1950 Dodge Wayfarer Convertible Project - Auction

[auburnseeker]

On 7/6/2019 at 9:19 AM, alsancle said:

This looks like a pretty nice 49.   Don't like side skirts, but otherwise very presentable.   I'm sure he wants 25k,  but it will actually sell closer to 18-20.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1949-Dodge-Other-Roadster/392322761070

I actually like the looks of this one.  I would almost trade my 40 for it, but some real nice ones of these have sold for 20 so I would be taking a hit,  plus I have never had luck trading to a dealer.  They usually want the upper hand on both ends. 

[alsancle]

I think the Ford is an easier car to sell. It feels like it takes forever for the 49-51 Mopars to find a home.

[auburnseeker]

7 hours ago, alsancle said:

I think the Ford is an easier car to sell. It feels like it takes forever for the 49-51 Mopars to find a home.

You are probably right there.  You can add back to the 30's for hard sells even.  It took a long time to sell my 36 Chrysler Convertible and my 48 Plymouth Convertible. 

The problem with Fords is there are so many for sale, you have to be better than the rest or cheaper than the rest.  Either way,  yours has to be a deal to sell. 

Something like the Chrysler it was much more unusual so When someone wanted it,  they pretty much had to buy mine as it was the only one for sale when I was selling it.  It's a small segment that wants one,  but it only takes one buyer and it was a very honest car with all new Mechanicals. 

[auburnseeker]

The gavel landed just under 16G on this one.  Yeah,  probably not a good trade for my 40 Ford coupe.  Of course it didn't meet reserve,  but that shows you where market is today on these cars. 

[alsancle]

55 minutes ago, auburnseeker said:

The gavel landed just under 16G on this one.  Yeah,  probably not a good trade for my 40 Ford coupe.  Of course it didn't meet reserve,  but that shows you where market is today on these cars.

 

They have a following,  as evidenced by the activity on the http://p15-d24.com

forum.

 

But they also don't seem to sell easily.

[auburnseeker]

Must be a Mopar thing.  Seems the 46-48 plymouth ragtops do as well,  but they seem to sell very slow whether like mine an in between car or even a restored one.   Then again trying for anything over 25,000 , even for a really nice show quality car is like pulling teeth. 

Mine struggled at the 15 mark and eventually sold for just a shy under just so I could move on.  If I didn't like to mix things up,  I would have probably just kept it and drove it as it was well sorted,  super reliable and fun to drive.   It's nice to have something you know will get you there and back,  that starts easily hot or cold and doesn't overheat no matter what the traffic conditions are.  I like improving things as I go and I was at the point whether the only thing left to improve was the shot old paint,  which is one thing I draw the line at.  Once they get all torn apart for paint they seem to stay that way.  

[Hudsy Wudsy]

On 7/8/2019 at 7:41 PM, auburnseeker said:

Must be a Mopar thing.  Seems the 46-48 plymouth ragtops do as well,  but they seem to sell very slow whether like mine an in between car or even a restored one.   Then again trying for anything over 25,000 , even for a really nice show quality car is like pulling teeth. 

Mine struggled at the 15 mark and eventually sold for just a shy under just so I could move on.  If I didn't like to mix things up,  I would have probably just kept it and drove it as it was well sorted,  super reliable and fun to drive.   It's nice to have something you know will get you there and back,  that starts easily hot or cold and doesn't overheat no matter what the traffic conditions are.  I like improving things as I go and I was at the point whether the only thing left to improve was the shot old paint,  which is one thing I draw the line at.  Once they get all torn apart for paint they seem to stay that way.  

 A S, I'm sorry to hear about your disappointments with your '40 coupe. I would find all of that very disheartening. It sounds like the prior owner, or perhaps, owners had the money to do things properly but didn't have the patience or required interest. I almost think that I would rather start from scratch with a new project than redo so much of someone else's work.

[auburnseeker]

I'm getting used to it.  The problem is the reality of buying a car and building it from the ground up, you will have more than 30 in a 40 Ford coupe before you ever even lay the paint on it.  A good starter car will run you nearly 20 grand. The parts to get it to the restored part if you don't go crazy will probably total another 15 to 20 G if you don't rebuild the engine or replace every component in the chassis,  lots more if you go crazy with the paint materials.  Plus you won't be driving it for a very long time , if ever.  Just like A's and many other cars.  The upper of the bottom end price 20 to 22 G , a driveable or near driveable project car that really needs everything(which is what you need to buy from to get a good car to start with) is a very short distance to the lower top end, where you can buy a car something like mine in the 30 G or slightly under range.

