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Ambitious projects galore: Packards, Cadillacs, Pierce-Arrows et al


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On 11/5/2021 at 12:49 PM, alsancle said:

Did I count dozen Caribbean’s? I love them. Especially the 53 and 54. But I can tell you there is a lot of chrome, leather, and paint on those cars. Although the mechanics are simple the restoration would be mind boggling from an expense perspective.

 

 

17 Caribbeans.

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On 11/5/2021 at 3:57 PM, 1912Staver said:

There was a Morgan project, estate sale 2 Summers ago near me. Possibly a bit better than the one in the warehouse but not by much. And it was the Ford Cortina powered car, bottom of the Morgan line up. It was advertised for $7,500.00 and the guy was deluged with calls. It ended up sold at $13,000.00. Both a good friend and myself are kicking ourselves for not going higher.

They very rarely come up for sale in these parts. Absolutely rabid following.

 

Kind of makes this 1964 an absolute bargain at Hershey this year. Asking price3 was $24,000.

IMG_9064.JPG

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1 hour ago, West Peterson said:

 

Kind of makes this 1964 an absolute bargain at Hershey this year. Asking price3 was $24,000.

IMG_9064.JPG

 

That's a very good price. Check out Bring a Trailer to get a better idea of what they are generally going for. A runner of any sort under $20,000 is very rare.  Do you know if it was Ford or Triumph powered ? The Ford cars are about 20% or so cheaper unless a fresh restoration.

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I sold Lou lot #181 about 15 years ago. It was a pretty straight car but the engine was frozen up badly when I got it. The previous owner had tried to start it with the cylinders full of scaly rust. Packard V8 internal engine parts go for a stiff premium. So I bowed out. I am about 3 hours away and Lou had me orchestrate the engine rebuild for him. It was delivered on a flatbed with the engine chained down next to it.

 

A few years ago the Albany area Buick and Cadillac clubs held a joint excursion to the Alan Rosenblum collection. I met Lou early and we took a wonderful walk through the building. They were in an old linen mill and really packed in. The factory area had an elevated supervisor's platform that we stood on the overlook the collection. Fascinating. Caribbeans over in that section, the Caddies mixed in. There were a few nice ones that could have been tagged urban legends of Packard lore. I have about 40 pictures but that computer went out for service yesterday. I will try to post a few.

 

It was a memorable day. I drove my '60 Electra up the NYS Thruway. John D. even got to check my car out. Although Lou called it his indoor junkyard it was a dream factory to me. I regret that I didn't get up there a few more times but I tend to get busy, put things aside, and then wonder what was so important that I didn't go. I have to work on that.

 

I will see if I can get a few pictures up in a couple of days.

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More 1948-'49 22nd Series Custom Eights together in one place since they left the factory.  Custom Eight were the top-line models with the nine-main-bearing 356 ci engine that began with the 1940 160 and 180 models.   Touring sedan Lot Numbers are 9, 10D, 19, 56, 57, 58, 73, 77, 79; convertible victorias 188 and 226.  The 148" wb 7-passenger sedan/limousine 10E & 10F.   

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I LOVE Caribbeans.   Did a nice 1 hour drive today with my dad.    They are simple mechanically (except maybe the windows) but lots of chrome and paint.   It would be nice if some tried to save some of these but I'm not sure that is going to happen.    You can buy a really nice 53 for 50-75k.    The 54 is a little more money because of the bigger engine.

 

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So I just went through all the lots.   I see two of the Caribbeans that might be salvageable.  1 53 and 1 54.   Most of the other cars are both incomplete and rotted to death.   The ones missing the wheel trim cannot be saved as that alone will cost you a fortune.

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13 minutes ago, 1937hd45 said:

 

 

Typical AJ car...........hanging around with Big Al, he likes modern wire wheels with white walls, and of course....the stereo typical Continental kit. Do you have any set of pink fuzzy dice to go with that green paint?

😜

 

25D5E4C8-3767-4D9C-B844-36F38DC2C94F.png

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My wife asked me if I was going to go up there, look around, and buy something. If I can resist a few more days I will be OK.

 

When I visited the collection the first time I thought about liberating one of those Caribbean's. It would be very enjoyable to bring one home and thoroughly clean every square inch, shine anything that will still shine, lubricate anything that is dry. It could sit in the back corner of my garage shaped like a Caribbean for a few years until I tired of it. And I'd pass it on to some other dreamer and make a thousand bucks or so.

 

I have a pneumatic drafting chair next to my bench that I sit on and perform euphoric restoration work all the time.

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17 hours ago, 1937hd45 said:

What happens when nobody bothers to bid? 

When there's no alternative the scrap metal guys will move in.  I think many will end up in the crusher.

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1 hour ago, GregLaR said:

When there's no alternative the scrap metal guys will move in.  I think many will end up in the crusher.

 

 

Supply and demand is always correct. Sad for people with gas in their veins. This is just the beginning of the new round of scrap drives.........what frightens me.......is much better cars that were driven into a garage and parked will be next. No particular year or marque will be safe. 

