When is too far, too far.... RUST

[Graham Man]

Killed me to walk away from a 1930's Graham this last weekend, I wanted the car but the fenders were at least 25% of their former glory.  They should have been about 50lbs and I could pick them up with a single finger.  My guess was they were sand blasted in the 1970's and left out side for 40 years, they were not swiss cheese but lots if the car was.  Worst part was the pictures do not tell the story.

 

So the question is when is too far to save?

 

[alsancle]

30 minutes ago, Graham Man said:

Killed me to walk away from a 1930's Graham this last weekend, I wanted the car but the fenders were at least 25% of their former glory.  They should have been about 50lbs and I could pick them up with a single finger.  My guess was they were sand blasted in the 1970's and left out side for 40 years, they were not swiss cheese but lots if the car was.  Worst part was the pictures do not tell the story.

 

So the question is when is too far to save?

 

Unless a car is very special, ie one off, or only known example or something similar I just don’t see restorations of any magnitude making much sense.

[Xander Wildeisen]

You never lose money on a job you did not do.

[Graham Man]

I guess I have always thought that once the metal looses its structural integrity it is over?  too thin to save.  I guess I could just build a new patch panel/fender/car... slippery slope

 

When you strive for originality, there is a line that is hard to cross

[Bryan G]

I had a good customer plead with me for years to redo his first car, a late 60s Mustang. The only part it didn't need was the VIN plate, and I'm not exaggerating. I refused the job; I'm not sure if he ever got it back from the shyster he took it to, but if he ever gets it restored it will be like George Washington's hatchet. (all original, except the handle and the head.)

[1937hd45]

Just walked in from watching Graveyard Carz, they saved a roof on some 1970 MOPAR wonder car and replaced EVERY PIECE of sheet metal starting with the floor pan. Crazy time and money spent there, but I could understand spending the same time and money on a 1910 era Super Car. 

 

Bob 

[1912Staver]

Quite a few cars are worth re - creating from a serial plate and major castings / forgings. But although they may be quite rare , I don't think Graham sedans fall into this catagory. I am suprised you didn't buy it as a parts car at least. I have picked up many things over the years that fell into my general area of interest , but that I didn't actually need at the time. More than once the parts became vital a significant number of years later. If you waited until you needed it, you would never find it.

[Graham Man]

I did buy the two pictured for parts a few years back.  The one I looked at last weekend was a more desirable body style, just did not want to disclose pictures because it most likely is still for sale.  The car was stripped of all the good restoration parts because it was street rod earmarked, so no good parts to save.  All that was left was shell.  That gets back to my original question, maybe there is not an answer?  When is sheet metal too far gone to restore?  At some point there is no longer enough metal to function as a fender, it is just a shape like tin foil.  The seller kept saying it was fine to restore, he had done much worse, but when a small screwdriver will easily puncture the steel by hand, it is too far gone in my mind.

 

Most likely I am feeling guilty for leaving her behind.  A good friend once told me, "You cant save them all"...

Edited June 16, 2022 by Graham Man (see edit history)

[1912Staver]

A friend restored an early LaSalle cabrolet. Almost none of the sheetmetal was good enough to re - use. Just ended up as patterns for the new panels. Very nice car but he was quite a bit underwater on the final cost.

[31 LaSalle]

8 minutes ago, 1912Staver said:

A friend restored an early LaSalle cabrolet. Almost none of the sheetmetal was good enough to re - use. Just ended up as patterns for the new panels. Very nice car but he was quite a bit underwater on the final cost.

Aren't we all

[60FlatTop]

I have bought stuff like that to resell. And pretty sure I will again.

[kgreen]

25 minutes ago, 60FlatTop said:

I have bought stuff like that to resell. And pretty sure I will again.

Darn it, I'm a member of that club too.  I could have bought a Duesenberg for what I put into a low interest car.

[Buffalowed Bill]

I'm a Graham lover. The innovative styling of the Blue Streak, it's the poor timing or dumbfounding lack of traction with the buying public are all part of the story that needs to be told. The Graham story and the lovely styling makes every car important. After saying all this, I think this is a stretch too far. Unless of course you have that special place on your property, where you can display yard art.

[Graham Man]

Graham-Paige was the only car company to post a meager profit in 1933.  I do not understand how any of them survived, great time for automobile innovation.

 

[1932 plymouth pb sedan]

The answer to the original question is "depends how much you want to spend"

[Graham Man]

I do most, if not all the work myself.... so for me, it was "how many years do I have?"

[TAKerry]

I think they all should be saved, however the car in the original post may be just a tad bit too far gone. 

[hook]

This is too far........................everything else is fair game

[1937hd45]

47 minutes ago, hook said:

This is too far........................everything else is fair game

They did dig up "BABS" and restored her, but she was a worthwhile Vintage race car with history. 

 

Bob 

[Rivguy]

Almost any car can be completely reconstructed.  But if you" jack up the vin plate" and slide a reconstructed vehicle underneath, is it really the same car? Wouldn't it make more sense to just build a car from new reproduction parts? Early Fords were the first cars to have repo bodies available, now Mustangs, Camaros, 55-57 Chevys and some muscle era Mopars can be built from scratch. I do understand that it is easier to register a rebuilt car as opposed to a special construction vehicle. 

The question of whether a car is worth saving is a personal question. Some guys like  a challenge and can handle the needed work and financial commitment. I think unless it is a historically significant example, or one that has strong ties to your family history, than it would be better to find a car in better condition.