I do know the frustration when you say why would you do something like this and not go the extra 5  to 10 percent to make it really right or nice.  The car was fully disassembled, in and out,  off the frame,  everything was painted then assembled with every piece of rubber and weatherstripping new.  Every piece of chrome was replaced in and out.  I believe the gauges are all new or NOS as are all the switches,  wiring harness everything.   Even under the dash the complete cowl vent assembly and mechanism as well as wiper links and mechanism all look brand new.  The boards are brand new Drake boards.  You name it,  just the final details are a bit hap hazard.  Fender welting not quite in place all the way,  Not huge stuff to correct but all stuff you say,  why didn't you take a couple more minutes and get it right. 

Here are a few pics I took A couple of days ago for the craigslist ad.  So far just a guy that wants to trade a 32 Ford roadster hot rod.  Which I haven't ruled out yet. 

 

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Wow, lots of eyeball Randy.  Take that and your Cord up to Tom Laferriere and get a big Packard, maybe fogettaboutit on an Auburn.  😁

[auburnseeker]

If it was an open late 20's early 30's Packard,  even a Phaeton I might just be willing to do that.  I do cruise through the packard section of Hemmings every month.  Found a few I liked that were 80 to 90 G.  Though that's the same range as an Auburn so It would really be a tough trigger to pull knowing I could possibly get an Auburn instead.  We'll see where the cards fall.  Problem is I would really like a driveable project car.  Or an older restoration with some wear. I have gravel up here and never do any shows so for me one I could beat around in on nice days would be the perfect fit.  I like nice chrome can live with weak paint.  I know how to make that look good though if there is enough left.  A good but not perfect interior would be perfect.  I don't want to be the first guy to put a mark on a freshly restored car.   You know probably just like many of them were before the craze of making everything as close to perfect as possible.  I can only imagine how much fun it must have been in the 60 and 70s when there were still alot of cars like that out there being used. 

Someday the planets will align or they'll bury me.  Either way the quest will be over.  

[JACK M]

I still think you need the Jeepster and I need that 40.

I am going to literally dump my 37 Desoto as well. I have a lot spent on this Desoto and have completely lost interest. (not sure why, just did)(and 'yea, its got a Hemi')

 

Edited July 12, 2019 by JACK M (see edit history)

[auburnseeker]

55 minutes ago, JACK M said:

I still think you need the Jeepster and I need that 40.

I still like the Jeepster.  Somewhere on my bucket list still is one. Problem is my Bucket list is extremely large, maybe i should call it a dumpster list.  

If we were a little closer maybe something could work out,  but that distance thing and transport is a killer.  I'm not in love with the Jeepster just like it. 

Hopefully we both find buyers,  then we won't have to keep pondering the question.   

The desoto is not my type of thing as I somehow lost alot of my appetite for rods.  Not sure why,  Maybe it's due to alot of the abominations i have seen and the constant everyone telling me they are so much superior to originals, yet often don't run or drive well because the engineering was subpar. 

Not to say that's anything to do with your Desoto.  It does look sharp and you kept it Mopar.  

Probably due to too much time on Craigslist where the world's piles of aborted projects show up for ridiculous money. 

 

[Hudsy Wudsy]

On 7/12/2019 at 10:08 AM, JACK M said:

I still think you need the Jeepster and I need that 40.

I am going to literally dump my 37 Desoto as well. I have a lot spent on this Desoto and have completely lost interest. (not sure why, just did)(and 'yea, its got a Hemi')

 

Jack, you're kinda big on two-toning, huh?

[auburnseeker]

Actually he didn't pick the colors on the Jeepster.  They do like nice on it though. 

[JACK M]

10 hours ago, auburnseeker said:

Actually he didn't pick the colors on the Jeepster.  They do like nice on it though. 

Yes, 30 plus year old 'new' paint. Same with upholstery and engine rebuild. (but all good)

The paint could use a little polishing, but I haven't got around to that, I am more into the get it running and driving stuff.

 

[auburnseeker]

I just finished the Ford Jack.

That Jeepster would be a fun next project and less work as i had to do alot of careful blocking on Ford.  Everything is a Curve and it was far from smooth when they started. 

I should get a close up.  The body is not arrow straight but the paint is glassy smooth. 

[JACK M]

Lookin good.

Yes, quite the opposite as far as curves go.

[auburnseeker]

While searching on the net for a picture of some Roadster script, I stumbled upon this old thread.  Interesting how not quite a year later I sold the 40 Ford and ended up with both a 51 Dodge roadster and the 31 Auburn I thought I would never find. Surprisingly I didn't even have to win the lotto to make it happen.   Interesting how things turn out.  

Goes to show you don't get it in your mind that it won't or can't happen.  You just never know when the planets will align.