26 Willys Knight Not Mine

[critterpainter 43]

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1095715290782268/

 

 Rare Car!   Rare engine

[John_Mereness 4,483]

Literal definition of a square tire

 

[jan arnett (2) 190]

Automatic transmission

 

[mikewest 378]

Good for lawn art....

[Tinindian 1,703]

Might not buff out.

[J.H.Boland 1,237]

I wish car sheet metal held up that well around these parts !  Unfortunately given restoration costs and value of completed car,it wouldn't be economically viable unless the owner gave you $5000 to take it away and you were able to do most of the work yourself.

[Joe in Canada 848]

Seeing it needs wood will be a hard sell. Another rat rod in the works.

[gossp 508]

11 minutes ago, Joe in Canada said:

Seeing it needs wood will be a hard sell. Another rat rod in the works.

my guess is, the rats come with it. 

[Terry Harper 668]

13 hours ago, Joe in Canada said:

Seeing it needs wood will be a hard sell. Another rat rod in the works.

 

That would be tragic considering there is a heck of a lot to work with there and its a neat and rare survivor.

Some times its not about the financial return  - its about  the doing - It reminds me of a friend who built an airplane.

Financially it made no sense considering what a decent Cessna or Piper were going for at the time and the that he

could be flying NOW not 5-10 years down the road. but then I realized for him it was all about the build and the craftsmanship.

The finished aircraft came out fantastic by the way!

 

I think we have lost some of that insight over the years. 

[alsancle 4,736]

I see two sides to this.   There are lots of less interesting cars that people bury their efforts in to on one hand.  On the other hand,  that car will be a LOADS of work.

[mikewest 378]

1 minute ago, alsancle said:

I see two sides to this.   There are lots of less interesting cars that people bury their efforts in to on one hand.  On the other hand,  that car will be a LOADS of work.

The  " Lots of less interesting cars" that are getting fixed are cars that parts and restoration costs are easier to find and less money" This car doesn't check ANY of the so called boxes. Send it to the street rod folks and it will free up some good parts for the WK boys. Win Win...

[suchan 346]

I'd like to know the story behind the square tire...

[Ben P. 606]

Not to be contrarian, but when restored, cars like this just tickle me to death. My little 4-cyl 1918 Buick (popular when new, but out-survived by the bigger 6cyls by something like 20 to 1) made little sense to restore when the previous owner did so in 1968. Why did he bother? It wasn’t worth 1/4th what he put into it and it wasn’t an easy restoration either - he had to gather it up as parts scattered in different buildings around Flint that the 1st owner had owned. 52 years later it still isn’t and it won’t ever be worth 1/2 the cost of the engine rebuild I’m having to do right now. Not in my lifetime anyway....

Last year I went to the Gilmore pre-war show. There was one early 20’s mid-priced car there sitting right in the middle of a group of $350K+ high hp. brass tourings. Like 5 or 6 of them. But it was done ‘right’ and somehow didn’t look out of place at all. In fact it stood out in a way. It had the most beautiful craftsmanship in the top and side curtains that I have ever seen. A year later, it is the only car I remember at the show.

That said, I’d challenge anyone to point out any car that ever came off an assembly line that is worth 50% its restoration cost (key words: assembly line).

Edited April 27, 2020 by Ben P.
Clarity (see edit history)