Steve_Mack_CT

Looking for later MB 107 shop manuals - mechanics, chassis, electrical - that cover the '86 - '89 560 SL models so they have to be the last series of manuals for these cars. Thanks

Gents, this recent sale struck me as likely one of the least expensive CCCA eligibile, open prewar MB cars left? Mercedes-Benz : Other Yes in Mercedes-Benz | eBay Motors Any thoughs as to whether this was about right, or a "deal"?

Hey Club Coupe, sorry I still frequent this forum but not daily anymore - at least 'till we get another Packard! In any event, yes, I do still have it. Left you a PM with my contact info. Thanks, Steve

I stand corrected on the first car, Keiser the Buick was my second choice, also in the GM family and I now see the grille is a touch fancier on the Buick matching the car in the photo so it must be.

Looks like a 1936 Chevy in the foreground and a 1946 - 1948 Plymouth in the background. Interesting building, Zappiros -

Lots of good advice above, but one additional step you may want to take is to ensure your transmission oil is fresh and that the clutch is properly adjusted. Having those things in top shape can reduce the challenge of shifting smoothly. Not sure on your cars, but I found much smoother shifting after changing the trans oil in my Model A to a 600 weight oil AKA "Steam engine oil" sold by MACs out of NY and likely several other Model A vendors. I understand this may be a touch thicker than the original oil, this to slow down the gears just a bit during the shift process. For my car, that made a big difference and shifts were pretty smooth. You may want to research this as this stuff may be applicable to your cars. As said above, the object is to upshift as soon as practical and use high gear 95% of the time, not to "run the revs up" on the engine in the current gear as is more or less the case with a more modern manual transmission. Practice makes perfect.

Don, since you are looking for someone to take them with minimal hassle (and nice your taking the time to do this rather than just toss them) here is an idea - are you active in any local car clubs? If so advertise in their flier, bet you get a taker. Our AACA region only meets for specific events, but for years I belonged to a local MARC region - we met monthly at a set location and always had a "free table" anyone bringing magazines were guaranteed not to have to bring them home. Just a thought.

Glad "Walter" is working out for you, Bob. When a car has proven itself it kind of grows on you, right?

Yep, kind of like going "up island" at Martha's Vineyard or visiting "Downeast" Maine...

Steve, Thanks so much for posting these, sir!! We had ideal weather this year, and a strong turnout all around. We lucked out as it seems like it has been raining here in CT ever since the show!!

To me the cowl looks like a Bentley R type or RR sister car.

I totally agree an invitation is required, and basic courtesy should be expected, but otherwise I am totally for it!! I let a lot of kids sit in the Packard when we had it, and had a couple in the MB recently - they love it. I was at a large show once, and was letting a young man and his dad check out the '39 120, kid sat in the car and we went over a few things. While this was going on I noticed that we were being watched from a short distance by another gent. After they left he introduced himself as Automotive artist Joe Pepitone ("Joe Pep" - hope I got the name right!) who has done a few concours posters, etc. He thanked me for promoting the hobby and presented me with a signed print - what a nice gesture, it is now framed and hanging in the family room. You never know what small good deed will be rewarded!

I would not lose too much sleep, 1935, just the latest in a series of reports that may have some basis but also follow the "say it enough and it will be so" path of social engineering. This one is actually comical to me - the thought of the Chinese government being upset about a rapidly growing economy, and allowing the expansion of the auto if they did not want it - as much as the author would like to paint that picture is just ain't so...

Hey Billy, on the Dino I can only say I am far from an expert, I do like them, and have a friend who was looking for one a year or so ago, although he has yet to pull the trigger. I have been kind of paying attention to the prices mainly due to our discussions on them; I know some cars he looked at that were not perfect were in the $200K range plus or minus a bit. I think the Mondai is under appreciated, as well as the closed version of the same car. The styling clearly locks the era in as 70s - 80s but is simple compared to some of the other Ferrari models of the era, but not sure when the "time will be right" for those. An example of a "coattails ride" IMO is the appreciation in recent years of the Ponton based 4 cylinder 190 SL. Nice cars, but seeing these somewhat regularly in the + $100K mark surprises me. I am sure my high school buddy who acquired one in the early 80s, for $3,500 wishes he kept it. The car came out of a local garage where it had sat so long the floor of the garage had sunk about 6 inches below grade. This car needed a good cleaning, wax and I would imagine full servicing to then take to a local show without embarrassment - it was that good. And all he wanted to do was trade it for a Corvette, like a typical 20 year old in 1983-84...

Love those Dinos - unfortunately the "Jr. Ferrari" (not called a Ferrari when new, just "Dino") has already blown right on by the $100K mark, one under $200K these days would be a good buy.

Ahh, don't get to this section of the forum enough as I do not have a Buick, but I do like them, and THANKS Steve for mentioning the show with all your nice shots here (this is a thread one can get lost in..) I will say the Riv in post 1011 belongs to a CCR AACA member AND active poster here, we will keep the mystery alive and see if he weighs in... Nice pics all...

Touche West! ;) I enjoyed reading about your other "P" car a while back, BTW...

