Muddled 1948 Saratoga Project

[60FlatTop]

I spent the afternoon considering the fate of a new project.

 

Big car. I know the basics and it does have a Chevy engine, looks like a mid-70's 350, may have been swapped in the 1990's. It belonged to Timothy Bennett in Westfield, NY, close to the PA border. Not far from me, hoping to get a little history on the car.

 

Has twin spot lights, sunvisor, radio/antenna, and a big round body mount backup light. Was originally black.

 

Any more to be gleaned from the data plate?

Edited August 14, 2022 by 60FlatTop (see edit history)

[JACK M]

Pretty sure I have one of those hood ornaments (I think it's based on an Eagle), but it will be pitted.

Just pay shipping.

[60FlatTop]

The stylized eagle is the one. Pits will never be noticed. Mine has the security grille. They'd be lacerated by the grille pits before they got near the hood ornament.

 

Thank you for the offer. PM me and we'll make it happen.

 

Just posted a want ad for door handles, too.

 

Bernie

[Joe Cocuzza]

I have a lot of parts for your car.

I'm sure I have the door handles which may be pitted.

I had 2 parts cars and still have many parts.

Let me know what else you might need.

[60FlatTop]

Changing the appearance and preparing for an engine start.

 

Also calling to put the insurance on it so it can be legally transferred to my name. An important part that some people have put off for years, or decades.

[60FlatTop]

Since the topic calling the car muddled went over so smoothly I thought I would show a bit of my unraveling.

 

A dual heater matrix car can't have just any run of the mill air conditioning.

[Grimy]

These days, and for years now, we can buy moulded 90* angle short connecting heater hoses.  Not so in the early 1960s when I went to half a dozen Chrysler & DeSoto dealerships to replace the originals on my first DeSoto Suburban.  Download the Gates catalog and search by type hoses and dimensions, not by application.  Correct hoses and tubing will remove a lot of the Offense to the Senses that we perceive here....

[60FlatTop]

George, I thought this was a tidy arrangement for the heater routing. But I don't know how I am going to get those cylinders into a row again.

 

As I wrote in the first post, I am considering the car's fate. For me that entails a thorough lubricating, cleaning, and polishing anything that shines. Deciding whether to keep it, pass it on as Town and Country parts, or find a guy with rose colored glasses are all good options. I have a new overflow storage location that cost $600 per year instead of $1400. My wife already brought that up. Leaning toward keeping it.

 

In this world of expensive restorations it is just amazing how little it takes to keep me entertained. I'm sitting here smelling Happich Simichrome. Guess I'll get on Ebay and order a couple tubes.

 

[Grimy]

1 hour ago, 60FlatTop said:

George, I thought this was a tidy arrangement for the heater routing. But I don't know how I am going to get those cylinders into a row again.

 

As I wrote in the first post, I am considering the car's fate. For me that entails a thorough lubricating, cleaning, and polishing anything that shines. Deciding whether to keep it, pass it on as Town and Country parts, or find a guy with rose colored glasses are all good options. I have a new overflow storage location that cost $600 per year instead of $1400. My wife already brought that up. Leaning toward keeping it.

 

In this world of expensive restorations it is just amazing how little it takes to keep me entertained. I'm sitting here smelling Happich Simichrome. Guess I'll get on Ebay and order a couple tubes.

 

In THIS picture (6-cyl), the upper arrangement is correct with the proper right angle hoses to the individual heater cores.  I don't have any photos to share, but suggest you search the good ol' interweb for a correctly restored Chry or DeS to see the Pleasant to the Eyes arrangement the Chrysler engineers originally designed.

 

Yes, cleanliness is next to godliness--on marginal stuff about to go on the market too.  What tranny is in there?  I'm having trouble imagining a 350 with a Fluid Drive bell housing.  Parking brake was on rear of tranny--where is it now?

[60FlatTop]

27 minutes ago, Grimy said:

Yes, cleanliness is next to godliness--on marginal stuff about to go on the market too. 

"Shiny sells" quote the Raven.

 

The transmission is a Turbo 350. I haven't been under it aft of the firewall but the original springs and rearend are in place. Shifter is connected and a power steering box has been adapted.

 

Since the early weeks of the plague a professional street rod builder friend has been stopping at my garage for Tuesday morning coffee. We looked it over and both agree some quality work was done on the installation in general. Since it is a Saratoga I have found my best comparisons in New Yorkers and T and C's. I can't wait to cut the foam off that evaporator box and see what the thought behind that is.

 

I needed a tall car since my wife has osteoporosis  and hasn't been able to ride in any of my low old cars this year. This came up and intrigued me. The size and presence of the car is feeling quite Silver Cloudish the more I am around it, maybe a little bigger than an SSS.

 

My goal was down to two cars by next year but the ones I would keep weren't projects. I am uncomfortable if there isn't something major going on for day dreaming. So maybe two drivers and a albatross is the right place for me. When I get bored with it I know it will be easier to sell than used golf clubs.

[60FlatTop]

I just reread my last post and had to laugh. I abruptly shut off the TV a night or two ago and announced "God! Enough with the metaphors!"

 

And here I go waxing into 19th century poetry.

[Grimy]

25 minutes ago, 60FlatTop said:

I just reread my last post and had to laugh. I abruptly shut off the TV a night or two ago and announced "God! Enough with the metaphors!"

 

And here I go waxing into 19th century poetry.

You can always switch from metaphors to similes at no additional charge.....and you can go waning out of 19th century poetry.