Xander Wildeisen

Just have to make it cool, you do not want to be the typewriter, or the record.

The pictures showing the PA bus I took when I was there looking at a 37 Terraplane Coupe body. I think that Coupe body made its way into MT. If stories grow over time, why would a person think that a bus from Yellowstone would have any great value? Why not say it was used in Hollywood or something. I do think his story was true, he said it was the only one, I see no reason for him to lie. Does anyone have a picture of a PA bus like the one pictured above?

I do not agree with the line saying "rather than a statement of who you are" The custom scene with the youth on newer cars is very large. You just have to make owning/driving an old car cool.

I did not read the links above, but IMO some of these shops are allowed to stay in business. I hope a conversation about things like this can take place around here. A lot of talented guys/shops have been destroyed by what is allowed to go on behind the scenes. A system of hitting shops with problems to bog them down, and to start charging the customer for problems that they should not have to pay for. Sends a shop down a road over time. It is not "free will" it is a form of entrapment. And it is crushing a trade/industry, this place needs to cut loose of it's old school out look of. you are going to fall in line and be owned, or you are going out.

I still think the AACA would do it's self a big favor to advertise the swap meet in the custom/street rod/hot rod world. Do your vendors care if the rusty fender goes on a restored car or a custom? Or do they care about parts being used to get a car on the road. Getting more people to the swap meet, will increase interest in your club and what you stand for. The show field is a site to see. Even if you are into customs/street rods, seeing all of those restored cars in one place is an amazing site. And would pull in some people to the restored side. It might also get people thinking about bringing their parts to the meet to sell as well. I always try to sell original parts from the cars that get modified. You might be surprised what parts some of these custom/street rod guys/gals have laying around.

If some of you have 2-3-4-5 cars. And if you were to go out of town. Would you ask a friend or a neighbor to watch your house and check on things while you are gone? If so , you are trusting that person with all of your stuff. So if you have a local car show, and you decide to drive your 1934 ______. Why would you not ask one of your neighbors/friends to drive your other car/cars. I do understand the insurance end of covered drivers. I will pick up cars from a customer to work on in my enclosed trailer. When the work is done, I ask a neighbor if they would like to drive it back to the customers house. I follow in the return car. Will this neighbor ever buy an old car? No, but they can talk about driving a 1950 Oldsmobile, 1951 Hudson, 1937 Buick.

Here is an old Yellowstone tour bus. This is from my pictures going back to 1995. Maybe someone knows what happened to this? It was in Spokane WA. The guy restored/made bike badges. Did great work, still have pictures of the tags he made. He said this was the only bus made like this, and it was for tours in Yellowstone.

In some cases, listed values, are different from market values. Old Car Price Guide seems to be way off on some of their numbers. I have not bought one for a few years, maybe they have gotten better.

Please do not take my post wrong, not slamming the seller. Just thought it was sad to see one of the great Chrysler 300's rot.

I have not had cable for a few years, so I am out of the loop on some of these shows. I also try not to bash some of these shows. Because I am sure there is a lot of behind the scenes stuff that we do not ever see. That being said, out of all of the shows, I think you could take a lump of iron ore, and Edd China, could turn that into something faster then a lot of the "owners" of some of these shops on TV could. Pretty crafty guy. It will be hard to have the same success with someone else. One could make the argument that the show was a hit, because of the two guys on it. If you take Fast'n Loud, like it or not. Remove Richard, and put in Edd. It would not work. It is the individuals and their personalities that make or break these shows. Fast'n loud is a hit because of the front man Richard. Every recipe for success, needs the right ingredients. Want a larger then life show, you need a Richard. Want a show that the, at home car guy can relate to, you need a Edd. Both have there place.

I am with Curti on that guess. I bet it is up there. Everybody loves old cars.

When looking at the pictures of this car, and reading the story. A person has to wonder, why was this car not in the shed? Even back in the 80's these cars had a good value. http://www.ebay.com/itm/1957-Chrysler-300-Series-300C-CONVERTIBLE-/232311254407?hash=item3616d46d87:g:TMgAAOSwBOtY~MXE&vxp=mtr

When I want to see abandoned autos, I just look at my unfinished projects.

every good cat leaves it's mark

If you know Jags, they can have a problem with rust. The wood floors can really hold the water. Our XK 120 was pretty bad where the floors tied into the rockers and inner trunk side panels. Rockers , front hing pockets and the back of the door jam can be bad as well. The way they finished the rocker in the rear wheel well, is just asking for large rust problems. Look close at the headlight/front marker light pods, where they mount on the fenders, you would need to pull the headlight , or look on the bottom of the fender. Water gets in the headlight pod, and just sits. It will rot out the bottom before you see it on the outside.

How was the Jag? Looking to buy?

Years ago one of these Skylarks was restored around here. It had the history/story to go along with it. To my knowledge no one, that I know had seen the car being restored. Just one day there it was, still needing a few minor things done, and still needing a few pieces that the Skylarks came with, that the Roadmasters did not.

If a person has the money to play with. 53 Skylarks are a safe place to park your money if bought right.

I will not debate the condition of the car, you have seen it, I have not. But it is a 53 Skylark, and I stand by my statement, if bought right. A person would be able to get their money back. Bad paint or not, that is driving in style. Hard to say that you are having a bad day, if behind the wheel of that car.

Growing up in Idaho, I have seen my share of cars/trucks pieced together. A lot of sedans around here were cut in half, to make a flat bed out of them for hauling hay bails in the fields. I know a few well to do people around here, that have a junker that takes the abuse.

A 53 Skylark is one of the best looking cars built in the 50's. A person would not be hanging their head in shame driving that one around just the way it is. If in a persons price range, what a great car to drive and enjoy for a few years. If bought right, you could get your money back.

When looking at the two top pictures, I noticed that the street sign in the bottom picture has not been blacked out. And now that I know where that picture was taken, I am going to go to that intersection.

It does, I was surprised when looking it over close. The front step on the bed fit the curve of the cab, and lined up with the body line, on the lower portion of the door. But again, tough look to pull off with an older cab.

I just did some work on this truck. It has a newer bed on it. I think this bed flows pretty good with the older cab. Some of the blending of old and new, can look good. It does get harder when the truck cab is from the 30's-50's

If the factory would of had the product, they would of put it in, and bragged about the "comfort quite sound control" that they invented. Would you build seats like they used to, knowing that mice will make nests out of them in the future?