Certainly each venue has it's pluses and minuses. A couple other value adds a dealer brings - to piggyback on 35's initial comments, some dealers who focus on certain marques/eras over time build up a following on both ends, and may be able to find that certain vehicle you desire. Sometimes they are in a position to take a trade, which we did once and it worked out really well. Last, While I do not disagree with A.J.'s comments on "lazy sellers" - sometimes you are just plain busy and your time is worth some of that commission. Most buyers want to see a car on the weekend, when people can be balancing their own chores, or family time. Personally, I would rather be at a sports event for my kid than watching some guy spend two hours with a pad and paper, go for a ride, plead with you not to sell until he has a chance to firm up his offer, and then hear "well, it needs a door glass replaced, I just don't know..." - now, if I was retired, I might feel differently, but the last couple times we sold, filtering those types was worth at least half the commission to me. I feel like you don't get that kind of hands off service with an auction but having never consigned a car I cannot speak to the level of involvement needed. I would imagine for a lower end car you wait for a local opportunity, but as Guy points out, sell or not, someone has to incurr the cost of preparation & transportation for a consignment to one of the big auctions. Of course, the flip side is competition to buy your car, if you have a good day at the races, can lead to a pleasant surprise. Would be interesting to hear from those who have sold at auction - would you do it again?? '35Packard, keep us posted on the 356, you never know when the right car shows up...

1935, are you looking at 356s? I thought you were at some point...

Not to take this off track but as a follow up to A.J.'s comment, I would postulate that the average price paid through a dealer such as Tom L or Guy is slightly higher than a comparable private sale - perhaps in between the private sale and the auction sale. This due to the seller's desire for someone else to deal with that work coupled with the seller's equal desire not to take a market hit for that service - human nature. I know Tom will tell you all day long he cannot get more than a private seller and you are paying for his access to potential buyers, but I think the reality is there is a difference there for that reason. Similarly, buyers get some convenience - value add - in some cases are choices in one location (even if it is virtual) to shop and compare, etc. Both alternative methods to selling involve value adds which of course means someone pays for it. I do not disagree with any of the above reasons, but also would point out everyone's situation is different. Some people really are too busy to see 8 or 10 cars across the country, and for them the auction is carved out time, which they combine with a vacation - not that different from those who buy a car at Hershey, known to be a place where you may pay a bit too much, but have the convenience of looking at thousands of collector cars in one place, at one time. What's interesting to me is how, just like real estate, the predictions of the Internet putting all of these entities out of business had not come to pass, fundamentally changing things, sure but not replacing auction houses or dealers.

I could be wrong but I believe this is a Jr. accessory pre 1939 at least. I think, '36 or '37, and authentic. I had a '39 which had the glass and if I am not mistaken, while slightly different, '38 was glass as well. I know at one point the Jr. cars were available with a hood ornament that looks just like this one. If it is as nice looking as it appears in the pics, your are indeed a LuckyBob, as the '39 is a $500 piece these days, I imagine that is similar in value... There is a hood ornament section on the website Packard Info - or post your question in the Packard section below and wait for Owen Dyneto or a couple other regulars to weigh in, but as I said, I think you have a nice item here for either sale or as a keepsake.

Before you bite the bullet you may want to try a similar product made by Turtle Wax available at your local NAPA for around $10 - I found it to work great on single stage red paint (although I believe they bill as applicable to all surfaces), and if you scope out some of the enthusiast sites with heavy traffic on the detailing forums, you will find it consistently gets good comments. Lots of talk on the MB forum as "the wax you want to hate but works really well" - this I assume due to it's being a lower cost product. Actually I think the Turtle Wax people call it a polish, but it is non abrasive. I have a shelf full of various products, some expensive, some not, and have found this to be among the best for single stage paint. Macguer's (sp?) has also recently come out with a colorwax as well, however I have not seen or tried it.

Agree with Matt on this one. I considered pursuing a local car - '39 LaSalle sedan that was offerred by a small local restoration shop and billed as an "older restoration, needing some brake work" and had some new parts I now do not recall -maybe tires? Anyway, his ask was $5,000, FWIW that is what I would consider a #4 - complete worn original or older restoration needing some work to put on the road. Bear in mind by '39 structural wood was no longer an issue. The above car sure sounds like a #5 at best to me, bad wood on a GM sedan of that era, well, then it is really a labor of love. Somewhere between $2,500 - $4,500 would be where I would put this car, the wood for me, along with the body would be the driver of the cost differential. At $8,700 it should be ready to take to the local ice cream stand, but not win any awards. That said, they are nicely styled cars indeed - good for you if you are able to save it.

"Nuther quick thought, one way to finish ahead with an "A" is if you are lucky enough to find one that needs a good cleaning and mechanical freshening rather than a full on restoration. Do that, and you may just end up ahead of the game. Plus, who does not love those old "AHOOOGA" horns...

All good advice above. But I would first ask myself (maybe you already have) what is it you want to do - restore a car as a way to get into a collector car on a budget, or restore a car for the pleasure of the restoration. If your reasoning is that you cannot or do not want to pay for a car that is in nice condition - then I would totally agree with Alsancle and suggest you find a nice, running car to enjoy - you will be $$ ahead. If you truly want to work on the car, and the restoration work itself is driving this, and you do not care about being "in a bit over your head" upon completion, there are some cars that still lend themselves to the at home restorer. Here are two, IMO that you may want to consider: If you like Prewar cars, find a solid, complete Model A Ford. These are simple enough and while you will likely spend a bit more than the car is worth upon completion, virtually every part, process and hint relating to these cars is very readily available, and while not overly rare or valuable, they do have quite a following and market should you ever sell. It was not at all rare, in the 60s - 70s to find several home restorations of Model A Fords going on by regular joes in just about any decent sized area. While that is less prevalent today, this is a car that you can dissasemble and rebuild largely by yourself. A much less frustrating experience will be had with a rust free project to start. Look for an older restoration needing to be redone, not a field car and you will be way ahead of the game. If that is too old, go for a first generation Mustang, ideally a rust free plain jane. They are a great design and example of the ponycar movement. Parts, simplicity and a strong following are also points these cars have going for them. Not that their is anything wrong with finding a more unusual car but if it is rough, it could be a more frustrating and expensive experience first time out. And do not be discouraged anyone responding here is just trying to save you from the pitfalls that do come with the territory. Do you attend events at the Larz Anderson in Brookline?