley Davidson and followed him to a friendly antique car guys house in Maine and we patched my tube. A couple days later I had the same tube split wide open while in Wolfsboro NH. They told me the same story about the law. I 'm happy to report that for a fee I was able to bribe a station to put my spare tube in my tire. Graft and corruption and blatant violation of the law is still possible for a price. When I told my story to the other Sentimental Tourists, they related other dumb laws enforced against us around the country. What's your story about dumb car laws?

You can run into careless "me first people" anywhere you go, even at AACA Shows. 35 years ago I had my first 34 Ford in a AACA Show and didn't leave my hood open and was away from the car. Some A----le named Frank P----es decided to open my hood an judge my car. Well he didn't remove the flag holder under the Greyhound (Radiator cap)and it scraped the paint knocked the Greyhound off and broke his leg off. I don't blame AACA or the Show, I blame that A----le and usually I say his name, but on the Internet, I'll be polite. I kept going to shows but try to mark my windshield card "Please DO NOT JUDGE!!!". Never had anything stolen and fingerprints usually come off with elbow grease. It's true that the cars and the people are younger now, but that makes it more fun to talk about the really old cars.

"Äwsome" is not an auction report. How about some details and pictures? Make me sorry I missed it.

Or maybe some little Fordettes?

In spite of all the worry about getting here, we all made it. On this tour of cars 1928-1958, there qre 1`00 participants. 100 cars: 22 Ford V8's, 13 Model A's, 14 50's Chevies, 11 50's Ford and about 8 two seat T-Birds. We have 7 Packards (53,39,55,54,37,32,40) 2 Willys, 3 Cadillacs, 8 Buicks, 4 Plymouths, 3 Hupmobiles, 4 Studebakers, 1 Lincoln, 1 Pontiac, 1 International, 2 Desotos, 1 Jag and 7 Mercurys. A couple other makes in small numbers like Dodge, Chrysler, Nash and a 1936 Dusenberg!. Weather is great, scenery is good, people are friendly, cars are running great. What more could you want?

We're on our way too. Overnight in Roanoke VA tonight, then Luray Caverns in the AM and off to Hershey for a tour of the Chocolate Factory before taking I-84 to Boston, then up A1A to Portsmouth. We live now in the Smoky Mountains of NC, near Franklin, which is a day closer to the world than Florida. See you on the tour.

Terry, have a ball, but remember the cars is old enough for Social Security too. We did the Watkins Glen on theAACA Founder's Tour one year in our 66 VW, but we had a pace car to keep us from doing the Wayne Burgess thing. Still it was a ball, as I weaved back and forth on the track, my wife said "What the heck are you doing". I smiled and said, "keeping my tires warm". It's all about the fun, nobody from big racing venues will discover the next Michael Schuhmacher this weekend.

Earl, We AVOID NYC if at all possible and you can too. Take I-81 to Scranton PA (Stoppng at Hershey) then I-84 to I-95. It may take a little longer, but you'll live longer too. (Then again, if I-95 is normal it could take less time) Paul

I agree, there is to much fun to be had other than polishing during the non driving protion of the tours. Just open you hood and check the fluids and it will attract a bunch of other car folks. If you are not into the other activities offered, the BS flows in the parking lot, that's fun too. Some guys get their kicks helping those who had trouble during the day and need help at night. That's fun too! Plenty of time to detail when you get home, or before the next tour. BS = Best Stories

Well guys, we're talking about the Glidden Tour right now. We have also been participants in 10+ Glidden Tours, plus a few Nickel Tours, Sentimental Tours and many AACA Regional Tours. To us it's a way to "See the USA in our chariots". We choose the tours to participate in, not by the host club, but the area the tour will see. "We've been everywhere man, we traveled, we done are share man." Seeing the USA at 45 MPH or less on local or secondary roads is seeing it like our cars saw it when they were new 80 years ago. The other tourists we meet and the local host clubs are the greatest part of the hobby. After 11 Great American Races, these tours were an activity we could do as a family and really take time to see and get to know the country we were driving through. I've now driven antique cars in 48 states! I think the reason you don't see it discussed often on this Forum is that we're a real tiny percentage of the 60,000 AACA members and the other 59,800 members are not into this part of the hobby. Maybe if we who are interested, talk it up here, others will join us. Here's a challenge: Is your restoration to good show condition or to good usable condition? Every tour we take, we put our restorations to the test. To us, if we can't drive them, we would find another hobby.

A couple years ago Wayne Burgess brought a 4 cylinder 32 Ford Pickup on one of the AACA Tours. No chopped top and no Chrysler engine, but it ran and completed most of the tour. Then he decided he was not a Ford guy and sold to a local for less than the $12,000 Trimcar suggested. A 32 Ford pickup with a $35,000 restoration is not worth $35,000. Therfore it may be rod bait with it's already chopped roof. Anybody with a stock one should be happy, their value just went up in my book. I guess P. T. Barnum was right.

To me it looks like a nicely restored are as shown in the video, then photoshopped the front skirts and lake pipes into the picture. With the 49 Kaiser being a natural low rider, the customization by computer made it look like a streetrod low rider. My guess is that "No real cars were injured in the process".

My experience is akin to Matt's. After being told the car is not for sale, I hear "Would you take $x0.000.00?" I learned to ask, is that a question or an offer? Usually it's an idle question.