junkyardjeff Posted March 24, 2018 Share Posted March 24, 2018 About 11 years ago I purchased a 89 Crown vic that was advertised at having 110,000 miles,the interior did not look like it was sat in but the body looked like it was 18 years old and since it had a heated windshield it was going to be my winter car. About a week after I got it a brake line blew I had it on stands to replace the line and noticed it still had most of the paint on the frame but I figured it did not come from the rust belt,a girlfriend at the time bugged me to let her drive it since it got better gas mileage then her truck so it got wrecked and she ran it into the ground. I did make some money on this car,paid 2500 for it and got paid 2400 for it when it got hit and then she offered me 1500 for it and I let it go and then she gave it back to me 3 years later. I figured out it only had 10,000 original miles on it when I bought it but sat in the weather and if I knew what I know now back then I would had the body repaired and repainted and sat it under a car port and used it for a good car in good weather only and just drove my beater truck,I think I can get another winter out of it before the frame goes and when I find another body to put the drivetrain in it will not be used in the winter again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted March 24, 2018 Share Posted March 24, 2018 I did even better with a Chrysler convertible I bought at a tag sale for $500. drove for a year and got $400. at the scrap yard. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkyardjeff Posted March 24, 2018 Author Share Posted March 24, 2018 At 10,000 miles I should have preserved it and will never let anyone drive my vehicles for long periods of time again,its funny after she bought it from me and had to pay for the repairs it did not get driven as hard like when I was buying the parts. She now has car payments and has to take care of it,she did think she blew it up but was timing ping and a reset of the timing fixed it but with 110,000 miles now I will be looking into a timing chain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dei Posted March 24, 2018 Share Posted March 24, 2018 11 hours ago, junkyardjeff said: I think I can get another winter out of it before the frame goes and when I find another body to put the drivetrain in it will not be used in the winter again. At least you still have the car... I bought this '67 Mustang for 250 bucks with a supposedly rebuilt 6 in it. Body was not bad at all (as you can see the patched areas) and interior was clean too. Fun three speed on the floor (no consul). Put a used '68 Comet 6 in it and drove for two years. Sold it to a neighbour kid for 450 and he and a brother drove to Florida for Spring Break. Not a highly collectable Mustang but "if I could only do it over again"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R Walling Posted March 24, 2018 Share Posted March 24, 2018 I once bought a Pontiac Safari wagon for $60 that had all the bells and whistles. I used it for a year and was thrilled to sell it for $60 when I no longer needed it. At that time, Nomads were worth a lot, but nobody thought anything about a Pontiac! I still hate myself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJFord54 Posted March 24, 2018 Share Posted March 24, 2018 Back in 1973 I bought a slant-six Dodge from a guy for $50 - we were just starting out and pretty much without cash. My wife drove it back and forth to college for a couple of years. Reliable car - sold it for $100. On the other hand (and each and every one of us has this story) - I bought a '65 Mustang 289 convertible for $1200 back in 1969 and traded in my Austin Healey "Bug-Eye" Sprite (sigh) for $100. In 1972 I traded the Mustang in for a 1968 Ford Torino. Great car. I paid $1800 for it minus (sigh) $350 trade in on the Mustang. Like we all say "If only I knew"...... 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
46 woodie Posted March 24, 2018 Share Posted March 24, 2018 When I got out of the Navy in 1965 I purchased a 1960 Corvette for $1700. Fuel injected car, two tops, Wonderbar Radio, intact front license plate mount, hubcaps ETC, a perfect car. In 1969 I got married and the Corvette was sold for $2000 and I purchased a new Chevelle. Every time I look at a picture of the car I just shake my head. Oh well can't go back! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkyardjeff Posted March 24, 2018 Author Share Posted March 24, 2018 When I changed the trans fluid at what I thought was 170.000 miles the plug was still in the pan so I was the first to service the trans,if it had 170,000 miles on the original fluid it would have been black so with most of the paint still on the frame when I bought it along with the mint interior it dawned on me that it only had 10,000 and the dealer I got it from did not know it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFranklin Posted March 24, 2018 Share Posted March 24, 2018 That is interesting math! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harold Posted March 24, 2018 Share Posted March 24, 2018 I had a similar experience years ago. When I was selling new Fords in the 1980's, a woman came in with a '76 Granada to trade. The odometer read 14,000 miles and the interior was excellent, but it sat under a tree and the white paint looked gray due to the sap and moss stains. The used car manager took one look and figured 115K on the clock, and valued it accordingly. I bought the Granada for my girlfriend at the time; it ran really well for her until she killed the engine. The former owner later told me it really was a low mileage car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkyardjeff Posted March 25, 2018 Author Share Posted March 25, 2018 That trans service I done was wasted due to the clip that holds the trans TV cable broke and fried the clutches and bands so in went a junkyard trans with the updated clip,I kept the original trans and will have it rebuilt for a future project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted March 25, 2018 Share Posted March 25, 2018 Here is a nice one junkyardjeff. https://tucson.craigslist.org/cto/d/1989-mercury-grand-marquis/6519966625.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkyardjeff Posted March 25, 2018 Author Share Posted March 25, 2018 1 hour ago, Laughing Coyote said: Here is a nice one junkyardjeff. https://tucson.craigslist.org/cto/d/1989-mercury-grand-marquis/6519966625.html Good excuse to visit that part of the country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted March 25, 2018 Share Posted March 25, 2018 (edited) 4 minutes ago, junkyardjeff said: Good excuse to visit that part of the country. Yes it would be. It's warm and not white. You could fly out and drive back. Edited March 25, 2018 by Laughing Coyote (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJFord54 Posted March 26, 2018 Share Posted March 26, 2018 Junkyardjeff - I've got to say - if you like the style of the 89 Crown Victoria, you should be able to find tons (and I mean tons) of them with low mileage. They, along with the Chevy's were the "choice" of the over 60 crowd back then - the nice smooth ride, big and comfortable. I'd be surprised if you couldn't pick one up that's cherry for not much money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkyardjeff Posted March 26, 2018 Author Share Posted March 26, 2018 I am wanting to find one that has a good body but needs a motor so I can use the one in mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted March 26, 2018 Share Posted March 26, 2018 11 hours ago, AJFord54 said: Junkyardjeff - I've got to say - if you like the style of the 89 Crown Victoria, you should be able to find tons (and I mean tons) of them with low mileage. They, along with the Chevy's were the "choice" of the over 60 crowd back then - the nice smooth ride, big and comfortable. I'd be surprised if you couldn't pick one up that's cherry for not much money. Provided the taxi drivers didn't get to them first. Craig 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkyardjeff Posted March 26, 2018 Author Share Posted March 26, 2018 I am wanting to get another 89 since I have all the factory shop manuals and would love to find a 89 police car but those got all used up by the taxi companies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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