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I just realized.....AJ left me his credit card to pay for some parts and supplies for the Stearns Knight. Maybe we should all vote on which car I should bid on for him? Hell, we can get it delivered to his house for less than a grand. What a great Christmas present for his wife.......a project Packard of 1954!

 

I vote we buy him lot 167.

Edited by edinmass (see edit history)
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29 minutes ago, edinmass said:

 

I just realized.....AJ left me his credit car to pay for some parts and supplies for the Stearns Knight. Maybe we should all vote on which car I should bid on for him? Hell, we can get it delivered to his house for less than a grand. What a great Christmas present for his wife.......a project Packard of 1954!

 

I vote we buy him lot 167.

 

 

I'd rethink that, you don't want your White Christmas to be your last.

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18 minutes ago, 1937hd45 said:

 

 

I'd rethink that, you don't want your White Christmas to be your last.

 

 

"I'm dreaming of a White Christmas".............for all your northerners while Im down here in Florida driving my cars!🤪

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2 hours ago, 60FlatTop said:

My wife asked me if I was going to go up there, look around, and buy something. If I can resist a few more days I will be OK.

 

When I visited the collection the first time I thought about liberating one of those Caribbean's. It would be very enjoyable to bring one home and thoroughly clean every square inch, shine anything that will still shine, lubricate anything that is dry. It could sit in the back corner of my garage shaped like a Caribbean for a few years until I tired of it. And I'd pass it on to some other dreamer and make a thousand bucks or so.

 

I have a pneumatic drafting chair next to my bench that I sit on and perform euphoric restoration work all the time.

 

There are two of them (at least of the 53/54 variety) that might qualify for this.   After a steam cleaning it is possible there no car but a puddle of water.   But I like the idea.

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I looked at the Caribbeans specifically. On the auction page their is a search box "caribbean" brings them all up. I may bid on the pale green one.  I called the auction house this morning to verify my bidding status. Too bad about the timing. Saturday I have a guy coming right past there to pick up a "worthless" Bradley GT body that no real car collector would see any value in.

 

Some are just to serious to violate the car hobby dogma.

 

In the late 1980's I cut the roof off my wife's '62 Electra 225 six window and grafted on a '62 Olds convertible windshield frame. Looked quite convincing. I had it at a car show in my village. A co-worker was there with his freshly restored AAR Barracuda. He said "I'm a bundle of nerves driving my car. I am scared to part it. I walk long distances if I do. I worry about every car and kid coming toward me. And my stomach is all twisted up. My whole body aches. And you drive around in this! Just smiling and having a great time. Something ain't right!"

 

He hasn't changed and neither have I.

 

Yes, many of those Packards and their ilk are worth a $200 bid for scrap. They aren't much worse than they were when Lou bought them. What people are seeing here is what I saw a few years ago. But I also remember what is not shown here. Makes me feel a bit like Paul Harvey.

Edited by 60FlatTop (see edit history)
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1 hour ago, edinmass said:

 

 

Supply and demand is always correct. Sad for people with gas in their veins. This is just the beginning of the new round of scrap drives.........what frightens me.......is much better cars that were driven into a garage and parked will be next. No particular year or marque will be safe. 

 

Location , Location, Location. Many parts of North America, people would give a body part for some of these cars. But the sale is such that unless you have local resources it would be very difficult to secure one. The pick up conditions and the need to store somewhere untill the paperwork hurdles are solved and then transport home make this a no go for almost anyone who does not live quite close to the sale site. 

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But I also remember what is not shown here. Makes me feel a bit like Paul Harvey.

 

I sold him one of the cars not shown here. And there are more interesting projects with a somewhat brighter future also held back. I hope Lou get to them all. 

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8 hours ago, 60FlatTop said:

Saturday I have a guy coming right past there to pick up a "worthless" Bradley GT body that no real car collector would see any value in.

Leave it out for 'Curbside Pickup', which is all the rage these days!!

 

Craig

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  • 2 weeks later...

The Bradley went to its happy new owner who drove over 800 miles and for over 20 hours to get it. This was the end of a search to find someone who really wanted it.

 

I am not much for setting things out for the bottom feeders. And there is a difference.

 

To this topic, I did lose out to a higher bidder on one of the Packard Caribbeans. As much as I wanted yet another piece "no real car collector would see any value in" (and I really hate people who quote themself). I let the car slip away with space and the idea of setting what may have been the cash for the winning bid into and envelope strictly for use on the things the cars I own now need. Never done that before but it has been physically set aside. Let's see how it works.

 

Good luck to any here who bought a car from the Utica collection. It was an amazing place. I visited there in the morning and the Rosenblum collection in the afternoon. Both were wonderful experiences.

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On 11/10/2021 at 2:12 PM, edinmass said:

 

 

"I'm dreaming of a White Christmas".............for all your northerners while Im down here in Florida driving my cars!🤪

Honest, I cut my 3 acres of grass on the weekend hopefully for the last time this year. 

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